People helping people, find life with Jesus, one life at a time.

• Joy In Jesus.
• Biblically Saturated.
• Generous Relationships.
• Intentional Apprenticeship.
• Desperate and Dependent Prayer.

Follow Jesus 🡪 Build Community 🡪 Seek Transformation

Follow Jesus:

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Am I experiencing JOY in the midst of suffering as an expression of unshakable faith?

Build Community:

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Am I pursuing God through his Word with other Followers of Jesus to think biblically about everything I encounter in my Monday through Saturday?

Seek Transformation:

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Am I on mission, actively Praying and Watching as an Everyday Missionary to STEP into sharing to hope of life with Jesus?

People helping people, find life with Jesus, one life at a time.

• Joy In Jesus.
• Biblically Saturated.
• Generous Relationships.
• Intentional Apprenticeship.
• Desperate and Dependent Prayer.

Follow Jesus 🡪 Build Community 🡪 Seek Transformation

Follow Jesus:

​

Build Community:

​

Seek Transformation:

​

Am I experiencing JOY in the midst of suffering as an expression of unshakable faith?

Am I pursuing God through his Word with other Followers of Jesus to think biblically about everything I encounter in my Monday through Saturday?

Am I on mission, actively Praying and Watching as an Everyday Missionary to STEP into sharing to hope of life with Jesus?

People helping people, find life with Jesus, one life at a time.

• Joy In Jesus.
• Biblically Saturated.
• Generous Relationships.
• Intentional Apprenticeship.
• Desperate and Dependent Prayer.

Follow Jesus 🡪 Build Community 🡪 Seek Transformation

Follow Jesus:

​

Am I experiencing JOY in the midst of suffering as an expression of unshakable faith?

Build Community:

​

Am I pursuing God through his Word with other Followers of Jesus to think biblically about everything I encounter in my Monday through Saturday?

Seek Transformation:

​

Am I on mission, actively Praying and Watching as an Everyday Missionary to STEP into sharing to hope of life with Jesus?

Inspiring multi-generational communitIES towards a lifetime of following Jesus, building community, seeking transformation of our homes, neighborhoods and world.

We desire to increasingly model and give our faith away to future generations, so they have what we have.�

• Impacts our Campus. Our campus team will reengage Building God’s Way.

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• Impacts our Staffing. Jack is increasing to Full time by stepping into vacant Communications director role.

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• Impacts our Ministry Structures. Multi-generational community and God’s heart for human sexuality.

A STUDY THROUGH

THE BOOK OF JAMES

James 5:13-18

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

James 5:13-18

¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

All kinds of questions….

• Whose faith brings the healing?
• Can our physical sickness be caused by sin?
• Can prayer change Gods mind?
• What about the prayer of a righteous person makes the prayer effective? Do you have to go to the elders to have a shot?
• Is getting prayers answered simply a matter of marshaling enough faith?
• Is James saying the prayer of faith will inevitably bring about healing every time because of a certain formula?

All kinds of questions….

• Are we praying for things already determined?
• If God has all the power how does prayer have power?
• How is the confession of our sins related to prayer?
• What do we need to do to get more of our prayers answered?
• What is the “prayer of faith”?
• What causes the person to be forgiven?

James 5:13-18

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him PRAY. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them PRAY over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the PRAYER of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

James 5:13-18

¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and PRAY for one another, that you may be healed. The PRAYER of a righteous person has great power as it is working. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he PRAYED fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸ Then he PRAYED again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

• We should pray in all circumstances.
• We should each pray for ourselves.
• We should sometimes ask the elders to pray for us.
• We should all pray for one another.
• We should be confident that our prayers make a difference.

• We should pray in all circumstances.

James 5:13-18

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Actual State

Desired State

What is suffering?

The gap = suffering

- Dan Jones -

Actual State

Desired State

What is suffering?

THE GAP

- Dan Jones -

FIRST response OR LAST resort?

X

X

X

X

X

-Trial

- Pain

- Sadness�worry, anger, bitterness, despair, resentment

- Incomplete

Natural �Life Cycle

Our Perspective Of Life

X

X

X

X

X

-Trial

- Pain

- Sadness

Complete

Life Cycle

Of

Faith

God’s Perspective (wisdom)

+ Joy

+ Joy

+ Joy

+ Joy

James 5:13-18

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

• We should pray in all circumstances.
• We should each pray for ourselves.

