• Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 8, 6; 5:32-33

• God laid out the path for His people. Joshua 1:7

• Proverbs 4:26-27; Deuteronomy 12:32

• Proverbs 30:5-6

• An example

  • Numbers 22:18 – Balaam could only speak from God. He could not speak what originated from himself.

  • Numbers 24:13

  • I Peter 4:11

  • Revelation 22:18-19

  • II John 1:9

  • II Timothy 3:16-17

• New Testament authority

  • Matthew 7:21 – It isn’t enough to just to say Jesus’ name.

  • Galatians 3:15; Psalms 89:34

  • Galatians 1:6-9

  • I Corinthians 4:6

  • Matthew 16:19; John 15:20; 7:23; 10:35 (Matthew 5:18-19)

  • John 14:26; 16:13

  • I Corinthians 2:6-13; II Peter 1:20-21

  • Acts 2:39

  • At times, inspired men didn’t fully understand what they themselves said or wrote as prophecy. I Peter 1:10-12; Daniel 12:8-9

[Sorry, no audio due to technical difficulties. -MRW]

• Chapter 1: Trials

  • What is a trial? James 1:2

    • An experiment or attempt, tried, or tested.

  • We are tested or approved.

    • A struggle of a spiritual nature.

  • How might trials look today?

    • Examples of trials à Conflicts, sufferings, troubles

    • Persecutions

  • Reasons we have trials (James 1:3-4)

    • Testing of your faith produces patience.

    • Trials fill the gaps in our character.

      • I Peter 1:6-7 (builds us up)

      • Romans 5:3-4 (perseverance, character, and hope)

  • Our attitude toward trials

    • Count it all joy – James 1:2

    • Be patient … let it have its work (James 1:3-4). Sometimes its turbulent. Matthew 14:25-32

      • That you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:4
        • Idea of standing fast under pressure
      • Hebrews 12:3-11 – Trials produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

  • James tells us “how to” endure trials.

    • If we lack wisdom (James 1:5) … ask of God … Pray.

      • The promise is that we will receive it.

    • But ask in faith and ask with no doubting. James 1:6

    • How can we doubt in prayer? Mark 11:23

    • Why is doubt wrong?

    • When we doubt we are tossed like waves driven by the wind.

    • This is how we gain wisdom. We endure trials and we ask in faith without doubting.

    • Remember that the wisdom of God starts with a genuine reverence for the Almighty. Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 9:10

  • Examples of trials

    • Comparing the rich and lowly (James 1:9-11)
      • James 4:13; Luke 12:16-20

  • Trials and temptations (James 1:12-15)

    • There are blessings involved in enduring temptation.

    • Our reward is the crown of life that the Lord has promised.

      • To those who love Him. John 14:15

    • It is possible to endure. James 1:12

      • I Corinthians 9:27

    • Temptations are not from God. James 1:13

    • God is not tempted and does not tempt us. I Corinthians 10:13

    • James 1:14 – Temptation comes from our own desires.

    • James 1:15-16 – Desire leads to sin, sin leads to death.

    • Example: An addict … a habit, once acquired, eventually controls that person.

    • James 1:17-18 – Don’t be deceived, good and perfect gifts are from God. God doesn’t tempt us but our trials are there to strengthen us, to perfect and complete us.

  • Qualities we need

    • James 1:19-21 – Have a teachable spirit. This is how we will acquire these abilities.

• Genesis 6-8 is not just a story. It’s a historical account.

• Romans 15:4

• I Corinthians 1:11

• Genesis 6-8

  • About 2500 B.C. The earth was roughly 2500 years old at this point.

  • Genesis 6:1-2 – We have numerous examples in the Bible of men being influenced to evil by women. Proverbs 31 shows that women can also be great influencers for good in the world. Ephesians 5:25.

  • Genesis 6:3 – II Peter 2:2-5; I Peter 3:20. God waited 120 years. Noah preached to try to get the people to repent.

• Only adults were on the ark. Would you have gotten on the ark if there were no kids the age of your kids? What about if there were no adults your age?

• There weren’t many people on the ark. Would you have gotten on the ark if there were only a few people?

• Romans 6:3-4 – We are buried with Christ through baptism. We are not saved by water like Noah and those on the ark were. I Peter 3:21. If you reason that baptism is salvation by works, you wouldn’t have gotten on the ark!

• Matthew 7:13-14

• People that depend on “death bed repentance” would not have gotten on the ark.

• Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:28

[Sorry, no audio available due to technical difficulties. -MRW]

• Genesis 1:1

• Is there any reason to believe the Bible is true and that God exists?

• Design implies a designer

  • Romans 1:18-20

  • Johnny Matheny and his bionic arm – obviously designed!

    • The arm of a baby – not designed?

  • Stonehenge – obviously designed!

    • The universe – not designed?

      • The universe is too finely tuned to have been a cosmic accident.

      • Genesis 1:1-19

      • Psalms 19:1-6

      • Isaiah 45:18

      • Rebuttal: multiverse? “If you don’t want God, you’d better have a multiverse.”

  • A book – obviously designed!

    • DNA – not designed?

      • Francis Crick himself saw no way that DNA could have assembled on its own. He called it a “miracle.”

      • The SETI project even infers that information implies intelligence.

  • Outboard motor – obviously designed!

    • Bacterial flagellum – not designed?

      • The field of biomimicry is growing as we learn more from creation.

      • Job 38:1-7; 39:1, 5-6, 19-20, 26-27

      • Rebuttal: “God of the gaps” fallacy

• II Peter 3:3

• https://ApologeticsPress.org for further reading.