Three Types of Conflict:
1. External Conflict
What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?…
—James 4:1
2. Internal Conflict
What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.
—James 4:1-2
*Key Thought: Our unfulfilled internal wants produce our uncontrolled external wars. *
3. Upward Conflict
Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
—James 4:2b-3
You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.
—James 4:4-5
And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
—James 4:6
Upward Peace Creates Inward Peace
That Produces Outward Peace
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
—James 4:7-8
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
—Ephesians 6:12
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
—Matthew 28:19
Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
—James 4:19-10
Resolving Conflict
June 21, 2020
The Warning Lights
July 5, 2020 • Anthony Morehead
*We don’t connect the PLACE we want to the PATH we’re on. * Three Warnings Lights: 1. The Attitude of Judging When we judge, our misinformed assumptions produce misguided accusations. Don’t speak evil against each other… —James 4:11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? —James 4:11-12 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. —Matthew 7:1-2 2. The Spirit of Pride Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. —James 4:13-16 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. —James 4:17 3. The Love of Money Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you. —James 5:1-6
Prayer Changes Everything
June 28, 2020
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. —James 5:13-16 3 Ways That Prayer Changes Everything 1.) Prayer Activates Our Faith And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. —Hebrews 11:16 If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. —Matthew 17:20b If you can’t stop thinking about it, don’t stop praying about it. 2) Prayer Aligns Our Heart’s Desires with God’s Will “Father, if you are willing take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” —Luke 22:42 2) Prayer Works Every Situation Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. —James 5:13 Every Emotion Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. —James 5:13 Every Sickness Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. —James 5:14 Every Battle Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. —James 5:16
Wisdom
June 14, 2020
If you are wise and understand God’s ways… —James 3:13 So give me the wisdom I need to rule your people with justice and to know the difference between good and evil. Otherwise, how would I ever be able to rule this great people of yours?” —1 Kings 3:9 “I will do what you have asked. I will give you more wisdom and understanding than anyone has ever had before or will ever have again. 13 I will also give you what you have not asked for: all your life you will have wealth and honor, more than that of any other king. 14 And if you obey me and keep my laws and commands, as your father David did, I will give you a long life.” —1 Kings 3:12-14 *The Fruit of Godly Wisdom: * 1. Godly Wisdom Produces an Honorable Life If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life… —James 3:13 Wisdom is “skill in living righteously.” “Knowledge—even biblical knowledge—is like sodium in raw form. Sodium can be destructive to humans…until it gets converted into a higher form: sodium chloride, or table salt. In the same way, knowledge is never an end in itself. It must be converted into a higher form—wisdom—for it to become useful and beneficial to us.” —Wayne Cordeiro Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. —Matthew 7:24 “When truth comes to the wise person, they adjust themselves to the truth, but when truth comes to the fool, they adjust the truth.” —Dr. Henry Cloud So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. —Proverbs 9:8 2. Godly Wisdom Produces Humble Service James 3:13 (NLT) – If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:14-15a (NLT) – But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. James 3:15-16 (NLT) – For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. Godly Wisdom Cultivates Healthy Relationships But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. —James 3:17 When you talk to or respond to a friend, a family member, or even a stranger, are the words you speak… Peace-loving Gentle Yielding to others Full of mercy Full of good deeds Without favoritism Always sincere