James 5:13-18

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let HIM pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

“The most central thing we are doing is to teach people to pray.  This is our genius as Christians, this access to God, this life of intimacy with God… The Christian presence needs to be a praying presence…I do not mean simply praying for people, although that is involved.  I mean teaching them to pray, helping them to listen to what God is saying, helping them to form an adequate response.  Teaching people to pray is teaching them to treat all the occasions of their lives as alters on which they receive His gifts.”

Subversive Spirituality. P. 159-160

“Prayer is a life that you are immersed in.  It is the interiorness of our life in relationship to the God who has spoken to us – so deep within us there is a dialogic reality (a dialogue).  God spoke life into being, and we answer it.  This is the way our life is: As our life enters this lively word, this revelation, prayer is living our life now in response to that.  Prayer cannot be confined to a certain period of time.  It is only nurtured in those disciplines, and we realize certain aspects of it during those times.  At one point I realized that when I’m spending time in the external act of prayer – where someone could see through a knothole and say I was praying –

– I’m not really praying then; I’m just getting ready to pray.  When I get up off my knees or out of my chair at 8 o’clock, that’s when I start praying.  That other time of saying my prayers is just the time I spend getting ready to pray.  It’s getting rid of distractions and making pre-decided things about the day that give me room so that I’m not swallowed up by everybody else’s agenda.”

Subversive Spirituality. P. 203

#PRAYWATCHSTEP

• We should pray in all circumstances.
• We should each pray for ourselves.
• We should sometimes ask the elders to pray for us.

James 5:13-18

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Views of the oil:

• A Practical purpose:
• Medicinal: Using oil for medical purposes was a common practice in the ancient world and is reflected in other New Testament contexts: in the parable of the Samaritan, oil and wine are used to soothe his wounds (Luke 10:34), and Jesus sends the twelve out to cast out demons and to anoint the sick with oil (Mark 6:13).
• A Religious Purpose:

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Views of the oil:

• A Practical purpose:
• Medicinal:
• A Religious Purpose:
• Sacramental: That is, the oil itself possesses a mediating divine power. The Western church continued this practice for many centuries—finally the Roman Catholic church gave to the priest the exclusive right to perform this ceremony and developed the sacrament of extreme unction (the anointing for death)—however, James’ text has little to do with preparation for death.

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Views of the oil:

• A Practical purpose:
• Medicinal:
• A Religious Purpose:
• Sacramental:
• Symbolic: Anointing frequently symbolizes the consecration of persons or things for God’s use and service in the OT. In the NT anointing is often a metaphor for consecration to God’s service (Luke 4:18 [=Isa61:1]; Acts 4:27; 10:38; 2 Cor 1:21; Heb 1:9 [=Ps 45:7]). If James has this background in mind, then he would be recommending that the elders anoint the sick person in order vividly to show how that person is being set apart for God’s special attention in prayer.

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James 5:13-18

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And IF he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

The Prayer of Faith.

What he isn’t saying…

• Just have more faith.

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• If you just muster up all the faith you have…

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• If you have enough faith…

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• Its all about the passion of your faith…

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"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”��- A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy�

It’s the communication with God that flows from our ever-growing conviction that God...

• Exists
• has limitless power

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It’s the communication with God that flows from our ever-growing conviction that God...

• Exists
• has limitless power
• Is always acting to promote His glory

​

I Samuel 12:22

22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.

Psalm 106:7-8

7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,�did not consider your wondrous works;�they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. 8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power.

Romans 9:17

17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

It’s the communication with God that flows from our ever-growing conviction that God...

• Exists
• has limitless power
• Is always acting to promote His glory
• Is abounding in love for us

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I Samuel 12:20-22

²⁰ And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. ²¹ And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 

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22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.

Psalm 25:11

11 For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great.

Psalm 79:9

9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake!

1 John 2:12

12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.

1 Peter 2:9

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

It’s the communication with God that flows from our ever-growing conviction that God...

