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Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. (James 5:13) Pastor John’s Notes: Often we are slow to go to God in prayer. When we suffer, we often falsely consider it to be the will of God and passively endure it. There are many different reasons for suffering. Some of them have to do with the actions of others and some have to do with our own actions. Some are merely part of the fallen human condition that is part…

Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment. (James 5:12) Pastor John’s Notes: The people of God should be honest and upright in all their dealings. We should fulfill all our promises without the need to swear by anything or anyone. People should learn that we will keep our word.…

Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (James 5:10-11) Pastor John’s Notes While the trials we face may be new to us, they are not new to God’s people. The Bible is filled with stories of the faith…

Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near. Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door! (James 5:7-9) Pastor John’s Notes We would…

Come now, you rich people, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. Your wealth has rotted and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days. Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who mowed your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the…

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance.…

Don’t criticize one another, brothers and sisters. Anyone who defames or judges a fellow believer defames and judges the law. If you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:11-12) Pastor John’s Notes When we criticize others, we set ourselves up as the judge of their actions. We forget that…

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:10) Pastor John’s Notes: To humble yourself is to present yourself before God as you truly are. There is a deep impulse within all of us to hide ourselves and cover our imperfections. We want to present ourselves differently than we truly are. Even in our choice of clothing, we are continually thinking of how others perceive us and try to manipulate their perception. But God knows us perfectly…

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:8-10) Pastor John’s Notes: One of the first works we must do is within ourselves. Before we accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, our mind was filled with worldly inclinations.…

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (James 4:8) Pastor John’s Notes: God will not force us into his kingdom or manipulate us into a relationship. He extends an invitation to us and waits for us to respond. God is in no way harmed by our slowness or refusal, we only harm ourselves, but God is indeed ready to respond to us the moment we repent and turn to him. So it is that James makes…