1. A Disorderly Parable of the Epistle of James
James in the Suburbs
A Disorderly Parable of the Epistle of James

2. LAST WEEK Review Servants of God and Others
Last week – James begins his book describing himself as a “servant of Jesus Christ.” We learned that being a servant of God also means that we serve others – and not just the “other” that we like.
Did anyone have the experience of being a servant this past week? Did anyone struggle with being a servant this past week?
Emphasize how being a father, a mother is being a servant! How doing one’s craft well is being a good servant!
Servants of God and Others

3. Next Two Weeks – Be back Oct 15
April and Steve will be gone

4. Meditating on Scripture
If you are following along in the book and doing the three journal questions each week, you will see that I ask you to meditate on the scripture and record your thoughts. I want to take a moment to talk about how to get the most out of meditating on the scripture . . .

5. Tips for Meditating on the Scripture
Location, location, location!
Alone
Out and About
Start by asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate your meditation.
Meditation is not Study – it is listening for God to speak.
Knowing that Scripture was first written for others, ask: “God, what do you want to reveal to me about my life?”
Pause at each point asking them to share advice on meditating

6. James’s Strategy (Chapters 8-10)

7. My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance --Jam 1:2-3

8. What James doesn’t tell us about problems . . .
If you become a Christian, your problems will go away.
If you have a problem, God will balance it with some good stuff.
Your problems are your own fault.
Good people don’t have problems (at least not big ones).
Bad things won’t happen to good people.
Why doesn’t James tell us these things?
James doesn’t tell us these things because they aren’t true.

9. James tells us the Truth about Problems
2 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; 4 and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. --Jam 1:2-4
James doesn’t tell us these things because they aren’t true.

10. The Truth about Problems
What We Often Think. . .
What James teaches . . .
Problems are obstacles to happiness
Problems are obstacles to doing God’s work
We should (always) avoid problems
Problems scar us.
Problems are occasions for joy
Endure problems
Problems make us mature and complete
James doesn’t tell us these things because they aren’t true.

11. What is the female pastor and narrator of the story concerned about?
She has congregants whom she loves dearly who she can’t seem to help overcome their problems She can’t heal them, she can’t make their problems go away, she hurts with them. And she wonders if she is a fake!
But what she begins to hear as she studies the Book of James is that “Getting God to fix our problems is not what the Christian Life is all about. James says there will be problems. Servanthood means serving God despite our problems!”
Let’s look at what is going on inside her church . . .
What is the female pastor and narrator of the story concerned about?

12. The Mystic Momma’s Class
“Spiritual disciplines which distract us from our problems and only make us feel good, but never lead us into service nor equip us for servanthood miss a great opportunity.”
Tell story . . .
Contrast between Ken’s spiritual discipline’s class and this one.
Modern Mystics Class Goal: Relax us and make us feel good in God’s presence.
Ken’s Class: Deeping our relationship with God Final prayer discipline we learn Prayer of radical servanthood
What is the problem with Spiritual Disciplines that just focus on feeling good and never move further?

13. George and the Habitat Team
“If we are under the impression that we must fix our problems before we are able to be servants to God and others, we miss a great opportunity.”
Tell the story . . .
Describe the Habitat Volunteers Most retired men who were always doing good for those in need Patching a roof on a widow’s house, fixing a leaking facet in one of the church bathrooms, etc. Although they had retired, they saw retirement as an opportunity to offer their gifts to God in a way that they hadn’t been able to while they were working.
George quits the habitat team because he has too many problems. Being on the team, probably would have helped him!
He does this at the advice of his counselor – who thinks George needs a period of rest.

14. The Prayer Warriors
“If our prayers are limited to fixing problems, but we never ask for wisdom and power to serve those we are praying for, we miss a great opportunity.”
Tell the story . . .
There is nothing wrong with bringing our desires before God – or asking others to pray for us.
But if we are only telling God what we want and never asking God to show us what God wants, then we are missing out on the joy of serving God and others.
If we pray for others, but never ask what we can do for others, that is a problem!
We need to move to a place where our prayers are asking God for wisdom and power to serve God in the situation that we are praying about.

