During yesterday’s message (10/21/19) I mentioned that James chapter one acts like a table of contents for the entire book. Specifically, every topic addressed in chapters 2-5 with the exception of the final two verses is introduced in chapter one.
In case anyone found that interesting, here is that table of contents in, of course, table form.
| Topic | Introduced | Expanded |
| Patience | 1:2-4, 12 | 5:7-12 |
| Prayer | 1:5-8 | 4:1-6; 5:13-18 |
| Money & Possessions | 1:9-11, 16-18 | 2:1-13; 4:1-6; 5:1-6 |
| Temptations | 1:13-15 | 5:7-10 |
| Tongue | 1:19, 26 | 3:1-12; 4:11-12 |
| Humility | 1:20-21 | 4:13-17 |
| Faith and Works | 1:22-25 | 2:14-26; 4:17 |
| Wisdom & Religion | 1:26-27 | 3:13-17 |
During the second service I also used a quote I read on Twitter between services. ” You can take a firm stance with your fists up or your arms open. ” Karen Swallow Prior.
She’s an English professor, and if you’re into Twitter she’s a solid follow, a thinker not a fighter. Her Twitter handle is @KSPrior.
Another quote I used is from Bible scholar Peter Davids from his commentary on James:
“Christian waiting is not waiting for something, but for someone.”
And in case you wanted, here are the on-screen statements I used that were not printed in the notes. (You can see all the online sermon notes here.)
James assumes Christians will be under pressure from the clash between our beliefs and our culture.
James is not calling us to passive patience,
but active waiting.
Militant Patience: Prophets weren’t passively waiting for God to work. They were speaking up for God (often obnoxiously) while they waited. (Okay, that wasn’t on screen, but I liked it.)
Stuff Steve Says 