The Prayer of Faith - Day by Day in the Letter of James A. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be a praying people. 1. Our Lord modeled devotion to prayer (Luke 11:1). 2. He instructed that his disciples ought always to pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1). 3. The earliest Christians devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 2:42). 4. Paul encouraged the next generation of Christians to pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17). B. James also drew our attention to prayer near the beginning of his letter (1:2-8) and returns to the topic before drawing his letter to a close. The_____________________Beneath Prayers of Faith: A. Our God is a God who___________(1:5a) B. Our God openly________________us to ask (1:5b) C. Our God is a God who_______________(1:5c) D. Our God instructs us to ask in____________(1:6) The_______________________Made by Prayers of Faith: A. Is anyone suffering? Let him pray (5:13a) B. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise (5:13b) C. Is anyone sick? Others should pray (5:14-15a) D. Has anyone committed sin? Repent and pray (5:15b-16a) E. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working (5:16b) The______________Behind Prayers of Faith: A. The God of_____________(5:17-18) B. The God who is training us in_______________________(5:16) C. The God who loves the________(5:19-20) I believe that the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Every day this week, I will pray for________________________________.

"Who is Your Father?" "One defining characteristic of who we are is our family line. It is amazing to see the similarities between parents and their children and we often remark at the traits and mannerisms that pass from one generation to the next. Beyond just the physical, we see behaviors and habits that are formed by the relationships we have with our parents. Common phrases such as “like mother, like daughter” or “he is his father’s son” remind us how we much we are influenced by those who gave us life. Jesus plainly shows us that this same truth is evident in a spiritual realm, as well." "A. There are 2 paths (John 8:23-24)" "1. Live for the______________ of God OR for the _____________ of men (1 Pet.4:1-2)" "2. Be led by __________________________ OR live for the ___________________ (Gal.5:16-25)" "3. We are either _____________ OR of the ________________ (1 John 4:4-6; John 15:19)" "4. Our affections are _____________ for _______________ OR for the _______________ (1 John 2:15-17)" "5. We are either _________________ of God OR children of the ______________ (1 John3:8-10)" " It is impossible to be the child of 2 different fathers (Matt.6:24; James 4:4)" "B. There are 2 hearts" "1. A Rebellious Heart (John 12:31; John 8:42-47; Rom.1:28 & 32; Eph. 4:18; 2 Peter 2:10)" "2. A Receptive Heart (John 5:30; Matt.26:39; John 6:38; 1 John 5:3; Psalm 40:8)" "C. Who is YOUR Father?" "1. Who do you most look like? (John 14:9-10; John 10:14-15; 1 Cor.11:1; Phil.3:16-17)" "2. From whom are you learning? (John 17:17; 2 Thess.2:10-12)" "3. To which one are you drawn? (John 3:19-21; John 6:44-45)" "4. Which one are you following? (2 Pet.3:18; Rom. 6:16-18; Rom. 12:1-2)"

Stop Leaving God Out of Your Plans - Day by Day in the Letter of James A. “Come now, ”our Creator has encouraged throughout human history (Isa 1:18). B. “Come now, ”he says to us, bidding us to think clearly, humbly, and wisely about the future. I. “Come Now”: Let’s Talk About Your____________ A. You say: “I’m going to...” (4:13) 1. ______...2. Spend my_________ in...3. _____________________... B. What you don’t know or easily overlook (4:14): 1. What tomorrow will____________ 2. How______________your life is 3. How________________time is C. When you don’t think clearly, humbly, and wisely about the future: 1. You leave the Lord_______of your equations (4:15) 2. You act arrogantly from a mindset of self-______________________(4:16) 3. You leave_______________what you ought to get done (4:17) II. “Come Now”: Let’s Talk About Your________________ A. What is going to come of what you have_______________________? (5:1-3) B. What will the Lord of hosts say about how you have_______________others? (5:4) C. Do you not realize how devastating self-_____________________really is? (5:5-6) III. “Come Now”: Let’s Talk About Your_________________Endurance A. Don’t we steadfastly work and patiently wait for what we believe is going to happen? (5:7-8) B. We believe that the_____________is at the__________and we ought to conduct ourselves accordingly (5:9, 12) C. Be inspired by those who have come______________you... (5:10-11a) D. ...and stand in awe of how much_________you know (5:11b)

