Beacon Sunday Service: April 14th 2024

Other uh stand and greet each other with grace and peace. Can I remind you why we do this? God's word, when Paul wrote uh in each of his books, what did he say to them? Uh grace to you or peace from the Lord Jesus Christ, and so I would remind you that it's the grace of God that gives you the peace of God as you share with one another. My wife's home church, they used to greet each other this way as well, and only they never said grace and peace, they always just said peace, peace to thee. They use the English phrase, peace to thee, and then you know what the response was back. The response back was peace to thee be multiplied because we're we're just saying, Hey, let's instead of hello, hello, hello, let's grace and peace to you.

So I'm asking to stand and greet each other. Would you do that?

And let me just open us up this morning with a word of prayer. Lord, we thank you so much for this opportunity to gather together. What a great privilege it is to be uh called as your people to uh sing praises unto your name, to hear your word, uh, for you to just work uh in us and amongst us, and Lord, may we not take this time for grant granted, Lord, as um just some routine, but Lord, that it would just truly be a time where we would uh be able to worship you, and so we thank you, we love you, and it's in Jesus' name we pray, amen. Uh, let's all rise. Uh Psalm eighty-six twelve says, We give thanks to you, oh Lord my God, with our whole heart. We will glorify your name forever. That's what we are meant to do.

That's what God created us for to worship him, uh, to sing praises to him, and may we do that this morning. May we give him thanks with our whole heart, made the starry host, you made the sorry host, you trace the mountain peaks, you paint the evening skies with wrongs, the earth, it is your throne from desert to the sea, all nature testifies your splendor, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, sing his grain, all creation, praise the Lord, raise your voice, you heights in all you depths from further seas to west, let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

You reached into the dust, you reached into the dust in love, your spirit praise, you formed us in your very to know your wondrous works, to tell your mighty deeds to join the ever life singus, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, sing his grain all creation, praise the Lord, raise your voice, you heights in all you depths from further seas to west, let everything that has breath praise the Lord Let symphonies resound, let symphonies resound, let drums and choirs ring out, all heaven hear the sound of worship, let every nation bring its honor to the king a roar of harmonies, eternal praise the Lord, praise the Lord singness, all creation, praise the Lord, praise your voice, you heights in all you depths from furthest east to west, you distant burning stars, all creatures near and far from side to sea to shore, sing out forevermore.

Let everything that has breath, praise alone. Amen. Let's praise the Lord. This next song is a new song. It's called There is One Gospel. Um that's what God has saved us through is through the gospel, and so uh may we sing of that truth today this morning. I'll sing out this first verse for us so that we can learn it, and then uh you can all join and sing it together. Goes like this there is one gospel on which I stand for all eternity, it is my story, my father's plan, the sun has rescued me, and know what a gospel peace, my highest joy, and my deepest need now and forever my life.

I stand in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That first verse together. There is one gospel, there is one gospel on which I stand for all eternity, it is my story.

Oh what a peace, my highest joy, and my deepest need now and forever my stand in the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is one gospel. There is one gospel to which I cling. All else. I count as lost. For there where justice and mercy me. He save me on the cross more post, no more. No more I'm boasting what I can bring. No more I carry the weight of sin. For he has brought me from death to life.

I stand in the gospel of Jesus Christ. There's one gospel. There is one gospel where hope is found. The empty tomb still speaks, yes. For death cannot keep my Savior down. He lives and I am free man. Now on my Savior I fix my eyes.

For he has promised I will rise. I stand in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And in this gospel, and in this gospel, the church is one. We do not walk alone. We have his spirit as we press on to lead us safely home and winning glory, and winning glory still I will sing of this old story that rescued me. Praise to my Savior, the King of life.

Still I will sing of this old story that rescued me. Praise to my Savior, the King of life.

The King of life.

Amen. This morning we will confess what is our only hope in life and death. And so may we confess that together. Here's the question. What is our only hope in life and death? And together that we are not our own, but belong body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Before I drew a breath, I was loved and know.

My body is a temple of a living God. Our worship in this has not his image, obey I not profane the holiness I hold in this earth.

I belong, I belong to the Lord. Oh I am not my own, I belong to the Lord, I am not, I will honor him for this I know I belong to the Lord, I am not my own. If he has redeemed me, and if he has redeemed me, I am not the measure of my worth is his love. He declares my standing, and he declares my stain, so I will know myself by the name.

