So with that, I'll ask those of you that are able to stand.

You can follow along as I read.

If not, where you're seated is just fine.

We're going to begin in verse one.

James is writing by the Holy Spirit.

And asks really two questions in the first verse.

What causes fights and quarrels among you?

Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?

You desire, verse two, 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.

When you ask, verse 3, you do not receive because you ask with

wrong motives that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Let's pray if you would, please join with me, Father.

Wow, here we go.

Every word is in your word for a reason.

So we know this is here for us to exhort, encourage, rebuke if necessary.

But Lord, in order for that to happen, we need for the Holy Spirit to get our attention

and hold our attention.

That's not up to me. Lord, just as you get our attention, you then speak into our lives,

that which you would desire for us to hear and not only hear, but take heed to today.

So Lord, speak.

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