Source of Temptation
James 1:13-18

Sunday September 21st, we dive into James 1:13-18 with a message entitled – FAITH DOES: Source of Temptation – Born Identity.  James moves us from considering the impact of trials, tribulations, and challenges to our faith to considering the nature of temptations and their impact on our faith.  Temptations and trials are not the same thing.  They are different and impact our lives differently.  

Trials have the potential to grow our faith.  Temptations have a way of steering our faith into a ditch.  Trials are often events and realities that happen around us, to us, arriving in our life from outside happenings.  Temptations are often realities that we engage from desires that war within us.  Trials often are invitations to grow in faith.  Temptations are often invitations that simply need to be resisted.  Trails are an invitation to rise above the wind and waves of life… temptations that are engaged in tend to drag us under in their undertow.  

Scripture addresses trials and temptations in many different places from many different angles.  And James has his take on it too.  When it comes to trials and tribulations, it’s important to lean into our identity in Christ.  Is our identity rooted in our own sinful desires (born identity)?  Or is our identity in Christ (our reborn identity)? 

See you Sunday!
Pastor Mark