I belong, I belong to the Lord, oh I am not my own, I belong to the Lord, I am not my own, I will honor him for this I know I belong to the Lord, I am not I'm not my own, I am not my own, and now my heart is free, O Maker, come and make what you will be there is nothing broken that you cannot repair, so Lord I leave my life in your love, I belong to the Lord, oh I am not my own, I belong to the Lord, I am not, I will honor him for this I know, I belong to the Lord, I am not I will honor him for this I know I belong to the Lord, I am not good morning, everyone I trust that your weeks have gone well, but even though um your week has been good, um there's still difficulty, there's still struggles that we go through, there's still sin that we struggle with.

The Lord asks us to be truthful and transparent before him and confessing our sin daily at this time. We're gonna do so together corporately, and then take some time afterwards to do so individually. So let's do our confession of sin together. God of all grace and truth, you tell us that we can keep our way pure by guarding it according to your word. You tell us that if we store up your word in our hearts, we might not sin against you. But our ways in our hearts are full of impurity and sin. We have wandered from your commandments and fallen short of your glory. Forgive us for forgetting your word and not meditating on your precepts. Cause us to delight in your testimonies and statutes, all for God's Christ's sake and our joy.

Amen. Please be seated. Let's now take in a personal time of confession of sin.

The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.

Because of the gospel, our sins have been cast into the depths of the sea. Amen.

Our brother Howard this week shared that he has been sharing the gospel with a friend who has been struggling. We have a unique opportunity to encourage him and to pray with him for the soul of this brother, that he is God is using him to share the gospel with. And ultimately, the goal is salvation, but it's not in our own hands, it's in God's hands. Um not too many times, I think, throughout the year that we hear things like this. So it's important for us as a congregation to hear such encouragement, but also to pray over the people who have this opportunity. So let's lift up Howard. Um, and just that the God and that just that God will use him to share the gospel message and that it will penetrate his friend, um, and that ultimately his friend would be saved.

Brothers and sisters, sometimes it's one soul at a time. So let's pray over Howard in this in this moment. Um, and then I have one more prayer request after this. So let's pray.

Um, but we are faithful people. Um, as the Lord is working in Howard's life, let's ask that the Lord is doing the same in our lives as well, that the Lord is using us to be a demonstration of his love, to share the gospel to those who need to hear it. Um couple Sundays ago, we had we welcomed guests to our church, and we had a few. Let's pray over them. And let that experience not be the only time you faithfully and boldly take steps to welcome people to our ministry just for the sake of letting them hear a message from our brother Madison, Pastor Madison here, and just so that they have a glimpse of what the gospel is. Let us pray that the Lord will use us each day for opportunities to come for the gospel message to be heard.

So let's pray.

Our name is the beacon. We want to shine a light in our community. We want to share the gospel. We want to be faithful to your word. We lift up Howard, our brother who has faithfully served you in this capacity of leadership and in this ministry. But Lord, we have an opportunity that to hear him share amazing things that are happening for a friend of his who has this opportunity to learn more about your son, to hear about the gospel message, to hear about a savior that loved him, that wanted to cancel out his sin, that conquered death for him. We pray, Father, that you use Howard for the seeds to be planted, for may the Spirit work in his life, and that may this brother be saved, Father. We pray for his salvation.

And ultimately, we know that Howard is humbly serving you in the most and the best of his capability. With all of his energy, we pray, Father, that you bless him and encourage him, help him to say the right things in the right moment. And for use him, Lord, as your vessel, Lord, we pray. And we pray for the members of the beacon, for everyone here today, Lord, as we go forth, that we don't speak empty words just in this church with each other. That we really mean them, that we are bold as we go out and that we would share the gospel, that we would welcome people to our church, that we'd be bold and invite friends that we've always wanted to have here. Lord, may we also be faithful to your word as disciples of Jesus Christ, Lord.

So, Lord, we pray, Father, for just these things, but your kingdom would grow and that you would be glorified in all things. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Children, you're dismissed. Please follow Teacher Tiffany out for Sunday school. Uh, who is oh, with teacher Sarah, please. Um, we don't have this on our announcements for today, but as we pray today, um, Easter service was a special Sunday for us to recognize uh that our Lord conquered death and he rose again, and we invited people to hear that message, but do not let that deter you from inviting people again. Uh so let's take an opportunity to welcome and and and bring those guests back. And also to invite new friends and faces to come to our church as well.

