The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

HOW GOD'S WORD CHANGES US (James 1:21-24)

What are the events that have made a dramatic change in the direction of your life?

The loss of a loved one?  A new job?  Becoming married?  Becoming a parent?   

All of these things are significant agents of change in our lives, but there is one other thing that can have the greatest impact on our lives, and that is a personal, soul cleansing, spirit regenerating, relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word that we call the Bible.  

Listen to this podcast to learn how God’s Word changes us. 

The Bible is the tool that God has provided for believers to understand the mind of God.  It teaches us how to live our lives.  It gives us the answers to almost all of our questions about the important things in our lives.  

Where do we come from.  Where are we going, both in the short term, and for eternity.  

How we are to treat others.  How we are to worship God.  It gives us the absolute truths about right and wrong.  It gives us the penalties of doing wrong, and the rewards for doing what God wants. 

The Word of God explains how much God loves you and what God has done for you.

THE SURENESS OF GOD (James 1:16-20)

Have you ever considered how important it is that God does not change in any way?  This truth is the foundation our faith is based on.  

God’s love does not change.

God’s holiness does not change.

God’s judgment against sin does not change.  

God’s promises found in His Word do not change.  

God’s plan for eternity will not change.  The question is where are you going to spend it?  With the almighty, unchangeable God, or separated forever from Him in the fires of Hell.

God will never entice you to do evil.  He does not say that something is sin in the Old Testament and then say that it is not a sin in the New Testament.  

God does not change with the social values of man.  The Bible does not change to suit the changing morals and ethics of the world.  

What was sin when the world was created, was sin when Abraham was called to the Promised Land.  

What was sin in Noah’s day before the flood, was sin on the day the Babylonians took the Jews away into captivity.

What was sin in the days that Jesus walked on the earth, is sin today before He returns to gather His church and establish His Kingdom.  

Rejecting God to worship the things of this earth, has always been a sin, and it still is.  Listen to this podcast to learn the value of God’s sureness.

TEMPTATIONS: WHERE DO THEY COME FROM? (James 1:12-15)

Life is full of temptations.  Good food is a temptation.  Sweet drinks are a temptation.  Sex is a temptation.  The perfect life that is presented to us in the media involves fast cars, fast women, and an even faster lifestyle and it represents the ultimate temptation for many. 

Have you ever wondered where these temptations come from?  Does God tempt man to do evil? Does Satan tempt man to do evil in order to destroy him?  Do we create our own temptations?

A basic Biblical truth that we need to keep in mind is that God will never entice you to do evil.

God wants only what is good for you, and Satan wants only what is bad for you.  

God will never lead you into sin.  Yet, that is all Satan will ever do.

God wants to grow you spiritually.  Satan wants to destroy your spirit. 

God will test you to grow your faith.  Satan will tempt you to destroy your faith. 

So the question becomes, how do you know which is which?  

Listen to this podcast to learn that for the believer the answer comes from the Holy Spirit that lives within your heart. 

HOW TO ASK GOD FOR WISDOM (James 1:6-11)

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by the circumstances that you found yourself in that you feel totally inadequate to handle things?

Too many choices, most of them bad ones, and how do you know which choices are good and which are bad?

James tells us “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5 HSCB).   

So where do we find God’s wisdom?  A large share of it is in God’s Word.  The Bible contains God’s answers to our questions about almost every aspect of life.  But we also gain wisdom from God through our prayers during times of trials.  

God’s purpose for the trials of a believer is to enlighten them, helping them to grow spiritually.  God truly wants to give you the wisdom to make the right choice.  He wants you to grow in your faith.

Listen to this podcast to learn that if you want to ask God for His wisdom, you must ask it of Him in faith, with nothing wavering, with no doubt, and fully trusting in God.  

STORMS AND CHRISTIANS (James 1:2-5)

Have you ever asked the question why a loving God would allow storms into the life of a Christian?  What could possibly be the purpose for God to allow such things to happen to those people who are trying to be good?

In our new study of the Book of James, we learn that God wants each believer to grow spiritually.  And if we are honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that we grow more in the times of trials that we face, than we do when everything is going great.  

It is in a time of trial that God teaches us patience, or to abide, in handling the trial.  It is in a time of trial that God moves us out of the ruts that we so easily fall into.  He mellows us out, and He matures us.  He strengthens our faith in Him, and He teaches us to become fully reconciled to His will.

Listen to this podcast to learn that these storms are permitted in our lives by a wise and loving heavenly Father, who is too caring to be unkind and too wise to make any mistakes.  These trials will always have a divine purpose and they will be for our good.

God loves you, and He wants only what is best for you.  The question is are you willing to trust God in the time of trial?

JAMES: INTRODUCTION (James 1:1)

We are beginning a new Bible study in the book of James.  Join us as we learn what James has to say about the practical application of a victorious Christian life.  Its teachings apply to all Christians, in all places, and at all periods.

The Holy Spirit, through James, has given us a letter which had the purpose of insisting on a belief that behaves.  Paul tells us that faith is the root of salvation; James tells us that works are the fruit of salvation. 

Or, we can express it this way: Faith is the cause of salvation, and works are the result of salvation.