Embracing Humility: A Call to Dependence on God

Summary

James challenges us to confront the subtle and pervasive ways pride can infiltrate our lives, especially through presumption and the way we handle our plans, our actions, and our resources. Life is fragile and fleeting—James likens it to a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. In light of this, it’s foolish to live as if we are in control, making plans and boasting about our achievements without acknowledging God’s sovereignty. True wisdom is found in recognizing that every breath, every opportunity, and every resource is a gift from God, and our posture should be one of humility and dependence.

Presumption is a form of pride that often goes unnoticed. It’s not just about denying God’s existence or power, but about living as if His will and purposes are irrelevant to our daily decisions. We can be meticulous planners, mapping out every detail of our lives, but if we leave God out of those plans, we are acting as if we are the pilot rather than the passenger. James reminds us that even our very lives are subject to God’s will—He may call us to glorify Him not only in our living, but even in our dying.

Another subtle form of pride is found in omission—knowing the good we ought to do and failing to do it. Many Christians measure their spiritual health by the sins they avoid, but James calls us to a higher standard: active obedience. We are not placed on this earth simply to avoid wrongdoing, but to partner with Jesus in making all things new, using the unique gifts and callings He has given each of us.

James also warns against the pride of hoarded wealth. Wealth in itself is not condemned, but when it is accumulated selfishly and used only for personal gain, it becomes a testimony against us. Hoarded wealth is temporary and ultimately useless in the kingdom of God. True riches are found in generosity and in using what we have to advance God’s purposes and care for others.

The call is clear: humble ourselves before God, acknowledge His sovereignty in every area of life, and steward our resources and opportunities for His glory. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Our choice is to live in prideful self-sufficiency or to walk in humble dependence, receiving the grace that God so freely gives.

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Key Takeaways

- Presumption is Pride in Disguise
Presuming upon the future—making plans without considering God’s will—is a subtle form of pride. It’s not about denying God, but about disregarding His sovereignty in the details of our lives. True humility is found in planning with open hands, always acknowledging that our lives and futures are ultimately in God’s control. [04:22]

- Life’s Frailty Demands Humility
Our lives are brief and fragile, like a mist that appears and vanishes. Recognizing our mortality should lead us to humility, reminding us that we are not invincible and that our time is limited. This perspective shifts our focus from self-reliance to a deeper dependence on God’s purposes for our days. [08:46]

- Obedience is More Than Avoiding Sin
Many believers focus on avoiding obvious sins, but James calls us to active obedience—doing the good we know we ought to do. Sins of omission are just as serious as sins of commission; failing to act on God’s clear commands is itself a form of prideful independence. We are called to partner with Jesus in His redemptive work, not just to avoid wrongdoing. [16:22]

- Wealth is a Test of the Heart
Hoarding wealth for ourselves reveals a heart that trusts in possessions rather than in God. Wealth is not evil, but when it terminates on us—when it is not used for God’s purposes—it becomes a witness against us. Generosity and kingdom-minded stewardship are marks of a humble heart that recognizes everything belongs to God. [26:09]

- God’s Grace Flows to the Humble
Pride places us in direct opposition to God, but humility opens the floodgates of His grace. Humbling ourselves is not natural in our culture, but it is the posture God honors and blesses. When we surrender our plans, our resources, and our very lives to Him, we experience the fullness of His grace and the joy of being used for His glory. [33:08]

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:19] - Introduction and Prayer
[02:49] - The Danger of Playing God
[04:22] - Pride in Presumption
[05:24] - Planning with God in Mind
[07:56] - Life’s Frailty and God’s Sovereignty
[11:40] - If It’s the Lord’s Will
[12:47] - Boasting in the Right Things
[15:10] - Sins of Omission
[18:05] - Our Unique Calling in Christ
[20:51] - Pride in Hoarded Wealth
[23:08] - The Futility of Hoarded Wealth
[26:09] - Wealth, Generosity, and Judgment
[28:52] - Application: Humility and Generosity
[33:08] - God Opposes the Proud, Gives Grace to the Humble
[33:47] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Small Group Bible Study Guide

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### Bible Reading

James 4:13–17; 5:1–6 (ESV)

> 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

> 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

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### Observation Questions

1. According to James, what is wrong with making plans for the future without considering God’s will? ([04:22])
2. How does James describe the nature of our lives in James 4:14? What image does he use? ([08:46])
3. What does James say about knowing the good we ought to do and not doing it? ([16:22])
4. In James 5:1–6, what are some of the consequences James lists for those who hoard wealth? ([20:51])

