(James 4:1 NLT) What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?
(James 4:2 NLT) You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
√ We don’t ask God for His plan. We ask Him to APPROVE our plan.
(James 4:3 NLT) And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong–you want only what will give you pleasure.
(1 John 3:21-22 NLT) Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
(James 4:4 NLT) You adulterers!Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
(Isaiah 44:10 NLT) Who but a fool would make his own god–an idol that cannot help him one bit?
√ We expect God to sit in a place He can’t. . . something other than FIRST.
(James 4:5 NLT) What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?
• A DISTANCE problem.
(James 4:6 NLT) But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”
√ CLOSE the distance by letting GOD WORK. (it is a pride issue, I can will do it myself)
(Psalm 69:32 NLT) The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged.
(Psalm 138:6 NLT) Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.
(James 4:7 NLT) So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
√ Close the distance by taking your #ONEstep.
(James 4:8 NLT) Come close to God, and God will come close to you. ….
(James 4:8 NLT) . . . Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
√ Close the distance by FIXING the heart issue.
(Acts 4:12 MSG) Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”
(James 4:9-10 NLT) Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.
(James 4:10 NLT) Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
