Wisdom for Trials
Rusty Wirt   -   February 4, 2024

Title: Wisdom for Trials

Main Verse: James 1:1-12

 

Key Thought:  The early church, though robust with faith, was not insulated from trial. James teaches the church that God has some very specific goals in mind when believers face real-world trials.

 

Supporting Points:

  1. James wanted to be recognized as a servant, more than anything else (1:1)
    1. Leader of the Church in Jerusalem
    2. A person of respect in the community
    3. The brother of Jesus
    4. “servant” (δοῦλος) one who attends to another, disregarding their own interest
    5. The higher up you go, the bigger the platform for serving others, but also the greater the temptation to selfishly serve yourself
  2. James tells us how to have joy during trials (1:2)
    1. Joy- (χαρά) a state of being often described as calm delight
    2. Consider- speaks of careful reflection, leading your thoughts in a certain direction
    3. So, we cannot control our feelings, but we can control our thinkings
    4. You need to have controlled thoughts about the feelings that you are feeling if you don’t want your feelings to control you.
  3. Trials do something that happy moments cannot (v. 3-4)
    1. Suffering has a “because”
      1. I can endure suffering because, there is a “because”
      2. Produces endurance (steadfastness)
  • Endurance leads to a more complete understanding of life
  1. Pain, when it has a purpose, points to powerful potential.
  1. Trials can also trip us up with bad decisions (vs. 5-6) (stress can lead to a mess)
    1. So, we must seek wisdom (this is a first class conditional statement)
    2. Wisdom “the endowment of the heart and mind which needed for the right conduct of life” (Craig L. Bloomberg)
    3. Knowledge based upon how the world really works
    4. We must ask with solid, single minded faith in God’s provision

 

 

 

Application:

  1. We all have feelings when we go through trials. James challenges us to have thoughts. Respond to you handout in this way

 

My trial is:

My feelings about this trial are:

My thoughts about this trial are:

 

  1. What is the wisdom you need during this trial. Ask God, for that wisdom.