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why does James call presumption a form of pride, even if we aren’t denying God’s existence? How does this attitude show up in everyday life? ([04:22])
2. What does it mean to “plan with God in mind”? How is this different from just making plans and asking God to bless them? ([05:24])
3. Why do you think James puts so much emphasis on sins of omission—failing to do the good we know we should do? ([16:22])
4. How does the way we use our resources reveal what we truly value and trust in? ([26:09])

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### Application Questions

1. Think about your plans for the next year. In what ways have you included God in those plans—or left Him out? What would it look like to plan with “open hands” this week? ([05:24])
2. James says our lives are like a mist—brief and fragile. How does remembering your own mortality affect the way you approach your priorities and relationships? ([08:46])
3. Can you think of a recent situation where you knew the right thing to do but chose not to act? What held you back, and what could help you respond differently next time? ([16:22])
4. Are there areas in your life where you tend to boast or take credit for your achievements? How can you shift your focus to give God the glory instead? ([13:44])
5. When it comes to your finances or possessions, do you see any signs of “hoarding” or holding back from generosity? What is one practical step you could take to use your resources for God’s purposes this month? ([26:09])
6. James warns that pride puts us in opposition to God, but humility opens us to His grace. What is one area where you need to humble yourself before God right now? How can the group pray for you in this? ([33:08])
7. The sermon mentioned partnering with Jesus in making all things new. What is one unique gift or calling you sense God has given you, and how might you use it to serve others this season? ([18:05])

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Devotional

Day 1: Pride in Presumptuous Planning
Presumption is living as if we are in control of our own lives, making plans and decisions without considering God’s sovereignty or inviting Him into our process. It’s not that planning is wrong—wise planning is even encouraged in Scripture—but when we leave God out, we act as if we are the pilot rather than the passenger. This attitude disregards God’s ultimate authority and His ability to redirect our paths, often leading us to overconfidence in our own abilities. Instead, we are called to plan with humility, always remembering that God has the final say and may lovingly throw a curveball to remind us of our dependence on Him. [07:40]

James 4:13-15 (ESV)
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Reflection: What is one plan you’ve made recently where you haven’t considered God’s will or invited Him into the process? How can you surrender that plan to Him today?


Day 2: Remembering Life’s Frailty and God’s Sovereignty
Our lives are brief and fragile, like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. It’s easy to forget how temporary and delicate our existence is, especially when we get caught up in our own ambitions and plans. Recognizing our frailty should lead us to humility and dependence on God, acknowledging that even our very breath is a gift from Him. Rather than focusing solely on what we want to accomplish, we are called to live with an awareness that our time is limited and that God’s purposes for our lives—including even the timing of our death—are ultimately for His glory. [11:40]

James 4:14-15 (ESV)
Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Reflection: When was the last time you paused to consider the brevity of your life? How might remembering your frailty change the way you approach today?


Day 3: Boasting in God, Not Ourselves
It is easy to fall into the trap of boasting about our own achievements, possessions, or status, forgetting that all we have is ultimately from God. While God is not against us celebrating or taking joy in good things, He desires that our boasting be rooted in what He has done and who He is, not in our own strength or accomplishments. True humility is found in recognizing God as the source of every blessing and making much of Him rather than ourselves. When we shift our focus from self-glorification to glorifying God, we align our hearts with what truly matters and experience the joy of giving Him the credit He deserves. [13:44]

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV)
Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you tend to take credit for your success? How can you intentionally give God the glory for it today?


Day 4: The Sin of Omission—Doing the Good We Know
Sin is not only about the wrong things we do, but also about the good things we fail to do. Many people assume that living a spiritual life is simply avoiding obvious sins, but God calls us to actively participate in His work and obey His clear commands. When we ignore opportunities to do good or neglect the unique calling God has placed on our lives, we are missing out on partnering with Jesus to bring about His kingdom. Each of us is uniquely gifted and called, and failing to act on what God has shown us is just as much a sin as committing a wrong act. [18:05]

James 4:17 (ESV)
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Reflection: Is there a specific good work or act of obedience you’ve been avoiding? What step can you take today to move forward in doing what God has called you to do?


Day 5: Hoarded Wealth and Humble Generosity
Hoarding wealth for ourselves is ultimately temporary and can even bring God’s judgment, especially when it leads to injustice or neglect of others. God is not against wealth, but He is against wealth having control over us and being used solely for our own comfort and security. True stewardship means seeing everything we have as belonging to God and using it to advance His kingdom and bless others. Generosity is a mark of humility, and when we give freely, we reflect God’s heart and store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. [28:52]

Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV)
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Reflection: In what practical way can you use your resources this week to bless someone else or advance God’s kingdom, rather than storing up for yourself?

