"The Test of our Perspective"

These are my notes from the sermon on Sat night.
Chris Cardiff,an elder,did the sermon.

James 2: 1-13

Many times we have the wrong perspective.
The right perspective is keeping your eyes on Jesus...it is eternal.

If we have our perspective right, how ridiculous is it that we think we are better than others?

What happens when we don't have perspective?

We look to others and covet what they have.

Test of Perspective

Distinctions can cause divisions
1. Rich vs Poor
2. Race vs Race
3. Ministry vs Ministry
4. Pleasing man vs. Pleasing God

We are all "6th men" off the bench.

vs 8-11 Royal law=king's law
vs 12-13
Judgment vs Mercy
It's a daily battle of our flesh...what is motivating our heart?
God doesn't show partiality and neither should we but it creeps in subtly.

How many times do we have Jesus in front of us and we have our focus on something else.

Do you believe this? It's something you need to ask yourself

"What Anger Cannot Produce"

These are my notes from the sermon on 6/20. A little late posting :)

James 1: 19-27

The test of our response to the word of God
If we are reading the word of God correctly, it will contradict our fleshly nature
Jesus "hacked off" a lot of people
There is also righteous anger. If you stay there,even if it's right, hearts of the spirit won't grow.

1. Authentic repentance
It's not.."I probably should stop.." It's putting it away. Repent before you read scripture. You'll get more out of it.

2. Humble reception
Jesus is not a "consultant" He is the head. We should be accepting his words with a yes.
The Bible is a manual for life.

3. Relentless application
This is your identity. If you're not a doer, you forget what you are like. We're not on mission wandering around saying "What am I doing?"

If this is the way we approach the word of God....

1. We will be blessed..not with riches..it means God is using you.

2. We wil have self control. Our mouths are attached to our hearts. The hardest person to lead is yourself.

3. We will love compassionately. If you love scripture but not others then you have a hardened ingrate heart. You need to love EGR people (Extra grace required)
Be more sensitive to vulnerable people..ex. orphans and widows

4. We will pursue personal purity
We will reach the world when we give them something different.
Salt and light
When the world looks at you as a fool and idiot, you need to be able to say "I'm good"
Don't approach the word of God in a demonic way.
Don't become an expert at bible trivia. Don't be just hearers of the word.
What is the last command you read and did from the Bible?

Authentic faith...pioneer vs settler theology

These are my notes from this a.m.'s service.
Our worship was awesome. Four acoustic guitars and a keyboard player and the beautiful voices of Apex A Capella at times. "True Light" and "From the Inside Out"...doesn't get any better :)
Rennes Bowers did the sermon today. Such a godly man.

James 1:16-18

James was martyred and sealed his testimony with his own blood
James was written about 45 AD

Believing "facts" doesn't mean you are on your way to heaven. That's not saving faith
Jesus did something for us and in us and he does something through us
Are you really in authentic faith or have you "intellectualized" your faith.

Temptation must be battled at the point of conception..not at the point of behavior.

When you drift, you become lured by deceit.
House churches help keep us accountable and authentic.
Don't "hide out" in knowledge
It's about discipleship
To be a follower, it costs you. You give up reign of your own life.
God gives us all perfect gifts. We lack nothing.
"Father of lights"..he is steadfast..the only stable thing in the universe.

Deceit is the word we get planets from. Planets are always rotating and changing.

Pioneer vs Settler theology

A settler sees life as needing to be guarded
A pioneer sees life to be lived

A settler sees church like a stone house which is dark with small windows
A pioneer sees church as a covered wagon; always on the move.

A settler sees God as being in office with the blinds drawn...predictable and feared
A pioneer sees God as a trail boss..full of life who eats and sleeps with his pioneers

A settler sees Jesus as the sheriff who forces town rules
A pioneer sees Jesus as a scout who finds the way for his pioneers

A settler sees the Holy Spirit as a philosopher who comforts
A pioneer sees the Holy Spirit as a buffalo hunter who provides and shakes up the settlers

A settler sees a Christian who believes in safety first,order,happiness
A pioneer sees a Christian as one who risks,daring..whose new life is on the trail and he dies with his boots on

A settler sees a clergy as a bank teller who protects the vault
A pioneer doesn't see a clergy..only a cook who helps others learn to cook

A settler sees sin as breaking town rules
A pioneer sees sin as wanting to leave the others

We are the prototype of what is to come. We are the firstfruits. Our world revolves around Him instead of us.

Open your eyes. There are places (India) that need to be harvested.

"The Test of Fighting"

These are my notes from Rob's sermon this morning

James 1:12-15

The test for today? How are you fighting?
We are all fighting something or for something

Trial and temptation..derived from the same word. One used more as a noun and the other a verb

Trial or temptation?
How you react to it tells you which it is

Reaction..angry,embittered,apathetic...it's temptation
Reaction...commitment to Jesus, worship, continuing to serve and share the gospel..trial
God is using it to bring death to our lives

Psalm 94:12
Psalm 119:71

Trials
There are 2 vertical reactions toward God

1. The first reaction is :

Choosing to be steadfast is proof:
a. You are blessed when you persevere under trial
No matter what happens around us , we have Jesus and we are blessed.
b. That you will be crowned. You have persevered to the end..the finish line..perseverance
is not perfection. You pick up and keep going.
1 Corinthians 10:24 imperishable wreath

True love always translates into true perseverance
Ex. A parent who loses a child in a crowd..you will continue to look for that child forever

2. The second reaction is :

blaming God for your disobedience
"I can't help this...God made me this way"
"Oh God, why did you do this?"
There will be a day when you stand in judgment. Your parents,friends,children, evil spirits won't be there..it's all you

The Process of Sin
Are you in the pipeline?
It starts in the human heart with:

1. undisciplined desire and thoughts

Ex. kids at Disneyworld wanting everything.you need to stay near your dad(God)
You can set yourself up to be vulnerable in your lifestyle. You become jaded to it.
Proverbs 23:19; Proverbs 4:23

Temptation doesn't produce itself in it's true form. It's like the kiss of Judas.

2. Being lured and enticed It's like a trap in the forest covered by grass
We put our foot in the trap

3. A commitment to sin..Psalm 7:14
Sin makes us lie to ourself
We keep feeding it and it separates us from true relationships
The only thing that can break the cycle is a God hanging from a tree

Death is the last part of the pipeline
"O death..where is your sting?"