Lesson One
The first of Abe’s lessons from today was not recorded (again), but the outline of the lesson is below. The second lesson follows with both a recording and outline. Good messages, enjoy, review, share, or study…
- People are always looking for a way to have a good life.
- They seek counseling and advice from “professionals.”
- They go to seminars to learn how to be rich, to be happy, to make friends, to
- raise children and on and on.
- They seemingly never realize that there is one book that has the formula.
- They do not want to look into it because that would make them responsible for their own lives.
- We are going to turn to the book of James today and look at several things he says that would give someone a good life.
- 1 Peter 3:10-12 gives a quick overview of how to have a good life or love life.
1 Peter 3:10-12 – For “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”
A Formula for a Good Life – James
Find True Joy
Comes from being tried and tested – James 1:2-4
- Produces patience
- Will perfect and complete us
- We will lack nothing
- Following the example of our Savior – Hebrews 12:2
Psalm 30:5b – “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”
Find True Wisdom
Comes from the God – James 1:5-8
- Must be requested
- Given liberally
- Must have faith
- Looking at the wisdom of the universe – Proverbs 3:19
Psalm 90:12 – So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Understand Temptation
We are responsible – James 1:9-15
- God would never tempt us to do evil
- He gave us desires that we must control
- Uncontrolled desire gives birth to sin and then death
- He always gives a way of escape – 1 Corinthians 10:13
2 Peter 2:9a – “then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations”
Understand Good
All good is from God – James 1:16-18
- Good comes from above
- Going back to the beginning – He is the Father of lights
- He is Spirit
- We are His offspring – Acts 17:28
- All good is from God – James 1:16-18
Genesis 1:31 – “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.”
Psalm 119:68 – “You are good, and do good; teach me Your statutes.”
Understand Authority
Completely following His word – James 1:19-25
- Keeping our lives in check
- Putting sin out of our lives
- Completely doing His Word
- Constantly checking our lives against the Word
John 8:51- “Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”
Live Religiously
In front of God and man – James 1:26-2:13
- Controlling our tongue
- Assisting the “helpless”
- Not showing partiality
- Keeping the “whole” law of liberty
- Judging properly
- In front of God and man – James 1:26-2:13
Romans 12:1 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
Proverbs 24:23 – “These things also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment.”
James 1-2:13
- Find True Joy
- Find True Wisdom
- Understand Temptation
- Understand Good
- Understand Authority
- Live Religiously
Lesson Two
Click on the button below to listen to the recording of lesson two, and read on below for an outline of lesson two…
A Formula for a Good Life – Martin, part 2
- In the first lesson we started out knowing people want a good life.
- They seek help to try to learn how to have a good life.
- They are sometimes misguided in how to do that.
- We have a book, the bible, that gives the formula.
- We discussed ideas from one of the “letters” in that book.
A Formula for a Good Life – James
From The First Lesson – James 1-2:13
- Find True Joy
- Find True Wisdom
- Understand Temptation
- Understand Good
- Understand Authority
- Live Religiously
Prove Faith With Works
Faith without works is dead – James 1:14-26
- Faith will not save without works
- We can talk it, but that is not enough
- Even demons know about God
- Abraham and Rahab prove the point
- Like a body without a spirit
- Faith without works is dead – James 1:14-26
Acts 10:35 – “But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”
Exercise Good Conduct
Done in the meekness of wisdom from above – James 3:13-4:17
- Not seeking to please self
- It is boastful and lies against the truth (earthly, sensual, demonic)
- It causes confusion and every evil thing
Exercise Good Conduct
Done in the meekness of wisdom from above – James 3:13-4:17
- Good conduct comes from wisdom that produces purity, gentleness, willingness to yield, full of mercy & good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy, makes for peace
- Prevent evil desires
Done in the meekness of wisdom from above – James 3:13-4:17
- Removes friendship with the world
- Submission to God – resistance to the devil
- Produces true sorrow for sin
- Understands the need to be humble
- Stops evil speaking and evil judgment of others
Done in the meekness of wisdom from above – James 3:13-4:17
- Recognizes Who holds tomorrow
- Fully understands the need to do good
Philippians 1:27a – “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ…”
Recognizes Dangers of Earthly Wealth
Riches will fade away – James 5:1-6
- Those who trust in riches will perish
- Their very laborers cry out against them
- Their lives seem good on the earth – but they have fattened their heart for the slaughter
- They have condemned and murdered the just
Recognize Dangers of Earthly Wealth
- Riches will fade away – James 5:1-6
1 Timothy 6:17 – “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richlyall things to enjoy.”
Recognize Value of Patience
Patience with the Lord – James 5:7-11
- Just like the farmer
- Always wait on God
- Do not grumble, God will exercise judgment
- Instead be more like Job
- Because God is very compassionate and merciful
- Patience with the Lord – James 5:7-11
Romans 2:7 – “eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;”
Remove Sickness
Both physical and spiritual – James 5:12-20
- Seek proper solutions
- Suffering – pray
- Cheerful – sing
- Sick – call for the elders of the church
- Pray of faith will heal – physical and spiritual
- Confess and pray
Both physical and spiritual – James 5:12-20
- Elijah – proved it
- Help others to remove sin sickness from their lives
Jeremiah 17:14 – “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.”
- Both physical and spiritual – James 5:12-20
1 Peter 2:24 – “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed.”
The Formula
- Find True Joy
- Find True Wisdom
- Understand Temptation
- Understand Good
- Understand Authority
- Live Religiously
- Prove Faith With Works
- Control The Tongue
- Exercise Good Conduct
- Recognize Dangers of Earthly Wealth
- Recognize Value of Patience
- Remove Sickness