Per usual, our offering announcement, or our sorry offering options are Zell, are the Venmo, Cash and Check. And Pastor Madison, I'm going to welcome you up this morning. On the screen, we're we're going back to the book of James, and as we look at the book of James, we discover that they had a lot of problems, a lot of difficulties, a lot of trials. And the question I have for you is what's your response to difficult times? You know, when somebody comes at you and it's difficult, what's your response to them? Is your response? You ever gotten so upset with somebody that you you didn't want, you didn't want to talk to them? Look at me for a second. Have you ever had anybody get so upset that they they just look at you and go?

And they're what they're saying is be quiet. You know, shut up. I'm not sure they would say that, but you know, or or maybe they've done this. You ever had somebody look at you and just go? Do you know what that you know what they're saying when they say that? When they when they hold their hand up like this, they're saying, talk to the hand. You know, I don't want to talk to you. Talk, talk to my hand. I don't have anything, because they don't know how to handle difficult times. Well, we've been going through the book of James, and as we go through the book of James, it starts out with telling about difficulties that the believers, the Jewish believers were having. And you first discover the difficulties they're having in Acts chapter 8.

And in Acts chapter 8, let me just get this going here. I'm there we go. Acts chapter 8. Saul agreed with putting Stephen to death. Now, Saul is the man who later becomes the apostle Paul. And sometimes, just so you're really well aware of it, there was a Saul in the Old Testament, he was king. And that was different than uh Saul in the New Testament, who became an apostle who became Paul the apostle. So this is Saul in the New Testament, and before he got saved, he was a Jewish Pharisee who was putting down Christians. And so again, it says, Saul agreed with putting Stephen to death. On that day, a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem. And look at this, and all except the apostles were scattered.

You got it? So now they're in Jerusalem. Thousands of people have come to know Christ. And the Lord has commanded us to go into what? All the world and preach the gospel of Christ. But what was happening is these Jewish people that got saved, they they didn't want to go. They weren't going into all the world. And so God allows difficult things in our lives to prompt us to push us to do what he wants us to do. So what did he want them to do? He commanded them, go into all the world and preach the gospel, teaching them to observe whatever I commanded you, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and lo, I'm with you always. But they weren't going. So what happened to them?

On that day, a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all, except the apostles, those who were with Jesus, those leven now twelve, when they reelected another one, those twelve stayed there to build the church, and everybody else were what? Scattered. God said, Yep, I wanted you to go. I don't like persecution, uh, but I'm with you in the midst of persecution, and I want you to go into all the world. And let's see. If I do this, if I allow this, you're gonna go into all the world. Look at me just for a second. If God is asking us as believers to go into all the world and preach the gospel, do you want to wait for him to give you persecution so that you have to go into all the world?

Not really. You want to do it because he said to do it. Let me go on. Verses 2 and 3 of Acts chapter 8, because in Acts chapter 8, he's saying, I want you to go. I want you to do in this, all this world. But devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. Saul, however, was doing what? Ravaging the church. Remember, this is before he got saved. Persecution's taking place. Saul is persecuting men, women, and children. And what do we read about that church in James chapter 1? James chapter 1. James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes that were what? Dispersed.

They were scattered. They're going to be put abroad. Okay, now they're in persecution. They're having difficulty. Things are not going well. And what does God say there to do? The next verse. Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. You got it? Now wait a minute. They're persecuted. They're being driven around the world. And they're supposed to do what? Rejoice? Count it all joy? Considered a great joy when you have to. Let's see. You're leaving your home. You're leaving your job. You're leaving the friends that you know. And things aren't going well. And now you're supposed to smile and consider it a great joy.

Did you catch that? These are difficult times for them. So here's what I'm going to tell you. Trials and temptations, because that's what he's dealt with so far in James 1. Last week we talked about the temptations we face. Trials in verses 2, 3, and 4. Temptation? Verses 12, 13, 14. Trials and temptations reveal who's in charge of our lives. Are we in charge? Or is the Lord in charge? I want you to look at four responses that we should have in the midst of our difficult times. What kind of response does God want us to have? I mean, they were under persecution. One of the responses, he's going to give them starting in verse 18. He says, I want you to respond this way. I want you to respond this way.

