#BibleLesson Timeless Truths. Developing a Faith that Works – How to Handle Arguments - Part a



This is the penultimate post in this Developing a Faith that Works Series.URLs from previous weeks are listed as part of this opening statement.

URLs.

1/28/2021 - https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/2021/01/biblelesson-timeless-truths-gods-keys.html

2/04/2021 - https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/2021/01/biblelesson-timeless-truths-gods-keys_26.html

2/11/2021 – https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/2021/02/biblelesson-timeless-truths-gods-keys.html

2/18/2021 - https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/2021/02/biblelesson-timeless-truths-gods-keys_5.html

2/25/2021 - https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/2021/02/biblelesson-timeless-truths-developing.html

3/04/2021 – https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/2021/02/biblelesson-timeless-truths-developing_23.html

3/04/2021- https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/2021/03/biblelesson-timeless-truths-developing.html

3/11/2021- https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/2021/03/biblelesson-timeless-truths-developing_9.html

 

From the last post:

WHY MUST YOU WATCH WHAT YOU SAY?

Some people are born with a silver foot in their mouth! 

 

Our months get us into a lot of trouble James talks more about the tongue than anyone else in the New Testament. Every chapter in the Book of James says something about managing your mouth. “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect [mature, healthy] man, able to keep his whole body in check.” James says, if you can control your mouth, you will be able to control every area of your life.

 

WHY MUST YOU WATCH WHAT YOU SAY?

Your tongue displays who you are. (vv9-12)

Curses damage self-esteem.

Your attitudes change quickly as does your speech. 

Your tongue reveals your character.

 

WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?

Get a new heart.

When you are born again, you get rid of the past.

New heart + new spirit + new life = CHANGED TONGUE

 

Ask God for help every day.

You can’t control your tongue without supernatural power from God.

 

Think before you speak! (v19)

Ask God to melt your heart give you a caring heart in its place.

 

End of Review

 

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,[a] 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 he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”[c]

7 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.

James 4:1-10 (NIV)

 

In this passage, James gives us both the causes and the cures for arguments. 

 

THE CAUSE OF ARGUMENTS: V1. What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?

  • Conflicts of desires cause arguments.
  • Humans are born with this capacity.
  • Frustrated feelings cause fights.

Marriages are often

  1. Happy honeymoon
  2. Party’s over
  3. Let’s make a deal…

 

The Desire to Have (Possessions) V2. You want what you don’t have... You long for what others have… (Living Bible)


Legitimate desires, when they become #1 for you  CONFLICT

  • Use things and love people – B.J. Thomas song on this topic from 1979.
  • Loving things leads to using people.
  • Children don’t want stuff as much as they want your time.
  • A Gallop Poll in the early 2000s: 56% of all divorces are from money issues.
The Desire to Feel (Pleasure) V3b …you want only what will give you pleasure.

  • It’s not wrong to want to enjoy life. 

Tell those who are rich not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone, but their pride and trust should be in the living God who always richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17 - Living Bible

  • However, when that becomes #1, conflict and resentment build.

The Desire to Be (Pride & Power) Proverbs 13:10 Pride leads to arguments; be humble, take advice, and become wise.  – Living Bible

  • The “me first” syndrome.
  • You live life as “ME.”
  • “Watch me” is subtly expressed in clothes, cars, etc.
  • You live in “me time” all the time.
  • You are wrong, but you refuse to admit it, which extends conflict.

…You do not have because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives… Vv2b-3a


You don’t pray. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:19

  • You don’t ask God, you look to people to fulfill your life.
  • You’d have more peace if you prayed more!

You have the wrong motives. V6b “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.

  • Pray with the proper spirit for needs and desires.
  • When you are in conflict, prayer often gets set aside.
  • Prayerlessness is evidence of pride in your life.

 

The last post in this series, How to Handle Arguments – Part b, is next week.


Commit to making time each week to measure your Christian walk against the standard James presents.

Thanks to Pastor Larry Pitcher for the primary teachings in this post.

 

 

SEO: Bible study, New Testament, thinking, knowing God

 

Follow me on 

Facebook (minimally): https://www.facebook.com/CRDowningAuthor

 

My website is: www.crdowning.com

Email: crd.author@gmail.com

 

My Blogs

Life as I see it. Topics rotate between those of general interest to lovers of life,  authors, teachers—probably you, too. Occasional posts on Mondays or Tuesdays. http://crdowning-author.blogspot.com/?alt=rss

 

My Christian Context. Posts Monday/Wednesday of discussion questions. Thursdays - Timeless Truths. Fridays - Expressions of Faith. https://mychristiancontext.blogspot.com/  

 

I appreciate your feedback on Blogger!

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts