by weareclctinley on Aug 09, 2024
### 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. **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. [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. [23:49]
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. [36:27]
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. [50:00]
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. [01:03:23]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - 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
[01:03:23] - Restoring Those Who Wander
[01:12:46] - Closing Remarks and Upcoming Series
### Bible Reading
1. James 5:1-6
2. James 5:7-9
3. James 5:13-16
### Observation Questions
1. What does James say about the misuse of wealth and the consequences for the rich in James 5:1-6?
2. How does James describe the kind of patience believers should have in James 5:7-9?
3. According to James 5:13-16, what are the different situations in which believers are encouraged to pray?
### Interpretation Questions
1. 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]
2. 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]
3. 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]
4. 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
1. 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]
2. 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]
3. 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]
4. 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]
5. 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]
6. 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]
7. 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]
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?
Hey everybody, welcome back to another episode of Between Sermons, where we get to continue our conversation from Sunday.
We've been walking through the book of James, and it's bittersweet today because we are in James chapter 5. If you are paying attention to your Bible, that means this is the last chapter of James, because he quit writing after 5. So we got a lot of... I mean, yeah, he was no more; he was kilt. Great segue!
It is bittersweet because it's bitter because we're at the end, but it's sweet though because Carlton McCarthy is hanging out in the room today. Carlton, tell us all about how James... how did James die?
He was murdered. So he was the... is it murder or is it martyrdom?
The Christian faith in Jerusalem, and they tossed him off of a temple. Just threw him!
What a way to go! Well, thanks for tuning in to this podcast. We will see you next... no.
Yeah, he's writing to a persecuted church that's been scattered by persecution. So for him to be murdered... murdered in this way, it was not a surprise. He's like, this is what he's writing them about, like, hey, there's persecution coming.
And we'll get into all that in a second, but I'm curious, Carlton, what would it take for your brother to convince you that he was the son of God?
Yeah, I think the stories of James and Jude, and of Paul, like, the three of them, for me, more than anybody else, because it's like, these are guys that did not believe.
Absolutely, yes.
Right? Like, to the point of persecution, not believing. But there's something about a resurrected Jesus that changes everything.
Yes, absolutely, yep.
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.
And then you go back into his teachings, and you're like, oh man, when he said that, that was actually brilliant. That wasn't... that wasn't crazy.
Yeah.
Yeah. And I think that's part of why James so often is quoting the Sermon on the Mount.
Right.
To me, that means that he was there for either that moment or one of the... because like itinerant preachers are preaching the same sermon in different cities. Like the expectation was that Jesus would preach these things in multiple places.
Right.
And that his disciples were able to retain the information because they heard him say it here. They heard him say it here.
Right.
They heard him say it here.
Right.
And so like James was probably very, very interested in that sermon.
Yep.
Man, we could nerd out on the Bible.
And James so much.
The New Testament, man.
You don't like the old?
I'm on a mission in life to make people love the Old Testament.
Because there's a lot of people that just ignore the Old Testament because it's harder, it's more confusing.
On surface level, it can seem like this is a bipolar God because the New Testament seems so positive and uplifting, and then you read Old Testament stories and you're like, man, this guy was like killing people left and right, like repeatedly.
But it's like, man, so many of those stories, they set a foundation. They set an understanding that there's a depth of the beauty of things said in the New Testament that are only beautiful because of what's set up in the Old Testament.
And so like you miss out on so much. That's why like, man, like Jewish believers who convert to Christianity, like they have a richness.
Yes.
So like one of our contacts, Leon Mazin in Israel, like talking with him about the Bible when he starts pulling Old Testament things into New Testament things, I'm like, I just need to read. I need to take notes. Like, it's beautiful.
Yeah.
But they got a revelation that we're just playing catch up on.
Yeah.
Just read it. The old, the new. It's all good.
Yeah.
So speaking of just reading the Bible, I have my big one today.
Oh man.
Highlighted in everything.
Yeah.
Highlighted in everything.
Come on.
There you go.
James.
James is just... he's colorfully safe.
He's colorful.
OK, so.
So Pastor Jerry preached an amazing message. We discovered all kinds of amazing things about Pastor Jerry, not wanting to go to heaven.
Yeah.
Virgin and expedited his education. Really need that.
But yeah, expedited his education, expedited his marriage, all because he knew Jesus was coming back.
We learned some amazing things.
Right.
But then we really learned some great things about James and our walk.
