Living Out Faith: Stewardship, Patience, and Prayer

Devotional

Day 1: Stewardship and Contentment

James challenges us to examine how we use our wealth and resources. True contentment comes from recognizing that everything we have belongs to God and should be used to honor Him and serve others. This perspective shifts our focus from self-indulgence to stewardship and generosity. James admonishes the rich, not for their wealth, but for their misuse of it and their fraudulent practices. He calls for a life of contentment and stewardship, reminding us that everything we have belongs to God. This is a call to live outwardly focused lives, using our resources to honor God and serve others. [13:17]

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (ESV): "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."

Reflection: How can you use your resources today to serve someone in need and honor God?

Day 2: Active Patience

Waiting for the Lord's return is not about passive idleness but active anticipation. We are called to live our lives in a way that reflects our faith, sharing the gospel and serving others. This active patience involves making the most of our time and opportunities to glorify God. James urges us to be patient, especially in anticipation of the Lord's return. This patience is not passive but active, involving a life lived in expectation and readiness for Christ's second coming. It’s about making the most of our time, sharing the gospel, and living in a way that reflects our faith. [23:49]

James 5:7-8 (ESV): "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."

Reflection: What is one way you can actively share your faith with someone this week?

Day 3: Effective Prayer

Prayer is a vital part of our walk with God. Effective prayer is not about getting what we want but aligning our hearts with God's will. It involves trusting in His sovereignty and timing, even when our prayers are not answered as we expect. This deepens our relationship with God and strengthens our faith. James highlights the importance of prayer, encouraging us to pray effectively by aligning our prayers with God's will and trusting in His sovereignty. Effective prayer is about connection with God and reliance on His wisdom and timing. [36:27]

1 John 5:14-15 (ESV): "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

Reflection: How can you align your prayers more closely with God's will today?

Day 4: Confession and Accountability

Confessing our sins to one another is crucial for healing and growth. It brings our struggles into the light and allows others to support and pray for us. This relational aspect of confession fosters accountability and helps us overcome sin through community and mutual encouragement. James speaks about the power of confession and accountability within the Christian community. Confessing our sins to one another fosters healing and growth, as it brings our struggles into the light and allows others to support and pray for us. [50:00]

James 5:16 (ESV): "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Reflection: Is there a trusted friend or mentor you can confess your struggles to and ask for prayer and support?

Day 5: Restoring the Wandering

We have a responsibility to bring back those who have wandered from the faith. This involves compassion, understanding, and a willingness to engage in meaningful conversations. By showing love and truth, we can help others reconnect with their faith and the community, reflecting the heart of Christ. James addresses the importance of bringing back those who have wandered from the truth. This is a call to be compassionate and proactive in our relationships, helping others to reconnect with their faith and the community. [01:03:23]

Galatians 6:1-2 (ESV): "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Reflection: Who in your life has wandered from their faith, and how can you reach out to them with love and truth this week?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we delved into the final chapter of the book of James, exploring its profound teachings and practical applications for our lives. James, writing to a persecuted church, emphasizes the importance of living out our faith authentically. He challenges us to move beyond mere words and to walk the walk of a true Christian. This chapter is particularly poignant as it addresses the misuse of wealth, the necessity of patience, the power of prayer, the importance of confession, and the responsibility of bringing back those who have wandered from the faith.

James begins by admonishing the rich, not for their wealth, but for their misuse of it and their fraudulent practices. He calls for a life of contentment and stewardship, reminding us that everything we have belongs to God. This is a call to live outwardly focused lives, using our resources to honor God and serve others.

Next, James urges us to be patient, especially in anticipation of the Lord's return. This patience is not passive but active, involving a life lived in expectation and readiness for Christ's second coming. It’s about making the most of our time, sharing the gospel, and living in a way that reflects our faith.

Prayer is another critical component James highlights. He encourages us to pray effectively, which means aligning our prayers with God's will and trusting in His sovereignty, even when our prayers are not answered in the way we expect. Effective prayer is about connection with God and reliance on His wisdom and timing.

