In this, the twelfth installment of the James: Jesus’ Bold Little Brother sermon series, Pastor Mark Driscoll preached through James 4:13–17. Planning is good. Schedules are very helpful. Hopes and dreams for the future are great. But we must submit our plans to the will of God and pray for his guidance as we go forward. Catch up on the sermon below and share the following quotes and images with your friends and family on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
What are you looking forward to, hoping for, dreaming about? Visions lead to plans. These can be God-willed; sometimes, however, they leave out God completely (“Godless”) or are so vague it’s hard to tell whether they involve God at all (“God-light”). James warns us that life is too uncertain, brief, and important to abandon our priorities.
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If you don’t know why you’re here and you don’t know where you’re going, you don’t know what to do. #boldJames
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Our sovereign Lord rules over all of history, all nations, all cultures, all races, and all of our life. #boldJames
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The goal is not to have “Lord willing” be a cliché, but instead a conviction. #boldJames
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All the little questions orbit around the big question: what is your life? #boldJames
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If you know you’re supposed to be doing something and you’re not doing it, that’s sin. #boldJames
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If you know you’re not supposed to be doing something and you’re doing that, that’s also sin. #boldJames
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Oftentimes the choice is not between good and evil but between good and best. #boldJames
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When Jesus took a nap, it was as worshipful as his miracles bc that’s what the Father had given him to do. #boldJames
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Jesus had a clear sense of exactly what he was to be doing & that’s what he devoted his time & energy to. #boldJames
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Jesus didn’t start worshiping when he stopped hammering. #boldJames
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Jesus was worshiping through hammering, and then he was worshiping through preaching. It was all worship. #boldJames
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Recommended resources
For those who would like to delve deeper into the topics covered by the sermon, we’ve collected a few good places to start.
If the Lord wills
Sermon by John Piper
“The point is that for James, and for God, it matters whether a true view of life informs and shapes the way you think and how you speak about your plans. Your mindset matters. How you talk about your plans matters. Ponder this. Believing that your life is a vapor may make no practical, bottom-line difference in whether you plan to do business in a place for one month or one year or ten years. But, in James’ mind—and he speaks for God—it makes a difference how you think about it and talk about it.”
Are you building healthy systems?
By Ed Stetzer
“Planters usually begin their planting journey with great intentions. Their strengths tend to be relationships and their passion is often looking toward Sunday mornings. With certain exceptions (large start-up teams, ideal locations, well funded), churches will not maintain the momentum that most church planters are wanting. Start-up is not easy, but it is often when the church has the most receptivity in the community. Response from open people create a sense of momentum, but that momentum must be transferred to systems. Intentional systems, processes, and cultures are critical to long-term impact in new contemporary churches.”
4 Time management tips for leaders
By Pastor Joe Stengele
“Managing your time well is essential for productive leadership. Here are four tips to help you grow and make the most of your time. I get to meet lots of leaders. Some are young, some are old, but without a doubt the ones who get the most done always manage their time well.”
A secret to longevity in ministry
By Pastor Mark Driscoll
Longevity in ministry is in part enabled by the Holy Spirit-enabled ability to find people continually and genuinely fascinating.
Planning and the urgency of obedience
By Pastor Jason Skelton
“We all plan. It’s just a way to get from point A to point B. We live with discontentment in the way things are and make plans for the way we want them to be. James 4 gives some surprising instruction of the futility of plans, and the urgency of obedience.”
7 Sabbath killers
By Pastor Mark Driscoll
The Sabbath is not a mandate for Christians, but it’s still a good idea, a gift from God to enjoy. Yet there are plenty of ways we sabotage the Sabbath rest God intends for us.
