Pastor Cole's Sermons

1. Be Patient Until the Coming of the Lord

James 5:7 — “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.”

James exhorts believers to have a long view of suffering. In light of unjust treatment (5:1–6), our response must not be panic or retaliation, but patience—a word that implies endurance with hope.

This patience is not passive. It’s an active trust in God's sovereign timing. The phrase “until the coming of the Lord” anchors Christian perseverance in eschatology: Christ is coming, and He will make things right (Revelation 22:12).

James speaks to believers who may feel forgotten or mistreated. The Lord is not slow—He is working. Christian patience isn’t despairing, but confident and expectant.

2. Establish Your Hearts — The Judge Is at the Door

James 5:8–9 — “Establish your hearts… the coming of the Lord is at hand… the Judge is standing at the door.”

James calls believers to strengthen their hearts, not just endure in weakness. “Establish” means to fix your heart firmly—like anchoring it to a rock (Psalm 112:7). We’re to steady ourselves by truth, not by changing circumstances.

He adds a warning: “Don’t grumble.” Impatience often breeds bitterness toward others. When trials hit, we can easily turn on those closest to us. But James reminds us—the Judge is near. He sees our responses.

James connects endurance with accountability. Christ’s return will bring comfort to the faithful and correction to the grumbler. The Judge is not far—He’s “at the door.”

3. Look to the Prophets as Examples of Suffering

James 5:10 — “As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.”

James directs our attention to the Old Testament prophets—men like Jeremiah, Elijah, and Isaiah—who remained faithful while enduring hardship. Their lives demonstrate that suffering and obedience often go together.

These prophets were not suffering because of personal sin, but because they faithfully represented God. The world often mistreats the righteous (Matthew 5:11–12), but the righteous endure for the sake of the Name.

In ministry, family, and life, we can draw courage from those who came before us. They remained faithful, and their reward is eternal.

4. The Lord Is Compassionate and Merciful

James 5:11 — “You have heard of the steadfastness of Job… the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”

Job is the supreme biblical example of endurance. Though he suffered immensely, he remained committed to God, even in confusion and grief. In the end, God restored him—not because he was perfect, but because he trusted God's character (Job 42:10–12).

James points us beyond Job’s suffering to God’s nature: compassionate and merciful. This is who God is—not distant or cold, but kind, patient, and full of pity for His people (Exodus 34:6).

This truth comforts us: God is not blind to our pain. He is near, He is good, and He is faithful. Every hardship we endure is watched over by a merciful Father.

5. Let Your “Yes” Be Yes and Your “No” Be No

James 5:12 — “But above all… do not swear, either by heaven or by earth… let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no…”

James ends this section with a call to truthfulness. Under pressure, people tend to exaggerate or make rash promises. But Christian speech must be simple, honest, and reliable.

James echoes Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:33–37). Oaths aren’t wrong in every case (God permits them in court, for example), but the issue is integrity. Believers shouldn't need elaborate vows to prove their word.

In times of trial, integrity matters. The person who walks with God will speak truthfully—even when it costs them something. Godly endurance includes godly speech.

1. Presumption Is Practical Atheism

James 4:13 — “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town... yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.’”

James confronts people who make confident plans without considering God. It’s not business that’s wrong—it’s presumption. This attitude speaks as if we control the future, when in reality, we don’t even control the next breath (Proverbs 27:1).

This kind of presumption is practical atheism. We may say we believe in God, but if we live and plan without reference to His will, we are living as though He doesn’t exist. James is calling us to humility, not inactivity.

The issue is not forward thinking, but God-forgetfulness. Believers are to plan prayerfully and with spiritual sobriety, always aware of God’s sovereignty over time and events.

2. Life Is a Vapor

James 4:14 — “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

James uses a vivid image—a mist or vapor. Life is fragile, brief, and beyond our control. Like steam off a cup or fog in the morning, it’s here briefly and gone. This should humble us and awaken eternal priorities.

The Bible often compares life to grass that withers (Isaiah 40:6–8) or a shadow that passes (Psalm 144:4). James isn’t trying to depress us—he’s helping us live wisely (Psalm 90:12). When we understand life’s brevity, we seek what is lasting.

This doesn’t mean we live in fear—but in focus. The brevity of life should drive us to depend on God daily and hold our plans with open hands.

3. Wise Planning Submits to God’s Will

James 4:15 — “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’”

James offers the alternative to presumption: a humble, God-centered approach. Wise people say, “If the Lord wills.” This isn’t just a religious phrase—it reflects the heart of someone who trusts God’s sovereignty.

Paul often spoke this way (cf. Acts 18:21; 1 Corinthians 4:19). It doesn’t mean we don’t plan, but that we plan with dependence, knowing God may redirect or change our course entirely.

This principle affects more than business—it applies to parenting, church, relationships, and health. Everything is under God’s providential rule. Saying “if the Lord wills” is not superstition—it’s submission.

4. Boasting in Our Plans Is Evil

James 4:16 — “As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”

James now names the heart behind the problem: arrogance. To speak of future plans as if we are sovereign is to boast in our own ability and ignore God’s providence. This kind of boasting is not neutral—it is evil.