15. The Fortnight Bible Study
“If our study of scripture is limited to learning facts, but we never apply it to our lives, we miss a great opportunity.”
Tell the story . . .
Factual knowledge of God is not the same as serving God. My mistake in the corporate world Got up early to read the Bible and study it, but really didn’t focus on how to apply it to my day.
Bible Study is important – we learn so much about the character of God – I think it also makes us humble, because it points out how much we don’t understand and have to lean on God to reveal the answers. But Bible study alone is not enough.

16. “Faith by itself, if it has not works, is dead
“Faith by itself, if it has not works, is dead.” Practicing Spiritual Disciplines, Participating in Prayer Gatherings, and doing Bible Studies that never lead to good works are dead too.

17. Dead faith sits around believing God will fix our problems, give us more of what we want, and be on our side in any conflict. Living Faith serves God and others regardless of any problems we might face. To that end, James starts his epistle with instructions on how to deal with (not fix) problems

18. James’s Strategy
“ There is a possibility, and I want you to be prepared for it, that your problems may not go away I don’t want you to fall apart. So get a strategy, okay? You need one.”
James doesn’t leave us hanging In the next verses, he gives us a strategy for dealing with our problems.
If the meeting is going too fast, then tell the story of Pat, played by Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook. “There is a possibility that your problems aren’t going away You need a strategy to deal with them.” This is where James is . . .

19. My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. -- Jam 1:2-5

20. Accept Problems as a Servant’s Way of Life
My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. -- Jam 1:2-5
Trails is plural!!!!
ANY kind Even when they are of our own making!
Tell Story of Daniel It was the fault of the Daniel’s people that he was captive Many trials Separation from his family and friends, no place to worship God, unhealthy food, and lion’s den. It was their fault they were there – but did God stay with them? Yes!

21. Understand the Problems
My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. -- Jam 1:2-5
God doesn’t want us to
Pretend there is no problem
Look at the truth of our circumstances and understand them
Example: Labor The narrator remembers the birth of her child where she looked at the truth of what was happening instead of ignoring it and was able to work with the labor pains instead of against them.
We aren’t to be in denial We are to measure up the problem.

22. See the Problem as Joy
My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. -- Jam 1:2-5
When we measure it up It is to be seen as joy.
This is not easy and don’t expect it to happen without real effort.
Discuss the difference between joy and happiness Happiness comes from “Happenstance” – Joy can be present even in the darkness.
James is writing this to people who are facing persecution! How is there happiness in that? But there can be joy. Count it as joy.
Has anyone ever had a circumstance what was miserable where you found joy?

23. Endure Problems
My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. -- Jam 1:2-5
Tell the story of Stephen Stoned and found joy But also endurance
Endurance isn’t holding on tight waiting for it to be over
Stephen prayed! Stephen forgave! Stephen was a servant to the people as they stoned him! Good way to point out the difference between serving God and serving others.

24. Summary Accept Problems as a Servant’s Way of Life
Understand the Problem
See the Problem as Joy
Endure Problems
Ask for Wisdom (Next week)

25. Applying James’s Strategy
Tell Olivia’s Story She is having Problems with Joe . . .
Applying James’s Strategy

26. Olivia Uses James’s Strategy
Accept Problems as a Servant’s Way of Life
Understand the Problem
See the Problem as Joy
Endure Problems
Ask for Wisdom (Next week)
Accept – She wasn’t trying to overcome the issues with her boss thinking God would miraculously fix them and there would be no more. She accepted that there would be problems and she was going to God with them.
Understand – She wasn’t pretending they didn’t exist – she was looking at them from all the angles Use Bill Sleeper’s Leadership example!
See the Problem as Joy – Not happy about it, but looked for the upside That God was at work and she was to work with God.
Endure Problems – Not sit by idly, but to look for how God wanted her to ministry to Joe and others in this situation.

27. Spend a few moments thinking of a problem that has been keeping you from serving God and others. Is there a way you can serve God and others despite experiencing this problem? TRY using James’s strategy to deal with this problem.