Month: October 2009

  • RELATING TO GOOD WORKS [JAMES 04]


    Date:  10/11/2009 Awana Varsity
    Resources:  John MacArthurs Commentary on James, & a sermon series from Denton Bible Church
    Audio:  http://eek-71.xanga.com/audio/53cd43732661/


    How the Christian Relates to GOOD WORKS
    James 2:14-26


    INTRO
      •  How does the Christian deal with James ch. 2?... vs 17?  vs 21 & 25?
      •  How do you answer the question "If we are saved b Grace, & once you are saved you can't lose it, then can do whatever evil you want?"
      •  You can't be truly saved and yet live a rebellious life... Paul, Peter, John, Jude, all deal with this same question.
      •  write in your bible margin...
          >  vs 14  "question"
          >  vs 18  "challenge"
          >  vs 21  "examples"
          >  vs 26  "illustration"


    1.  QUESTIONS...  vs 14-17
      •  Question #1  (vs 14) Is there such a thing as "saving faith" w/o a CHANGED life?
      •  Question #2  (vs 15-16) If all my faith produces is "religious TALK", what good is it?
      •  Conclusion  (vs 17) faith w/o works is DEAD.  It is necrotic (necrosis)... like a dead, gangrenous limb


    2.  CHALLENGE...  vs 18-20
      •  I dare you!...  can you SHOW that you are a Christian merely by your words?  NO you cannot!
      •  consider Judas...
      •  vs 19  a Jewish "doctrinal statement"
      •  there is no difference between an orthodox but dead "christian" and a demon!... Demons are the greatest example of dead orthodoxy
      •  Conclusion  (vs 20) faith w/o works is EMPTY and barren


    3.  EXAMPLES...  vs 21-25
      •  ABRAHAM...
          >  vs 18  circle "show me"... vs 22 "you see"... vs 24 "you see"
          >  James is not talking about Justification before God, BUT BEFORE MEN
      •  1 Pet 3:1-6
          >  wives win unbelieving spouses by "showing them" their fsith
          >  children, what do you hate to do? (dishes, vacuum, etc.) then DO IT.  SHOW THEM your faith!
      •  RAHAB the Harlot...
          >  believed Gods message, received his messengers  see Heb 11:30-31,
          >  how did she SHOW she believed it?... she left a different way, turned her back on Jericho


    4.  ILLUSTRATION...  vs 26
      •  How do you know you are ALIVE as a Christian?
      •  there is a "body" and a "spirit"... a DOCTRINAL form and a functional OBEDIENCE.
      •  Fruit of the Spirit


    CONCLUSION
      •  a faith that saves is a faith that works!
      •  dead branches are broken off and burnt up... see Jn 15:6
      •  to be a Christian is to be BORN AGAIN... to be CHANGED... to be DIFFERENT!
      •  Jesus wants nothing to do with external profession w/o internal change that works its way out into CHANGED LIVES... don't be a Judas!


  • RELATING TO SNOBBERY [JAMES 03]


    Date:      10/14/2009 Awana Varsity
    Resources:  John MacArthurs Commentary on James, & a sermon series from Denton Bible Church
    Audio:      http://eek-71.xanga.com/audio/a5a3c3717869/


    How the Christian Relates to SNOBBERY
    James 2:1-13


    INTRO  vs 1-3
      •  definition: "SNOB" = one who blatantly imitates, fawns over, seeks association with those regarded as social superiors. One who tends to rebuff, avoid, or ignore those regarded as inferior.  One who has an offensive air of superiority.
      •  Jesus did not respond to "wrappers", He responded to HEARTS... widows, orphans, poor, children, women, lepers, etc.  Jesus made NO room for snobbery.
      •  vs 1  "favoritism" = partiality, "respecter of faces"
      •  there is such a thing as proper divisions in church... by spiritual gifts, according to faithfulness, etc. BUT NOT by "wrapper"'
      •  vs 2-3  James' EXAMPLE...you SIT HERE... you STAND THERE... jewelry & clothes equals "wrapper"  ("sit with me, I want people to associate your success with me")
      •  4 ways the Christian should view "snubbing" in the Body of Christ...


