Today, I explored the profound concept of patience, a virtue that is both challenging and essential in our Christian walk. I began by discussing the nature of patience as described in Galatians 5, where it is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit. Patience, or long-suffering, involves enduring discomfort without complaint, which is a direct reflection of a deep, spiritual maturity and trust in God's timing.

I shared a personal anecdote about playing golf, which humorously highlighted our common struggle with impatience. This led into a deeper discussion on how everyday irritations and inconveniences are tests from God, designed to develop our patience. I emphasized that patience isn't cultivated in comfort but through enduring the trials that life inevitably presents.

Drawing from the book of James, I explained the biblical perspective on patience, particularly in the face of suffering and injustice. James encourages believers to consider the prophets and Job as models of patience, who trusted in the Lord’s justice and timing despite severe trials. This trust is rooted in the understanding that God is sovereign and that His plans are for our good, even when His timing differs from our own.

I also delved into the practical aspects of cultivating patience, using the analogy of a farmer who waits for the harvest. This imagery from James 5 teaches us about the importance of waiting for God's timing. Just as a farmer trusts in the seasonal cycles, we too must trust in God's perfect timing for the seasons in our lives.

Towards the end of the sermon, I highlighted the ultimate example of patience shown by Jesus Christ, who endured the greatest injustices with a quiet trust in God’s plan. His example is a powerful reminder that our ability to endure is not based on our strength but on our surrender to God’s will.

In conclusion, I called the congregation to a time of worship and reflection on how we can apply the virtue of patience in our daily lives. This was also a special Sunday for our church as we collected offerings for various ministries, emphasizing the connection between patience, trust in God’s provision, and generosity.

### Key Takeaways

1. **Patience as a Reflection of Trust in God**
Patience is deeply tied to our trust in God's sovereignty. When we are impatient, it often reflects a lack of faith in God's perfect timing and plan. By cultivating trust in God, we develop patience that endures beyond our immediate circumstances. This trust is not passive; it's an active, daily decision to give God control over our lives. [51:13]

2. **Learning from Biblical Examples**
The Bible is rich with stories of individuals who exemplified patience in the face of dire situations. Job’s story is particularly poignant, teaching us that even when all is lost, our trust in God should remain unshaken. Job’s patience was not about inaction but a profound trust in God’s justice and timing, which ultimately led to his restoration. [01:04:26]

3. **The Role of the Holy Spirit in Developing Patience**
Patience is a fruit of the Spirit, which means it is developed through our ongoing relationship with the Holy Spirit. It is not merely a human effort but a supernatural grace that grows as we yield more to the Spirit’s work in our lives. This relationship is crucial in transforming our natural tendencies towards impatience. [34:32]

4. **Patience in Practical Terms: The Farmer’s Trust**
The analogy of the farmer waiting for the precious fruit of the earth serves as a practical model for understanding patience. Just as the farmer waits with expectation for the harvest, we too should wait on God’s promises with faith, knowing that He is faithful to fulfill His word in our lives. [52:20]

5. **The Ultimate Example of Patience: Jesus Christ**
Jesus Christ is our ultimate example of patience. In the face of the greatest injustice, He trusted His Father’s plan and timing. His patience was active; He continued to love, serve, and forgive up to His last breath. By looking to Jesus, we find the perfect model for how to live out patience in our own lives. [57:42]

### Youtube Chapters

- [0:00] - Welcome
- [33:14] - Introduction to Patience
- [34:06] - The Battle of the Flesh and the Spirit
- [35:11] - Understanding Patience as a Fruit of the Spirit
- [41:39] - The Role of the Holy Spirit in Developing Patience
- [49:07] - Practical Lessons from Personal Experiences
- [51:13] - Biblical Insights on Patience from James
- [01:04:26] - The Story of Job: A Model of Patience
- [01:10:26] - Call to Generosity and Worship
- [01:13:01] - Closing Prayer and Worship

### Bible Study Discussion Guide: Cultivating Patience

#### Bible Reading
1. **Galatians 5:22-23** - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
2. **James 5:7-11** - "Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."
3. **1 Peter 2:23** - "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly."

