All right, James chapter 4. I'll ask you to stand if you're able. You can follow along as I read,

if not where you're seated is fine. James, by the Holy Spirit, writes verse 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.

Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he

is caused to dwell in us. But verse 6, He gives us more grace. That is why the scripture

says God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble.

Submit yourselves then to God.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Come near to God and he will come near to you.

Wash your hands, you sinners. Sorry. And purify your hearts,

you double-minded. You gotta love James. It gets better. Actually, it gets worse, verse 9.

Grieve, mourn, and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Humble yourselves, verse 10, before the Lord, and He will lift you up. Oh, Lord,

we need you now. Wow. We need the Holy Spirit. Lord, you're going to have to be our teacher and teach us.

And Lord, when you do, we want to be teachable.

So that when you speak and when you minister to us we don't just hear your word but

take heed to your word.

Lord, this is here for a reason and we need for you to show us why you inspired James to write this and why this particular

passage would rise to the level of being included in the canon of Scripture as inspired.

So Lord, we're going to submit to you, commit our time to you with great anticipation

as you speak into our lives as you're always so faithful to in Jesus' name.

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