The Triumph of Trials

Starting James

Practical Truths of a Real Christian

Marks of True Religian

Marks of False Profession

Warnings, exhortations, and instructions

Interspective vs extrospective

Instructions and built to all individual Christians

James 1:1 NIV

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

Brothers and Sisters

15 times

Not from the viewpoint of an old time preacher with a pointy finger burrowing into your sould to fill you with guilt.

Written from the viewpoing to a family member that is learning to walk and grow just like every other person

WE ARE FAMILY, WE ARE FAMILY, WE ARE FAMILY

Struggles, Temptations, Sickness, Sadness, Frustrations

We live in a world that is just steeped in trouble. If it is not one difficulty its another. We struggle in our jobs, in our relationships, in our marriages, in our health.

We might have hope.

I don’t know how people who don’t have faith make it. What a mundane depressing world they must live in.

Plug for Marriage Classes — Please come and invite others

World view. Someone where i worked got married which led to a little discussion.. One man chimed in --- long story short. I do what I want with MY money and if she don’t like it that’s tough. I make the rules.....

I thought 2 things - 1. He’s lying. 2. THat was the saddest thing I heard that day.

God’s view - it’s not good for us to be alone so his GREATEST gift to you to get through this horrible chaotic temporary home is the spouse that somehow believes God and loves you enough to see through the garbage that we sometimes are.

Proposition

What it Feels Like

Facing Trials (2)

Greek poikilos submitted to be tested

someone is doing it to you

Testing Our Faith

The test

Studying to be a nurse - the anxiety and stress of it was worse than the test itself

Lacking Wisdom

as a result of testing a trials sometime we come to the conclusion that we really don’t know what we are doing

Grocery store - bag stretcher

the new guy knows nothing

compared to Jesus we are always the new guy

Humble vs. High Position

I grew up picked on for my clothing because we could only go to fays, or woolworths. If we had extra money we could buy one good tshirt for clothing. We were so poor that my mother who raised 4 kids on her own had 2 to 3 jobs and and our subsidized rent was 8 dollars a month. My wife ran into a previous landlord of ours who “felt so sorry for us”

Tempted

Winners Win. Losers Point

Path to Death

As we look at ourselves its quite possible you find yourselves on this path

What is Really Going On

Perseverence - Ever seem like that issue is never going to end?

Maturite and Complete

There is something to hearing from someone who has lived it...

Having everything you ever needed

Lacking nothing -

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not be in want

Wisdom is given to you

Crown of life

A kind of first fruits

To Do List

Consider it joy

Ask God for wisdom

Do not blame God

Every good and perfect gift

Conclusion

'Twas battered and scarred, And the auctioneer thought it hardly worth his while To waste his time on the old violin, but he held it up with a smile."What am I bid, good people", he cried, "Who starts the bidding for me?" "One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?" "Two dollars, who makes it three?" "Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"But, No, From the room far back a gray bearded man Came forward and picked up the bow, Then wiping the dust from the old violin And tightening up the strings, He played a melody, pure and sweet As sweet as the angel sings.The music ceased and the auctioneer With a voice that was quiet and low, Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?" As he held it aloft with its' bow."One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?" "Two thousand, Who makes it three?" "Three thousand once, three thousand twice, Going and gone", said he.The audience cheered, But some of them cried, "We just don't understand." "What changed its' worth?" Swift came the reply. "The Touch of the Masters Hand."

"And many a man with life out of tune All battered and bruised with hardship Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd Much like that old violin A mess of pottage, a glass of wine, A game and he travels on. He is going once, he is going twice, He is going and almost gone.But the Master comes, And the foolish crowd never can quite understand, The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.

"And many a man with life out of tune All battered and bruised with hardship Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd Much like that old violinA mess of pottage, a glass of wine, A game and he travels on. He is going once, he is going twice, He is going and almost gone.But the Master comes, And the foolish crowd never can quite understand, The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.

Life is full of tough stuff to test and try us. Heres the thing though. THe right perspective changes everything. It is never for harm’s sake that we go through these things..It’s because He loves us