#### Observation Questions
1. What are the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23?
2. According to James 5:7-11, what analogy does James use to describe patience, and what does it teach us about waiting on God? [51:13]
3. How did Jesus respond to insults and suffering according to 1 Peter 2:23, and what does this reveal about His patience? [57:42]
4. What personal anecdote did the pastor share to illustrate common struggles with impatience? [49:07]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of patience as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 relate to our daily struggles with impatience? [35:11]
2. In James 5:7-11, why is the farmer's trust in the seasonal cycles a powerful metaphor for our trust in God's timing? [52:20]
3. Reflecting on 1 Peter 2:23, how does Jesus' example of patience challenge our natural responses to injustice and suffering? [57:42]
4. How does the pastor's story about playing golf illustrate the everyday tests of patience we face, and what can we learn from it? [49:07]

#### Application Questions
1. Think of a recent situation where you felt impatient. How might trusting in God's timing have changed your response? [52:20]
2. The pastor mentioned that God often tests our patience through interruptions, inconveniences, and irritations. Can you identify a recent example of each in your life? How did you respond, and how could you respond differently next time? [43:15]
3. Jesus is our ultimate example of patience. What specific steps can you take to emulate His patience in your interactions this week? [57:42]
4. The story of Job teaches us about enduring through suffering with trust in God. How can you apply Job's perseverance to a current challenge you are facing? [01:04:26]
5. The pastor emphasized the role of the Holy Spirit in developing patience. What practical ways can you open yourself more to the Holy Spirit's work in your life? [41:39]
6. Reflect on a time when you were impatient with someone close to you. How can you seek forgiveness and demonstrate patience in that relationship moving forward? [37:21]
7. The pastor called for a time of worship and reflection on applying patience in our daily lives. What specific area of your life do you feel called to practice more patience, and what steps will you take to cultivate it? [01:08:15]

This guide aims to help your small group delve deeper into the virtue of patience, understand its biblical foundation, and apply it practically in their lives.

Day 1: Trusting God's Sovereign Timing
Patience is not merely waiting; it's an active trust in God's perfect timing and plan. This trust is a reflection of a believer's faith in God's sovereignty, recognizing that His plans are always for our good, even when they unfold differently from our expectations. Cultivating this trust involves daily decisions to surrender control and embrace the belief that God is orchestrating our lives for His glory and our ultimate benefit. This kind of patience is nurtured not in moments of ease but through the trials and tribulations that test our faith and resilience. [51:13]

James 5:7-8, "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 late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."

Reflection: What situation in your life requires you to trust in God's timing right now, and how can you actively cultivate patience in this waiting period?

Day 2: Learning from Job's Steadfastness
The story of Job is a profound example of patience in the midst of extreme suffering and loss. Job’s experience teaches us that true patience is characterized by an unwavering trust in God’s justice and timing, even when the reasons behind our trials are not clear. This biblical narrative encourages believers to maintain their integrity and faith, trusting that God’s purposes, though mysterious, are aimed towards an ultimate restoration and blessing. Emulating Job's patience means acknowledging God's sovereignty and goodness, regardless of our current circumstances. [01:04:26]

Job 19:25-27, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!"

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you faced loss or suffering. How did your response either draw you closer to or further from a posture of trust in God?

Day 3: The Holy Spirit's Role in Patience
Patience is a fruit of the Spirit, which indicates that it grows not through human effort alone but through our relationship with the Holy Spirit. As believers yield more to the Spirit’s influence, the natural impatience of the human condition is transformed into a divine patience that can endure much. This supernatural grace is essential for living out the Christian faith amidst challenges and delays, helping us to respond with grace and perseverance instead of frustration and despair. [34:32]

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find it most difficult to exhibit patience? How can you more fully allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate this fruit in you?

Day 4: Patience Like a Farmer
The analogy of a farmer waiting for the harvest provides a practical model for understanding patience. Just as a farmer trusts in the seasonal cycles, without rushing the growth process, believers are called to wait on God’s promises with a similar expectancy and trust. This patience acknowledges God’s faithfulness to fulfill His word in our lives, encouraging us to remain steadfast and hopeful, even when the 'harvest' seems delayed or uncertain. [52:20]

James 5:7, "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 late rains."

Reflection: Consider a specific promise or prayer you are waiting on God to fulfill. How can you emulate the patience of a farmer in this situation?

