Intro James 1:2-8

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It's Time to Grow Up - James Series, Part 2
Adam Casalino, February 8th, 2023
What does James teach us about how we grow up as believers?

1.   We grow up by patiently enduring trials (vs. 2-4)
2.   We grow up by receiving wisdom from God (verse 5)
3.   We grow up by overcoming doubt (vs. 6-8)

Main Scripture Text: James 1:2-8
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Opening remarks:
I am Adam Casalino, a member of VBVF and one of your deacons. I am also one of the men who will be teaching through James over the next few weeks. It is an honor and joy to be up here once again, on a Wednesday night, to share with you all the Word of God.

Our series is titled "Prove your Faith." We are looking at what the Apostle James has to say about proving our faith in Christ. Proving can mean a few things. It can mean proving or showing your faith to the world.

But tonight, we are looking at how God proves or refines, hones, and strengthens our faith. Specifically, how God proves your faith through the process of spiritual maturity (which we sometimes call sanctification).

To that end, the title of my message tonight is "It's Time to Grow up!"

Introduction:
When I was a child, I lived in Brooklyn with my mom and two older sisters. Once and a while, we'd have people over. Usually neighbors, church friends, and so on. We'd all have dinner together but then, at a certain point in the night, it was off to bed for the three of us.

The grown-ups would spend the rest of the hanging out, usually in the kitchen or living room. They would have a great time. But we, those poor children, were excluded.

Sometimes, we would sneak out of our bedrooms, creep down the hall, and spy on the grown-ups. They were laughing and telling stories, playing a game or watching a movie. Oh, they had such good times. They drank coffee and eat coffee cake. It was the driest cake you ever ate--but it was cake!

We'd watch them, envious, until an adult happened to look our way. Then shot off--PWEROW!--back to bed. Because we knew we were not supposed to be up past our bedtimes!

You see, as nice as it is to be a child--there is plenty that stinks. You have a bedtime, you can't drive, you don't have any money. You're told what to eat, where to go, what to do. There are perks to growing up. Because, lemme tell you, these days--if I want to stay up--I do.

Just like there are perks to growing up physically, there are--let's call them benefits--to growing up spiritually.

Some of you here tonight might be new to the faith. Others... not so much. But we all have one thing in common: we have more growing up to do. And thank God for that! Because it means, he's not done with us. As long as you are on this side of eternity, you need to grow up.

As the title of this message says, "It's time to grow up." Let's ask the question, "How do we grow up?" Well, James has some valuable insight into that.

In tonight's passage, he provides us with three important truths about how we grow in Christ.

Part 1: We grow up by patiently enduring trials (vs. 2-4)
So, what does James teach us about how we grow up as Christians? The first thing is this: 1) We grow up by patiently enduring trials. Write that down, we grow up by patiently enduring trials.

Let's look at the first three verses from our text. James 1:2-4, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

James wrote this letter to Jewish believers scattered across the Roman world. These people weren't the upper crust of society. Jews were despised by Romans and Greeks, because they were so different. And these Jews, believers in Yeshua the Messiah, didn't even have their own people to lean on. They had been kicked out of Jewish society because of their faith. You can imagine the kind of hardships they endured. So, James is writing to them saying, count it all joy when you are facing trials.

That's not an easy thing to receive, even from someone like James.

Count it all joy? When you face trials? Essentially, he is saying, "Take heart, be encouraged, have joy, when you are going through trouble." How can he say that? That's the opposite of what the world tells us to do, right? And, it's the opposite of what our flesh wants to do. Why is James saying this? Is he insane?

Let's unpack this for a moment, shall we?

When I was in Bible college, years ago, I interned for a respected Bible teacher named Dr. Howard Morgan. I designed packaging for his teaching series and whatever computer stuff he and his wife Janet didn't know how to do.

I remember him saying once that people often asked how he and his wife gained the wisdom and insight that marked their ministry. Do you know what he said? They had grown deep in faith because they had endured long seasons of brokenness.

And I remember hearing that and thinking... what!? No, no, no, no, no. That's not how it works. When we come to Christ, it's all wine and roses, right? There ain't no breaking of any kind!