And I love... I don't even know who he was quoting. I don't know if he knows who he's quoting at this point. I think he's just... he's sat on this one for so long.
But the guy that said, you know, 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.
And then Pastor Jerry kind of highlighted five of them for us.
So we're going to walk through those five again.
But what I would love in this conversation is for us to get some just some practical help.
It's like it's one thing to know it. It's another thing to do it.
And sometimes, you know, helping us actually figure out, OK, what does this really look like?
Like, what does this look like on a Thursday afternoon, not just on a Sunday morning when you're in church?
So the first we're going to jump into scripture, he says, come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.
Now, I don't think that that's the rest of the sentence that the rich people were expecting to hear.
Right.
Come now, you rich, and give more money to the church and come now, you rich, like take care of other people.
No, no, no.
He says, come now, you rich. Weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.
I got a feeling that James wasn't a huge fan of the wealthy.
And it sounds like because if you keep reading, like he says, your riches are corroded and all this stuff.
And then he says, you've laid up treasures in the last day.
Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud.
So in a sense, this idea is they kept their land as they fled to other places.
Yes.
Hiring people to work the field.
Yes.
But they're committing fraud.
They were right there.
They had some bad business practices that were making them lots of money, but were evil.
Right.
And so, like, I mean, he's talking about all this stuff.
But the two things that he talks about here says you've laid up treasure.
And so he's really coming against them.
And he gets into this later when he talks about waiting patiently.
But he's like, you keep putting aside.
Right.
And, you know, Jesus talks about the parable of like you filled up this barn, but you're dying tomorrow.
Right.
Right? That barn is full, but it's not doing you any good.
Right.
And so he's really coming against them for this.
First of all, for the fraud, the way they're making their money is wrong.
But then the what they're doing with their money is wrong.
They're just living in luxury, talks about and self-indulgence and like all of this.
Like it's really easy to read through this and point the finger at other people.
It's really easy to read this and be like, yeah, you know what? Elon Musk, that guy, man, the luxury, the self-indulgence, the fraud, the you know, all the stuff.
But like I love that PJ pointed out that 90 percent of the world is making less than minimum wage rates.
And I forget the number, but I don't even think it's six figures to make you in the one percent of the world.
Right.
So like people that are just living a decent life, like middle class in America is top one percent of the world.
It's craziness.
And so I think it's the danger here is it's really easy to read this and just think he's talking about somebody else.
Right.
But I think that if James was sitting with us right now, he'd probably be looking at you and me going, those clothes.
Right.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Car you're driving.
Like you're...
I had a fan on in my room.
Yeah.
I realize I left the room and left the fan on.
So I literally was just... I was just burning money.
Yes.
Burning electricity, wasting money.
I'm horrible thing to do, but like it wasn't even a thought until I walked back in the room and I was like, oh, that was like three hours ago.
Like, that was foolish.
Right.
I should have turned that off.
And so I think 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.
Yeah.
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 self-indulgent life.
And the message of the gospel is that life isn't to be lived for ourselves.
It's lived for others.
Right.
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 practically look like, though, 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?
Yeah.
I definitely think that the understanding there is everything belongs to God.
Everything I own, everything that I have, everything that I am is God's.
And so I want to be a good steward of it.
And hey, look, sometimes I'm taking my family on a vacation in a couple of months.
Like, hey, we're going to do things like that.
I don't think that's sinful in any way.
But if life revolves around going on vacation and it's OK, we're just... we're grinding out here so we go on the next vacation and I'm just looking forward to the next vacation and just the next vacation.
It's like we've taken some... we were having this conversation earlier about sin.
It's like there's so many things that at surface level, they're not sins, but you could turn them into a sin.
Right.
Right.
Easily.
Right.
And so I think that's the contentment that we need to have.
It's like when Paul talks about, hey, I've learned how to live with nothing and I've learned to live with everything.
And I had some rich friends.
I love Chris Hodges.
Pastor Chris Hodges has said this a few times.
I've stolen it from him.
But it's the idea that it's OK to have stuff.
It's just not OK to let stuff have you.
Right.
And so I think that's for me, that's the contentment level.
And so, like, I'm navigating that right now.
We've got a van that is paid off.
Thank you, Jesus.
Well, actually, the van... I've been on a van for a little over a year.
When we bought the van, it was a lemon.
Like, I think transmission went out.
Electrical work has gone out.
AC's gone out.
Multiplies.
We fix that thing.
So we've probably poured in more money fixing that van.