Day 5: Following Jesus' Example of Patience
Jesus Christ demonstrated the ultimate patience, enduring the greatest injustices with a quiet trust in God’s plan. His example teaches us that our ability to endure is not based on our strength but on our surrender to God’s will. By looking to Jesus, we learn how to live out patience in our own lives, continuing to love, serve, and forgive, even in the face of challenges and opposition. [57:42]

1 Peter 2:23, "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly."

Reflection: How can you model Christ's patience in your interactions this week, especially with those who may test your patience?

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "The way to win the battle is to learn how to connect to the power of Christ. I love this. I've used this poem several times and it's not on the screen." [34:32](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

2. "Hey, put me on an island in the middle of the Bahamas somewhere, or the middle of the Caribbean. Put me somewhere there. And I'll be patient all day long. You know, but that's not what God does. You see, what God does to you and me is he puts you and me, if you want us to be patient, he puts you and me in impatient situations." [43:15](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

3. "We also, God tests us through interruptions. Inconveniences. Inconveniences. We all have this hate to wait mentality. We hate to wait. It's inconvenient to wait. We don't like it when we go to a doctor's appointment at 10 o'clock, and we have to wait." [44:35](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

4. "But then, here's my favorite part. call these the button pushers. Because somehow, they think if they push the button fast enough, the elevator comes down fast enough. You ever see those? Hey, we just don't like to wait. And it's inconvenient." [45:44](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

5. "The farmer is relaxed because he knows that he just has to wait. He knows that even though he can't see the action above the surface, he knows that something is happening deep below the surface, below the surface. You see, God is at work in deep, deep ways beneath the surface of the earth." [54:50](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patient kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And it's a beautiful list, right? The wonderful list. And then when you look at the broader context where that list appears in Galatians chapter five, you realize that beautiful way of living doesn't come without a battle, right? Without a conflict." [33:37](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

2. "It's the interruptions. You know, we get annoyed. We lose patience through interruptions. God tests us through interruptions. Inconveniences. We all have this hate to wait mentality. We hate to wait. It's inconvenient to wait." [43:54](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

3. "Patience is really faith in action. In other words, when you're feeling impatient, when you're feeling a little antsy, put your faith into action by choosing to trust God, to believe that God is up to something." [53:44](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

4. "We are to trust God's justice. Sometimes the thing that's causing our impatience is that there's something in life that is just not right. It's not fair... And we get frustrated. We're looking for God to bring justice." [55:23](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

5. "How could he possibly endure that? Because he knew that God, his Father, was a just judge, and he trusted him. And for us, that's our example. Patiently enduring the unfair things in our life." [58:59](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)

And, uh, when he retired, I was so sad that he would get retired. But he said, "Hey, I'm retiring, but I'm going to be in your church. I'll be online every week, and when I'm in town, I'm here."

And I said, "Mary and Larry, they watch the service every week, and we just appreciate and love them for what they are, and thank you for their support."

And so, well, we're so glad that you're here today. Thank you for being here. Those watching online, thank you for being here.

And, uh, we’re in the middle of a series called "Full Wisdom." And, uh, we'll talk about the famous list, the famous list of the fruit of the spirit. And, uh, it's in Galatians chapter five, verses 22 and 23.

See on the screen, it says, "The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, uh, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." And it's a beautiful list, right? A wonderful list.

And then when you look at the broader context where that list appears in Galatians chapter five, you realize that beautiful way of living doesn't come without a battle, right? Without a conflict, because there are parts of every one of us that wants to live in very different ways.

You know, we deal with anger and jealousy. We deal with, uh, selfishness, all these ugly things that come out of our lives. And until you enter heaven, there will always be a struggle between the flesh and the spirit. There will always be that struggle.

But here's the wonderful part. The way to win that battle that we're in today is not just to try to, you know, try to be harder to live harder. That's not the answer. The way to win the battle is to learn how to connect to the power of Christ.

I love this. I've used this poem several times, and it's not on the screen, but you've heard it. "The pull of sin is strong, but the living Christ is stronger. So open yourself to his spirit, and you will bear his fruit."

And that's what we're talking about. That's what this series is all about. It's learning together how to open ourselves to the Holy Spirit so that we can bear the fruit of Jesus to be more like him.

And so today we come to the fourth fruit, which is patience. And I want to ask you all a question here as we kind of kick off this message: What is it that makes you lose your patience the fastest?

What makes you lose your patience the fastest? Now, for some of you, it's when you're at a drive-through. You have to drive through a line at a bank, and the person in front of you is negotiating a second mortgage on his home from the front seat of his car.