It's been quite a while since that day and, do you know what? Dr. Morgan was right. He was simply saying what James is saying in this passage. Trials are used by God to grow us up.

Now, I want to take a second and clarify what we mean by trials. The Jewish believers in James's day were facing persecution. But that's not the only kind of trial he's writing about. Notice how he puts it: "trials of various kinds." He's talking about anything you go through that is hard or painful. That includes hardships, problems, and difficulties of your life.
James urges us to count it joy when we have problems. Why? He continues writing, "you know" that they are tests of your faith. You must accept that the trials in your life are ordained by God to test your faith.

Now, you may have thought I just said, "God puts trials in your life as a punishment for sin." I. Did. Not. Say. That. If you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, guess what? God has forgiven all your sins. That means God does not punish you for your sin.

Why? Because 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ hung on a tree and suffered in your place. He took God's punishment for your sins, so that today as a believer in him, you are totally forgiven. God will not punish you because you messed up. That would be unjust because Jesus took your punishment on the cross. Praise God!

So, if trials aren't a punishment from God, what are they? There are many reasons why we face problems. Sometimes a problem is the direct consequence of a bad decision. I remember my youth pastor growing up once told me as a kid, he slammed his head on the hood of his car over a girl. Lemme tell you, he suffered the consequences of that foolish decision.

Other times, bad things happen through no fault of your own. And, there are other times, and I know this can be hard to swallow, we do the right thing and bad still comes as a result. When I moved down to Florida from New York, years ago, I did the right thing and got a new job. Unfortunately, that was the worst job I ever had. I did nothing wrong, but I still suffered big time.

What you need to accept, write this down if you must, is that God is involved in the suffering. He has allowed it (for a season), so your faith can be tested, as James tells us. And, this is important, he has the solution to your problem. He's not punishing you. He gets no pleasure from seeing you in pain. He is the one that is going to help you (even if the problem was your fault).

But what does it mean for our faith to be tested by a trial? That's pretty important, if we are going to understand our first point.

Trials challenge you. They put pressure on you. They demand that you either put up or shut up over what you say you believe about Jesus Christ.

When you go through a trial, you have two choices. You can turn to God for help, trusting him to get you through the trial (doing whatever it is he directs you to do) and end up enduring the trial by his grace and strength. Let me repeat that...

Or, you can try to "fix" the problem yourself--without God's involvement--and make a bigger mess than you had before. For some people, and I've seen this, fixing the problem themselves means running from the problem. And running from every problem or uncomfortable situation they ever encounter. I promise you, you do not want to do that.

So, what happens when we do the right thing and turn to God during a trial? We go through a process that tests our faith. Peter describes it as putting gold in the fire to refine it, in 1 Peter 1:6,7. Problems have a way of removing things in your life you depend on or find comfort in other than the Lord. Sometimes, those can be good things. But even good things can become bad if they are more important to us than our relationship with Jesus.

Again, God's not doing this to punish you. If you lost a loved one, it was not because you loved them too much. God is not interested in making you miserable. He is interested in refining your faith. Growing you up. And, this is a very good thing for us--even if he takes away something we depended on. Because, in the end, nothing is capable of actually supporting us but Christ.

James goes on to explain that a trial, which tests your faith, produces something very good. Something happens inside of us. God produces steadfastness. That's the word the ESV uses here in verses three and four. In other translations, it's translated as endurance or perseverance. I like how the NKJV renders it: patience.

Now there's a word we all know and love, right? Don't you all love patience? Don't you want more patience in your life?

Buckle up, folks.

Patience is the fruit of the Spirit we all want... other people to have, maybe not ourselves. But James says this is the fruit that is produced when we endure problems, trusting in God. Not love or goodness or hope. Patience.

Most of you, if I were to ask you point blank right now, would admit you need more patience. But you probably don't want to go through the process of developing it. Patience isn't a gift that's given, but a fruit that must be produced. It doesn't come by reading the Bible. God doesn't just zap you and poof you're patient.

You gain patience by going through experiences that require patience. Amazing, right? Almost like God knows what he's doing. Those experiences include trials. You grow in patience when you choose to wait on the Lord for his solution to your problem--instead of hastily trying to "fix" it yourself.

