Good and Perfect Gifts
James 1:17-18 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights
with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth,
that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
coming down from the Father of lights
with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth,
that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
We are the pinnacle of God’s creation.
Let that sink in a minute.
James is urging us to live in that and celebrate it. With our thoughts, with our words, with our deeds, recognize who we are, where our strength and actions and wisdom come from, and celebrate it. Stop believing the lie that it’s about you. It’s not about you, it’s about Jesus.
Take joy in this, not happiness. Trials are going to build you up. Some of you are thinking, “How strong do I need to be?! I’m sick of the trials and tests!” And God says, “Just a little more. You’re headed in the right direction. Don’t believe in the lie that you shouldn’t be taking these tests.”
What choices then are you making? The trials will build you up, but the sin will tear you down. What choices are you making? We make thousands of choices every day. I made the choice three times this morning to hit snooze! Are the choices you make leading you to Christ, to God, to a deeper commitment? Are they the process of sanctification in your life? Or are they sin? Are they leading you to death, to focus on you and no one else? So what do you do with this?
Quest Community Church in Lexington, KY recently had a choice to make about how to deal with the results of trials and temptations, when two of their leadership had an inappropriate relationship, and here is what they said about it:
Let that sink in a minute.
James is urging us to live in that and celebrate it. With our thoughts, with our words, with our deeds, recognize who we are, where our strength and actions and wisdom come from, and celebrate it. Stop believing the lie that it’s about you. It’s not about you, it’s about Jesus.
Take joy in this, not happiness. Trials are going to build you up. Some of you are thinking, “How strong do I need to be?! I’m sick of the trials and tests!” And God says, “Just a little more. You’re headed in the right direction. Don’t believe in the lie that you shouldn’t be taking these tests.”
What choices then are you making? The trials will build you up, but the sin will tear you down. What choices are you making? We make thousands of choices every day. I made the choice three times this morning to hit snooze! Are the choices you make leading you to Christ, to God, to a deeper commitment? Are they the process of sanctification in your life? Or are they sin? Are they leading you to death, to focus on you and no one else? So what do you do with this?
Quest Community Church in Lexington, KY recently had a choice to make about how to deal with the results of trials and temptations, when two of their leadership had an inappropriate relationship, and here is what they said about it:
“We have a platform in the city of Lexington, KY that is watching us. They are desperate to see how relationships can be restored, how grace can be given. How families can be healed. What the evil one meant for destruction our Almighty God can use to bring hope to a hurting city. Quest Community Church has never had a platform as large as the one they have right now.”
“I spoke to a man today who does not attend church but he told me ‘he was so sad to hear what happened and he had heard what happened and he heard Quest Community Church was like a hospital for those struggling with sin and hoped we would send the right message to Lexington by the way we handled this situation’. God healed our marriage and made it more beautiful than ever. The city of Lexington wants to know that restoration is possible, that healing can take place. I am so thankful for a church made up of real authentic transformed followers of Jesus Christ. We love and are praying for you, Pastor Pete.”
That is a decision that this man made to encourage hundreds if not thousands of readers that life is not over because you sin. I guarantee he sought wisdom before he wrote that. I guarantee that they are recognizing these verses about trials and temptations in a whole new light now. You won’t be perfect. We even have that on our sign – no perfect people allowed. We’re not going to judge you for what you’ve done, we’re going to help restore you to what you can be. Maybe to what you were. Who in this room doesn’t have a past they wish hadn’t happened! Everyone has a story.
Count it joy to be under trials because he’s pruning you, shaping you. Trials hurt. How do you get those nice gold and silver rings on your hand? At some point that metal was liquid, in fire. It hurts to be shaped and molded, but that’s what the point of the trials is: to help mold and shape you so you can learn to make the right decisions.
Where do good decisions come from? Good judgment? Where does good judgment come from? Making bad decisions. Sometimes you’ve got to learn the hard way. The question is, when you’re met with trials or temptations, what choices are you going to make, to lead you in one path or another? You will make a choice.
If you have no idea what this is about, you may not have made the first decision. It’s all about Jesus: that’s step one. Your faith will help you persevere, it will change you, but you have to have faith in him first.
Count it joy to be under trials because he’s pruning you, shaping you. Trials hurt. How do you get those nice gold and silver rings on your hand? At some point that metal was liquid, in fire. It hurts to be shaped and molded, but that’s what the point of the trials is: to help mold and shape you so you can learn to make the right decisions.
Where do good decisions come from? Good judgment? Where does good judgment come from? Making bad decisions. Sometimes you’ve got to learn the hard way. The question is, when you’re met with trials or temptations, what choices are you going to make, to lead you in one path or another? You will make a choice.
If you have no idea what this is about, you may not have made the first decision. It’s all about Jesus: that’s step one. Your faith will help you persevere, it will change you, but you have to have faith in him first.