Qualify to Receive Blessing
Omar Soto(: )
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The book of James encourages us to find joy in trials because it produces patience and growth in our faith. Temptation can also arise during these trials, but we must seek wisdom from God to navigate them. We can ask for wisdom through prayer and listening to the word of God, but we must also be doers of the word and not just hearers. The goal is not just to know the principles, but to live them out in our daily lives.
In this sermon, the speaker discusses the importance of not just listening to the word of God, but also putting it into action. He uses the analogy of a mirror, explaining that just as a mirror reflects our physical appearance, the word of God reflects our spiritual state and helps us to examine ourselves. Additionally, the word of God can transform us into the image of Christ, but this can only happen if we take action and do what the word requires of us. The speaker shares a story of a man who was hesitant to help a stranded woman, but eventually took action and was able to push her bus to safety. He uses this story to illustrate the cost of doing what the word of God requires of us, which may be difficult or unpopular, but ultimately leads us to become more like Christ. The sermon ends with a quote from Luke 6:46, where Jesus challenges his followers to not just call him Lord, but also to do what he says.
The speaker discusses the importance of building one's life on a solid foundation, like the rock that Jesus talks about in the Bible. He emphasizes the need to not just hear the word of God, but to also act on it, and to do the hard work of digging deep to establish a strong foundation. The speaker invites the audience to participate in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper as an opportunity for reconciliation and to reaffirm their commitment to building their lives on the rock that is Christ. He ends with a prayer, thanking Jesus for the sacrifice he made for our lives and asking for new beginnings.I ask that you open your Bibles to the book of the chapter of James chapter 1. I believe that this is a word that many of us know but at the same time it is strong to hear these words as well.
I believe that this is a word that we all know in James chapter one, all of us maybe be familiar with it, maybe some of you not, but still is a word that encourages us a lot in our lives.