Roughly speaking, this is how the process works: Step 1) you encounter a problem. Step 2) you ask God for help. Step 3) Everything's fixed--Nope! That third step requires you to wait on God for the solution. That might include something he directs you to do. If you're sick, you go to the doctor. If you lose your job, you go find a new one. And so on. But, in many situations, the solution won't come right away.

There is this gap of time between the start of the problem and when it's over. A gap of time when you have no choice but to wait on God. That is what we call LONGSUFFERING. Get it? That is what produces patience.

Let me repeat those steps again for those taking notes...

So, why does God do this? James writes in verse four something amazing. Patience isn't simply a nice quality to have. "Oh, I love Joe. He's so patient." No, patience is performing a work within you. Can you believe that!? He says, "Let [patience] have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Patience (or steadfastness, perseverance, endurance) is making you perfect and complete. What does that mean? Is James say that, one day on this earth, you'll be "perfect"? Meaning, flawless? Someone who never makes a mistake? No.

There are two different ways of thinking about the word perfection. The first one is what we normally think of: someone or something that has no flaws.

This kind of perfection is evident in the Bible. Israel offered up a perfect Passover lamb. This sacrifice was not to have any spots, blemishes, or flaws. These sacrifices had to be perfect because they pointed to the perfect, final sacrifice for our sins, Jesus Christ our Passover Lamb.

His perfection meant he was perfectly righteous. He had no sins or flaws. When he took our sins on the cross, we by faith take on his righteousness. That means we are not only forgiven of our sins, but have Jesus Christ's flawless righteousness. God the Father sees us as righteous as his son. This is a gift of grace. You didn't deserve it and you can't earn it.

James however, when he says perfect, is referring to related, but somewhat different ideas. He helps us out and explains this kind of perfect means complete, lacking nothing. This definition of perfection can be described as wholeness. Being a complete, or whole, son or daughter of God.

In other words, mature. This is what it means to grow up. The process of maturity involves receiving what you are lacking, to make you a whole person. This is true naturally as well as spiritually.

Think of it this way. What is actually going on when a child is growing up? What does it mean to grow up? You might say, they are getting bigger or taller, sure. In reality, as they are growing up in your home, they are receiving what skills and knowledge they are lacking to become competent adults.

They learn to walk and talk. How to tie their shoes. They learn to read and write. Eventually, they have enough knowledge and ability to leave their parents' home and start a family of their own. Or, not. Some might end up in their parents' basements, playing video games all day long. If you have a few children like that, I'm sorry. They will grow up... eventually.

A similar process takes place in us spiritually. And, while some of you might be older, you might still be in your parents' basement spiritually. You are lacking what is required of you to be a complete or mature Christian. How did this happen? You resisted the difficulties God put in your life, for an easier path.

But there is good news. God is not done with you. And what you are lacking today, what we are all lacking today, God will supply.

So, what are we lacking? The qualities of a mature Christian. Also known as Christlike character or godliness. Also known as the fruit of living in the Spirit. Patience is one of those qualities, of course. And, it's one of the benefits of being a grown-up believer. Babies aren't patient. Spoiled, immature adults aren't patient.

But a maturing man or woman of God can... wait. And this is a valuable asset to have, especially in our extremely impatient, self-centered culture. A person who can wait, who can patiently endure trials, won't be so easily pushed around by the world. They are steadfast, steady. And they can help those who are in need.

Don't we want to be people like that?

Part 2: We grow up by receiving wisdom from God (verse 5)
So, James teaches us that we can count trials as a source of joy. Because God has put them into your life to test your faith. When we depend on God for our help during a trial, our faith grows and we develop patience. And patience leads to maturity.

Maturity, we saw, is a process of receiving what we are lacking in our spiritual lives.

But that's not all there is to growing up. What else are we lacking? The Holy Spirit leads James to continue to write passed verse four. And in the next verse, he gives us our second truth about how we grow up in Christ. Write this down: 2) We grow up by receiving wisdom from God.