For moms, it might be when your little six-year-old daughter has watched her 14th episode of Baby Shark. That's a thing now. Okay? In VeggieTales back in my day, it announced Baby Shark in one afternoon.

Maybe dads, it's when you take out your brand new golf driver out of your bag and you realize that your son has used it as a sword. I mean, you can lose your patience really quick.

Here's the deal. Impatience permeates our entire persona. It's just a part of our life. We get impatient. We get impatient in the church parking lot, don't we? You know, trying to get out or trying to get in.

We get impatient when we get stuck behind a school bus that makes everybody stop every hundred yards. You can't get around it. You get impatient. I think a lot of us know something about impatience, don't we?

I like to say it this way: When our patience runs low, uh-oh, you better get out of the way. When our patience runs low, that's when the employer says to the employee, "Unfortunately, why do I even pay you? I'm the one that does all the work anyway."

When the patience runs low, that's when the exasperated father tells his daughter, "Why don't you, you know, kick the ball like the rest of the team?"

When the patience runs low, that's when Christians look to heaven and say, "God, I don't get it. I don't understand why I'm in this situation."

Patience. Everyone is impatient, and everyone has to deal with it.

Now, I want to talk about what patience means. If you read the fruit of the spirit in the old King James language, they use a word called long-suffering. That's kind of a neat word, long-suffering. And it says, you know, "Hey, how long have you been suffering?" "You know, long."

The Greek word for that word long-suffering, or the word patience in Galatians chapter five, is a Greek word called. It's a compound word, and really, you know these words. The word "macro," you've seen this word, that's the macro, that's big. In this case, it means long.

The word "thermos," we get the English word thermos, and it means heat. It means anger. It means temper. And so together, it means long-tempered, having a temper that takes a long time to set off.

It carries the idea that for patient people, we have a long fuse. We have a long fuse. That's what it means to have patience in Galatians chapter five. Long-suffering. It's a long fuse.

Now, the opposite of a long fuse is having a short fuse. A short fuse. Now, when we were kids, around the Fourth of July, there was always the one kid who held a firecracker in his hand a little too long. He does it on purpose. He wants to hold it in his hand. He makes everybody nervous.

And then at the last second, he'll throw it up, and it'll explode right over his head. And we'll all tell him, we'll say, "Man, that's a bad idea." But he doesn't listen, right? He doesn't listen.

And so until that one time where the firecracker, he holds it in his hand, and that firecracker has a short fuse. And what happened? It blows up in his hand. And it's a very, very painful moment for him.

And it's a short fuse. It's a short fuse, right? Short fuses cause a lot of damage. You know, when you think about, you know, in our life, a person that has a short fuse has damaged himself.

And not only does he damage himself with a short fuse, he damages innocent bystanders around him. Short fuse. And a lot of us, we oftentimes have short fuses, which just kind of blow up. We have quick boiling points. We have a microwave temper.

We lose patience just like that. We can lose it on a dime. And some of you today, you're on edge. Perhaps you're on edge at work. Or maybe you're on the edge in a relationship. Maybe you're on edge at church. You're on edge. Maybe you're a student. You're on edge at school.

But the good news is, the good news for all of us is that there's a supernatural way for us to produce patience. God, and this is beautiful, God loves you so much that he does not want you to be damaged by the impatience that's in our lives.

He loves us so much that he does not want us to stay that way. He wants us in a supernatural way. He wants to turn near me from impatient to being a patient person.

And by the way, he does it through the Holy Spirit. He's the primary factor in this whole thing. It's the Holy Spirit that can do the work in your life and my life. The supernatural impatience that turns from that impatient life, that short-fused life, and he lengthens the fuse and gives us patience.

Now, some of you say, "Okay, that's great, Scott. How do you do it? I want to hear about it. I want to hear about it."

Let's go. Let's go. Let's slow down now. We'll get there. Be patient. You would think that God would, you know, in order for us to be patient, that God would put near me in calm, relaxing situations or circumstances.

We think, "Hey, that's the key. Hey, put me on an island in the middle of the, you know, in the middle of the Bahamas somewhere, or the middle of the Caribbean. Put me somewhere there, and I'll be patient all day long."

You know, but that's not what God does. You see, what God does to you and me is he puts you and me, if he wants us to be patient, he puts you and me in impatient situations.