    1.  SNOBBERY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST IS EVIL  vs 4
      •  I put myself in a POSITION I don't deserve, bringing a STANDARD that is not Gods, for a REASON that God doesn't sanctify... causes DIVISION because I am in the wrong place, I have elevated myself as a judge


    2.  SNOBBERY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST IS ERRONEOUS  vs 5-7
      •  just look around, Christianity is a humble, working class faith.  
      •  lookup --> 1 Cor 1:26-28
      •  Heaven will not be a Country Club or Miss America pageant.  Followers of Jesus are not the most talented or most beautiful, we are a middle class people... few millionaires, few rocket scientists, few all-stars.
      •  Being a snob is INCOMPATIBLE with the Gospel... I am Lost, needing Mercy, needing Grace, an unworthy, needy, guilty, rebel!


    3.  SNOBBERY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST IS DISOBEDIENT  vs 8-11
      •  Gods law is fulfilled in loving your neighbor.  If you don't you break ALL the law!
      •  To treat someone differently based on their "wrapper" is SIN!
      •  vs 10 the law is a UNIT, a pane of glass, break a portion and you break the whole thing.  The law is not a "THING"... it flows from a PERSON, it emanates from the very character of God Himself.
      •  BIGOTRY violates the character of God b/c it fails to love His people as he does, it makes some people worthy of His love and some not.  God instead chooses people from every tribe, tongue, people, & nation (read Rev 5:9-10)
      •  James reasoning... we think that when we hurt "little people" that its of little consequence... BUT you have violated God, He's big, so its a BIG deal!
      •  God identifies Himself with the "little guy"... Pro 17:5,  19:17;  Exo 22:21-27;  Lev 19:9-10, 14;  


    4.  SNOBBERY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST IS DISASTROUS  vs 12-13
      •  because it might indicate that you ARE NOT SAVED?!?
      •  read 1 Jn 4:7-8, 11,... 20-21  IF you are born of Him you should be loving
      •  vs 13  the Judgment Seat of Christ is for believers... WHO should FEAR the Judgment Seat?... the one who has not shown mercy (snob, bigot, harsh)
      •  My love for others verifies that I belong to God.  My love for others shows that my faith is REAL...


    CONCLUSION
      •  How do I know my faith is real?  I am more loving, compassionate, not a snob, I love others.  Mercy triumphs over judgment
      •  being a snob is INCOMPATIBLE with the Gospel
      •  Snobbery in the body of Christ is a BIG DEAL.  It is a WICKED, EVIL, SIN.  lookup Acts 2:44-47 to see how it is supposed to be
      •  Illustration: do you believe serious news if its in "The Enquirer"?...no... the world will not believe our "good news" if we place it alongside the ridiculousness of our bigotry!


  • HE IS STRONGER


    I really, really, really, like this song...

    If you can't see the embedded video you can view it here -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZBPD-T20t0

  • RELATING TO YOUR BIBLE [JAMES 02]


    Date:  taught to our Awana Varsity class 10/07/09
    Resources:  John MacArthurs Commentary on James, & a sermon series from Denton Bible Church
    Audio:  http://eek-71.xanga.com/audio/246ad3709732/


    How a Christian Relates to His Bible
    [James 1:13-27]

    INTRO
      •  vs 13-16 DANGER! there is a wrong way to respond to trials.  There is a way to "fail" a trial.
      •  Compare to Genesis 3:8-13... Adam & Eve were supposed to respond in FAITH, instead they responded with BLAME.  God tested, they failed.
      •  vs 17-18 God is unchanging LIGHT and a loving FATHER.  God only gives good things, (even in the midst of grueling trials) God gives light, and good, and life.

