Christ Community Church (Johnson City, TN)

Heart. | Enjoy yourself - pleasure to the edge. (v.1-3) Life. | Expand yourself - creating and consuming to the extreme. (v.4-8) Gain? | Spare yourself - Nothing. (v.9-11)

Covenant Theology \\ Worship \\ Sacraments

Sola Scriptura & Soli Deo Gloria

Quest & conclusion We won’t fix it by doing “It is what it is" And we won’t fix it by knowing “Ignorance is bliss” What then?

Sola Scriptura & Soli Deo Gloria

All of life under the sun is vanity and a breath, but IN IT God gives JOY to those who fear him. The QUESTION | 1.3 The SEARCH| 1.4-12.8 Cyclical movement. | No finality. (1.4-7) Cynical exhaustion. | No denial. (1.8) Comprehensive application. | No matter what. (1.9-11)

Words matter. How do we discern the meaning of a word in a specific passage of the Bible? What helps us in this?

How does God save us? How has he saved you? Our salvation is the work of Trinity God from beginning to end - he did what we couldn't do. The Father elected us, the Son died for us, the Spirit has given us new life - and now we are held in his hands, preserved by him and perserving in our faith.

How does Trinity God save? He saves us powerfully, graciously, and effectively - from beginning to end, our salvation is the work of Trinity God.

The Qualifications. The Hypothesis. The Research Question. The Gospel.

What is the gospel? We believe that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Solus Christus, Soli Fide, and Sola Gratia. How critical are these three "solas" or "onlys" to the gospel message?

Solus Christus, Soli Fide, and Sola Gratia. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

We finish up the book of James as he calls for honest & plain words, confession with prayer, and pursuit of those wandering - all while humbly submitting to his lordship.

The BIG problem | 6.11-13 The BIGGER performance | 6.14-15 The BIGGEST promise | 6.16-18

What does it mean to be reformed from a historical angle?

In this first lesson we look at what it means to be Reformed from a historical angle.

Patience and steadfastness as we wait for the return of the Lord.

6.6 | An EXAMPLE, congregationally. An example of sowing to the Spirit… 6.7-8 | An EXHORTATION, conceptually. Sowing and reaping ... God’s design. 6.9-10 | An ENCOURAGEMENT, comprehensively. Let us not grow weary in doing good...

James directs his words now toward the rich who have defrauded others unto the end of self-indulgent luxury.

...Belongs to Christ (v.24-26) ...Restores the brother (v. 1) ...Bears the burdens of others (v.2-3) ...Tests his own work (v.4-5)

Boasting about tomorrow vs living humbly submissive to God as sovereign.

Two Kinds of Slavery One Kind of Love What should we do

In(to) THE freedom, STAND FIRM. In THE freedom, do NOT submit AGAIN to any form* of slavery. *Legalism (Law) or Licentiousness (lust). [Interlude: 5.7-12 - the scope of the problem] Legalism's nature. Legalism's result. Legalism's cascade. Legalism's deception. Standing FIRM in THE freedom of Christ looks like: ________________. v.5 ________________. v.6

Why do we fight, argue, and quarrel? The desires of our hearts. We need God's wisdom (James 3) to grant us humility and his grace.

Safety matters. 4.21 From evil, sin and guilt (Law) … but NOT from discomfort or admonition. Theology matters. 4.22-27 Redemptive history must be interpreted Christologically... if it is to be for our good. Covt at Sinai-Slavery-Flesh-Hagar-Present Jerusalem Covt w/ Abraham-Freedom-Sarah-Jerusalem above Genealogy matters (spiritually speaking). 4.28-31 Your family tree matters. ONLY children of pr...