Yeah, we bought that van twice.
And so it's fully paid off.
And it's... we're driving it.
And like, backed out of my driveway the other day, the rearview camera, which again, come on, first world problems.
But the rearview camera like went out.
Like first, it flipped upside down, and I was very confused, and then just went black, and then like the trunk won't open sometimes.
And like there's so many issues with this van, OK?
But I'm just sitting on this thing and I'm like, I'm okay.
Like I don't need something luxurious.
Like we've got this thing; it's getting us from point A to point B.
Summertime is getting real hot in there because the AC kind of works sometimes, right?
So we are absolutely going to have to sell that thing eventually and get a new vehicle.
But can I be content with it in the meantime?
Like, yeah.
What it's allowing us to do, to be able to give more towards missions, to be able to take care of our kids in different ways.
Like it's like, hey, this frees up a chunk of budget, so let's not waste this time to the next stage of your life if these are the decisions that you're making now.
That's a 2022 than whatever that new van will bring you.
Yeah, and I think ultimately for me, the secret to contentment to me is just trusting God.
Yeah.
That when I am discontent, it's usually an indication that I'm not trusting God 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.
And so just part of what helps that... and this is just a shameless plug, but go on a missions trip.
Like 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.
Yeah, 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 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.
There's so many things, like even my kids, when I take them to places where it's like they don't think they have enough, and then I take them someplace and they're like, oh, we have a lot.
Right.
Yeah, I need to stop asking for that.
Right?
It really is eye-opening.
And so if you have a chance to go on a mission trip, take it.
Just for the perspective, it'll help you in your contentment.
Right, nice.
All right, next verse: be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.
You also be patient, he says again in verse 8.
And then in verse 9, he says the judge is standing at the door.
So he kind of hits this point for three verses in a row of be patient, be patient, be patient.
And so if you're going to 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 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 what it is, is it's not even so much about the word wait; it's the expectation of it.
Right?
It's knowing that Jesus is returning, and so I'm going to live my life now in expectation of that return.
I'm not going to waste time; I'm not going to waste effort on things that are not going to bring glory or honor to God because he could be coming back tomorrow.
And my plans... you know, right?
That was in July.
July, July, July, July, July, July, July, July, July, July, July, July.
James 4, we kind of skipped over it a little bit, but it's like, hey, stop boasting in your plans.
So if Jesus comes back in the year 35-52, you don't think that the people living at their children as well?
Yep.
And that's what James's message is throughout the book of James is this outward focus.
It's like, what are you doing for others?
Like if your brother's hurting, don't just be like, oh, sorry, I'll pray for you.
Yeah, right?
Like if he's hungry, feed him.
If he needs some clothing, put some clothing on him.
Like, and so it really does come down to this: what is the action we're taking in our waiting?
Because I think that that sometimes the thumbs waiting, like right?
Like the common interpretation of the word wait.
But it really isn't; there's action behind it.
Yeah, anticipation.
Yeah, so it's like what are you doing in the waiting?
Right?
Like who are you bringing into the kingdom?
Who are you talking to?
How are you demonstrating your faith for others?
That's why for me, like personal evangelism is so vital.
It's so important in the walk of a believer that that is not just about your security.
It's like what about your family?
Like what about your kids?
What about your spouse?
What about your parents?
What about your neighbor?
What about your co-worker?
What about your boss?
And if there's anybody in your life that you're like, not them, right?
That's a big heart issue that...
Okay, so you're anticipating the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Who are you comfortable with going to hell?
Right, exactly.
For eternity.
Yeah, like for me personally, I'm not comfortable with...
Ourselves and not think about others and their eternity.
Yep.
Yeah, so for me personally, like when I think about the fact that Jesus is returning, I'm not so much worried about my own salvation anymore.
Like I'm in a place where I got... I know the message; I got the gospel; I'm living my life.
Is there still sin in my life? Absolutely.
Yes, we're going to talk about that in the next series.
But there's an assurance that I have that I'm in relationship with my Savior.
So when I think about his return, there's an excitement, right?
Because like I get to be with Jesus.
Like that sounds so... when we think about heaven, talk about heaven, it sounds so much better than this.
And so like there's an excitement for that.
Yeah, but then there's also almost like a grieving in my heart of like, okay, so like I've got a brother that's not following Jesus right now.
And I just picture him and his wife and his kids, and it's like, okay, how can I get the message to him in a way that he'll hear it?
Right, right.