James also speaks about the power of confession and accountability within the Christian community. Confessing our sins to one another fosters healing and growth, as it brings our struggles into the light and allows others to support and pray for us.

Finally, James addresses the importance of bringing back those who have wandered from the truth. This is a call to be compassionate and proactive in our relationships, helping others to reconnect with their faith and the community.

###

Key Takeaways

1. indulgence to stewardship and generosity. [13:17]
2. Active Patience: Waiting for the Lord's return is not about passive idleness but active anticipation. We are called to live our lives in a way that reflects our faith, sharing the gospel and serving others. This active patience involves making the most of our time and opportunities to glorify God.

3. Effective Prayer: Prayer is a vital part of our walk with God. Effective prayer is not about getting what we want but aligning our hearts with God's will. It involves trusting in His sovereignty and timing, even when our prayers are not answered as we expect. This deepens our relationship with God and strengthens our faith.

4. Confession and Accountability: Confessing our sins to one another is crucial for healing and growth. It brings our struggles into the light and allows others to support and pray for us. This relational aspect of confession fosters accountability and helps us overcome sin through community and mutual encouragement.

5. Restoring the Wandering: We have a responsibility to bring back those who have wandered from the faith. This involves compassion, understanding, and a willingness to engage in meaningful conversations. By showing love and truth, we can help others reconnect with their faith and the community, reflecting the heart of Christ.

### [13:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:37] - The Persecution of James
[04:34] - The Transformation of James
[05:35] - The Importance of the Old Testament
[07:15] - Highlighting the Book of James
[08:42] - Walking the Walk of a Christian
[09:57] - James' View on Wealth
[11:06] - The Danger of Self-Indulgence
[13:17] - Embracing Contentment
[17:17] - Trusting God with Our Resources
[23:49] - Active Patience in Waiting for Christ
[32:21] - The Power of Effective Prayer
[36:27] - Trusting God's Sovereignty in Prayer
[50:00] - Confession and Accountability
[63:23] - Restoring Those Who Wander
[72:46] - Closing Remarks and Upcoming Series

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does James say about the misuse of wealth and the consequences for the rich in James 5:1-6?
How does James describe the kind of patience believers should have in James 5:7-9?
According to James 5:13-16, what are the different situations in which believers are encouraged to pray?

Interpretation Questions

Why does James emphasize the misuse of wealth and fraudulent practices among the rich? How does this relate to the concept of stewardship and contentment? [09:57]
What does "active patience" mean in the context of waiting for the Lord's return, and how does it differ from passive waiting? [23:49]
How does effective prayer, as described by James, align with trusting God's sovereignty and timing, even when prayers are not answered as expected? [36:27]
What role does confession and accountability play in the healing and growth of a Christian community according to James 5:16? [50:00]