    1.  WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF TRIALS?  vs 19-20
      •  anger does not produce what?... "the righteousness of God"... WHICH IS THE PURPOSE OF TRIALS!
      •  if you curse your trial (parents, friends, your job, government, economy, etc) then the trial is NOT producing righteousness and you are failing the test
      •  KEY -> trials are to make us like Jesus, the Bible is Gods chisel to shape us into His likeness
      •  so HOW do we become "quick to hear and slow to speak"?...

    2.  HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE WORD  vs 21a
      •  we set aside all the "JUNK"... we come to the Bible to be CHANGED
      •  I need to see the primary purpose of the Bible as being to change ME!
      •  be careful you remain "TEACHABLE"... not a "know it all"... get your HEART ready.
      •  lookup 1 Pet 2:1
      •  KEY -> Approach the Word  with a teachable heart


    3.  HOW TO YOU RECEIVE THE WORD  vs 21b
      •  "in humility" = broken, meek, surrendered
      •  Lookup 1 Pet 2:2
            >  we ALWAYS receive the Word as a babe, we never outgrow it!
            >  is your Bible study like that?
      •  "implanted" = ingrafted, cp. vs 18, I am spliced into the Word of God & Gods Word is spliced into me.
      •  KEY -> Receive the Word with a broken & surrendered spirit

    4.  HOW DO YOU LIVE THE WORD  vs 22-27
      •  How do we "prove" ourselves?... How easy to DELUDE ourselves with our church attendance, or our sermon notes, etc.
      •  We prove ourselves by being a DOER of the Word!
      •  the Bible is meant to give us a BURNING HEART, not a BIG HEAD!
      •  vs 23 as one looks in the mirror - not a quick look and walk away, BUT ready to do business, ready to make changes
      •  vs 25 "look" = to look intently, like Mary Magdalene looking into the tomb at the empty grave clothes
      •  we come to the Bible in humility, we walk away in OBEDIENCE
      •  KEY -> Walk in the Word as one seeking to be changed, committed to obedience

    CONCLUSION
      •  What TWO problems did James address?...
            >  vs 19 their tongue
            >  vs 19 their grumbling (discontent, bitter, angry)
      •  What should the Word do?... vs 25 CHANGE YOU
            >  therefore CONTROL your tongue
            >  replace anger with CARE for others
            >  lets quit POUTING about your place and find someone in a tougher spot than you
      •  Finally, don't look at the world and envy it, keep unspotted from it!

  • THATS MY KING!


    I have always appreciated the audio clip "Thats My King" by S.M. Lockridge, so when I stumbled across that clip put to video I knew I had to post it.  Check it out...



    In case you can't see the video embedded here is the link -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzqTFNfeDnE


  • THE PERFECT NOTEBOOK COMBO?


    OK, I have to admit, I have a weird thing for notebooks, journals, sketchbooks, etc.  Which is strange because I totally take all my notes in my Palm Centro.  I have been keeping my calender, to do list, address book, and meeting notes in some sort of PalmOS powered device since 1997.  BUT, as a design engineer, its hard to talk or explain myself sometimes without making sketches.  Sometimes I just want to scribble down some rough notes quickly and then I will rearrange and clean them up on my computer or Palm device later.  Regardless of technology there are plenty of times I just want to jot down something quick on paper.  Also, there is just something really cool about a practical notebook and pen combo, it seems to help stimulate the thinking process.  Enter Field Notes Brand pocket notebooks. 

    THE NOTEBOOK
    Field Notes Brand notebooks are "pocket sized" (3 1/2" x 5 1/2").  They have about 48 pages (24 sheets) and I prefer the "graph" paper version but they also come in "plain" (blank) pages or in "ruled" (lined) pages.  The graph paper is nice because the grid lines do not overpower the page.  The lines are clearly legible but they are more faint than the grid lines in, for example, a Moleskine Cahier.  Speaking of Moleskine, I like Moleskine "Large Squared" journals ($16 ea) and have purchased many, but the Field Note size means its easy to keep on you at ALL times, plus they are affordable (10 bucks for 3 notebooks).  So I find myself more willing to write in them all the time instead of wondering if it is "worth wasting a page on", like I used to do with my Moleskines.