I want you to respond this way. And the first response is this. I want you to have a quick ear. Now, I'm going to call it that way, so hopefully you'll remember it more easily. How many things, you know, you think you ought to have quick feet? You know, you ought to be able to run well. But to have a quick ear, here's the way the text says it. First of all, I'm going to give you four pictures. Okay? These are the four responses. And let me highlight the one that we're going to talk about first. He said, I want you to have a quick ear. Okay? And here's the text. By his own choice, he gave us a new birth by the message of truth, so that we would be the first fruits of his creation. He gave us what?

A new birth. That's what he's saying. A new birth in Christ ought to give you a new behavior. Did you catch the difference there? A new birth leads to new behavior. He goes on from here, and he says, My dearly loved brothers, understand this. Everyone must be quick to what? Here. And what did I say our first response to difficult time should be? A quick ear. And so I got it from the text here. You need to be quick to hear.

The Greek word for that is taccas. Tecus. And again, can I remind you why we even do the Greek words? Because the New Testament was written in Greek. So if I want to know what it was really all about, or get some idea leading back to it, I'll just go back to that Greek word. Techus is the Greek word. Let me just slide it up here and teach it to you this way. The tau, the very first letter is tau. I'm going to highlight it there. And we get our letter T. The second letter is alpha, and we get our letter A. The third letter is a key, and that's English chow. Do you have any idea what English word we start to get from this? Guys will have maybe a hint more than ladies. Do I throw it up there now?

Already.

And what is a tachometer? A tachometer on a remind them of the old cars that used to have. And you only would could run the engine so fast. And you had a tachometer on there that would tell you how fast your engine, how many RPMs it's doing, and if it gets over this many RPMs, if it goes too fast, you blow up.

Instead of arguing or complaining to God when difficult times have come, I'm going to ask that you have a quick ear. Let everyone be quick to what? Here. So the tachometer, tachometer measures the speed or the RPMs of a motor. And what does God say? Tacas. I want you to be quick to hear. Proverbs chapter 12, verse 15 says it this way. A fool's way is right in his own eyes. But whoever listens to counsel is wise. You get it? So if you want to teach your kids wisdom, if you want them to begin to get wisdom in their lives, what is he saying? Whoever listens is wise. Used to be said this way. Many people have been credited with this following quote. Here's the quote.

Maybe he wants us to listen twice as much as we talk. You catch where he's going with that? But we always, you know, we listen about half as much as we talk. Because we we always have an opinion. And when somebody else is saying something to us, what do we do? When somebody else is saying something to us, we say, and especially if it's not in agreement with us, what do we do? We're ready to give them our opinion quickly. Oh no, no, no, wait, wait, wait. That what that's not the way. Do you catch me? When they want to say something that's contradicting to what we think, we jump right back in. But what does God say? Ah, he who listens is what? Wise. Trials and temptations reveal who's in charge of our lives.

What's the response? We need to have what does it do with our ear? What kind of ear? A quick ear. Make sure our ears are quick to listen. The second response he says we need to have is a cautious tongue. Which picture? Which picture is going to describe it? If you had these pictures, if you just, you know, this past this coming week, when you, if you go online and look at the sermon, and if you especially those of you who have kids here, if you want your kids, give them these four pictures, and then give them the verses from James, so you're quick to hear. You're slow to speak. Give a cautious tongue. Slow. So which picture? The bottom. Right hand one. What what's the picture? What are you gonna do?

Zip it. You know? You know, one of these, or zip it. He's just saying, look, here's what here's where the text goes with it. James 1, 19 and 20. My dearly loved brothers, understand this. Everyone, everyone must be quick to hear. Slow to speak. Got it? It's just really, it's kind of clear. I mean, he's going through this chapter. Trials, temptations, and what's our response? We need to be quick to hear. We need to be slow to speak. Let me say this. Scripture isn't telling us not to say anything. But to be slow to speak. As a matter of fact, he's not. We are not being told to speak slowly. But to be slow to speak. You catching the difference? I mean, God is just saying, just listen.

Twice as much as you speak. But when you speak, just be slow to give your opinions. Give God's opinion. God's word says this. So be clear on that. James 1.26, he goes on further, because he's just this is earlier in 18, 19 and 20. Now at verse 26, it says this. If anyone thinks he's religious without, look it. Without controlling what? Without controlling his tongue, his religion is what? Useless. And he deceives himself. Do you remember last week when he talked about one of the temptations that we have in sin? How we can be deceived. So now he's just carrying that further. Just from verses 14, 15, 6, 14, and 15. And now he's bringing it up again in verse 26. Here's what I want you to do when it comes to speaking without controlling his tongue.