I think about neighbors that I've got in my neighborhood.
I've got friends that I'm like, okay, how can I get them to take this seriously?
Right?
And I've, you know, we got a church full of people that, you know, not all of them really are living with this expectation of what's to come.
And so like how do we help them in this process?
So when it comes to waiting patiently for the Lord's return, for me, yeah, there's that excitement initially, but then there's also like, man, there's so much work to do.
Like because I want... it's like I think the best way to put this.
So like my sister drove up from Florida to surprise my mom for her birthday, but she, because of the surprise, she came to stay at my house.
So Soul and I had to spend a whole day working because we had to prepare the house that she's going to come to.
Like we had to be ready for her to show up.
The same thing is true when we look at Jesus's return.
We have to be ready for him, and that means preaching the gospel.
That means sharing the love of Christ with others.
And so for me, that's ultimately... that's what waiting patiently means.
Not about just tripping and falling over them.
Right?
World and bring them the gospel of Jesus Christ.
That's the challenge I have to face as a pastor because I'm given a microphone and a stage.
But if that's the only place that I'm preaching...
Know that?
Yeah, am I seeking?
Right?
Yeah, yeah.
All right, so there's some waiting and some patience that we need.
And I love that he throws the word patiently in there.
He didn't know it at the time.
We've been waiting patiently for two thousand years.
Yeah, even so, come on, be patient.
Come on, be patient.
All right, I'll be happy.
Come on, let's go.
All right, prayer of faith.
Verse 13: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.
Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him.
And so the imperative here is to pray effectively.
Yep.
And you know, a little bit later he's actually going to say that the prayer of a righteous person has great power and is working.
And so we just want to get to this idea, okay, 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.
Right, right.
And so we say around here all the time, you know, we pray first.
Right?
So like we want to create in us this... our first response is to pray.
Yeah.
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.
Right?
Whatever it is, prayer needs to be the forefront of it because prayer is the thing that actually changes or to navigate the decisions that I need to make in my life.
He can raise me from the dead, but he... eternity?
Or is he just a God that's sovereign over your eternity?
Like which one is it?
I think the challenge there for most people probably listening is I think collectively they'd probably say, but I've prayed something and it didn't happen.
So now it's hard for me to have faith that something's going to happen because I have a history of praying for things that didn't ever happen.
So like, have you experienced that in your own life?
Like, yeah, I prayed something.
Plans around that prayer.
Yep.
The challenge I think that people have is a language issue because when we say pray effectively, what we think of something being effective is 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?
I think that praying effectively, it does come down to what are the results you're going after in your prayer.
If your prayer is so that you can, you know, we talked about this before, 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.
Right?
Like an effective prayer, it could be in the sovereignty of God.
Like, God, I'm pouring out my heart.
There's this thing that I'm desiring; there's this thing that I want.
I think it's a good thing, but I just want to be in your will.
Right?
And so when he answers that prayer, it may be just a connection point where it's like, hey, thank you for trusting me in this.
Just keep trusting me in this.
Like I'm not giving you that thing.
Like I've shared this story before, but like one of the biggest highlights for that in my life is I went to this internship after high school.
It was a multi-year program, but it was like a new application.
So you apply, you get in for the first year.
At the end of your first year, you can apply for a second year.
At the end of your second year, you can apply for a third year.
So I had gotten in for two years, and I was convinced, like the very first day of the program, I felt like the Holy Spirit was like, you're going to do three years of this, so dedicate three years of your life to this.
And so I was like, I must be a shoe-in.
And my second year, like I did all of the things that they were looking for for coming in a third year.
I even took over the role.
I was like, this is a no-brainer.
And then all of a sudden, they're like, yeah, no thanks.
Oh wow.
And like I literally... I remember I still remember this day.
We're in the World Prayer Center.
I'm in the bathroom.
It was like a handicapped bathroom.
Like it was like this massive bathroom, had the door locked, and I just wept and I was praying and I was crying.
I was like, God, this... you're the one that told me I was supposed to do three years.
I didn't want to do three years; you wanted me to do this.
And now you're telling me no?
Like after I've worked so hard on this and done all this stuff, like I don't know that I've ever been more... like I don't know that I've ever been more like, God, I was so immature and so young.
And it just... but it was like I had built all of this up like this is the thing.
And then to feel that rejection, I was like, this just sucks.
Like thanks a lot.
But I kept praying.
I'm like, change their minds.
Like I know I'm supposed to do this; I'm supposed to do this.
