Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.1UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.08UNLIKELY
Fear
0.08UNLIKELY
Joy
0.66LIKELY
Sadness
0.2UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.73LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.72LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.84LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.63LIKELY
Extraversion
0.14UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.79LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.51LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Introduction
Big Idea: To triumph through trials, you need wisdom.
Wisdom -
Faith -
Doubt -
Ask/Prayer -
Let me ask you some questions:
What is wisdom?
What does it look like?
What does it sound like?
(Write or Draw it Out)
We will continue in our study in the letter of James.
Review The Previous Lesson On The Types, Attitude, and Advantage Of Trials
Last week, I talked about the attitude and the advantage of trials.
We are to count it all joy when we encounter different trials.
As Christians, the advantage of trials is that it produces endurance.
And the final goal of trial is so that we can become mature believers.
Purpose Of The Letter
This morning, we will discuss the “HOW.”
How can I endure trials joyfully?
How can I grow to become like Jesus through trials?
I think the “How” is found in verses 5-12, but we will only look at verses 5-8.
Get New People All Caught Up
READ .
In verse 5, we may immediately assume that James is moving on to different subject on prayer, wisdom, and doubt.
However, he is not changing subject.
There is something missing that you do not see in the English translation, but in the Greek, the beginning of verse 5 should start like this: NOW or AND if any of you lack wisdom.
He is continuing his instruction from the previous topic on trials.
Here’s the main idea for today’s lesson:
Big Idea: To triumph through trials, you need wisdom.
Notice that James says “if any of you lacks wisdom.”
There is a possibility that the Jewish Christians who were experiencing trials and suffering lacked wisdom.
What James is suggesting here is that all Christians need wisdom when they encounter trials.
All Christians are unable to triumph through trials without wisdom.
We need wisdom to live out the Christian life in the midst of trials.
But, what is wisdom?
You might have heard of wisdom as reading some wise sayings.
For instance, Uncle Ben told Peter Parker in Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Or, “patience is a virtue.”
Or, “what does not kill you makes you stronger.”
To triumph through trials, you need wisdom.
You might have heard of wisdom as something to do with making a wise decision.
As you go through high school, you are constantly making decisions, and sometimes you might have made bad ones.
And you want to make a wise decision because you do not want to regret it in the future.
But, what does the Bible say about wisdom?
Wisdom - According to the Bible, wisdom means to live life skillfully with the fear and knowledge of God.
In the middle of the Bible, you will notice the books like Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.
Those books are generally known as the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament.
The only way for us to have wisdom is this:
In the context of James, he used the book of Proverbs to instruct the Jewish Christians who were suffering.
In the midst of suffering, how can you still live out God’s will?
How can you still please God in the midst of trials?
Well, James is saying that you need to obtain wisdom.
But...
How can you obtain wisdom?
1.
To receive wisdom, you need to ask.
(v.
5a)
In other words, you need to pray!
a.
You need to ask because you need it.
I think when we experience trials, we immediately question, “why is this happening to me?”
I think that is quite fair.
It is our human nature to immediately question and get upset over it.
As teenagers, you might be experiencing trials and hardships in life, perhaps even at this moment.
Sometimes, you might suffer in SILENT, and you do not want to talk about it with anybody.
Rather, you keep the issue to yourself maybe because you are embarrassed to talk about it.
But, when you are experiencing tough times, I think deep down you want answers, you need help, or you need wisdom.
And to receive wisdom, you need to ask because you need it.
And James
b.
You need to ask because you cannot rely on your own wisdom.
When we are experiencing difficult moments, at the heat of the moment, we like to be in control.
When you are suffering in silent, maybe you keep the issue to yourself because you want to solve it on your own.
You try to solve it on your own because you think you have the wisdom to solve it, you have self-confidence, or you are smarter than everyone.
To receive wisdom, you need to ask because you cannot rely on your own.
You need to recognize that you need it.
You need to ask, but who do we ask to obtain wisdom?
To receive wisdom, you need to ask because you cannot rely on your own.
c.
You need to ask because it is that simple.
c.
You need to ask because it is that simple.
To receive God’s wisdom, you need ask God.
2. To receive wisdom, you need to ask God.
(5b)
Pray In Faith
To receive God’s wisdom, you need ask God.
Asking God for wisdom is not an option or a suggestion.
James is commanding the Christians to ask Him if they lack wisdom.
a. God is the source of all wisdom.
The Bible teaches us that God alone is wise.
One of God’s characteristics is that He is wise.
Do you know anybody who is as wise as God or who is wiser than God?
I do…Well, they’re not as wise as God, but they think they are wiser than God…they are the people who think they can live life without God (the atheists, agnostics, skeptics and etc.).
Maybe you aren’t sure if God exists or is real.
And, that’s okay.
You are welcomed to be here, to ask questions about the Christian faith, and to learn about the Bible.
I once questioned my Christian faith after high school.
But, after doing research, I became totally confident that the Bible is God’s Word and it is the only book in the world that teaches us God’s truth.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9