Proverbs 1019 says this.

So you want to tell your kids how to be wise. Then get them to start listening more. Oh, but wait a minute. I'm telling you what to tell your kids. But what's God telling us? Do you want to be do you want to be wise? Let me give you another one. Proverbs 17, 28. Even a fool is considered what? Wise when he what? Keep silent. Now let me give you something that uh will make you smile. It is better to keep silent and have people think you are a fool. Okay? See it on the screen? Here's the rest of it. It's better to keep silent and have people think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

They're gonna say, oh, what a stupid guy. Hey, well it's you know, it's better to keep silent and have them think uh they don't know. Then open your mouth and really prove you don't know. Proverbs 2920. Do you see a man who speaks too soon? There's more hope for him than for a fool than him don't speak too soon always better to wait that's why Proverbs says it this way sometimes when two people are having an argument and you're supposed to listen to to decide who's right and who's wrong with your kids you ever get caught in that he did this oh she did this once in a while we had that happen with our kids and so he's saying listen the first person that speaks you go oh yeah yeah you're there were yeah you've got a good point there and then the other guy says oh wait a minute that's not the whole story and then they give you the rest of the story and you go oh you you thought they were right until they spoke and then you said oh that's what Proverbs talks about and that's what James is trying to warn us about there's more hope for a fool than for him if he speaks too soon wait and hear the whole story before you before you speak Jesus did it this way Mark chapter 14 then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus don't you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you but Jesus kept what he could have said listen you want to know the truth you want to know the whole story but Jesus just kept silent in the midst of trials trials and temptations reveal who's in charge of our lives or are we in charge or it's the Lord if the Lord's in charge of our lives you want to know if the Lord's in charge of your life are you quick to hear and slow to speak or do you jump right in and want to go go at people here are the four responses.

Quick ear what was the second one a cautious tongue okay third one a calm temper which picture I couldn't I couldn't come up with a picture of calm and maybe maybe unless I could get a lion with a lamb you know and say you know it's that that's not the lion is calm and in the midst of the lamb but so what I did is I took the one where the guy is losing his his temper he's he's angry he's going at it but here's what the text says when when you look at that guy the text says it this way in James 19 and 20 my dearly loved brothers understand this in the midst of trials and temptations everyone must be quick to hear slow to speak and slow to what anger but you've you've been on the on the highway when somebody's driving and they don't like what you've done and they're giving you a piece of their you know mine through the window or they're hitting the horn real hard they call it road rage because they've lost their their they're not calm in that sense Proverbs 151 says it this way a gentle answer turns away anger but but a harsh word stirs up wrath this is the the Christian standard Bible King James is more a soft answer, turns away wrath.

You know, just being gentle. You want to turn away anger. Hey, what how can how can I help solve the problem here? Instead of just going at them. Anger's where we really want to go. You ever seen something like this? On a golf course, somebody gets out there and they know it's it's amazing to me. I I'm not a very I don't golf much. I I can't I can't even tell the last time I we were golfing. I golf with my brother once in a while and I golf with I used to golf with guys in our church, they'd want to go, and I'd say, okay, I'll I'll golf with you if you'll play. I said, i i if you're not serious about this, you know, I I'd I'm I'm just out to have fun and have fellowship. But guys, you know, the ball is uh an inch and a half in diameter, just a little ball.

But guys get so upset, and they just wanna when I play golf, you know what I play? I play best ball. You know what best ball is? Best ball is, you know, if you're playing with four guys, whoever hits the best ball, everybody takes their ball wherever their ball went and put it right by the best ball. And and you play the best ball each time. Or and if if none of the four of you have a best ball, you keep hitting until there's a best ball, and then you pick up all the other balls and you go to where the best ball was. But this kind of a guy, you know, I I have to tell you, I'll I'll tell you two little quick stories about people losing their temper. I I was golfing one time with a guy. It was a windy day.

It was on it was on a golf course called Shiloh Park Golf Course. And every golf course has area has water hazards. And every time, ever it just seem it just seems inevitable. Every time you hit up and you have to hit over water, yeah, it almost it's almost like your ball is calling out, baptize me. Baptize me, you know. It it's it's just it's gonna go in the water. So I'm I'm golfing with this guy. Hey, a really good friend. I I would even say he's like a like a brother to me. And so he's he's hitting the ball. It was a long, it was on the eighth, I can tell you exactly. It was on the eighth hole of a nine-hole golf course. And the water, it was like 300 yards out. He got a great hit all the way at you know 240 yards.

