Revolutionary Faith: The Book of James

Speaker: Pastor Lee Cummings
Date: July 4, 2020

To kick off the month of July, Pastor Lee Cummings begins a series called Revolutionary Faith focused on the difference between testing and tempting. You don’t want to miss this powerful sermon called The Book of James!

Focus Scripture

James 1:1-18 (ESV)

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 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 first fruits of his creatures.”

Sermon Highlights

• Christianity is a revolution of the soul.

• Our greatest enemy is within, not without.

• There is a “tug of war” between two processes at work within the believer: Testing and Tempting.

• One brings forth life. One brings forth death.

• One pulls on your faith, the other on your flesh.

• Joy is in the outcome, not the difficulty.

• Testing is the pathway to progress.

• Testing is meant to perfect you. Temptation is meant to ensnare you.

• A coach pushes an athlete to prepare them for winning.

• A con-man finds weakness and exploits it for his purposes.