Persevering His Saints
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him. - James 1:12
-THIS SUNDAY'S TEXT-
Persevering His Saints
Discipleship – knowing and following Christ and helping others do the same for the glory of God.
Characteristics of Discipleship:
Relational >Prayerful >Spirit Led >Bible Centered Contending for one another’s holiness In our Discipleship Series, we are now headed into the Book of James. This book is small and can be read very easily in one setting, and I encourage you to do so a couple times a week. As you read, make note of repeated words or phrases throughout the book. For example, this Sunday we will be looking at the “blessed”, “steadfast” man.
Read James 1:1-27
There is so much to love about the Word of God. I love the raw truth of the Word of God. James 1:2 reads, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of various kinds… Now we know from the words of Christ that the raw truth is that life on earth will come with various troubles and trials. Jesus told His disciples this truth when He said – In the world you will have tribulation… James confirms these words of Jesus in saying – (not if, but) when you face trials of various kinds… The reality of life on earth is that it will come with various trials.
The early, dispersed Christians faced various trials:
- James 1:13-15 Temptation
- James 1:22-26 The Charge of Being a Doer of the Word
- James 5:7-11 Suffering
James tells us to “Count it all joy…when you face trials of various kinds.” This should bring about a few questions in our minds:
- How/why are we to “count it all joy” when we face temptation?
- How/why are we to “count it all joy” when we face the charge to not simply be a hearer of the Word but a doer of the Word?
- How/why are we to “count it all joy” when suffer and face situations that called for patience and endurance?
The joy is found in this: while the temptation, charge, and or suffering may be quite difficult, the scripture tells us that God is faithfully accomplishing something wonderful in His saints as they face various trials. The trial is not destructive to God's saints nor is it in vain. Not only does God faithfully carry His saints through various trials, God is at work in perfecting His saints as they face temptation, the strong charge, and suffering.
Read James 1:4, James 1:12, James 1:25, James 5:11
-Consider and Meditate-
Spend some time reflecting on the various trials that you have faced in life.
- How has God grown you through these difficulties in life?
- How have you seen the faithfulness of God through these various trials?
-PRAYER & THANKSGIVING- Thank God for carrying you through and growing you through these various trials?
Give thanks to the Lord for bringing you out of the darkness and into the marvelous light through the good news of Jesus Christ. Ask God to continue to be gracious and kind in bringing many more people out of the darkness and into the marvelous light of Jesus Christ. Pray for specific people who need salvation through Jesus Christ. Pray for the unreached people group Pajonal Asheninka in Peru. Ask God to give you a heart of compassion for the lost and courage to share the gospel with the lost. Prayer for River's Edge (The River's Youth Ministry). We are preparing for our Fall Wilderness Walk. Pray that God will allow us to see His faithful work in the hearts of the friends of our youth. Our youth are praying for their friends to come to Christ. Our youth are being encouraged to share the gospel with their friends. Our youth are inviting their friends to the Wilderness Walk. And we are praying and asking God to move hearts to trust in Jesus Christ.
-Women of The River- It is time to sign up and invite your friends to sign up for the Women's Fall Bible Study (Women of the Word). The study begins Wednesday, September 9th. There is a study Wednesday mornings at 10am and a study Wednesday evenings at 6pm. Call the office (607-0912) to sign up.