2. Hebrews 5:11-14

3. We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is

4. for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

5. Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,

6. God is looking for His people to _______ God is looking for His people to _______ Mature

7. Maturity? #1. Maturity is not your ____ age #2. Maturity is not your __________ appearance #3. Maturity is not your _______________ accomplishments #4. Maturity has nothing to do with _________ academics

8. Maturity? #1. Maturity is not your ____ age #2. Maturity is not your __________ appearance #3. Maturity is not your _______________ accomplishments #4. Maturity has nothing to do with _________ academics Maturity is ________ or ________ attitude character The Book of James is a manual on maturity – getting real! ‘Mature’ means ________________ complete, perfected

9. 5 Marks of Maturity From the Book of James #1. A mature person is _______ _____________. positive under pressure

10. James 1: 2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1: 2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

11. James 1: 2-4 (Message) “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” James 1: 2-4 (Message) “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”

12. 5 Marks of Maturity From the Book of James #1. A mature person is _______ _____________. positive under pressure Question: How do you handle pressure, problems? Christianity is a ____! life

13. James 1:12 “Blessed is the man that preserves under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him! James 1:12 “Blessed is the man that preserves under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him!

14. 5 Marks of Maturity From the Book of James #1. A mature person is _______ _____________. positive under pressure #2. A mature person is ________ ________. sensitive to people James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.

15. 5 Marks of Maturity From the Book of James #1. A mature person is _______ _____________. positive under pressure #2. A mature person is ________ ________. sensitive to people A mature person is ________ to other people! sensitive

16. James 2:1-6

17. My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not

18. discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?

19. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (Message) 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (Message)

20. If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to

21. be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

22. Matthew 25:34-46

23. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you

24. looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

25. "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to

26. drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the

27. least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

28. 5 Marks of Maturity From the Book of James #1. A mature person is _______ _____________. positive under pressure #2. A mature person is ________ ________. sensitive to people #3. A mature person has ________ _________. mastered his mouth

29. James 3:1-12

30. Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an

31. example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole

32. person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's

33. likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

34. Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs. Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs. James 1:26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. James 1:26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

35. 5 Marks of Maturity From the Book of James #1. A mature person is _______ _____________. positive under pressure #2. A mature person is ________ ________. sensitive to people #3. A mature person has ________ _________. mastered his mouth #4. A mature person is a ___________, ________________. peacemaker not a troublemaker James 4:1 “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” James 4:1 “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”

36. 5 Marks of Maturity From the Book of James A mark of maturity is that there is a lack of _______ in our lives. conflict James gives 2 reasons why there is conflict in our lives:

37. James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

38. 5 Marks of Maturity From the Book of James A mark of maturity is that there is a lack of _______ in our lives. conflict James gives 2 reasons why there is conflict in our lives: 1. _________ selfishness 2. _________ judgment

39. James 4:11-12 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:11-12 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

40. _________________________ __________ God is the only one who has ____________ I am not God 5 Marks of Maturity From the Book of James Why should I not judge? 1. 2. all the facts ______________________ _____ I do not know a person’s 3. heart

41. 5 Marks of Maturity From the Book of James #3. A mature person has ________ _________. mastered his mouth #4. A mature person is a ___________, ________________. peacemaker not a troublemaker #5. A mature person is __________ ________. patient and prayerful

42. James 5 7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. James 5 7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered… 16 The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

43. 5 Marks of Maturity From the Book of James #3. A mature person has ________ _________. mastered his mouth #4. A mature person is a ___________, ________________. peacemaker not a troublemaker #5. A mature person is __________ ________. patient and prayerful _______ is used 4 times. Patient _______ is used 7 times. Prayer

44. 1. How do you handle pressure? 2. How sensitive are you to other people? 3. How well do you manage your mouth? 3. How well do you manage your mouth? Self-assessment: 4. How good are you at being a peacemaker? 4. How good are you at being a peacemaker? 5. How are you with patience and prayer? 5. How are you with patience and prayer?

45. God wants us to mature and develop a REAL FAITH!