Sermon Tone Analysis
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>> What has been one of the biggest tests in your life?
>> What has been one of the biggest tests in your life?
INTRO
What is wise?
What is success?
In God’ eyes?
For many of us, a primary test of our faith is related to how we understand and handle money.
Faith works…everyday.
Everyday, we make decisions about money where our faith can be activated and can work - or not.
This passage today, is an invitation to move from what-if fear to wise faith.
/// God is inviting us to flourish, but his path to flourishing freedom looks differently than we might expect.
DUST BOWL
Andy Stanley is in excellent little book “fields of gold” tells a story of Jeremiah Clary who moved to Oklahamo seeking the wealth of flourishing and endless fields.
They found abundance, thousands did.
Then in 1931, the rains stopped.
100 million acres became a wasteland.
The top soil was no longer being held down by crops and the winds picked up the soil, sending tonnes of dirt into the wind across the landscape.
It became a dust bowl, with huge dust storms.
Jeremiah faced 5 years of hardship, he scattered seed in the hopes of growth and then rains didn’t come, but the winds did and blew it all away.
Suddenly, farmers had this unusual anxiety.
There was the question of whether to sow seeds or not.
Jeremiah’s seeds were his livelihood.
He knew that he needed to plant them for growth to occur, without planting them, they were worthless.
But what if he planted them and they just blew away.
If he planted he could lose everything.
He wanted to protect his seeds.
If he didn’t plant, he would gain nothing.
Yet, he hesitated to plant his precious seeds.
His fear was making him irrational.
He was facing a trial, a test.
In his test, his fear caused him to start to close his hands.
You and I are facing trials and tests as well.
We are in a dust bowl.
Everyday, we encounter the “what-ifs” of fear and anxiety, and find ourselves wanting to protect our seeds, protect our resources.
Isn’t it wise to consider all the “what-ifs?”
Don’t we all need to have a nestegg for tomorrow
We take a stand in the storm by getting more in our hands.
Hold it tight, hold it tight, hold it tight - this is right.
If you set yourself up and are smart you’ll have nothing to fear.
Because in a time of lack, you’ll have your own back.
--
Make plans to shape your destiny.
Don’t forget about your RRSP.
For there lies your source of security.
Face the what-if’s by formulating plans.
You have to take matters into your own hands.
Stack plans on top of plans to ease the fear of what could be.
Stack plans on top of plans to ease the fear of what could be.
Plan B can be rescued by Plan C.
With hard work you can shape your destiny.
Don’t forget about your RRSP.
For there lies your source of security.
Drive out the “what-if’s” of lack by gaining more.
In our world’s eyes.
This is wise.
Don’t worry about the reality that all these plans are about me.
Make a Plan C to rescue Plan B
The wisdom of the age
says plan for another day.
Overcome your fear by gaining more.
>> What is success?
If you work hard and can afford a nice car and go for holidays with your family - does that make you successful in God’s eyes?
What is wise?
What is success?
In God’ eyes?
For many of us, a primary test of our faith is related to how we understand and handle money.
Faith works…everyday.
Everyday, we make decisions about money where our faith can be activated and can work - or not.
This passage today, is an invitation to move from what-if fear to wise faith.
/// God is inviting us to flourish, but his path to flourishing freedom looks differently than we might expect.
But we can’t climb the ladder high enough to overcome our own fragility.
We can’t climb the ladder high enough to outrun our own fragility.
No earthly success is going to drive out our insecurity.
None of us are taking a u-haul to eternity.
We are like kids in the sandbox, trying to create delicacies out of dirt “look mom, doesn’t this look good?”
If only we understood.
If only we understood.
We focus on making a living.
But we aren’t made to make ourselves.
We obsess over sandcastles and boast in
But we aren’t made to make ourselves.
And the creator shows that living is giving.
Freedom is not found in the
We
We may gain comfort and convenience
CONTEXT
Vs. 2-4 - you will face trials but count it joy because God has a bigger perspective.
He is growing our steadfastness and making us mature.
Vs. 5-8 When we face challenges and trials we need wisdom.
God wants to give us wisdom to equip us to live rightly but we must stand firm trusting him, not bounce around like waves.
God is steadfast so we can stand during the storms.
Trust during the trial.
Trials are going to come to all of us, the question is how will we handle these trials?
We want to stand firm trusting God and when we do this we are postured to receive from him.
We don’t want to be double-minded.
Vs. 9-11: Specifically speaks to finances.
Lacking finances is one of the specific trials for the people James is writing to.
They have been scattered.
How we view finances is a test of our trust (Ja.
1:3).
Vs. 12 - remain steadfast because God will reward with life.
In this whole passage James notes two paths.
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