Sermon Notes February 08, 2026

Posted on Feb 6, 2026 in Sermon Notes |

James 5:12 — The End of Maybe                          “James”

James 5:12, ”Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Otherwise you will be condemned.”

  1. James is talking about the foolishness of __________________________.

Luke 22:33-34, ”But he replied, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.’ 34 Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know Me.’”

  1. James also wants to press home the importance of _________________________.
  2. James points out the danger of the word: ___________.

See Mark 1:15; Luke 9:62; 12:57-59; John 12:47-48

  1. Jesus didn’t think that ___________ was an acceptable response to anything related to Him.

Moving Beyond Maybe: The Joshua Challenge

“Shechem” was the place where almost every major decision, every major commitment, had been made in their history… It’s where Abraham received his first promise from God regarding Canaan; …Jacob committed himself to God; …Joseph was buried; …Kings of Israel would go to be crowned.  

See Joshua 24:14-24

 


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Sermon Notes February 01, 2026

Posted on Jan 30, 2026 in Sermon Notes |

James 5:1-11 — The Haves and the Have Nots                          “James”

James 5:1-6. “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.”

  1. James is targeting wealthy people who make wealth the _________                      of their life, who also use their wealth to ________________________   of the poor
  2. Two challenges for all us “average” wage earners:  
a) Realize wealth is ________________ to do any of us any good in the life to come.   
b) We must be _________ in our financial dealings with other people.

James 5:7-9, ”Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”

  1. You won’t get long-term patience on _________________________.  If your focus is on “this life only,” you will find it ___________________   to get through “this-life-only” stuff.

See Revelation 21:4, 27; James 2:1-4; 4:1-2, 11-12, 5:1,4

James 5:10-11, ”Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”                                                      

 


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Sermon Notes January 18, 2026

Posted on Jan 16, 2026 in Sermon Notes |

James 4:1-12 — Who You Gonna Call?                          “James”

James 4:1-6, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.4 You adulterous                 people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely? 6 But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’”

  1. Notice: James doesn’t bring up ___________ to solve conflict. He brings up _________________________ conflict. 
  2. Next: James says we get into fights because of _______________          ______________________.

 G.K. Chesterton: “The one great spiritual disease   is thinking that one is quite well.”

 James 4:7-10, “ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

  1. As Jesus-followers we are all ________  the world, but we are never, ever to be ___________ it.

 See Luke 14:34-35 and Revelation 3:15-16 

James 4:11-12,” Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.  Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”

 


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Sermon Notes January 11, 2026

Posted on Jan 8, 2026 in Sermon Notes |

James 3:13-18 — “Wisdom”    

“James”

  1. The Best Question Ever: “What is the ___________ thing to do?
  2. Wisdom flows from _________________________.

James 3:13-16, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

  1. It’s not the ______________ of truth that makes you wise. It’s the ___________________ of truth.
  2. We tend to think that wisdom is “orthodoxy” which means _______________________. It’s actually “orthopraxis,”              which is _______________________________.
  3. If envy is left unchecked the desire for the “thing” turns into a dislike for the ________________ who has the “thing”.

James 3:17-18, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.    18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”

 The staff at Lincoln St. Christian Church would like to say thank you for all your kindness and generosity especially during the Holiday Season.

 


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Sermon Notes January 04, 2026

Posted on Jan 3, 2026 in Sermon Notes |

James 3:1-12 — Best New Year’s Resolution                         “James”

James 3:1-2, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.”

  1. James point: If you can ________________ your tongue, your whole life can be ______________________.

James 3:3-6, ”When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body,     sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

  1. When you speak, here’s a few questions to ask yourself:     

 Is what I’m going to say… 

 (1)… ____________________

 (2)… ____________________   

 (3)… Being said to the _____________________.

 (4)… ____________________

James 3:7-12, “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

My final suggestion — Just Keep your ____________________.

 


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