I kept crying out, praying, praying, praying, and it was just like God was like, no, like stop it.
So fast forward, didn't get another program for the third year, came back to Tinley, was about to get ready to go back to the school, was getting a job at the church, all this stuff, and led a missions trip to Mexico.
While I was down there, connected with the director of the same exact program I was in in Colorado.
They had one in Mexico.
Connected with the director of the program while I was there in Mexico for this summer missions trip.
And he's like, Brent, I need somebody.
Like I need you to come down and do a third year of the program here in Mexico.
And it was like in that moment, it was like the Holy Spirit was like, I told you three years; I didn't tell you where.
Like you idiot!
Like just trust me.
That's what I wanted to do, and I was going to go back and do all that stuff.
And so I was like, I didn't know how much I was engaged I was in my life, but I was never going to be able to tell that story because for me it was one of those was like I didn't know what I was asking for, right?
When I was yelling at God saying, you're the one; it's your fault, like all this stuff.
But like fast forward, but that's where I met Soul.
That's where we started dating, got engaged.
Like so like literally I'm now married with three kids because God did not answer a prayer that I was praying fervently, like passionately.
And like I'm so grateful.
Like it's like thank you for not answering that prayer, right?
And so I love the fact that God’s given me a tangible, practical example of this because now when I pray something and God says no, I'm like, okay, is this like Colorado?
Do I need to just wait a little bit?
Do I just need to trust you to have that experience?
All right, I'm going to trust you.
I mean, it worked out last time; I'm going to trust you in this.
And so like I've gotten to that point in my life where I can pray effectively, and it doesn't mean I get the things that I pray for.
It means I connect with God.
Yeah, that's really... ultimately that's the purpose of prayer, right?
Like that's first and foremost; we're supposed to be connected to our Creator.
Yeah.
And we do that through conversation, I think.
Yeah, yes, exactly.
Because there's no place for...
There’s the place for requests.
We talked about that.
Yes, this is the beauty.
This is why everybody needs to pray the tabernacle.
You start with how awesome God is.
I know that.
Then you pray...
I don't want to get to the place how amazing Jesus is on the cross, the sacrifice.
Exactly.
Then you recognize how sinful you are.
You ask for...
I knew exactly what you were going to say.
Cleansing.
And that's why... then you go in.
You need the Holy Spirit; you need God's Word.
Then you worship God again.
So you praise him at the beginning; you worship at the end.
And then finally you go into the Holy of Holies and you pray.
Jesus already died for you; you're sinful and need his help.
He already gave you the Holy Spirit and his Word.
Yes.
So the Holy Spirit was like, you need to change up your prayer.
I love that.
Anybody that has not heard the teaching on the tabernacle prayer has no idea what this is even referring to.
It took me a while to get there though.
And but that is the beautiful thing.
Prayer is about trusting in the sovereignty of God.
Yeah.
And that's why it's like I can be sick and pray for my healing and believe that I'll be healed and not get mad at God when I'm not.
Right, right.
And some people, they can believe for their healing, and then when they don't get healed, they get mad at God as if he broke contract.
And I'm in a place... I think you're in a place; I think every believer needs to get to a place where it's like even if you say no, even if you leave me on red, even if it doesn't work out the way that I'm planning it in my head, right?
You know, I'm like, man, I got this car; I can't afford help me to afford the car and the car, and then the repo man comes and takes the car, and you're like, I guess technically he just answered the prayer; he took care of the car.
Right?
Like so can we just simply trust in the sovereignty of God?
And if my kid is sick, I'm going to pray for my kid's healing.
I'm going to pray passionately, fervently for his healing.
Yes, he isn't healed; I'm still... that doesn't ruin my relationship with God.
Right?
I'm going to trust him because he's got a track record of... he's working all things together for my good.
That ultimately I know that, you know, I've got friends who have passed away from illnesses and things, and it's like I know that they found their healing in heaven.
And so like I can mourn their passing, give him glory, and just praise him from there.
Yeah, so pray effectively means talking to God with others.
Yeah.
Because we're not in this alone, right?
That's why at CLC we offer a prayer at the close of every service.
Yeah, right?
Whether you're online or in the room, we've got prayer available for you because we believe that we're supposed to pray for one another.
Cool, nice.
All right, verse... my eyesight's really bad; is that a 15 or a 16?
Verse 16.
16 it is.
Therefore confess your sins one to another and pray for one another that you may be healed.
