James 1:2-4
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
But let patience have its perfect work,
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
We’re supposed to count it all joy when you fall into trials. If you lack wisdom, ask God for wisdom. We need to make the RIGHT decisions when trials come. Do not major on a decision when you’re in a down time.
We need to find out where these testings come from.
Trials come from a couple of places:
1) Temptation – this is to try to get you off the path.
Temptations are NOT from God, but from the devil, or from your own lust.
2) Test of obedience – this comes from God. Are you going to start on the path God
has called you to? We must TRUST God! An example is Abraham. He trusted God
so much, that if he sacrificed his son, Isaac, he had enough trust in God to know
He would raise Isaac from the dead.
3) Bump in the road – a lot of times this comes from people. Many times these are
people that are close to you, or from OUR own decisions.
Sometimes it takes time before we see the result. When we have tests, these are the three different kinds. Testing produces patience.
James 1:12
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation;
for when he has been approved,
he will receive the crown of life
which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
There is a reward when we are tested… a “crown”. We want to be one of those people that pass the test. We don’t know when the tests are coming. We need to be ready at ALL times. Like a muscle, it takes time to build this up. Even the disciples were not ready for this type of trust/faith. Later on, their faith increased.
Many of these trials are tests of obedience. We need to get rid of the distractions in our life that takes us away from God. In other parts of the world, it is so easy for these people to just accept the Lord into their heart and/or be healed. They have simple lives. But in America, we have too many distractions and we worry about what others will think.
We need to have child-like faith. We should just ask God and BELIEVE it. We need to put away the TVs, radios in our home. Put away all these distractions.
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God”
We need to be still and know that He is God. If you are quiet enough, He will tell you which way to go. When we are on the RIGHT path, we know this is the path God has put us on. Otherwise, if we get off this path, it will start getting bumpy, or we just stop.
Take time to listen to God. We need to hear from God on a regular basis. When you talk to God about the little things and begin to trust Him, THEN when the larger bumps come, we will be able to TRUST Him.
Joshua Boyd (Young Adult Fellowship Teacher, Tremont Church)
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
But let patience have its perfect work,
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
We’re supposed to count it all joy when you fall into trials. If you lack wisdom, ask God for wisdom. We need to make the RIGHT decisions when trials come. Do not major on a decision when you’re in a down time.
We need to find out where these testings come from.
Trials come from a couple of places:
1) Temptation – this is to try to get you off the path.
Temptations are NOT from God, but from the devil, or from your own lust.
2) Test of obedience – this comes from God. Are you going to start on the path God
has called you to? We must TRUST God! An example is Abraham. He trusted God
so much, that if he sacrificed his son, Isaac, he had enough trust in God to know
He would raise Isaac from the dead.
3) Bump in the road – a lot of times this comes from people. Many times these are
people that are close to you, or from OUR own decisions.
Sometimes it takes time before we see the result. When we have tests, these are the three different kinds. Testing produces patience.
James 1:12
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation;
for when he has been approved,
he will receive the crown of life
which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
There is a reward when we are tested… a “crown”. We want to be one of those people that pass the test. We don’t know when the tests are coming. We need to be ready at ALL times. Like a muscle, it takes time to build this up. Even the disciples were not ready for this type of trust/faith. Later on, their faith increased.
Many of these trials are tests of obedience. We need to get rid of the distractions in our life that takes us away from God. In other parts of the world, it is so easy for these people to just accept the Lord into their heart and/or be healed. They have simple lives. But in America, we have too many distractions and we worry about what others will think.
We need to have child-like faith. We should just ask God and BELIEVE it. We need to put away the TVs, radios in our home. Put away all these distractions.
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God”
We need to be still and know that He is God. If you are quiet enough, He will tell you which way to go. When we are on the RIGHT path, we know this is the path God has put us on. Otherwise, if we get off this path, it will start getting bumpy, or we just stop.
Take time to listen to God. We need to hear from God on a regular basis. When you talk to God about the little things and begin to trust Him, THEN when the larger bumps come, we will be able to TRUST Him.
Joshua Boyd (Young Adult Fellowship Teacher, Tremont Church)
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