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WHEN COMMON SENSE ISN’T ENOUGH

James 1:2-18
LOOKING AT THE TEXT
INTRODUCTION: James views life as it
really is. And in real life, every person will go
through some difficult times – even those
who follow Jesus Christ.
I. UNDERSTANDING LIFE, James 1:2-12
1. James says we are to “rejoice” when
trials come, 1:2
2. Why should we rejoice in the midst of
our trials? 1:3-4
1) Because they make us stronger
2) Because they make us “mature
and complete, not lacking
anything”
3. So how can we stare into the face of
our trials and rejoice? We must ask
God and he will give us the wisdom to
do it. Why do we need wisdom?
1) We need wisdom, first of all, to
properly understand the trial.
2) We need wisdom to properly
respond to the trial.
3) How a person prays will determine
God’s response.
4. Both poverty and prosperity can
present us with trials.
5. The problems of poverty are quite
evident.
6. An abundance of money does not
remove our troubles. In many cases,
it increases them.
7. This understanding will lead us to
endure our trials.
1) The person who endures is
“blessed.”
2) In addition, the person who
endures “will receive the crown of
life that God has promised to
those who love him.”
II. UNDERSTANDING GOD, James 1:13-
18
1. James begins by telling us what God
does not do. God does not lead us
into temptation.
2. Where then does temptation come
from? It comes from our inner
desires.
3. What does sin do in our lives? James
describes the development of an
embryo from the point of conception
to the point of birth. Sin leads to
conception and conception to birth,
but in this case, what comes forth is
still born.
4. James returns to the main theme: our
understanding of God.
1) He is beneficent.
2) He is majestic.
3) He is consistent.
4) He gives us the gift of eternal life.
LIVING OUT THE TEXT
v This lesson teaches us about SIN.
v This lesson teaches us about GOD.
v This lesson teaches us about LIFE

EXPLORE THE BIBLE LESSON

Brian L. Harbour July 19, 2009
HOW GENUINE ARE YOU?
James 1:19-27
LOOKING AT THE TEXT
INTRODUCTION: How do people recognize
a person as a Christian? James says we
demonstrate our faith by our actions. And
then he identifies some of these actions.
I. BY CONTROLLING OUR ANGER,
James 1:19-20
1. The anger James refers to in our text
is not anger aroused when
righteousness is being opposed but
anger that emanates from personal
hurt and that seeks personal revenge.
2. This kind of anger, James tells us in
verse 20: “does not bring about the
righteous life that God desires.”
3. So how can we deal with the real and
constant temptation that our anger
presents? James answers with three
phrases:
1) “Everyone should be quick to
listen.”
2) “Everyone should be . . . slow to
speak.”
3) “Everyone should be . . . slow to
become angry.”
II. BY AVOIDING IMMORALITY, James
1:21
1. James says we demonstrate our faith
when we avoid immorality.
2. The key moral issue of the Christian
life is not condemning evil in others –
particularly in non-Christians – but
demonstrating morality in our own
lives.
3. How can we do that? We can remove
filthiness from our lives when we
“humbly accept the word planted in
you.”
4. However, it is not enough just to
accept the implanted word. We must
also be willing to act on that word.
III. BY CONTROLLING OUR TONGUE,
James 1:26
1. James pictures the tongue as an
unruly, powerful horse that needs to
be controlled with bit and bridle.
2. James says the tongue is a
barometer that reveals our Christian
maturity.
IV. BY MINISTERING TO THOSE IN NEED,
James 1:27
1. “Orphans and widows” represents all
of the helpless people who are
around us.
2. When we minister to them, then we
are expressing our faith in a practical
way.
LIVING OUT THE TEXT
v Our faith should SHAPE OUR ACTIONS.
v Our faith should GOVERN OUR
RELATIONSHIPS.
v Our faith should DIRECT OUR
DECISIONS.

Ministry expansion doesn't automatically lead to attendance growth

LifeWay Research finds ministry expansion doesn't automatically lead to attendance growth
Written by Mark Kelly
NASHVILLE, Tenn., – Two-thirds of all Protestant churches have expanded their ministry space or outlets in the past five years. Two of these types of expansion correspond to higher levels of growth in church attendance: adding a worship service and building new space on site. Five other types tested showed no significant relationship with growth.

Yet pastors estimate that only 1-in-3 newcomers to their churches are actually newcomers to church in general, according to a research study conducted by LifeWay Research for the Cornerstone Knowledge Network (CKN). CKN was founded by Cogun Inc. and the Aspen Group as a network of firms focused on developing building and leadership solutions for churches.

The study, "Effects of Ministry Space and Outlet Expansion," was conducted Feb. 16-23, 2009, through a telephone survey of 1,000 pastors of randomly selected Protestant churches.

"We wanted to explore the various ways churches are expanding their ministry space as well as measure growth rate and type, costs, and staffing," said Jim Couchenour, director of marketing and ministry services at Cogun Inc. "We can now clarify the expansion options and how they might fit into a particular church’s DNA and vision for more effective ministry."

