4.1.20 | “Growing Pains” | James 1:1-4 Study | Danny Scotton, Jr

This is the first lesson in our Bible Study series on the letter of James, which was live streamed on April 1, 2020.

In James 1:1-4, James commands Christian brothers and sisters to consider it all joy when we fall into various trials. Why? Because the testing of our faith produces perseverance.

We must persevere through the testing God allows us to endure so that this process may perfect our faith(fulness) and Christian character.

We must trust God’s refinement process! Let’s have joy (which differs from happiness) through our growing pains!

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Bible Study Video

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Live Stream Recording

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Slideshow

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Clarifications

(Time stamps from the YouTube Video not the full live stream recording)

  • ~32:00: Father Abraham had many sons… Ishmael was his firstborn (Gen 16:15) and he had several other children with a woman named, Keturah (Gen 25:1-4), whom he  married after the death of Sarah (Genesis 23). However, Isaac was his unique, one-of-a-kind (Gk. monogenes) son — the son of the covenant. As we read in Hebrews 12:

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son [monogenes] (Heb 11:17, NIV)

This Greek word does not refer to someone’s “only begotten” but one’s one (monos) of a kind (genes). This is the same word used in John 3:16:

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son [monogenes], that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.(Jn 3:16, NIV)

  • ~44:40: Jesus says that people’s fruit (i.e., words, behavior, etc.) show what kind of tree they are (spiritually, morally). Apple trees produce apples; orange trees produce oranges. Good trees produce good fruit (godly words and behavior); bad trees produce bad fruit (ungodly words and behavior). As Jesus says in Luke 6:

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Lk 6:43-45, NIV; cf. Mt 7:16-20)

  • ~1:04:00: 2 Tim 3:12 says,

12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, (2 Tim 3:12, NIV)

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