Longview Heights Sermons

How's your tongue? Our words have the ability to be life-giving or the ability to bring destruction. In this message on James 3, Vlad shows us that:

"In Christ, my speech can give life. Without Christ, my speech will destroy life."

James 3:1-12

1. My speech has the ability to determine a direction (vv.1-4)
2. My speech has the ability to deliver destruction. (vv.5-10)
3. My speech has the ability to diagnose my heart (vv.11-12)

Biblical Encouragements:
• Through His power, God alone can redeem my speech
• Through His Word, God speaks life to me
• Through His Spirit, the church speaks life to the world

God has a design for how we should use our words.
We are prone to respond quickly and rashly. Here are a few biblical cautions against that:
• Prov 18:6-7 - A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
• Prov 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
• Prov 12:18 - There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Words have power!
• Gen 1:1 - And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light
• Gen 1:6 - And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”
• Gen 1:9 - And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.
• Gen 12:1-2 - Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.
• Exodus 3:14 - God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’

Jesus is able to take brokenness and use it for Kingdom advancement

• Jesus is able to challenge the darkness
• Jesus is able to restore the suffering
• Jesus is able to redeem the chaos
• Jesus is able to commission the sinner

James 2:14-26

Convictional, saving faith in the work of Jesus leads to transformed works in my life.

1. A dangerous assumption (vv. 14-17)
"All I need is intellectual faith"
2. A slippery objection (v. 18)
"Some people are just gifted differently"
3. A common confidence (vv. 19-20)
"Right theology is good enough"
4. A foundational conviction (vv. 21-26)
"A Biblical faith is one that acts based on God's revealed Word"
• Abraham: trusted in God's promises
• Rahab: trusted in God's protection

Biblical encouragements
• In complete surrender, rest continually in Christ's finished work
• In the strength of Christ, run daily towards active obedience

In this message, our guest speaker, David Anglin, reminds us that we are a "sending church" and that we are all sent as disciples who make disciples.

The Sending Church
Acts 13:1-5

1. A Sending Church has...
• God's Word
• Been Gifted with Diverse Leaders
- Different Gifts
- Different Cultures
- Different Stories

2. Sending Churches...
• Seek and Serve
• Recognize and Clarify
• Respond and Release
• Live Sent