    In addition to good paper with nice subtle graph lines, the cover is also solid.  Its a heavy card stock and offers the standard place to enter your name and address inside the front cover, as well as a check box for if there "is" or "is not", "a handsome reward" being offered.  The back inside cover is also neat.  It features a 5 inch ruler printed on the edge but also gives useful suggestions of what you could use the notebook for, such as: "inspired ramblings", ""poignant quotes", "shoddy sketches", "treasure maps", and my personal favorite "escape routes".  The whole notebook is held together with 3 sturdy staples.

    And if all that doesn't make them super cool, then the icing on the cake is that they are completely, 100%, printed and manufactured in the USA!!!  After using these quality little notebooks I won't be buying any of those other Chinese made notebooks again.

    THE LEATHER COVER
    If you are worried that the brown paper looking cover emblazoned with the words "FIELD NOTES" doesn't look classy enough for a business meeting then there is a nice solution for that too.  A company called "Renaissance Art" makes an amazing leather cover for this little booklet.  Their leather cover is of the highest quality, they come in a variety of colors, and the best part is that the leather is soft, supple, and thin so it doesn't add any bulk to the slim Field Notes size.  They will also emboss your name or slogan on it for an extra few bucks.  This cover both looks great and helps your notebook survive in your back pocket.  Several friends and colleagues have already noticed and complimented me on its quality.  Its not cheap at $25 bucks, but it fits so perfectly, looks so good, and since I suspect it will last a lifetime, I think its well worth the investment.  The one shown in the picture is the "Molasses Brown".

    THE PEN
    The pen is an Autopoint 4-way multi-pen.  Essentially in one pen I have a plastic stylus for my touchscreen phone, a mechanical pencil, a red pen, and a blue pen.  This allows me to point, draw, write, and highlight all with one pen so I get to escape the poindexter ridicule of carrying 4 different pens in my pocket (I also try to avoid the pocket protector and slide rule for th same reason).  This pen writes well and with all the functionality it offers, its a steal at $13.50.

    If you are a fountain pen type of person, I highly recommend the Pelikan M200 fine nib fountain pen.  Although not as functional as a 4-way stylus, pencil, pen combo, the Pelikan writes sooo smooothly and you just can't beat the "cool factor".

    CONCLUSION
    If you like little notebooks that are sized just right for your pocket, has nice paper, and nice light graph lines, AND is American made, then this is what you have been looking for.  Add to that an exquisite leather cover to dress it up for the board room, and an extremely useful and versatile pen and you have what just might be the perfect notebook combination.

    PS: If you ask, Field Notes will also sell the notebooks in a bulk case of 15 packs (45 notebooks) which saves you a couple of bucks per pack... sweeeet!

    REFERENCES:
    http://fieldnotesbrand.com/
    http://www.renaissance-art.com
     http://autopointinc.com



  • JAMES' REFERENCES TO THE SOTM


    Below is a helpful chart that shows how the New Testament epistle of James makes reference to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.


    James       Sermon on the Mount (Matthew)
      1:2 ........ 5:10-12
      1:4     ........ 5:48
      1:5     ........ 7:7-12
      1:9     ........ 5:3
      1:12     ....... 7:14
      1:20     ....... 5:22
      1:22     ....... 7:21-27
      2:5     ........ 5:3
      2:13     ....... 5:7
      2:13     ....... 6:14-15
      2:14-16     .... 7:21-23
      3:6     ........ 5:22           
      3:10-12     .... 7:15-20
      3:17-18     .... 5:9    
      4:4     ........ 6:24           
      4:10     ....... 5:3-5  
      4:11-12     .... 7:1-5  
      5:2-3     ...... 6:19-20
      5:10     ....... 5:12   
      5:11     ....... 5:10   
      5:12     ....... 5:33-37


    from John MacArthur's NT Commentary on James

  • RELATING TO TRIALS [JAMES #01]


