James 4:11-17 – 11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? 13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog – it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. 17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. (New Living Translation)

There Is Only One ___________ – ________________

1. We are not to sit and ________________________ others

1 Peter 2:1 – Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. (New International Version)

2. We are instructed to have a ____________________ judgement

Galatians 6:1 – Brothers and sisters, if someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently help make him right again. But be careful, because you might be tempted to sin, too. (New Century Version)

• a. Redemptive judgement is ________________________
• b. Redemptive judgement is ________________________
• c. Redemptive judgement is ________________________

There Is Only One ___________ – _________________

1. James is speaking about prideful ______________________

• a. This pride __________________________ to know what tomorrow holds

Proverbs 27:1 – Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring. (New Living Translation)

• b. This pride places our _____________________ ahead of God’s plans

2. Our attitude should be that God is our sustainer and judge

*a. We need to ________________________ that life is short

1 Chronicles 29:15 – We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace. (New Living Translation)

1 Peter 1:24 – The Scripture says, “All people are like the grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass dies and the flowers fall, . . . (New Century Version)

• b. We need to ___________________________ God’s providence

Proverbs 19:21 – You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. (New Living Translation)

There Is Only One _____________

Three Things You Can Do to Have the High Life

1. Don’t __________________ others, be concerned with what you are doing

2. Plan ahead, but make the most of __________________ by putting Christ in it

3. Do what you know is __________________ , don’t withhold it

James 4:17 – Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. (New Living Translation)