PASTORS NOTES

  EPHESIANS 4:29-32 – Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. BEWARE OF A BITTER AND UNFORGIVING HEART.  It must be one of the most grievous things to the heart of God. It damages the witness of individuals and churches for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It produces hypocrisy.  It robs us of joy, peace, and contentment. It makes Christians more Pharisees than followers of Christ. Simply stated, “It is the ugliest thing to be in the life of a Christian and church – a bitter and unforgiving heart”. And it is extremely serious. Jesus stated this warning,  “For if you forgive others th

READ :   James 4:1-10 We all face conflict. Most of us hate it. James is blunt about the source of our conflict. This is both painful and helpful. We can overcome the pressure of conflict by identifying its source and pursuing the humility that sets pleasing God as its chief aim. Introduction . James would have us look at the source of our conflict instead of merely focusing on the triggers of conflict. Conflict is a result of the fall. Therefore, it - like the fall - touches every aspect of our lives. It is not only marriages that are wracked by conflict. It is every human relationship and institution. Therefore, what James has to say to us is vital to everyday living. In James 4:1-10 we see the source of our conflict with man, our conflict with God, and the source of our conflict resolution. I. The source of our conflict with our fellow man In 4:1 James shows the source of our conflict is in the " cravings that are at war within you". A. The source of all relational confli

  Read James 3:1-12   Turn on the TV or the radio or the internet, and chances are, you’ll hear someone talking. And it’s even likely that you’ll hear someone criticizing other people.  It’s easy for us to get swept into that. But God still loves those people, doesn’t He? How can we praise God one minute and in the next minute tear down people God loves? This should not be. James, writing to many believers, must have been concerned about churches in general. Apparently, there were people speaking badly—boasting about themselves, cursing others, picking fights.  James tells them all to shape up. Who is being “called out” by James in verse 1?  Why do you think teachers will be judged with greater strictness?  It is said, “We live in a day and age when everyone wants to be the one who gives advice, everyone wants to be the expert, and James is going to argue, are you sure you want to do that?  Because God is going to judge you more harshly for being a teacher.” Show, don’t tell. James fol

James 2:13        because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment..  The second chapter of James confirms an important Christian principle that Jesus established in His Sermon on the Mount - mercy will be extended to those that show mercy, while the merciless man will face God's judgement.  Jesus explained this truth to his audience in Matthew: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." James expresses the same principle from the opposing position:  "For the one who has shown no mercy will be judged without mercy," he writes - and continues, "Mercy triumphs over judgment." While James is specifically addressing believers over discriminating against their neighbour, he is delivering a biblical principle that applies to both the saved and the unsaved. James approached his teaching about mercy from the standpoint of human partiality, where a man judges another to be worthy or un