- James was an important man in the life of the early church.
- Instead of saying the standard Hebrew greeting of peace, James used the Greek greeting of joy.
- We gain patience when we submit to and endure the trials that God sends us to grow us to be more like Him.
- Trials grow our patience and humility with the end result being perfection.
- None of us have the wisdom that God does.
- In order to receive wisdom, we have to ask God to give it to us.
- God gives to us in so many ways.
- When we truly search for and seek Him, God will not withhold the wisdom and blessings.
- The poor are elevated to a higher status when they accept Jesus as their Savior and Redeemer.
- The rich are brought down to show their need of Jesus as their Savior and Redeemer.
- We, like grass, are temporarily in this world.
- God would never give us motive or incentive to sin.
- Remaining faithful to the end earns us the crown of life.
- Our own lusts do the tempting.
- Refraining from sin takes discernment that can only come from God.
- When we choose to submit to God, He rewards us with good and perfect gifts.
- God chose to restore our relationships with Him by providing the word and truth — Jesus.
- We have to consider how we will respond to God when we are encountering trials.
- Sin is to be replaced with meekness and salvation, which is gained through the Word of God.
- We must go from head knowledge to heart knowledge regarding the Word of God.
- God uses His Word as a mirror to show us where we are and and where He wants us to be.
- We are to look at the law, which gives us God’s character, and imitate it to receive blessings
- God wants a relationship with us, not a ritual.
- God doesn’t want us to treat others based on earthly distinctions.
- James gave an example of what he was talking about.
- We are not to judge others based on appearance.
- The poor are heirs to the kingdom of God.
- Showing partiality breaks the commandment to love our neighbors.
- As the laws and commandments are interconnected, we must keep all of them.
- We should show mercy to others because only obedience to the law sets us free.
- Having faith in God is just the beginning of our salvation experience.
- Works are evidence of a genuine faith.
- So, it comes down to whether our faith is dead or alive and how we show it.
- Believing in God is not enough.
- We are foolish to believe we can have faith without doing the work.
- James again used examples to show what he was talking about.
- James again summarized what he had been discussing.
- There should be a limited number of people who teach Scriptures and how to be a disciple to others because they are held by God to a high standard.
- No one is perfect.
- When God is in control of our lives, we stumble less.
- The control we have over our speech shows the state of our hearts and minds.
- Our tongues can be used for good and evil.
- God calls us to be consistent.
- We need wisdom to determine what is right in the eyes of God.
- Jealousy and selfish ambition bring chaos.