Quotes

There's nothing wrong necessarily with planning. The world needs planners. It needs healthy planners. But James is saying, well, he's not saying it's wrong to plan, but rather when you plan, don't leave God out of the plan. That's what he's saying. Don't forget to factor in that God has ultimate veto power in your life, and he might just throw a curveball in your life. [00:07:14] (29 seconds)  #IncludeGodInPlans Edit Clip

We plan everything you guys know this we plan life insurance retirement health estate planning we plan our careers sports for our kids their colleges their academics in so many areas we can tell you where we would want to be in five or ten years but how many people do you know have a plan for their spiritual life their spiritual growth we can tell you what year we can retire i've done the math and i can retire at some such year that's when it works out we can tell you where we want to go to college we can tell you what we want to do we can tell you what five or ten years looks like how many people do you know actually have a five or ten year plan for the their spiritual life, that have mapped it out. [00:10:02] (49 seconds)  #PlanYourSpirit Edit Clip

What he's saying is it might not be God's will that you live. Forget doing this or that. If it's the Lord's will, if it's the Lord's will, that you live. Meaning it might be the Lord's will that you stop living. Do you see that? We focus on the doing this or that. But don't forget, it might be that God's will is that our death brings glory to him. [00:11:30] (37 seconds)  #GodsWillInLifeAndDeath Edit Clip

Most people, when they think of sin, I think we assume that sin are the things that we do that God has already declared as sinful. They're acts. They're actions. When we commit a sin, that means we're doing a thing that God already said is a sin. That's why they call these types of sins sins of commission, because we are committing the act. We are committing the action. And this makes sense to us. And I think when most people think of sin, this is what they think. up. We think, oh, I did a thing, right? I did this thing or that thing, and that thing or that thing God already said. It's probably not good. It's a sin, and I did it, and I sinned, and that makes sense. But that's as far as we go with it. But did you know that not doing something can be a sin sometimes? These sins are called sins of omission. In other words, when we omit doing something, we omit an action or an act when we know we should do it. These equally, James calls a sin because sins are not always actions. Sometimes sins are inaction. [00:15:33] (83 seconds)  #PartnerWithJesus Edit Clip

We have not been placed here on this earth simply to not sin. Each one of us, if we are believers in Christ Jesus, we have been called to partner with Jesus in making all things new. And each one of us have been uniquely gifted by the Spirit to partner with Jesus in a way that only you can. No one in this earth can partner and has been gifted in ways that you have. And each one of us has a unique calling on our lives to partner with Jesus to bring about God's kingdom here on this earth. [00:17:58] (40 seconds)  #InactionIsSin Edit Clip

If two men die and one man was just a millionaire, did everything by the book and was just a millionaire, okay, in his retirement years and also never shared Jesus with anybody, never led anybody to the Lord. And there was another guy who was just broke as can be, was a complete burden on his family because he had no money, and yet at the same time shared Christ with everyone and brought people straight to Jesus, I think this second guy receives a better welcome. I'm just saying. Because, yeah, he did a lot of things that we would say were foolish, and yet the things he did seem to be the things that matter in the long run. [00:23:50] (51 seconds)  #MoneyShouldServeNotRule Edit Clip

If you are using that to advance the kingdom of God, then I believe God actually gifts certain people with money, with finances, with abilities, because their heart is in the right place, and they're using it to advance the kingdom, and God is like, look, I could give that guy money, or I could give that guy money. This guy's going to sit on it. This guy's going to advance my kingdom, and so boom, I'm going all in over here. I believe that that happens, and I have met people like that, that everything they do just seems to be like the Midas touch. Why? Because they're generous, and they use it to advance the kingdom of God, and I believe God blesses that. [00:27:27] (43 seconds)  #HolySpiritTransforms Edit Clip

It's just, I don't think this is something that you can do without the power of God living inside of you. It's not something you can do well. And so the general application would just be receive Jesus. Like give your life to Christ and say, I want you to change how I view everything about me. Yes, my pride. Yes, my wealth. I want you to change how I view it. I want to see everything as yours, not this little bit is yours and then this big bit is mine. No, it's all yours. And you've allowed me to do things with it. And I want to do what you want me to do with it. But you need the Holy Spirit inside of you to do that. I don't think this is something we can do long term on our own. We just can't do it. We don't have that ability. [00:29:36] (50 seconds)  #ChooseHumility Edit Clip

When we are prideful, we stand in direct opposition to God. In case you're wondering, that's not a good place to be. It doesn't work out very well for us. So everything we do, every plan we make, every idea we have stands in direct opposition to the God of the universe when we are prideful. But he gives grace to the humble. When we humble ourselves and go before God and say, God, this is you, it's all you, it's all yours. Do through me what you will. God says, I'm going to give grace to that. I'm going to heap my grace upon that. So that's it. That's our choice. We can be prideful or we can humble ourselves. I submit we humble ourselves. [00:32:59] (59 seconds) Edit Clip