Arrogant boasting is not always loud or obvious. It can be quiet self-confidence, unspoken pride, or reliance on ability, money, or security. The heart of boasting is self-trust.

James calls believers to repent of this worldly confidence. Planning without God is prideful independence. The mature Christian cultivates humility, dependence, and gratitude—even in their goals.

5. Knowing What’s Right and Not Doing It Is Sin

James 4:17 — “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

James ends this section with a powerful summary principle: sin is not just doing wrong, but also failing to do right. This is the sin of omission. If we know we should depend on God and live humbly—but we don’t—we sin.

This verse expands our understanding of holiness. It's not merely avoiding evil, but actively living in God’s will. To ignore the Spirit’s prompting, or put off obedience, is rebellion.

This calls for soft, responsive hearts. When God convicts us to pray, repent, speak truth, or act in faith, delayed obedience is disobedience. James calls us to live humbly now, not tomorrow.

1. Conflict Begins in the Heart

James 4:1–3 — “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”

James confronts the root of conflict—not external circumstances, but internal desires. The Greek word for “passions” is hedonē, from which we get “hedonism.” When personal pleasure becomes the ultimate goal, strife is inevitable.

He makes it personal: our wars with others reveal the war within. Selfish desires lead to fights, envy, and frustrated prayers. Instead of asking God with pure motives, we demand from Him as if He were a genie for our passions.

James urges believers to diagnose relational problems by looking inward. Is the issue someone else’s behavior—or your own unfulfilled desires? Lasting peace begins with a heart yielded to Christ.

2. Friendship with the World Is Enmity with God

James 4:4–5 — “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?...”

James uses strong covenantal language: spiritual unfaithfulness is like adultery. To flirt with the values and priorities of the world is to betray loyalty to God. Friendship with the world—meaning deep alignment with its values—is spiritual treason.

The world promotes pride, self-centeredness, and self-rule. God calls His people to humility, grace, and obedience. We cannot serve both masters (Matthew 6:24). To choose the world is to place ourselves in opposition to the Lord.

James 4:5 is difficult to translate but conveys the jealousy of the Spirit within us. God desires His people to be wholly devoted. The Spirit does not tolerate divided allegiance.

3. God Gives Grace to the Humble

James 4:6 — “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

Amid the heavy rebuke, this verse shines with hope. Though we all struggle with pride and worldliness, God gives “more grace.” His mercy is greater than our sin. The solution is not self-effort but humble surrender.

Pride resists grace; humility receives it. God is personally opposed to the proud—but He draws near to the broken (Psalm 34:18). Every act of repentance and submission is met with abundant mercy.

James anchors this principle in Proverbs 3:34. The pattern of Scripture is clear: God lifts the humble, but He tears down the proud. This is both a warning and a promise.

4. Submit to God and Resist the Devil

James 4:7–10 — “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

James now gives a series of commands to restore spiritual fellowship with God:

Submit to God – Yield fully to His authority. Stop fighting for control.

Resist the devil – Stand against Satan’s lies, accusations, and temptations. Victory is promised!

Draw near to God – Pursue Him with a repentant heart. He will not turn you away.

Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts – Repent of outward sin and inner divided loyalties.

Mourn and weep – Take sin seriously. Let worldly joy be turned to godly sorrow.

Humble yourselves – Accept your need for grace. God will lift you up in due time.

This is one of the most practical and hope-filled passages on repentance in the New Testament. God's exaltation follows our humility—not our performance.

5. Do Not Judge One Another Pridefully

James 4:11–12 — “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers… who are you to judge your neighbor?”

James ends this section with a warning about slander and judgment. When we speak evil of others or judge them harshly, we place ourselves above the law—and even above God.

To judge in this sense is not discerning sin biblically, but assuming a proud, condemning spirit. This violates both the command to love and the humility that submission to God requires.

Only God is Lawgiver and Judge. He alone sees the heart. When we walk in humility before Him, we will not elevate ourselves by tearing others down.

1. Teachers Are Held to Stricter Judgment

James 3:1 — “Not many of you should become teachers… for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

James begins with a sober warning: leadership in the church, particularly teaching, brings higher accountability. Teachers shape others’ theology and spiritual life. If they misuse words or misrepresent truth, they do serious harm (cf. Matthew 12:36–37).

This verse is both a caution and a call for holiness in those who open God’s Word. Teachers must be careful not only in doctrine but also in tone, spirit, and speech. A careless tongue in the pulpit can cause deep wounds.

While the church needs faithful teachers, it doesn’t need many aspiring teachers who lack maturity. This verse encourages humility in leadership and sobriety in the ministry of teaching.

2. The Tongue Is Powerful and Hard to Control

James 3:2–5a — “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man… The tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.”

James teaches that speech is a primary test of spiritual maturity. Everyone stumbles—but the person who can consistently control their words shows deep sanctification. This is not perfection, but spiritual maturity (“teleios” in Greek).

He illustrates the tongue’s influence with two examples: a horse's bit and a ship’s rudder. Both are small but control great power. Similarly, the tongue, though physically small, steers the direction of a person’s life.