And then that's where he goes into the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Um, so there's... I love too that there's power in it as it's working.
Like there's times... like there's a process.
Like it's like you prayed the prayer and it's like, yeah, but I wasn't healed immediately.
It's like, okay, it's working.
Right?
Like it's the process.
Yeah, okay.
So confess your sins one to another, pray for my sins, three Hail Marys, right?
Go dip in the lake.
Right?
Sorry, that's so... so I love Catholicism; I'm not trying to knock Catholics.
But no, this verse is not a...
Um, a call to that style.
Because there's one phrase in here that ruins that.
It says, confess your sins one to another.
Right?
And so 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; it's about accountability; it's about being able to encourage each other.
Right?
So like if I'm struggling with a sin, 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?
Um, but there's also this level of accountability that it's like if I come to you and I'm like, hey man, I'm struggling in this area, I'm not going to... or it's like, hey man, my anger has gotten out of control too many times.
We need to... I need some checks and balances to make sure that if I start getting off, you know, here's this... here's the buzzword, you know, just say pineapple, and I'll be like, oh, I'm being a jerk; let me calm down.
Right?
Like there's a weird analogy, but like there's just this... I gotta recognize when I'm being weird.
Um, but there's this idea of the relational component that brings healing.
Right?
Like it's... I'm not confessing to you so that I can be absolved of my sins; I'm confessing to you because it's a sin I don't want to keep on committing.
Right?
And if I don't find accountability, if I don't find somebody that can be praying with me, they can be encouraging me, they can be challenging me, they can be checking in on me.
Right?
That I need that in my life.
So that includes our lives as well.
Yeah, I love that you bring in the kingdom of God.
And I think that's this component of... it's about the body of Christ; it's about all of us together.
Because one thing that we notice in a lot of stuff is if a leader will go first, then others will follow.
Yeah, right?
And so there's so many relationships I've had where like when I chose to be vulnerable first, then all of a sudden, yes, permission for the other person to be vulnerable.
Like it was like I opened the door, but they walked through it.
Right?
Yeah.
And so like there is this benefit of... it's not just about me finding healing, but I could be helping them be able to find healing.
I love that you said somebody that you can count on because the advice I would give is not to just grab a random person.
Like, right?
It's the 45-second meet and greet time, and you're like, oh, this guy looks nice.
Hey, so by the way, I cheated on my wife this week, and I slapped my kid.
And it's like, uh, whoa!
Um, okay, so where does somebody find the... where you can feel comfortable confessing those things?
Yeah, something that I would recommend that that's helped me is I've got more than one person.
Yeah.
And so like that's been beneficial to me because I've recognized that there's certain people that it's easier to talk about certain things with.
Right?
So like I've got somebody that's completely outside of the church that I can go to for stuff.
I've got a team of people that pray for me regularly within the church, and I can shoot them a message and say, hey, I'm really struggling this week with this; can you just pray for me and my family and these situations?
Like there's like the small group people that have, I guess, greater insight into my life than the average person.
Then there's somebody over here that has an even deeper level of insight into the psyche of Brent McQuay and my struggles.
Um, and then there's other people kind of in between.
Or, you know, we've had small groups where it's like, hey, let's just connect; let's talk.
Um, you know, so I think that having multiple avenues for that... and you'll even find like you may have like a couple that you go to, and it's like, man, this couple is great when I'm having marriage problems, but they don't know nothing about kids or they don't know nothing about work or they don't know, you know, marriage experts and not parenting experts.
Exactly.
It happens!
So it's like you can identify the... like, okay, this person when I need advice on how I'm treating my spouse, these people are the people to talk to.
When I'm needing help with, um, you know, I... you know, let's say you have a drinking problem, okay?
Well, that marriage counselor may have no expertise or experience in that.
So being able to have different outlets for different people, and I don't know, I feel like that's been good to have a different perspective.
Yeah, I think one of the things that I would really recommend is when it comes to this confess, um, to be healed, it's not so much the statement.
What I mean by that is it's not just about, okay, I got this off my chest; now we're done; now I've got healing because I said it out loud.
It's really about the relationship that you're walking.
Right?
So it's the fact that this other person is not a moment in time.
Right?
It's a process.
Right?
So like it's the healing that you're finding is not just because you uttered some words; it's that you got into a vulnerable enough space with somebody that then they can say, okay, I'm going to be praying over this for you, but hey, next week, let me ask you how you're doing with it.
Right?
