Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Theme: Real faith matures by prayer persistence in God’s truth

Text: James 1:21-22,
“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness
and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (ESV)

Overview of the book of James:

• Ancient Wisdom for a Modern World
• James is the oldest book in the NT.
• Key verses: James 1:21-22
• Paradox: there are some who see James’s message in opposition to Paul’s message:
  • Paul: Romans 5:1, “we have been justified by faith”
    • Paul addresses our justification to God
  • James: James 2:24, “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone”
    • James address our justification in the eyes of men
• Key themes:
  • Wisdom
  • Maturity/Wholeness/Integration
    • Applying all of God’s word to all of our life
    • Matching our practice up with our creed
      • Matthew 12:50, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
    • Real faith is proven by practice and not profession
    • There is a danger in compartmentalizing our lives
    • There is no part of our lives that is off-limits to God and His word
    • Faith grows by
      • repeatedly obeying the truth
      • over time
      • through testing
    • Real faith sees testing as opportunities for growth
    • Real faith will product the real life of Christ:
      • Controlled tongue
      • Care for others
      • Community with believers
      • Personal purity
    • Real faith will display real change

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Theme: Focus on Faithfulness, and let God build your legacy

Text: James 1:18-22

Notes:

Our goal is not to leave a legacy–our goal is to be faithful.
A legacy is the result of faithfulness.

1. Conviction
   • Our source of truth
     • “receive with meekness the implanted word”
     • We are convinced that God’s way is the only way to live life
     • We hear God’s truth
     • Truth demands action
       • Right beliefs are not enough
       • “be doers of the word and not hearers only”
   • Our methods of handling problems
     • “quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath”

2. Consistency
   • Doing the right thing–over and over
   • Consistency = faithfulness
   • Faithfulness over time results in maturity
   • Faithfulness <> perfection
   • There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity
3. Compassion
   • “speaking the truth in love”
   • Loving God will always involve loving your neighbor
4. Courage
   • Galatians 2–Paul refers to James as a pillar
   • James was faithful to the end
   • “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point,
     which means at the point of highest reality. ”  –C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Theme: Understanding the Paradox of Jesus Christ

Text: Hebrews 9:11-15

Notes:

Jesus Christ:

• Almighty God, yet born a man
• Eternally existent, yet born in flesh
• High priest, and yet also sacrifice
• Christ is described both as a lamb and as a lion
• Christ was a priest like no other
• Christ was a lamb like no other

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Theme: The Apostle James

Text: John 7:1-9

Notes:

The Apostle James

• aka James the Just
• son of Mary and Joseph
• half-brother of Christ
• head of the Jerusalem church after Peter
• martyred 62 AD

God uses unlikely people to do His will

• God can use who you were–and who you still are–to do His will
• Don’t skip the skeptics when sharing the gospel
  • Even two years into Jesus’s ministry James is still a skeptic
  • CS Lewis was an avowed atheist into his 30s
  • “the hardness of God is softer than the kindness of men”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Theme: The Fear of the Lord: The appropriate response to a holy God

Text: Deuteronomy 10:12-22

Notes: