The Root of Trouble
James 4:1-3 – 1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong – you want only what will give you pleasure. (New Living Translation)
The Diagnosis Is Worldliness
What are the symptoms?
1. The symptoms are broad and _________________
2. The symptoms are specific and _____________________
3. The symptoms are _________________________
Summarize the parable of The Trouble In the Carpenter’s Workshop
What are the effects of the symptoms?
1. The effects are __________________ - ___________
Luke 8:14 – “The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.” (New Living Translation)
Titus 3:3 – Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy. And we hated each other. (New Living Translation)
2 Peter 2:13 – Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. . . . (New Living Translation)
2. The effects are ____________________________
3. The effects are ____________________________
4. The effects are ____________________________
The Cause Is Evil Desires (Selfish Passions)
Our passions become _____________________ because . . .
1. . . . our desires and wants are __________________
Colossians 3:1-2 – 1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. (New Living Translation)
Philippians 4:8 – . . . Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (New Living Translation)
2. . . . our selfish passions do not _________________
3. . . . unsatisfying selfish passions leads to wars, killings, and quarrels
Our prayers become _______________________________
- Four ways the prayer of the self-centered person is defective:
(1) It’s defective in its ________________________
(2) It’s defective in its ___________________________
(3) It’s defective in its ___________________________
1 John 5:14 – We have courage in God’s presence, because we are sure that he hears us if we ask him for anything that is according to his will. (Good News Bible)
(4) It’s defective in its _______________________
The Cure Is Prayer
Take your desires to __________________________
Put your ______________________ in Christ
1 John 5:4 – For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. (New Living Translation, 1st ed.)