So you got 60 yards to go over the water and right to the hole. He hits, he hits that second hit, he baptizes the ball. He's exhausted, he gets another ball out of the bag, he puts it down, he's getting ready to swing, he he swings and he baptizes another ball. Well, every time you do that, you know, it's a a couple of strokes, you know, the penalty, you have to hit back where you are, and you the pelly stroke. And so it comes time for the third ball. Now the wind is really blowing. And this guy's this guy's hair keeps blowing in his face. And so he's he's like this, trying to come back, and he hits the third ball and he goes up, and he baptizes that one too. He's so frustrated. He broke his club.

Now, it's not this guy on the screen, but the guy that was with me broke his club. That night, I call his house. I disguise my voice. He answers the phone. And I say, this is Shiloh Park golf course. And we understand that this afternoon, you lost your temper on the golf course. And we're gonna have to ask you never to come back. And he's and then I started laughing, and then he knew, you know, he knew it was me. But you know, a soft answer turns away wrath. You know, you just you're just trying to say, hey, relax. But another true story uh of a guy that really did this, and the the story I just told you is absolutely true, but another guy that did this, he kept hitting his ball into the water, and he got so upset.

True story, that he took his golf bag, clubs and all, did the discus throw. You ever you ever seen somebody throw a discus? And they here's the golf bag, and here's the pond, and he goes like this, and just hurdles golf golf clubs and bag and everything into the water. That's when you know you've lost your what? Temper. You've lost it. The guy was so upset, he went walking off the golf course. Everybody thought, huh, he's done. A few moments later, he comes back.

He waded into the water, got his clubs, dragged them out, unzipped the front pocket, took out his car keys, and then threw the golf clubs back in. Apparently, finished forever. If you want to watch some really funny kind of things, go to like a YouTube and just go uh type in uh angry golfers, and you'll have some of the funniest things I could have shown you some. Interestingly enough to me, I've never seen a video of a woman angry and golfing. Guys are pretty good at that, you know, and what does he say? Listen, be slow, be quick to hear, slow to speak, and when it comes to anger, I want you to really be cautious, you know, with this.

Anger. He's talking about anger. And he's talking about when you have trials and temptations, that what do you do with anger? Just put it down, let it go. Someone said years ago, anger, look at this screen, anger is only one letter short of this. And you can teach your kids that you can teach others that I hope the Holy Spirit's teaching you that no sense getting angry about something, it's just gonna lead to problems. Trials and temptations reveal who's in charge of our lives. Are we in charge? Or is the Lord in charge?

He's gonna give us four responses that will reveal whether the Lord's in charge of what's going on in your life, or whether you're in charge.

I want you to have a cautious tongue. I want you to have a calm temper. Look, if you have your Bibles there, look at the text, and what's the next one? So that as you open up the text, you're saying, okay, what is he, what is he saying I need to do here. By the way, uh, I I have several Bibles. You can almost tell what I've been preaching from the Bible where it's all marked up and different stuff, and but I use my phone now is almost what I use for the Bible all the time, because I I have my Bible all the time, and I have all my commentaries on here and everything else. When you come here to church, we have a an internet, you could be looking at it.

U version. U version has over a hundred translations of the Bible free, and you can just go there. And in many of those translations of the Bible, they will read it to you. So, what's the fourth response he's telling us to do in James? I want you to have a quick ear. I want you to have a cautious tongue, I want you to have a calm temper, and I want you to have a clean what? Heart. I'll throw this picture again. If you want to do this for those of you who have kids, if you want to just take a look at this even during the week and just say to the kids, hey, let's let's just print this out and and just have them look at the four responses that they need to have. It'll help them learn God's word.

