Daniel Berry - Lead Pastor

KEY SCRIPTURE:  What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

4 You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. 5 Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely? 

6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says:

God resists the proud

but gives grace to the humble. 

7 Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. -- James 4:1-10 (CSB)

SLIDE:  This passage is intended to provide a warning. It is written as a counter view to James 3 depicting the one who does not walk in wisdom.

KEY SCRIPTURE:  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace. What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you? -- James 3:18-4:1 (CSB)

SLIDE:  The church's culture was depraved just like the world's.

SLIDE:  Some examples of battles fought within the church:

• Power
• Status
• Tradition
• Apathy 

SLIDE:  God grants wisdom to those who genuinely seek for the purpose of building His kingdom, not those who merely seek it for his/her own benefit.

SLIDE:  Faithfulness to God requires absolute dependence on His ways.

SLIDE:  Grace is receiving what we do not deserve.

SLIDE:  A life in pursuit of the wisdom of God will lead us TO God, himself. The result is God’s abundant blessing.

SLIDE:  The Biblical Model for Change of Sinful Patterns

• Submit to God
• Resist the devil
• Draw Near to God
• Cleanse your hands
• Purify your hearts
• Be miserable 
• Mourn 
• Weep
• Turn laughter into mourning
• Humble yourself

SLIDE:  Step 1

Choose a Side- "Submit to God, Resist the Devil, Draw Near to God"

SLIDE:  "Submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to God" all imply you recognize the battle lines have been drawn and you are choosing the side of God.

SLIDE:  Step 2

Relinquish Sin’s Influence (Cleanse your Hands, Purify your Hearts)

SLIDE:  We must break free from the bondage of sin in our lives.

SLIDE:  Step 3

Repent Through Brokenness (Experience Misery, Mourn, Weep, Turn laughter into Mourning)

SLIDE:  Grieving over our sin allows us to realize what we have received through Christ’s sacrifice and gift of salvation.

SLIDE:  Step 4

Posture leads to Presence (Humility)

SLIDE:  Wisdom without humility is not Biblical wisdom.

DAILY TRAINING: Memorize James 4:6 - But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says:

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. -- James 4:6 (CSB)