He tests us with impatient situations in our lives. I've defined a few of them, you know, if you're taking notes. He tests us in situations of interruptions, through interruptions.

He puts us through interruptions. He has those little interruptions in our lives to occur. Just those little interruptions. You're sitting at the dinner table. Your phone goes off in the middle of your phone. It beeps. You get an email. You get a text message.

It's that little rupture that kind of ruins the dinner, maybe. You know, because you focus on it, and that becomes the primary focus, and that's the family at the table.

Or, you know, that little interruption where, you know, after a long, hard day at work, you finally sit down in your easy chair, relax. You've worked hard. You know, sit down. Just when you sit down and get comfortable, the doorbell rings unexpectedly.

Right? It's the interruptions. You know, we get annoyed. We lose patience through interruptions. We also, God tests us through inconveniences.

Inconveniences. We all have this "hate to wait" mentality. We hate to wait. It's inconvenient to wait. We don't like it when we go to a doctor's appointment at 10 o'clock, and we have to wait. It's inconvenient, right?

None of us like to wait. We want everything now. You know? We want instant coffee. You know? But some of you might like it. "I got to have instant coffee. I can't wait for it to brew. Give me instant coffee."

You know, some of you want instant maturity. We want instant community, instant relationship. We want it. We want it. And we want it now.

And just to show you how people hate to wait, all you have to do is just go to an elevator. Next time you go to an elevator and there's a bunch of people standing around, just watch.

Look around. You got some people, I call them the bouncers. Right? They're bouncing on their toes. You know, they're just bouncing. You got the swayers. You know, they're just kind of swaying around. They just can't sit still. They can't stand still.

You got those that are vain. They're just looking at the reflection in the elevator door. They're just looking at their look. They're always concerned about their look. "Oh, there's a blurry image of me."

But then, here's my favorite part. I call these the button pushers. Because somehow, they think if they push the button fast enough, the elevator comes down fast enough. You ever see those?

Hey, we just don't like to wait. And it's inconvenient. God tests us through inconveniences.

God also tests us through irritations. Irritations. Those little things that just kind of bug you. That just get under your skin. You know, the things that, you know, that happen when you're driving through the traffic on Hall Road. It's irritating, right?

When you're just, "Oh, man, I have a detour and everything backs up 30, 40 minutes because there was a detour. There was an accident. There was construction."

I mean, every March just ruins it for me, the traffic. I mean, everything's fine. And then March, winter's over. It's a new season. It's a new season called construction season. Everywhere. You can't avoid it.

And we get the irritations going on. Some of you, hey, you get irritated when you go through a restaurant drive-through and you get the bag, and you get through, you pass the window, you open the bag, and they gave you the wrong meal.

And you're like, "Oh, you have to turn around." You need to turn around, you know, and you go back in. And, you know, you go up to the counter. And you can just tell, "Hey, this was an irritation in my life, and I'm very low on patience."

You see, hey, we've all been touched. And God touched us through all these situations so that we can learn how to be patient through him. And that's what God does.

He is in the business of doing it. He puts the Holy Spirit in your life, and he's out working your life 24/7 to produce this fruit of patience.

Now I want to look at James. James chapter 5. James chapter 5, we're going to see some principles here about patience. And I think this will really help us out here this morning.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote in chapter 5, verses 7 through 11. He said, "Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near." He said in verse 9, "Don't grumble against one another."

Hey, by the way, when we are out of patience, we grumble. That's the opposite of patience, right? We grumble. We moan. We complain. We just don't like it.

You know, yesterday, Corey, our youth pastor, and I went golfing. And we somehow thought, "Let's go to the twilight golf hour," which is the worst idea. It's been a long time since I've done the twilight golf hour.

But I remember why yesterday we do not do twilight golf. It might be cheaper, but anyway, it's a fire sale. Every golfer that can't afford to golf shows up. And so they stack them.

And we had to, you know, it would take four hours to play. It took us five hours to play. There were three, you know, groups in front of us. And every group was so slow.

And I'm telling you, yesterday, my golf game, I grumbled most of the time. I was grumbling. I was supposed to have fun. I was grumbling. I mean, I'm so, you know, I said, "Go." I'm just like, "Stop looking for your ball in the woods. You're not going to find it. Get out of the woods and hit the ball. You know, don't be cheap. You got more golf balls in your bag. Just use those. Come on."