Seven types of expansion were included in the survey:

– Building new or additional ministry space at the same site where your church is located.
– Building a new facility at a new site.
– Adding an additional worship service or venue on site.
– Adding an additional worship service or venue off site.
– Beginning to offer streaming video of worship services or teaching on the Internet.
– Directly participating in helping start a new church or churches.
– Merging with another church.

Of these seven types of ministry expansion, adding an additional worship service or venue on site is most closely related to higher growth in attendance, followed by building new or additional ministry space at the same site where the church is located. Churches that expanded in those two ways experienced significantly higher levels of growth in average worship attendance over a five-year period.

Protestant pastors were asked whether each of these types of expansion leads to growth. More than two-thirds of pastors agree (strongly or somewhat) that five of the types of expansion lead to growth. Only 42 percent agree merging with another church leads to growth beyond the attendance of the two merged churches, and 39 percent agree that offering online streaming video leads to additional in-person attendees.

One-in-4 pastors strongly agree that building additional space leads to growth, and 15 percent strongly agree that relocating to a new or different facility leads to growth.
Pastors in churches that have implemented a particular type of expansion are more likely to strongly agree that it leads to growth.

No expansion, less growth

Overall, 44 percent of Protestant pastors estimate that their worship attendance has grown by at least 10 percent during the previous five years, 23 percent estimate their attendance has declined at least 10 percent, and 33 percent report stable attendance.

Among churches that have not engaged in ministry expansion during the last five years, a far smaller percentage (34 percent) has experienced attendance growth. Thirty-seven percent report stable average worship attendance and 29 percent are declining.

"Many churches who do not take steps to expand are struggling," said Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research. "Pastors of churches who take the same message to more people through new methods and new media are expressing the positive impact of these steps of faith."
On average, Protestant pastors estimate 49 percent of their new attendees during the last five years have transferred from other congregations, while 32 percent were unchurched and 19 percent were children born to adults attending the church.

Among churches that have expanded their ministry the percent of new attendees who were previously unchurched does not vary significantly by type of expansion. The percentage of unchurched ranges from a low of 31 percent among churches that built a new facility at a new site to a high of 36 percent among churches that began streaming video of worship services and those that merged with another church.

Sixty-five percent of Protestant churches have expanded their ministries within the last five years in at least one of the seven ways surveyed. The specific types of expansion broke down as follows:

– 28 percent added an additional worship service or venue on site.
– 28 percent directly participated in helping start a new church or churches.
– 27 percent built new or additional ministry space at the same site.
– 14 percent began offering streaming video of worship services or teaching on the Internet.
– 10 percent added an additional worship service or venue off site.
– 4 percent built a new facility at a new site.
– 3 percent merged with another church.

Other findings
Among the study’s other findings:

Churches that have expanded their ministries in any of these ways hired an average of 0.6 full-time and 1.1 part-time employees related to this expansion.

The relative cost of each type of expansion varies widely with the most expensive option being building a new facility at a new site, followed by building additional ministry space on site. The least expensive expansion option is adding virtual space such as utilizing the Internet for worship services and/or teaching.

The sample size of 1,000 pastors provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed +3.1 percent.

Make Every Day Count

Originally appearing in Tapestry Magazine, May 2007

In Alice in Wonderland, when Alice comes to a fork in the road, she asks the Cheshire cat, “Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?”“That depends a good deal on where you want to go to,” said the cat.“I don’t much care where,” replied Alice.“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”Can you relate to Alice’s response, or does the thought of not having a plan cause you to break out in hives? We are all wired differently. Some of us are planners, and others, like Alice, prefer to fly by the seat of our pants. And then there are those of us who wait to be “inspired” before we make a decision. “Great composers do not sit down to work because they are inspired, but become inspired because they are working” (Ernest Newman). Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven didn’t waste time waiting for inspiration, and neither did the Proverbs 31 woman.“She evaluates a field and buys it; she plants a vineyard with her earnings” (Proverbs 31:16). She saw the potential, made a plan, and followed through—making good use of her resources. Regardless of our personality type, the Bible has a lot to say about making plans and not wasting time. Paul said, “I do not run like one who runs aimlessly” (1 Corinthians 9:26). He told Timothy to train himself in godliness “since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). In Psalm 90, David asked God to help him number his days; David wanted to make every day count, which ought to be the prayer of every believer.Take a moment to evaluate your days. I’m not suggesting that we all need to go buy a field and plant it! But are you making your days count and wisely using the resources God has given you? “Our God has boundless resources. The only limit is in us. Our asking, our thinking, our praying are all too small. Our expectations are often too limited”(A.B. Simpson).