Application Questions

Reflect on your own use of wealth and resources. Are there areas where you might be indulging in self-centered practices rather than practicing stewardship and generosity? How can you shift your focus to honor God and serve others? [09:57]
In what ways can you practice "active patience" in your daily life? How can you live in a way that reflects your faith and readiness for Christ's return? [23:49]
Think about a time when your prayers were not answered as you expected. How did you respond, and what did you learn about trusting God's sovereignty and timing? [36:27]
Is there a sin or struggle you need to confess to someone in your Christian community? How can you find a trustworthy person to share this with and seek accountability? [50:00]
Have you ever helped someone who has wandered from the faith to reconnect with their beliefs and the community? What steps did you take, and what was the outcome? [01:03:23]
How can you incorporate more effective prayer into your daily routine? What specific steps can you take to ensure your prayers align with God's will and deepen your relationship with Him? [32:21]
Identify one person in your life who may be struggling with their faith. How can you compassionately and proactively engage with them to help them reconnect with their faith and the community? [01:03:23]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "But there's something about a resurrected Jesus that changes everything. You can make all the claims you want, and you can look crazy and wild doing it, and you can perform miracles, and then I'm wondering if you're a charlatan, how you're pulling this off, magic tricks, who are you paying off to say these things. But then all of a sudden, I witness you dying. I mean, there... there's no way James didn't see the crucifixion. You know your brother's dead and buried, you grieved with your mother over it, and then he shows up." [04:34] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "We're supposed to be honoring God with our lives, loving our neighbor as ourselves. Like we're supposed to be doing things outward focused. And when money just becomes an inward focus thing, I think that's the danger of it. So like what does that what does that practically look like, though, for for a Christian that's listening right now? That's like, man, I'm you know, I'm making good money. I'm making good investments. I've got a good savings account. Like am I living in sin because I'm good with money?" [14:46] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The secret to contentment to me is just trusting God. That when I am discontent it it's usually an indication that I'm not trusting God with with where I'm at with why I'm where I'm at, and so I just I want to be in a place where I'm always God if you want to give me more I'm going to manage it as best as I can God if you need to give me less I'm going to manage that as best as I can." [19:44] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Prayer is a vital component of our walk with Jesus so if we're walking out our Christianity but we're not praying then we're not doing a very good job walking right as Christians. And so we we say around here all the time you know we pray first right so like we we want to create in us this our first response is to pray. It's like the moment I get bad news let's pray the moment I've got you know a difficult choice to make or decision to make let's pray." [32:21] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "If you've never been perspective a missions trip like and I don't mean going on vacation outside of the country but I mean going to places in the world that don't have running water don't have the electricity running all the time where you're going to be hanging out with people that are wearing the exact same shirt all week long not because of their favorite shirt but because the only one they got. Right like I love shoes I got a closet full of shoes and like hanging out with people where like they have no shoe like it's a it's a two dollar flip-flop and that's all I got and it's it's so I don't know it's humbling it puts so much into perspective." [22:23] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "James has written for people that are trying to talk their way to heaven instead of walk their way there. Right. And like that right there, that line trying to talk your way to heaven instead of walking your way there. Right. Like that is James chapters one, two, three, four and five. How do we walk? How do we walk the walk of a Christian? And so I love that, you know, James gives us fifty four imperatives, fifty four actions that we're supposed to complete." [08:42] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "I think what what James is getting at here is all of us, regardless of how much money you make, because it's not about the dollar amount, it's about what you're doing with your money. It's how you're living your life. And I think it comes down to the point that PJ was making is that we're supposed to embrace contentment. And I think that's the message that James has in these first like six verses when he's talking about the wealthy and money and all this is that you're trying to live this this self-indulgent life. And the message of the gospel is that life isn't to be lived for ourselves. It's lived for others." [13:17] (85 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "So if you're gonna walk your way to heaven part of that is to be waiting patiently what I love about this though is this is not what people probably think it is of the whole hey when there's a traffic jam just be patient you know when uh when god hasn't delivered that miracle right when you know there's a long line at the grocery store just be patient no no this is about waiting for the second coming of christ and and what it is is it's not even so much about the word wait it's the expectation of it right it's it's knowing that jesus is returning and so i'm going to live my life now in expectation of that return." [23:49] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The challenge I think that people have is is a language issue because when we say pray effectively what we think of something being effective is I then the thing I'm praying for I will receive and there's some christians out there that will teach me that's how it works like right you pray in the right way and you'll get whatever you ask for I think that's foolishness right um I think that praying effectively it does come down to what are the the results you're going after in your prayer if your prayer is so that you can you know we talked about this before um so that you can connect with god so that you can align with his will and so that you can receive well an effective prayer doesn't necessarily have to do all three of those things." [36:27] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "So there's this there's this idea of it's a relational yes right and I don't know of any catholic priest that sits in that booth and after you get done telling him about your sins he's like all right now let me tell you about my week right now like the process here is about relationship uh it's about accountability it's about being able to encourage each other right so like if I'm struggling with a sin I I would confess it to somebody first of all if I sinned against them this confession is about bringing that to light and saying hey I promised you I was going to do something I didn't do it like I broke a promise um I'm sorry forgive me please right." [48:36] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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