• Exists
• has limitless power
• Is always acting to promote His glory
• Is abounding in love for us
• Is gladly working for our good

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James 1:2-4

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

It’s the communication with God that flows from our ever growing conviction that God... is gladly working for our good.��(Not primarily changing our circumstances.)

God wants us to join Him in His mission and to empower us to forgive others as evidence of our forgiveness.

Mark 11:24

24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

John 14:13-14

13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 15:7

7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

James 4:2b

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“You do not have, because you do not ask.”

It’s the communication with God that flows from our ever-growing conviction that God...

• Exists
• has limitless power
• Is always acting to promote His glory
• Is abounding in love for us
• Is gladly working for our good
• Is to be treasured above all else

​

James 5:13-18

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

• We should pray in all circumstances.
• We should each pray for ourselves.
• We should sometimes ask the elders to pray for us.
• We should all pray for one another.

James 5:13-18

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

James 5:13-18

¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

• We should pray in all circumstances.
• We should each pray for ourselves.
• We should sometimes ask the elders to pray for us.
• We should all pray for one another.
• We should be confident that our prayers make a difference.

James 5:13-18

¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

The Story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:16–46

• About one hundred years since King David ruled a united Israel.
• The kingdom is now divided between Israel in the North and Judah in the South.
• Ahab is king and worshiped the idol Baal.
• 1 Kings 17:1, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
• 1 Kings 18:22 “Then Elijah said to the people, ‘I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.’”

The Story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:16–46

1 Kings 18:32-35 “And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, ‘Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.’ And he said, ‘Do it a second time.’ And they did it a second time. And he said, ‘Do it a third time.’ And they did it a third time. And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.”

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1 Kings 18:37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 

1 Kings 18:38 “Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.”

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1 Kings 18: 39 “And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, ‘The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.’”

Take-aways:

• We rest in God’s sovereign plan.
• God’s sovereign will, will always be done.
• God has not only designed the ends, but also the means.

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Take-aways:

• We rest in God’s sovereign plan.
• We realize our essential role.
• Our prayers are a part of God’s grand design.
• God has designed our prayers to help us participate in His ultimate plan.
• Our prayers matter.

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Take-aways:

• We rest in God’s sovereign plan.
• We realize our essential role.
• We pray with DESPERATE DEPENDENCE.
• So we pray…as an expression of our faith.
• So we pray…as a primary way through which we are brought into closer, deeper fellowship with God.
• So we pray…believing prayer is the means through which God often accomplishes His sovereign will.

Participate in a Life Group.

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Start a prayer journal.

What Might I pray for?

• Pray for a greater understanding of God and a deeper desire to promote His glory.
• Pray for greater desire to pray for a greater understanding of God.
• Ask for a desire to pray for a desire for deeper understanding of God.
• Pray that God would be glorified in every context by our faithful response.
• Pray that God would heal for our joy, and more importantly, for His glory.

Valley of Vision -- Confession and Petition

Holy Lord, I have sinned times without number, and been guilty of pride and unbelief, of failure to find Thy mind in Thy Word, of neglect to seek Thee in my daily life. My transgressions and short-comings present me with a list of accusations, but I bless Thee that they will not stand against me, for all have been laid on Christ. Go on to subdue my corruptions, and grant me grace to live above them. Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings of the mind bring my spirit into subjection, but do Thou rule over me in liberty and power.

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Valley of Vision -- Confession and Petition

I thank Thee that many of my prayers have been refused. I have asked amiss and do not have, I have prayed from lusts and been rejected, I have longed for Egypt and been given a wilderness. Go on with Thy patient work, answering ‘no’ to my wrongful prayers, and fitting me to accept it. Purge me from every false desire, every base aspiration, everything contrary to Thy rule. I thank Thee for Thy wisdom and Thy love, for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject, for sometimes putting me into the furnace to refine my gold and remove my dross.

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Valley of Vision -- Confession and Petition

No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin. If Thou shouldst give me choice to live in pleasure and keep my sins, or to have them burnt away with trial, give me sanctified affliction. Deliver me from every evil habit, every accretion of former sins, everything that dims the brightness of Thy grace in me, everything that prevents me taking delight in Thee. Then I shall bless Thee, God of jeshurun, for helping me to be upright.

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