Here's what the text says when it comes to a pure heart. Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil. Where do they where does that come? In your heart. You know, get rid of all this moral filth and evil and receive the implanted word which is able to save you. What was our question this morning? And we talked about how God's word can keep us from sin. If I hide God's word in my heart, uh, let me give it to you in Psalm 119, and I don't have it for the screen, okay, so I'm gonna just say it to you. Psalm 119, verses 9, 10, and 11. You probably know verse 11. Verse 9 says King James, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

With my whole heart have I sought thee. Oh, let me not wander from thy way. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you. So what does God's word begin to do? Ephesians 5 says it's it's like the water of the word. The word becomes like water, and it washes, you know, it it works in our lives to move our hearts to follow him. Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 and 2 says it this way. Therefore, since we also have such a large uh cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside what every weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance, the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus.

By the way, endurance there is also remember when we were looking at James 1 when it had endurance, it's also the word patience. Let us run with patience and with endurance, the race that's set before us right now in the Middle East, there's really conflict going on in Israel, the Gaza Strip, the Iranian culture, what's going on with the Palestinians versus the Jewish people? What's interesting is when it comes time uh for the Olympics, countries seem to be able to do things together. But do you remember back in 2012? The Olympics were in Istanbul.

Turkey, just north the Mediterranean. When it came time for the 800 meter race for the women. Do you remember this person? Orud Sawaha. She was a Palestinian that was going to run this race. She did run the race. And her country required what? That she had to be completely covered and couldn't run. How do most people running the Olympics run? They lay aside all the what? The weight. So that nothing, nothing is going to slow them down. But her country said, oh no, we have you need to be completely covered and so much so that you know you can't show any anything of, you know, anything but your face, your hands.

Do you know what place she came in? She didn't get to the finals, but in her heat, she came in last. Why would she come in last? Because she had extra weight, extra baggage. What's the Lord saying about our lives? He says, I want you to run, you know, lay aside all the weight that so easily slows you down and run with endurance the race that God put before you, looking under Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. This poor gal, yeah. She probably could have done much better had she not had to have all those weights.

But that was her requirement. And she came in last.

They could have complained to God. They could have said, Oh, I can't believe you're how did you have to let this happen? I trusted you, and I thought you said you'd come that I might have life and have it more abundantly. Is this abundant life? I'm without a home, I don't have my job, I don't, our kids are they could have, but he says, Oh, be slow to speak, be quick to hear, be calm when it comes to your temper. What's your response in those difficult times? Let's pray, shall we? Heavenly Father, we're asking that you take us and move in our hearts and lives so that our response, our response to you and to others, will be exactly what you laid out in your word for us to receive today. While your heads are bowed, while your eyes are closed, can I say to you right now?

You know, when it comes to your spouse, or your family members, or the people you work with, do you have a quick either? You want to hear? You want to listen. You want to be such a good listener that the people that are struggling saying for listening to me today.

Thanks for letting me just tell you what's on my heart. Can you say I want to be so to speak? I want to be quickly here. I want to be calm in my temper. And I want to have a pure heart. Take this word and use it to make me more like you.

And in my life this week.

Amen.

Come thou fount of every blessing. Tune my heart to sing thy grace. Streams of mercy, never ceasing. Call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some odious song sung by flame tongues above. Praise a mountain, fixed upon it, Mount of thy deeming love. And here I raise my heaven easer hither by thy help I'm come, and I hope by thy good pleasure, safely to rive at home.

Jesus on me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God, he to rescue me from danger.

Oh to grace, how great a deader daily I'm constrained to be.

God I love. Here's my heart, Lord. Take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above. Prone to wander. Prone to wander, Lord. I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my Lord. Take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above. You know that song resonates in your heart. There are times you're kind of prone to go sideways. One of the words in that song, here I raise my Ebenezer. What did you mean by when you just sang that? Well, let me tell you, Ebenezer is from a Hebrew word.

Means I'm going to raise my Ebenezer. Here I raise my Ebenezer. It's the Hebrew word for stone of health. It's what David, when he took five smooth stones out of the wadi, and he used one of them to kill Goliath. Let's let's be using uh our rock, our rock of salvation in the Lord to slay the enemy of trying to get us to do wrong. Let's close in prayer, shall we? Heavenly Father, we want to pray as we close. Not just a benediction. We want to pray that you would lead our leadership. Would you guide our leadership? Uh in the next uh senior pastor here, the next lead pastor here. Thank you, Father, for this church, these wonderful people, and I'm praying that you'll give them such a wonderful shepherd in the days and months years ahead, so that this church can continue to have an impact on this neighborhood and community.

Father, would you now take us from here to give us victory this week in what we say, what we hear, and what we allow our hearts to ponder on. For it's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Grace and peace to you this week.