Your Life For Mine
Sermon Notes
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving,considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
- James 3:17-18
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
- James 4:1-3
“For the one principle of hell is — ‘I am my own.’ I am my own king and my own subject. I am the center from which go out my thoughts; I am the object and end of my thoughts; back upon me as the alpha and omega of life, my thoughts return. My own glory is, and ought to be, my chief care; my ambition, to gather the regards of men to the one center, myself. My pleasure is my pleasure. My kingdom is — as many as I can bring to acknowledge my greatness over them. My judgment is the faultless rule of things. My right is — what I desire.”
– George Macdonald
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
- James 4:4-7
Table Group Resources
Mixer
Share what has been the most life-giving relationship in your life and why.
Sermon Questions
Scriptures: James 3:17-18, 4:1-10
1. Pastor Jared challenged us with the thought that our relationships may not be thriving because we are not getting what we want and have become too self-absorbed. Did this resonate with you? Why or why not?
2. In 1905, George MacDonald made the observation that the one principle of hell is this: “I am my own. I am my own king and my own subject. I am the center... I am the object and end of my thoughts... the alpha and omega of life... My own glory is... my chief care.” What are the dangers in this line of thinking? How does this line of thinking affect relationships? How does this secular thought process differ from God’s wisdom?
3. In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General declared an epidemic of loneliness. How have you been affected by loneliness? What steps have you taken to initiate and grow spirit-filled, peaceful relationships in your life?
4. Read James 3:17-18. This is the blueprint for life-giving relationships. Which of these characteristics do you struggle with relationally? If we submit to God and commit to going first in relationships, what does that look like?
5. Read James 4:7-10. How can we achieve the wisdom of Heaven in order to bring a bit of Heaven down to earth?
Serve
Serve Week is coming up Oct 28 - Nov 4! There is still time to get you on board with a project or two! Get your group together and decorate a fleet of car “trunks” or help us staff the event by signing up here.
Pray
Join us this week in lifting up our Trunk or Treat Family Event happening this Saturday, Oct 28, 4-6pm. Pray specifically for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to answer the question: “Why do we do this?” Because of love. Pray for our team of volunteers, staff, and vendors to be expressions of our faith in Jesus. Pray that each person coming to the event is postured to receive the love of Jesus.
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. - Galatians 5:6b
