You probably know some people you would describe as gentle. Others, not so much. What about you- Are you a gentle person- And what does that have to do with smart and dumb living-

Are you smart or dumb- According to James 3-17, you're not smart unless you are a peace lover. Is that you- What does it mean to be a peace lover, exactly- James is going to show us today.

We're studying James 3 and in today's passage James is going to teach us what it is that makes us angry. We naturally think it's people or hard circumstances. But James doesn't point the finger at either one of those. What is the true source of anger-

1- Could it be that James isn't saying that it's impossible for both praise and cursing to come from the same source, but rather that it's simply unnatural- -2- Isn't it necessary for us to correct our children when they behave foolishly- -3- What kinds of events tend to draw out human wisdom in the church the most-

Have you ever been around one of those preachers who is constantly showing you how sinful you are, but never gives much in the way of solutions- James isn't one of those preachers. We're studying James 3, which is loaded with material exposing our verbal sins and the underlying sins that cause bad speech. But today he gives us the remedy.

Who would you say has caused the most pain in your life by lying to you- The answer to that question is probably not the person you're thinking of right now.

Have you ever had someone correct you, trying to deliver their wisdom to you, but doing it in an unwise way- -How about you- How wise is your approach to imparting wisdom to others-

We're studying James 3, which is all about good wisdom and bad wisdom. The bad kind is really bad. Demonic even. James is going to show us why.

We're studying the book of James, and we're in chapter 3 verse 13 where James asks, -Who is wise and understanding among you---Would you raise your hand- Is that how you think of yourself-wise and understanding- You might say, -No, not really. I don't claim to be especially wise.- But the more you pass judgment on people, the more that shows that you do believe yourself to be wise-wise enough to pass those judgments. So how do you know if you really are wise- The answer is in James 3.

How intelligent are you- Are you smart or dumb--Whatever your answer to that question is, the more important question is this- what is your measuring stick for answering the question- Do you go by how you did in school- How sharp your mind is- How you compare to others--If someone asked God how smart you are, how would he answer the question-