For Mothers

Originally appearing in Tapestry Magazine, July 2007

My granddaughter just had her second birthday. Need I say more? She has been growing a large vocabulary for months, but suddenly her two favorite words are “no” and “mine.” In response, my two favorite words have become “yes” and “share.” In time, she will outgrow the blatant “mine” stage, but in preparing to write about generosity, I saw a distinct parallel. If I’m not giving generously of the time, talents, and money the Lord has entrusted to me, I’m silently saying, “mine, it’s all mine.”Generosity begins in the heart. Generous people are others-focused; they go the second mile in serving others. Generosity becomes a lifestyle, one in which giving is an outgrowth of our relationship with Jesus. In the portrait of the Proverbs 31 woman, we see her generous heart, a characteristic that overflows from her relationship with her Lord. “Her hands reach out to the poor, and she extends her hands to the needy” (Proverbs 31:20).“There is a route to genuine and enduring satisfaction, but it flies in the face of this greedy, self-obsessed culture. It’s called generosity, and it involves giving our four most valuable resources—our time, talents, treasure, and touch—and receiving unimaginable riches in return” (The Generosity Factor, by Ken Blanchard and Truett Cathy).We are most like Jesus when we give because giving is at the very heart of who Jesus is. He gave His life so that we who were dead in our sins might live. He gives forgiveness to the sinner. He gives strength to the weary. He gives comfort to the grieving. He gives unconditional love when our attitudes are unlovely. He gives grace that is greater than our need. He gives hope in the midst of hopelessness. He gives new mercies every morning. He gives wisdom when we seek His face. He gives peace that passes all understanding. He gives unspeakable joy when we rest in Him. Jesus is the ultimate Giver of all things.Take a few moments and evaluate your “generosity factor.” How well are you reflecting the giving nature of Jesus in your day-to-day life?

Conservative Groups Declare Obama's Stimulus Bill a War on Prayer

A provision in the House-passed stimulus bill -- banning money to be used to renovate schools from being spent on facilities that allow "religious worship" -- has ignited fury among those who claim it discriminates on the basis of faith and violates the right to free speech.
By Cristina Corbin
FOXNews.com
Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Democrats in Congress have declared war on prayer, say conservative groups who object to a provision in the stimulus bill that was passed by the House of Representatives last week.
The provision bans money designated for school renovation from being spent on facilities that allow "religious worship." It has ignited a fury among critics who say it violates the First Amendment and is an attempt to prevent religious practice in schools.

According to the bill, which the Democratic-controlled House passed despite unanimous Republican opposition, funds are prohibited from being used for the "modernization, renovation, or repair" of facilities that allow "sectarian instruction, religious worship or a school or department of divinity."

Critics say that could include public schools that permit religious groups to meet on campus. The House provided $20 billion for the infrastructure improvements, of which $6 billion would go to higher education facilities where the limitations would be applied.

"What the government is doing is discriminating against religious viewpoints," said Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that works to advance religious freedom.

"President Obama's version of faith-based initiatives is to remove the faith from initiative," said Staver, who believes Obama has "a completely different view on faith" from what he said during his presidential campaign.

"He is not the infallible messiah that some thought he would be," Staver said.
Civil liberty groups like the Americans United for Separation of Church and State vehemently defend the stimulus bill's provision, arguing that it in no way violates the Constitution.

"This provision upholds constitutional standards established by the U.S. Supreme Court and in no way affects student groups that meet on public school campuses," said the Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

The American Civil Liberties Union also defends the constitutionality of the restriction, which they say has been the law since 1972.

"It's almost a restatement of what the Constitution requires so there's nothing novel in what the House did in its restriction," said Christopher Anders, senior legislative counsel to the ACLU. "For 37 years, the law of the land is that the government can't pay for buildings that are used for religious purposes."

Not so, says the Traditional Values Coalition, which issued a statement Wednesday charging that Obama is using his stimulus plan to restrict the exercise of religion in public facilities -- a provision it says violates the right to free speech.

"The economic crisis is being used as a pretext to curb religious liberty at institutions of higher learning," said Executive Director Andrea Lafferty.

"We are not asking that federal funding be used to construct a church, but if a campus ministry wants to hold a Bible study or Mass in the student activity building, we should be encouraging that -- not punishing a college for permitting it," she said.

According to some constitutional law experts, any complaint filed against the provision will gain little ground in court.

"Certainly the provision is treating the act of religious organizations differently from the activities of the school itself," Harvard University constitutional law professor Mark Tushnet told FOXNews.com.

"It's not frivolous to say there's a constitutional problem with excluding religious facilities from these grants, but I think the way of the law is in the other direction," he said.
Tushnet cited a 2004 Supreme Court case in which a Washington student lost a college scholarship awarded by the state after it was revealed that he planned to pursue a degree in pastoral ministries. Though the student argued that rescinding the money discriminated on the basis of religion, the court ruled in the state's favor -- declaring that the taxpayer-funded scholarship's restriction is constitutional.

The White House said Wednesday that it plans to keep in place the basic structure of the faith-based initiative office established by former President George W. Bush.
Administration officials said the office is a substantial programming and policy arm of the federal government, which allows federal agencies to connect with local neighborhood and faith-based groups to deliver social services.