You know? That's what I meant. I'm sitting there. We're at one hole. I'm sitting there. We're waiting in the fairway, waiting for a second shot. We're just sitting there.

And the group behind us hit the ball. And their ball hit me. They were impatient. I'm impatient. Well, the whole golf course is impatient. Grumbling.

"Don't grumble. Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The judge is standing at the door. Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance, and you have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

I want to give us, as the rest of our time, I want to give us three thoughts on how God develops patience in our lives.

Number one, if you're taking notes, the first point is this: We are to trust his plans. Trust his plans. What's his plan? Look at James 5, verse 7 again.

"Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming." And then he used this illustration. He says, "Check out, see, examine how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains."

Now, any good farmer knows that there's a time when you plant a crop, right, and when you harvest the crop. But in between the planting and the harvesting, there's a lot of time between those two.

There's a lot of time called waiting. And they wait. And you see the farmers, they wait for the rains. They wait for the crop to grow. They wait for the root to grow deep. They're waiting.

And they're waiting because they know that's how God made agriculture work. That's how it works. That's exactly the way God planned our lives to work. There's a lot of waiting involved.

The chaplain, U.S. Senate chaplain, Lloyd Ogilvie, years ago made a statement. He said this: "Patience must be rooted in an overarching confidence that there is someone in control of the universe, our world, and our life."

We need to know that God does work things together for good for those who love him. A patient person knows the shortness of time and the length of eternity.

Patience is really faith in action. In other words, when you're feeling impatient, when you're feeling a little antsy, put your faith into action by choosing to trust God, to believe that God is up to something.

Again, we look at the farmer. There's a long period of time, right? After the planting, right, the farmer, he can look at his field every day, and he will see no visible work or visible activity happening on the field.

All he sees is dirt. But the farmer is chill. The farmer is relaxed because he knows that he just has to wait. He knows that even though he can't see the action above the surface, he knows that something is happening deep below the surface.

You see, God is at work in deep, deep ways beneath the surface of the earth. And that's what we're looking for in our lives, even when we don't see it.

So we have to trust his plan. Trust him. Trust him in the little things. And if we can trust God in the little things, then we can begin to trust God in bigger ways.

Perhaps here this morning, you find yourself in one of those in-between places. Maybe that's where you're at. Perhaps you're in between jobs. Perhaps you're just in the waiting season, in between relationships.

Maybe you're in between churches. I don't know. But you're stuck in this in-between, and you're like, "I don't know. I don't get it. I don't understand. I hate waiting."

And God says, "Be patient. Trust my plan. I am doing something at work deep below the surface of your life. Just trust me. Trust me because I'm in control. I'm in control."

So we're to trust God's plan. But here's the second thing we learn from this passage: We are to trust his justice. We are to trust God's justice.

Sometimes the thing that's causing our impatience is that there's something in life that is just not right. It's not fair. It's maybe that kid in school who bullied your son or your daughter.

It's not getting punished enough for what he did. Maybe it's that ex-spouse who's dragging out the divorce settlement or doesn't make the child payment like he should.

And it seems like he's just getting away with it. Or maybe it's that girl who's mean to everyone but somehow becomes the homecoming queen.

We've all experienced unfair things. And it's easy for us to get impatient with God. Like we say, "God, come on. It's not right. It's not fair. And I don't see you doing anything about it."

And we get frustrated. We're looking for God to bring justice. And I think the readers of James are struggling with those same feelings.

Because they were being mistreated by powerful people all around them. But James says in verse 8, he says, "Hey, be patient and stand firm because, and this is the key, the Lord's coming is near."

Now, all throughout the Bible, the coming of the Lord is the day of judgment. That's what he's talking about. It's a time when God will finally hold people accountable for the ways that they have defied God and mistreated other people.

So here's what James is saying here in verse 8. He says, "Hey, believe me. Believe me when I say this. Whatever wrongs are happening in the world, listen, God is going to set things right in his time."

In his time, it's going to be made right. And if we believe that, then we can patiently wait for him to bring it into his timing.

By the way, if you're wondering what it looks like to trust in God's justice, all we have to do is look at this. We look at 1 Peter 2, verse 23.

Peter, he said this: "When they hurled their insults at him, Jesus did not retaliate. When he suffered, he made no threats." Look what he did. He instead, he entrusted himself to him, to God, who judges justly.

