Church of Hope

3-22-20 || Faith That Works

IN THE LORD’S PRESENCE

Faith That Works

Scott Young ~ Pastor of Hope

You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. – James 5:8

IN THE LORD’S PRESENCE

Three Things That Do Not Happen

1. You Do Not Trust In Riches

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. – James 5:1-3 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. You Do Not Use People

Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. – James 5:4

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3. You Do Not Live Only For Today

You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. – James 5:5-6 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

IN THE LORD’S PRESENCE

Three Things That Do Happen

1. You Do Have Patience

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. – James 5:7

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2. You Do Have Strength

You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. – James 5:8-9

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3. You Do You Have Endurance

As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. – James 5:10-11

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3-15-20 || LIVING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

LIVING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

Faith That Works

Scott Young ~ Pastor of Hope

HOW TO LIVE IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

1. Check Your Plans Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” - James 4:13 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. - Proverbs 21:5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Focus What Lasts Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. - James 4:14

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:18

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3. Trust In The Lord Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” - James 4:15 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Turn Away From Sin As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. - James 4:16-17 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

03/08/20 || WISE RELATIONSHIPS

WISE RELATIONSHIPS

Faith That Works

Scott Young ~ Pastor of Hope

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? – James 4:1

1. Look To God As Your Source and Supply

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. – James 4:2

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2. Practice Generosity

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. – James 4:3

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3. Choose God Loving Friends

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. – James 4:4

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4. Walk In Humility

Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:5

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5. Draw Near To God

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. – James 4:7

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6. Speak No Evil

Don’t criticize and speak evil about each other, dear brothers. If you do, you will be fighting against God’s law of loving one another, declaring it is wrong. But your job is not to decide whether this law is right or wrong, but to obey it. – James 4:11

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03/01/20 || DOWNLOADING WISDOM

DOWNLOADING WISDOM

Faith That Works

Scott Young ~ Pastor of Hope

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

- James 1:5

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

– James 3:13

FALSE WISDOM

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. – James 3:14-16

1. Bitter Jealousy

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2. Selfish Ambition

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3. Disorder & Confusion

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4. Evil Practices

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WISDOM FROM ABOVE

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. – James 3:17-18

1. Pure

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2. Peaceful

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3. Gentle

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4. Open To Reason

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5. Full Of Mercy & Goodness

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6. Sincere & Secure

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02.23.20 || WATCH YOUR WORDS

WATCH YOUR WORDS

Faith That Works

Scott Young ~ Pastor of Hope

James 3:1-12

1. Words Create Influence

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

– James 3:1

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

– Matthew 14:36-37

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2. Words Show Our Need For God

For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. – James 3:2

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. – James 3:7-8

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3. Words Set Your Direction

If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. – James 3:3

Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. – James 3:4

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4. Words Can Bring Destruction

So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

– James 3:5-6

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5. Words Will Bring Blessings

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. – James 3:10-12

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2-16-20 || Faith Looks Different

FAITH LOOKS DIFFERENT

Faith That Works

Peter Young ~ Pastor at Hope

1. FAITH doesn’t use the world’s STANDARDS 1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. – James 2:1

2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? – James 2:2-4

2. FAITH doesn’t look at the OUTSIDE but at the HEART 5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? – James 2:5-7

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7

3. FAITH keeps the ROYAL law – the law of LOVE

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; – James 2:8

‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. – Leviticus 19:18

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” – Galatians 5:14

4. FAITH is LOVE in PRACTICE

12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. – James 2:12-13

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8

02/09/20 || FAITH IS AN ACTION

FAITH IS AN ACTION

Faith That Works

Scott Young ~ Pastor of Hope

FAITH RECEIVES GOD’S WORD

1. We Need To Listen To Receive

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. - James 1:19 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. We Need To Have Peace To Receive

For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. - James 1:20

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3. We Need Humility To Receive

So get rid of all uncleanness and all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls. - James 1:21 (AMP) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

FAITH BELIEVES GOD’S WORD

1. When Faith Works You Will Be Transformed

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. - James 1:22

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. - James 1:23-24

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. - James 1:25 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. When Faith Works Hurting People Receive Help

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. - James 1:27

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. - James 2:15-17 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. When Faith Works You Become A Friend Of God

You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. - James 2:22-23 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

02.02.09 || FAITH’S WALK IS WISDOM FOCUSED

FAITH’S WALK IS WISDOM FOCUSED

James: A Blueprint For Making Faith Work

Sam Farina ~ Guest Speaker at Church of Hope

James 1:1-18

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials (suffering) of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” - James 1:2-4 (ESV)

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” - Proverbs 2:6 (ESV)

“Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea… often without food, in cold and exposure. And …the pressure of… my anxiety for all the churches.”

– 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 (ESV)

WISDOM: GOOD JUDGEMENT, GOOD SENSE

1. Focus on Wisdom’s Revelation not the Winds of Foolish Reason

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 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.” - James 1:5-6 (ESV)

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2. Focus on Wisdom’s Purpose not the Wind’s Foolish Problem

“ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” - James 1:7-8 (ESV) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Focus on Wisdom’s Wonder not Foolish Worry

“Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 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. 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. 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. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.” – James 1:9-17 (ESV) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1-26-20 || Lift Up Your Eyes

2020 Vision

Scott Young ~ Pastor of Hope

Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. – John 4:35

A VISION FOR THE HARVEST

1. A Vision For “Those” People He [Jesus] left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. – John 4:3-4 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. A Vision That Overcomes Your Feelings So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. – John 4:5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. A Vision To Share Life Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” – John 4:10 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. A Vision To See Beyond The Surface Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. – John 4:16-19 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. A Vision To Tell Your Story “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” … 39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” - John 4:29,39 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1-19-20 || What's Really Important

WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT?

2020 Vision

Scott Young ~ Pastor of Hope

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people. - Ephesians 1:18

OPEN EYES HAVE VISION FOR WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT

1. Winning People Who Are Far From God “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. - 2 Peter 3:9 Then Jesus said to them, “So wherever you go in the world, tell everyone the Good News. – Mark 16:1 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Building People In Their Faith I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong — 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. – Romans 1:11-12 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. – Colossian 2:6-7 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Connecting People With Their God Given Purpose And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28 Now you [collectively] are Christ’s body, and individually [you are] members of it [each with his own special purpose and function]. – 1 Corinthians 12:27 AMP Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. – 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________