The Book of James Session 2 – Loving God Under Trials James 1:12-20 1) POINT 1 — ENDURE THE TEMPTATION a) Notice what James doesn't say. i) He doesn't say, "Blessed is the person who is never tempted." ii) He doesn't say, "Blessed is the person who finds temptation easy." b) He says: "Blessed is the man who ENDURES temptation." i) The question is what you do when temptation comes. (1) You don't discover the strength of your faith when everything is easy. You discover it when something is pulling you away from God. c) PRINCIPLE 1 — TEMPTATION TESTS WHAT IS REAL d) The crown of life which the Lord has promised: Every time you say NO to temptation, you are saying YES to God. i) There are (at least) five: (1) Crown of Life (here) – Enduring trials and temptation; remaining faithful. James 1:12; Rev 2:10. (2) Crown of Rejoicing – Investing in people and seeing others come to/follow Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 2:19 (3) Crown of Righteousness – Finishing the race faithfully and longing for Christ's appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8 (4) Crown of Glory – Faithfully shepherding and caring for God's people. 1 Peter 5:4 (5) Incorruptible Crown – Self-discipline and running the Christian race faithfully. 1 Cor 9:24-27. ii) Sometimes victory isn't simply learning to hate the temptation more. It's learning to love Jesus more. e) PRINCIPLE 2 — LOVE GOD MORE THAN YOU LOVE THE SIN 2) POINT 2 — RECOGNIZE THE HOOK a) Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God": Temptation does NOT come from God. b) PRINCIPLE 3 — SIN ALWAYS TAKES YOU FURTHER THAN THE BAIT PROMISED c) When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin: Sin never shows you where it's taking you. DESIRE → SIN → DEATH i) Temptation vs. truth: (1) "Just one time." God: "One choice can become a chain."." (2) "Nobody will know." God: "I already know." (3) "You deserve this." God: "I have something better for you." (4) "You can stop whenever you want." God: "What you feed can eventually master you." (5) "It won't hurt anybody." God: "sin always has a cost." d) PRINCIPLE 4 – TEMPTATION TELLS YOU WHAT YOU'LL GAIN. GOD LOVES YOU ENOUGH TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU COULD LOSE. e) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above: Temptation tries to tell you that "God is keeping something good from you." But Scripture says, "Every truly good thing comes from God." f) PRINCIPLE 5 — GOD HAS SOMETHING BETTER g) Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: This is a simple pattern for controlling anger: listen more, speak less, and react slower. i) Much of our anger comes when we become focused on our feelings, our opinions, and our agenda's. h) PRINCIPLE 6 – SLOW DOWN YOUR REACTION SO GOD CAN DIRECT YOUR RESPONSE. Small Group Questions 1) James says, "Blessed is the man who endures temptation." What is the difference between being tempted and giving in to temptation? 2) "Temptation tests what is real." What can temptation reveal about our faith, priorities, or weaknesses? 3) Why do you think loving God more is a stronger motivation for resisting temptation than simply fearing the consequences? 4) "My response is my responsibility." Why is it easier to blame Satan, circumstances, or other people than to examine our own desires? 5) Think about the fishing lure illustration. What are some ways temptation shows us the bait but hides the hook? 6) Which lie of temptation is most common: "Just one time," "Nobody will know," "You deserve this," "You can stop whenever you want," or "It won't hurt anybody"? Why is that lie so convincing? 7) James says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." How does believing that God has something better help us resist temptation? 8) James tells us to be "swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." Which of those three is hardest for you, and why? 9) What would it practically look like this week to listen before you speak, think before you react, and pray before you respond? 10) The message ended with, "The bait isn't worth the hook." What is one practical boundary you can put in place to recognize the hook before you bite? CORE QUESTION 11) What "bait" is most likely to pull you away from God, and what would it look like to choose Jesus instead?