    Date:  taught to our Awana Varsity class 9/30/09
    Resources:  John MacArthurs Commentary on James, & a sermon series from Denton Bible Church
    Audio:  http://eek-71.xanga.com/audio/ed0963701696/


    INTRO:
      •  James is described as the NT's "Wisdom Literature"
      •  James is the earliest NT book (approximately 45 AD)
      •  James is Jesus' little brother and became Pastor of the Jerusalem church.  James knew his bible... he references 22 OT books and makes 21 references to the Sermon on the Mount
      •  James is intensely practical, answers the question "what is a godly person?", James gets straight to the point and gives a treatise on what the life of a godly person "looks like". 
      •  James is "Practical Christianity 101".... how a believer relates to trials, his bible, to the poor, how faith relates to works.  How a follower of Jesus relates to his speech, to other people, to quarrels and anger, to money and covetousness...
      •  James is about how to take Christianity from the "lecture hall" to the "real world".  Today's message is how the Christian relates to TRIALS
      •  write in the margin of your bible...
            >  vs 2 "perspective"
            >  vs 5 "response"
            >  vs 9 "result"
            >  vs 13 "danger!"


    1.  HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE TRIALS?  vs 2-4
      •  not "IF" but "WHEN"... trials are not an "elective", they are required in "Jesus Following 101"
      •  "various" = of all kinds.  Jesus is not an escape from trials, rather we still experience trials of all sorts.
      •  "in ALL things" = from flat tires... to life taking diseases... God is sovereign over ALL, therefore consider it JOY, why?...
      •  "consider it" = I KNOW God is testing me, don't laugh it off or ignore it, CONSIDER it!... think it over and respond in faith b/c I KNOW what God is doing
      •  Trials help you strip/chip away everything that doesn't look like Jesus!
      •  KEY POINT = a trial is not an accident, it is an act of God to force me out of my wisdom power and strength, to rest in the truth of my Bible, to the point where I will not trust what I think, feel or am, but I will trust GOD.  So whatever you are going through, thank Him because He is working on me!
      •  PERSPECTIVE = God is Sovereign, He is testing me, and helping me grow in intimacy with Him.


    2.  HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO TRIALS  vs 5-8
      •  "wisdom" = Gods mysterious ways.  Gods ways seem upside down to us because we are upside down people living in an upside down world.  God tells us to be great we must be humble,  that to be strong we must become weak, that beauty is on the inside of a person, etc., etc.
      •  read Rom 11:33-36... "God, your wisdom is so great I don't understand!... God I am so dumb, so broken, so fleshly that I don't have any sense.  God would you take me and show me and open my eyes to your Word and help me to understand."... THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A TRIAL, to drive us to our KNEES & TRUST Him.
      •  RESPONSE = Turn to Him, Trust Him


    3.  WHAT SHOULD THE RESULT OF TRIALS BE?  vs 9-12
      •  a trial is a wonderful thing, b/c it proves that I am Gods child!
      •  read Heb 12:8... all Gods children grow through trials
      •  vs 12  How do I know I am saved?  I've experienced trials.  Often, our scars are greater signs of our Christian life than our baptism or church membership... the scars of a proven life  (lookup Gal. 6:1)
      •  RESULT = God is proving & purifying our faith.  He is drawing me closer today, and someday will draw me to heaven and give me a crown of life.


    CONCLUSION
      •  vs 13  the danger of a wrong response to trials... bitterness
      •  trials are the proving ground of the elect
      •  trials increase the distance, harden the hearts, and produce bitterness and blame in the hearts of the unbeliever... BUT for the believer, His Word becomes deeper and more precious, we are humbled and time in prayer becomes sweeter and the presence of Christ is nearer, richer, and inspires our heart to praise Him.  Thanks God for your trials because He is using them to make you more like Jesus and to draw you closer to Himself.