Sermon January 3rd, 2016 - The Book of James, Part One

Photo by Brian Voges, Brandon SD

Beginning with this past Sunday we are doing a sermon series on the book of James.  James has long been one of my favorite books and I believe it to be also one of the oldest if not the oldest book in the New Testament.  My personal opinion is that the book was indeed penned by James the brother of Christ.  I will be diving a little bit into the history and academic study of the book as we go along in our study of what the book means to us as believers today.  The book of James is only five chapters long, but it has so much to offer to Christians, even today nearly two thousand years after it was written.

I've linked the YouTube video of the sermon below and I hope you all take the time to watch it and that in doing so you might learn something new, or perhaps, remember something that you've forgotten about the book of James.  At the bottom of the page you'll find the verses in James that are covered in the sermon.

May this short blog post find all who wander through very well and richly blessed in this new year.  Happy 2016 to everyone!

In His constant and unfailing grace,
Roy

James 1:1-15   Revised Standard Version (RSV)


1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greeting.

2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7, 8 For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

12 Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one; 14 but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.