I mean, here, this is the ultimate injustice. Injustice in the history of the world, the way that they mocked and treated and persecuted Jesus and killed him on the cross.

How could he possibly endure that? Because he knew that God, his Father, was a just judge, and he trusted him. And for us, that's our example: patiently enduring the unfair things in our life.

And that doesn't mean, this is not what I'm saying here this morning. I don't want you to misunderstand this. It doesn't mean that we don't speak out against injustice.

It doesn't mean that we allow abusers to abuse us. We confront it. We speak out against it, for sure. But sometimes, there are things in life that will remain unfair beyond your control, and there's nothing you can do about it for now.

And those things, I promise you, will drive you crazy unless you have a proper view that God is a righteous judge. And in his timing, he will deal with it.

And so, how do you develop patience? You've got to trust God's plan. You've got to trust in his justice and his timing.

Number three, you've got to trust his reward. Just an illustration I read. I love this. I'm going to read it for you.

Imagine you have two women of the same age, same socioeconomic, the same educational level, the same personality. And you decide to hire both of them, and you put them on the assembly line.

And they're going to work eight hours a day, 40 hours a week. And you put them in identical rooms with identical lighting, identical air conditioning, ventilation, temperature.

You give them the same number of breaks in the day. And honestly, this assembly line work is very boring. And the conditions are the same in every way, except there's one difference.

You hire the first lady, and you tell her privately, "Hey, you're going to work these many hours, you're going to do all this. And at the end of the year, I'm going to pay you $30,000 for your labor."

And then you privately go to woman number two and say, "You're going to do all this work, and I'm going to pay you $30 million at the end of the year for all your labor."

That's the difference: $30,000, $30 million. And after a couple of weeks, the first woman, she starts talking, starts grumbling.

She says, "This is tedious work. This is not fun. This is boring. I mean, I think I want to quit." And the second lady says, "I love this job. I love it. Hey, I wish you all while I work. I mean, I think this is all fine."

What's happening? You have two human beings. They're experiencing identical circumstances in very, very different ways. And the difference is the expectation of the future.

The expectations of the future. And I think this is so spot on. What we believe, if you're taking notes, what we believe about the future absolutely controls how we experience the present.

If your view of the future is not dominated by the ultimate victory and the ultimate reward of God, then it's going to be really hard for you to handle the difficult situations of today and the present.

Because you have no reason to believe that things will get better, and you will be easily angered, agitated, impatient. Life will be just miserable.

However, on the flip side, if you believe that the future is ruled by a good, good God who gives good things to his children, then you'll begin to handle the hard things in life in the present so much differently.

You see, look how James ends this session. James 5, verse 11. He said, "As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance. You have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

Now, James, he appealed to the reader's knowledge of the Old Testament. He just assumed that they know all about the life of Job. Y'all know about Job?

I mean, Job was a good man, a godly man. And he was struck by a ridiculous amount of misfortunes all in a very short, brief amount of time. He lost his crops. I mean, he was a wealthy man. He lost his crops. He lost his barn. He lost all of his servants.

He lost his own kids. Even his own health went down, all in a matter of a short little time. And it was very devastating for Job.

But through all of that, through all of that hardship, Job persevered. Now, listen, he definitely expressed pain. He definitely expressed questions. He was brutally honest in his prayers.

But at the end of the day, he persevered. He didn't turn his back. He didn't turn his back on God. He didn't turn to a life of sin and rebellion. He didn't numb his pain with alcohol.

He persevered through the pain. And he waited for God to somehow provide an explanation for what had happened. And finally, God shows up.

And he basically tells Job, he said, "Job, there are things about this life that are so far above us. There are things that are so far above your understanding. You wouldn't even understand it if I told you."

And Job is so overwhelmed. He's so overwhelmed by the presence of God. He said, "God, I spoke of things I didn't understand. Things too wonderful for me to know. My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you."

And he repents. Job, he repents of even the thought that God had owed him an explanation. And that's all in the last chapter of the book of Job.

But that's not the end of the story. You see, at the very end, God restores Job's fortune and gave him twice as much as he had before.

It says, "The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former." Despite all the pain and the loss, Job's life ended very, very well.

And here's what James is trying to teach you and me today about patience. When life is hard and difficult, and you're waiting for things to change, and you can't imagine why it's taking God so long to show up and to bring some relief, remember Job.