The Next Generation -------- How do we make the most of our bible classes?"" --------- Teachers ------------------- Students -- Who has the most important role of ensuring the material is learned and applied?"" God's Expectations - Deuteronomy 4:9-14 - What should we teach our children?"" 1. To Be in __________ of God (vs. 10-11)"" a. Exodus 19: 16-25"" b. Acts 2:42-47"" c. Acts 5:1-11-"" 2. To __________ God and His ______________ (v. 12)""a. John 10:1-3"" b. Matthew 7:21-23"" 3. To __________ and __________ ( vs.13-14a)"" a. 1 John 4:14-5:5"" b. James 2: 14-26"" 4 . They Are Going to the ____________________ ( v. 14b)""a. 1 Peter 1:3-4"" b. Philippians 3:20"" c. Titus 2:13"" How do we meet God''s Expectations ? - Deuteronomy 6: 1-9"" Our goal - Equip each student with such a faith that they can study and sustain themselves and bring others to Christ."" How are we doing ...Teachers? Students? Parents?"

The Passions at War Within Day by Day in the Letter of James A. Quarrels and fights will be a reality of life all around us this week. B. As much as depends upon me, if I am to avoid the pitfalls without, I must consistently look within. 1. “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?” (James 4:1a) 2. The Holy Spirit doesn’t leave that question unanswered or up to me.The Path to War  I declare____________________from God (4:5)  I conform to the___________around me (4:4)  ______, fueled by my passions, breaks out within me (4:1)  Self-centeredness: my_____________revolve around me (4:2a)  Self-seeking: my______________________revolve around me (4:2b)  Pride: my______________________revolve around me (4:2c-3)  When someone gets in my_______, quarrels and fights break out (4:1) and I allow the evil that has taken root in my heart to spew out of my____________(4:11-12)  My relationships and my own_______________are overrun with enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, and envy (Gal 5:20-21), threatening my very eternal life (4:4)The Path to Peace  I must be willing to humbly______________and objectively evaluate: “Do you not know?”(4:4)  The God who jealously yearns over my spirit is a God of____________(4:6)  I am given the opportunity to______________to God and resist the devil (4:7)  With a broken and contrite heart that is grieved over my sin, I_______________(4:8-9)  I walk_________________with my God, trusting that his way is best (4:10)

11 Eleven Ordinary Men Turned Extraordinary Matthew 10:1-4 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out. and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 1. How Did Jesus Pick These Individuals? 2. What Did Jesus Instruct Them To Do? 3. Individually Who Were These Ordinary Men? 4. What Flaws Did These Men Have? 5. What Did These Ordinary Men Achieve? 6. How Did Jesus Make Them Extraordinary? 7. Application

Divine Help for Our Untameable Tongues - Day by Day in the Letter of James A. On average each one of us will speak approximately___________ words today. B. In James 3:2-5a, the Holy Spirit tells us the unvarnished truth: we ________ all ___________ in many ways when it comes to the little muscle in our mouths. C. Why should we even care? Because our tongues can set our entire lives on _______ ( 3:5b-6). D. The problem? Your tongue cannot be tamed ( 3:7-8a). E. And yet, the source that supplies your tongue can be purified and reshaped for the better (3: 11-12). That source is your ________ ( 3:14; Luke 6:43-45; Prov 4:23) THE Question: What has filled, is filling, and will continue to fill your heart? INPUT: ___________ ( 3:15) Unspiritual ( 3:15) ___________ (3:15) THE DOWNSTREAM PRODUCT: Bitter jealousy (3:14) ambition (3: 14) A restless evil ( 3:8) Full of deadly __________ ( 3:8) Hypocrisy (3:9-10) ----,------(3:14) Lying ( 3:14) ____________ ( 3:16) Every vile practice (3: 16) INPUT: Wisdom that comes down from ________ ( 3:15) Pure ( 3:17) ______________ ( 3:17) Gentle (3:17) Open to ___________ ( 3:17) Full of mercy (3:17) Full of ________ fruits ( 3:17) Impartial ( 3:17) ________________ ( 3:17) THE DOWNSTREAM PRODUCT: Righteousness (3: 18) Good _______________ (3:13) Meekness ( 3:13) ______________ (3:18) F. Bottom line: We are going to be judged by our Creator ( 3:1; 2 Cor 5:10; Matt 12:36-37). G. The good news: Incredibly, by the intercession of God's own son, there is hope ( 1 Pet 1:21-25).