Like I've got people where it's like, hey, they know stuff about me that when they see me, they're like, hey, how's that going?
Yeah.
Like, hey, how's that, you know, conversation been going?
It's like, right?
Like I know that... like I've got a standing meeting once a month with somebody that I know before that meeting what the questions that person's going to ask me.
And it's like, okay, let me be thinking about that because I don't want to get there and lie.
Right?
So like I need to be doing something about it.
And so like even just that, there's a level of accountability that's created.
Yeah.
And so the healing comes in the walking.
Right?
You're walking this out with somebody, and it's through that that you find the healing.
It would be a little bit more helpful if you're going to... in a more regular... it's not in just saying something out loud; that's just the starting point.
Yeah.
All right, verse 19: My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sin.
So we're going to be talking about sin all next... next three weeks.
So the rest of this month, um, that's our focus point as we're switching over to a series called Hooked, and it's going to be awesome.
It's going to be good.
So this will be like a teaser for that long conversation.
Um, but what's this look like?
What does it look like?
So like there's like a... what James is dealing with is the church was persecuted, and so there's a bunch of Jews he's addressing this all throughout.
But there's a bunch of Jews who have converted to Christianity, but now they're being persecuted for their faith in Jesus.
So they're... they're going back; they're abandoning their faith in Jesus to say, I can't handle... like I can't...
Yeah, exactly.
Read through Hebrews; that's what Hebrews is all about, right?
But James is addressing the same group of people, right?
This is... this is the Jewish believers.
And so what we have in modern times is this whole deconstruction movement of people who have abandoned their faith.
They grew up in it, but they got to a point where somebody couldn't answer the question that they had the right way, and so they've walked away from faith.
Maybe it was a prayer that they're praying that didn't get answered the way they expected because they don't know what praying effectively actually looks like.
Uh, for whatever reason, so this person back into an arena where they can re-experience the presence of God.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think that part of that process is... I love that he talks about the presence of God, and I think that's a really good way to... um, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, I think that sometimes we have a tendency to shut those people off.
It's like, well, you left, so I'm closing the door.
It's like once you come back, then we can start this relationship again.
But because you left, like you're dead to me kind of thing.
Or it's like, well, you're hopeless now, or you imagine of God; that's a horrible...
Exactly.
Or you're just a bad sinner.
And so, but these are people that they went out to bring people back into the world.
And I think that's a really good way to do that.
And I think that's a really good way to do that.
They didn't just write them off; they didn't just say... they didn't pass judgment.
James talks about judgment a bunch in chapter four.
Um, and so it's this idea that they didn't just say, you're a sinner; you're awful; you're horrible.
No, it was, hey, bring them back into an understanding of Jesus really did live and die for our sins and came back to life so that we can be resurrected in life as well.
Like there's a truth to this, and you've experienced the power of the Holy Spirit and your conversion of what he's done in your life, and you've wandered from that.
Now maybe you wandered because there were questions that you had; maybe you wandered because there was a sin issue that church hurt.
Yeah, yeah.
I read actually something yesterday where somebody's making a claim or an argument that there's actually more atheists who are former Christians than atheists who were just never anything.
Oh wow.
That a lot of the never anything atheists are actually agnostic, just like, look, I don't know, maybe, maybe not.
The people that are strongly in opposition to there is no God, it's because they had some kind of relationship with God at some point, and they got hurt; they got offended; they got upset; something happened that pushed them into this new category.
I don't know if I agree with the claim or not, but there was definitely some validity to it, just from interactions that I've had with people.
Um, but yeah, it's a real challenge.
And so, uh, I think that we offer at CLC with Life University, we've done a course on evangelism.
Um, we've got a bunch of courses on, you know, understanding the Bible, biblical interpretation, because apologetics is coming up.
Apologetics is about to happen at the end of this month.
But all those, I think that those help equip believers, and that's what we really want to do.
Actually, that's why we're doing the apologetics course.
It's like I just want to equip believers so that they can have educated conversations because so much of the bringing them back is going to be intellectual.
So much of it is going to be non-intellectual; it's going to be spirit-based.
But there is so much of if you can't answer my questions, why should I even consider this?
Right?
Or how could you worship a God that kills babies?
Right?
Well, that's an inflammatory statement.
Let's talk through that.
What is that?
You know, when somebody's like, yeah, I could never be a Christian because Christianity is just the religion of, you know, enslavement and, you know, no.
Right?
Let's... something in miracles can't happen because I said miracles can't happen because miracles go against creation.