Remember him. Never forget that when you're with God, the story always ends really, really well.

And this morning, God is with you. God is inviting you to trust his plans, even when you can't see it, to trust him. God is inviting you to trust his justice, even when life seems unfair.

And then he's inviting us this morning to trust in his reward for you and for me, for those who are in Christ, because it's going to end really, really well.

So choose to trust him. And when you do, the Holy Spirit of God, he begins to produce this patience in all of us.

Oh, it's a struggle. I promise you, the minute you walk out those doors, you will be tested. But trust him, trust in his plan, trust in his justice, and trust in his eternal reward.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for all you're teaching us today. We thank you for patience. God, most of all, thank you that you were patient towards us.

While we were yet sinners, so far away from you, you were patiently waiting for us. You sent your son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, and you were patient. You're still patient, even today.

You're waiting for someone here today to come to know you. God, for those who are followers of Christ, I pray that we can carry out this fruit, the fruit of patience, to live this out for a lost and dying world to see it.

Because the world, they're not patient. Everybody's short-fused. God, we can be more like you when we are producing the fruit of patience.

Oh, Holy Spirit, help us. Because we can't do it on our own. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Let's all stand. We're going to do a time of worship in just a minute, but it's also a time for a greater things offering.

And this is perhaps one of my favorite Sundays of the year, where everything we collect today goes to greater things offerings. And I'll say this: supporting church planting, supporting, you know, homeless ministries, peacemakers, Crossroads, Pregnancy Center, Crossroads, Compassion Pregnancy Center, Crossroads Pregnancy Center.

Just some great, you know, church planting. All these things that we collect. Everything we collect. Every dime, every penny. Everything goes to greater things.

And so some of you say, "Hey, you know, Scott, I forgot my pen. I forgot my bucket." That happens. People forget their buckets.

Listen, y'all got to be patient. We'll be here next week. Bring your bucket next Sunday if you want. We'll be ready for that. You can drop it off during the week.

Some of you, you know, "Scott, I have a bucket. I've got my pocket full of change. I've got a plastic bag. I've got a check. I've got some cash." Whatever you do, man, all of it's going to go to bless and it's going to advance the kingdom of God in ways that we'll never see.

No, all we're doing right here, we're planting. God's going to bring the harvest in his due time, in his different ways. And it's going to be awesome.

And so we get to do that. If you're like, "Hey, I don't have any of them. I don't have my checkbook. I don't have my cash. I'm the guy that does everything digital."

Hey, we've got it online for you as well. You can go to our website and give online. Make sure you designate it to greater things. In the drop-down menus, you'll see greater things offering.

And so this is our opportunity to lead with generosity here at Lake Point. I'm going to pray in just a minute. After I pray, Pastor Tom and the worship band are going to lead us in a song.

And when they start singing, here's a couple things that can happen. If you want to get your kids involved, man, I love it when we get our kids involved and let them practice generosity as a family.

So feel free to go back to help your kids. Get your kids if you want. It's just moved my heart to see so many little kids dump in the bucket.

Some of them barely. Mom and dad made it way too heavy. But that's okay. They got it. They carried it. You know, it's great.

And they dump it in their bucket right here in the first service. If you want to do that, you can. And then, so you should go right back out. When the music starts, you go right back out, get your kids.

And when you come back in, you can just come right down to the front with your kids and drop your offering in this bucket.

But then after we pray, that's happening. We're going to let the first two sessions kind of go at first. When that dies down a little bit, Pastor Tom will make a motion or do that.

But once that dies down, the side session, you come down, and you can make your offering as well.

Let me pray, and then we'll worship and we'll celebrate what God is doing here today.

God, thank you for this opportunity to lead with generosity. Oh, God, you've given us so much. Help us to give back in a sacrificial way.

And so, God, we just ask you to bless the gift as well as the giver. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

You've never failed me yet. The promise still stands. Great is your faithfulness. Faithfulness. Still in your hands. This is my confidence. Faithfulness.

If you don't have a bucket, start again. Grab your bucket. We've got a table back there. If you want to grab a bucket, make sure you grab one. Put it in a place in your house somewhere.

Let those loose change. Next year, about this time, we'll have another Greater Things offering. Continue to see God do amazing things through the generosity here at Lake Point Church. Pass it on.