This challenges believers to see their speech as spiritually consequential. Words can build up or destroy, guide or mislead. A heart submitted to Christ will bear fruit in how we speak (Proverbs 18:21).

3. The Tongue Can Be Destructive Like Fire

James 3:5b–6 — “The tongue is a fire… a world of unrighteousness… setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”

James now shifts from the tongue’s power to its danger. Like fire, the tongue can spread destruction quickly. Gossip, slander, boasting, and angry outbursts have burned churches, families, and friendships to the ground.

The phrase “set on fire by hell” (gehenna) links careless speech to demonic influence. Satan loves to divide and destroy—and our mouths can be his favorite tool when we’re not watchful.

James teaches us to treat our words with holy caution. Words are not neutral. Left unchecked, the tongue can be a torch in the hands of a fool (Proverbs 16:27–28).

4. No Human Can Fully Tame the Tongue

James 3:7–8 — “No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

Here James affirms both the reality of sin and the necessity of grace. While we can tame animals, we cannot tame the tongue—not by human willpower alone. It is “restless,” always moving, and when driven by sin, it becomes venomous.

This does not excuse sinful speech, but humbles us. The solution is not silence, but surrender. Only the Spirit can bridle the tongue (Galatians 5:22–23). We need daily dependence on God to speak words of truth and grace.

This point drives us to the gospel. If we are unable to tame our tongues, we must plead for the Spirit’s help. Our tongues will only change when our hearts are renewed (Luke 6:45).

5. Blessing and Cursing Cannot Flow from the Same Spring

James 3:9–12 — “With it we bless our Lord… and with it we curse people… My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”

James ends with a rebuke rooted in spiritual inconsistency. The same tongue that blesses God in worship should not be used to curse fellow image-bearers. Such contradiction exposes a divided heart.

He uses examples from nature: a spring doesn’t produce both fresh and salt water, nor do fig trees grow olives. Likewise, a mouth filled with both praise and poison is unnatural for the believer.

This is a call to integrity and holiness. Our speech should be consistent with our confession. True faith will reshape not just what we say to God, but how we speak about others.

1. Real Faith Is More Than Words

James 2:14 — “What good is it… if someone says he has faith but does not have works?”

James begins with a challenge to empty confession. If someone says they have faith but shows no outward evidence, what good is it? James’ tone is pastoral but confrontational: the kind of faith that never acts is useless and powerless to save.

This doesn’t mean salvation is earned by works—it means that true saving faith will always result in works. Faith is not merely intellectual agreement or emotional feeling; it is a living trust in Christ that changes how we live (Galatians 5:6).

James is not denying justification by faith—he is attacking a false version of it. Faith without fruit is no faith at all (Matthew 7:16–20).

2. Faith That Doesn’t Act Is Useless

James 2:15–17 — “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food… what good is that?”

James illustrates the point with practical compassion. If someone in the church has real needs, and all we offer is religious sentiment (“go in peace!”), it’s worthless. Loving words without loving actions reveal an empty faith.

The example isn’t dramatic—it’s daily. This kind of dead faith doesn’t show up just in crisis, but in the quiet moments where love costs us time, money, or energy. Real faith moves to help.

Verse 17 makes the conclusion plain: “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” A fruitless faith is like a lifeless body—present but powerless (1 John 3:17–18).

3. Faith Without Works Cannot Be Proven Genuine

James 2:18–20 — “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works…”

James anticipates the argument: “You have faith, I have works.” But faith can’t be seen apart from its fruit. The only way to demonstrate faith is through the works it produces.

Even demons believe God exists—but their “faith” does not save (v. 19). James calls this kind of belief useless—it may be orthodox, but it’s not obedient. Mere belief in facts is not saving faith.

The point here is not to pit faith and works against each other, but to show that faith is proven and made visible by how we live (Ephesians 2:10). Works do not complete salvation—they confirm it.

4. The Faith of Abraham and Rahab Was Proved by Action

James 2:21–25 — “Was not Abraham… justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac…? And in the same way… Rahab the prostitute was justified by works…”

James draws from Scripture to show how faith and works cooperate. Abraham’s offering of Isaac (Genesis 22) was not his initial act of faith, but the mature fruit of it. His justification before men was made visible through obedience.

Likewise, Rahab’s faith (Joshua 2) led her to risk her life to protect God’s people. These two examples—one patriarch, one prostitute—demonstrate the same truth: real faith acts courageously.

James says faith was “completed by his works.” This doesn’t mean Abraham’s faith was insufficient without works, but that it was brought to full maturity. Obedience is the full bloom of trust.

5. Faith Without Works Is Dead, Like a Body Without Breath

James 2:26 — “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

James concludes with a vivid metaphor. Just as the body without breath is a corpse, so faith without works is spiritually dead. It may look like faith from the outside, but it is lifeless on the inside.

This is a sobering call to self-examination. If our lives show no evidence of grace—no love, no obedience, no desire to please Christ—we must ask if we truly believe. True faith always breathes obedience.

This doesn’t lead us to despair, but to repentance. The point is not to work harder to earn salvation, but to ask whether the root of our faith is real—and then trust Christ to bear fruit through us (John 15:5).