That's always why it's a really funny state when somebody is trying to have like the gotcha moment, and they're like, yeah, well, who created God then if everything needs a creator?
Yeah!
Like our claim is that God is uncreated.
You can't make the claim anymore; science has evolved too far.
Like you can't make the claim that the universe doesn't have a beginning; it had a creation.
So you have to explain the creation, my God.
The claim of my God is that he has no creation, so I don't have to explain his creation.
Yeah, absolutely.
It's... but your universe rather than nothing, right?
Yeah.
So we're going to get into all that in the apologetics course.
But this is where I think Christians need to be equipped mentally.
Like there needs to be an education in these things, but there also needs to be a sensitivity of tenderness.
Yeah.
That you would have a heart for people that have wandered so that you can be a part of bringing them back.
Right?
And it doesn't mean that every person that you try and bring back is going to come back.
There's, you know, hard in his own heart multiple times, right?
All right, there's... so there are some people that you're going to try; you're going to make effort, and it's not going to work.
But there are others that they just need somebody to show them love and compassion.
They need to have somebody that can show them truth, right?
Like it says you wandered from the truth; there is a truth; it's the truth.
Right?
What is the truth?
Let's talk about that.
And so having people in our church that are compassionate and caring and loving and loving and loving and loving and loving and are looking around, looking for people that they can bring back.
It's actually... it's one of the things we've talked about with our church that CLC is... like this is probably way too behind the scenes for some people, but CLC has been a place for the spiritually disenfranchised.
Like it's been a place for people who have had church experience that did not go well.
Right?
That's why we made our mission statement changing the way people think about church because there's a lot of people that look at church and they're like, no thanks.
Like it's destructive; it's abusive; there's all kinds of immoral things happening that could pull them back into the truth.
Yep.
That's why we're supposed to be salt and light.
Yeah, right?
We're supposed to be light that shows the way.
Uh, we're supposed to be salt that preserves it.
Right?
So yeah, that's the calling of every believer.
So if you want to walk the talk, then this is what you got to do, James.
Come on, man.
That's it.
It feels, I don't know, sad to close.
I don't close.
You can flip the page to Peter, talk about corruption in the church, first Peter, false teachers.
No, but this has been a great conversation.
I had a lot of fun with the book of James.
It is... it's a great book.
Yeah, it's a great book because it's extremely practical.
It's very clear.
Yeah, right?
Like as clear as you can get.
You get into Paul's writings, and literally even Peter was like, hey, sometimes Paul's hard to understand.
Like when a guy that wrote part of the Bible in crime and spreading the gospel, and Peter's looking at Paul like, this guy, bro!
Like that was so deep; it was just too much.
Uh, which is why in Life University, Pastor Jerry is going to be doing a course on the letters of Paul.
Yeah.
To give us a better understanding.
He's going to start with like who Paul was, his life, and then help us kind of navigate some of those.
Awesome!
It's going to be so good.
Yeah, I hope that class isn't at the same time as my class so you can sit in.
I'll have to skip mine.
True, they get tired of me.
But it's good; we're going to do this more in the future.
We've got a calendaring meeting coming up pretty soon.
We're going to talk about sermon series for the future, and we have already made a decision this series is going to be a part of every year.
Not the book of James, but taking a book of the Bible.
So if you got suggestions, throw it in comments.
Let us know what book of the Bible do you want to walk through?
We've got Ephesians tough as James is in some respects.
Yeah, first two chapters start off with the bang.
Just more of it because I think he's got... what is Romans?
Like 18 chapters?
20?
20-something chapters?
How many?
I think you... Romans.
All right, this has been good.
Looking forward to more conversations in the future.
We got a new series starting next week called Hooked, talking about sin getting its hooks in you.
And yeah, what do we do with that?
But I promise it's not going to be us beating you over the head with a club.
It's definitely going to be resist the devil, and he will flee.
Come on, James!
What else you got from James?
For he who knows what to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.
Right?
James had a lot to say about...
We're going to still be talking about James.
Draw near to God; he draws near.
The funny thing is for the rest of the year, every time we reference James, people are going to be like, yeah, I know that.
I know that guy.
I like James.
That's the quote from the book.
I remember that one.
But yeah, so, um, yeah, so stay tuned.
Stick around for what's coming up next.
If you're not subscribed on YouTube or iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts from, make sure you do that so you don't miss anything that's happening.
And we'll see you next time.
God bless.
### 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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