“In the biblical view, a miracle is a signal that God is, for a moment and for a special purpose, walking down paths he does not usually walk. A miracle is not a sign that a God who is usually absent is, for the moment, present. It is only a sign that God who is always present in creative power is working here and now in an unfamiliar style.” – Lewis Smedes

The ability to be truly patient is connected with who you believe has the power in the situation. If you believe you do – you can’t exercise true patience. James calls that arrogant. If you believe that a person, government, or boss does then you aren’t really exercising patience you are just submitting to a power relationship. But if you believe that God is in control you are able to exercise a Spirit-empowered patience.

Hoarding vs. Saving – Jesus helps us to see where our hearts are drawn away from God. What am I doing with the resources God has placed in my hands? God rescues, redeems, and invites His people to do the same.

Everyone has a war internally. It is our fanatical pursuit of “what I want and believe I deserve” that amplifies the war in our souls. Only God gives the grace and the ability to fight the battle. When we surrender to Him we resist the devil and the devil will flee. Imagine the freedom of no anxiety, competition, fights and quarrels. Imagine a stable and joyful soul, a deep satisfaction and certainty that your Father is good and powerful regardless of the craziness of the world. That is God’s promise if we draw near to Him.

James says that we all stumble in what we say, and that no human being can tame the tongue. Why is that? Because a tongue issue is really a heart issue. It is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks. We cannot fix our hearts, but God can create in us a new heart. From the overflow of this new heart, the mouth will speak new things. The exceedingly great resurrection power of God is in us, He has given us everything we need for life and godliness.

"My BROTHERS and SISTERS, show NO PARTIALITY as YOU HOLD the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of GLORY. " Where do we go wrong? We allow cultural pressure to dictate our actions. We all have blind spots. We treat people as an IT rather than a THOU. Remember John 15:7-12, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."

James warns against DEAD faith, DEMONIC faith and calls us to a DEMONSTRATIVE faith. Claiming belief in Jesus Christ without affection and submission is demonic. Your faith is alive, spiritual, and active when it is exercised on behalf of others.

Don’t place too much of your identity on the things of this world. Ephesians 2:6-7 (ESV) “made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

How do we have a life of impact during our time on earth? It starts with the Father – as we sit in His presence and spend time with Him we will understand more and more who He is and who we are in Him. A life of impact is also shaped by the character of God, it is fixated on the Perfect Law [Jesus Christ] and is not satisfied with empty religion!

Our joy rests on the willing sufferings of Christ. Jesus has rescued us from the foulest form of suffering, that we could be cast away from and separated from God, that we would have no way to atone for our sin, that we have no way of being healed of the abuse and shame we suffered. It was His joy to endure the cross, pain, suffering trial and shame so that He can bring us everlasting joy in the midst of temporal suffering and pain.