Who is God? Father, Son, and Spirit Thinking about the nature of God and ultimately who He is can raise many questions in the mind. As a whole, there are a number of varied beliefs when it comes to the concept of God or deity. Around this world that God created, societies over the ages have debated different theories of “what”, “who”, or “how many” when it comes to understanding “God”. But, that amazing God has not left us to simply wonder. For as much as our created minds are able to comprehend, He has revealed His true nature to us (John 4:24). We see it through the very creation around us and by way of His long-preserved word (2 Tim.3:16) .A. What is the Godhead? 1. There is plurality of persons.  Gen. 1:26 –“Let_________make man in_________image...”  Eph. 4:4-6 –“There is one body and one_____________-just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call -one___________, one faith, one baptism, one____________and_____________of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”  Matt.3:16-17 –“And when___________was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold,the heavens were opened to him,and he saw the________of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold,a________from heaven said, "This is my____________ ________,with whom I am well pleased.” 2. If God is The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit - how can three be one? (1 Cor. 12:12-20) B. God –The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit 1. The Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Father (John 20:17; 1 Pet.1:3; 2 John 3; 1 John 1:3) 2. The Father is not the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is not the Father (John 14:16-17; John 14:26; Rom. 8:26) 3. The Son (Jesus) is not the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is not Jesus (John 15:26; Acts 10:38) 4. All are God:  Father –John 3:16; John 8:42; Matt.6:9  Son (Jesus) –John 1:1; John 1:14; Heb.1:8; Titus 2:13-14; John 20:28  Holy Spirit –Acts 5:3-4C. The mindset of the world vs. biblical teaching 1. Worldly concept of “many gods” (Acts 17:22-23; Gal.4:8; 1 Cor.8:4-7; Acts 19:26; 14:11; Ex.20:3) 2. Biblical truth of the one, true God (Isa.43:10; 45:6; 45:18) 3. One God – three persons –total agreement (Eph.3:8-10; Col.1:15-20)

"God, You, Others""Defeating Your Goliath with a Sling and a Stone""Deuteronomy 31:6""6 ""Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. """"During the course of an entire war, hours and hours of planning takes place to plan and strateg ize every single detail. In the spiritual battle for our faith , it takes the same dedication and planning to defeat the sin in our life. But,far too often, we fail to put on the whole armor of God.""#1: The Battle Belongs to ___________""Psalm 13:1-4 - ""How long, 0 Lord? Will you forget me forever? 1 Samuel 16:7, 12-13 - David is anointed King of Israe/""1 Samuel 17 - David verses Goliath - 47 'all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord 's, and he will give you into our hand.""""Psalm 13:5-6 - ""I have trusted in your steadfast love""""#2: God Will Fight for ____________""Psalm 27:1, 14 - ""The Lord is the stronghold of my life; whom shall I be afraid?"" Psalm 56:3-4 - ""When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 1 Corinthians 10:13 - "God is faithful..." #3: There is Strength in ___________________""Ephesians 6: 10-18 - 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil... 18 ...keep alert with all perseverance , making supplication for all the saints.""Romans 6:23'- ""For the wages of sin is death. """"I am resolved to put to death the sin in my life regarding..."

"Is Doctrine Important?""There are so many different beliefs today when it comes to following God. Many claim to love Jesus and want Him to come into their lives, but yet we see so many different ways that religious people claim to worship or even follow after God. We hear terms like ""the doctrine of Christ"" used when describing what those in the church should do to honor God and find salvation, but which way is the most important?""Does doctrine truly matter?""A. God teaches that there is absolute truth which we can know""1. Jesus tells us there is real truth . ( John 8:32) He tells us His words are truth. ( John 18:37-38,""17: 17, 8:45, 12:49; 1 Pet.4: 11; John 16:13-15)""2. Truth comes from God and He gave it to mankind ( Ps. 119:160; Rom. 1:18, 25; Jer. 5:3)""B. God insists that we learn His truth""1. Knowing the truth is an essential part of salvation and growth ( 1 Tim. 2:3-4; Eph.2:8-9; Gal.""3:26; Heb. 11:6; Rom.6: 17-18; Heb. 5:12-14, 6:1; Eph.4: 11-12)""2. Following Jesus requires that we be willing to learn ( Matt. 11:28-30; 2 Tim.2:15)""C. God's truth has to mold and shape who we are""1. The doctrine of Christ has value if we are willing to live it ( James 1:21-24; 2:14-26; Luke""6:46)""2. Doctrine shows us limits that honor God ( 1 Cor.4:6; Rom. 16:17; 1 Tim. 6:3; 2 John 7-11)""3. Sound doctrine was needed then and is needed now (2 Tim.4:1-4)""D. God tells us to stand firm in doctrine"",-""1. What He gave is complete and all-sufficient ( 1 Pet.1 :3; Heb.2:3-4; Mark 16:20)""2. Doctrine needs to be taught and defended ( Titus 1:9; Jude 3)""We can only find salvation and be free of Satan through the doctrine that God has given ( John 8:32;""Rom. 10: 17). God cares deeply for us and wants to keep us from drifting away ( Heb.2:1-4)."