Ooo, this is a good one! We grow up by receiving God's wisdom. James writes in verse five of chapter one, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

Not too shabby! As you can see, James connects his previous thought about being complete, lacking nothing, with this next thought. If you are lacking wisdom... here is how you get it. Now, why does he bring us wisdom after just talking about enduring trials?

Because you need wisdom during a trial! Think about his original audience. These Jewish believers were enduring persecution, rejection from their people, and other painful struggles. They would have had many questions about why they were going through all this. And, what did God want them to do?

For that, they needed wisdom. James is sometimes called the "Proverbs of the New Testament." James is a very Jewish writer, as you might imagine. Throughout his book, he teaches much like Jesus did in the Gospels. He uses vivid imagery like Christ. Some of his teachings are like parables. James is also skilled at compacting profound truths into short, pithy statements, like Solomon in Proverbs.

And, like Solomon, he is promising his readers (including us) that wisdom is readily available to those who need it. The amazing thing about wisdom is that God is constantly looking for people to give it to.

In Proverbs 1:20–23, we see wisdom depicted as a woman standing in the middle of a city, calling out for people to hear her.

"Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: 'How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.'"

God freely gives wisdom, yet people turn up their noses at it. Much like they do the Gospel of Salvation. (Because we first receive wisdom when we receive the Gospel.)

As I warned before, when we face trials, we are tempted to fix them ourselves. Or, we're tempted to run away from them. This is not wise, clearly. But when we do the right thing and depend on God for the solution, we also need to know what his intentions are through the trial. For that, we need his wisdom. And James has promised us that God will give it generously.

How does God give wisdom? Do you need Pastor Tony to put his hand on your head and whammo you are wise? Well, I'm sure Tony will be glad to pray for you, but that's not how it happens. You find God's wisdom, in his word.

In addition to this, we have another advantage. His name is the Holy Spirit. Paul promised in Ephesians 1:17 that the Holy Spirit imparts wisdom and revelation. And, in 1 Corinthians 2, he discusses how it is the Spirit of God who enables us to understand spiritual truth.

So, God promises us that he will give us wisdom through his Spirit.

Now think about this. We know we are called to "walk by the Spirit." When we rely on the Lord during a trial, we will discover that his Spirit is guiding us through it. And he's not called the Spirit of Wisdom for nothing.

So, God gives us wisdom from both the written word and the abiding guidance and direction provided by the wonderful Holy Spirit who is in us.

But why are we so certain that God will give us the wisdom we need? James says it is because God gives generously without reproach. God is a generous God, is he not? What does James mean, though, when he writes "without reproach"? Reproach is when someone rebukes you or gets offended at you.

James is promising us that God is not upset or irritated when you ask him for help. Especially when we are going through a trial. Hey, you want to grow up as a believer? You need wisdom. There is far too much riding on your life to just wing it. Wisdom is one of the most defining characteristics of a mature man or woman of God.

And God has promised to give it to us freely.

Now, hear me out. Some of you may have grown up with parents who got upset when you asked them for something. It was usually because they couldn't give it to you. Internally, they felt shame because they couldn't afford that bike or whatever. But, because they were fallen creatures, they projected that shame onto you, making you feel bad for just asking (so you wouldn't ask again).

You might be tempted to think God is like that when you ask him for help. That is not our God. He is not upset when you ask him for something. He gives generously, without taking offense. This is really important to get settled in your heart. The trials are going to come. Who else are you going to turn to for help?

Just think about it. A trial isn't a testing of your faith unless you are trusting God for the solution. God wants you to go to him for help, especially when you need wisdom. Especially when you need an answer to a difficult problem in your life.

So, let's make this practical. How do we seek wisdom from God, during a trial? First, of course, is to go to his word. Daily reading and meditating on the Bible produces lasting wisdom. But what if you need specific direction about your problem? You might struggle to connect the Scriptures to your problems at work or that issue you had with your kid. Well, there are additional steps in receiving wisdom from God.

Second, we go to those who are wise among us. A seasoned believer can help you apply Biblical wisdom to your situation. God can and will use them to impart wisdom to you. That's one of the reasons we have small groups and teaching like tonight. That's also why we have our wonderful Biblical Counseling ministry. Our lay counselors (myself included) are trained to walk alongside you through the Scriptures, so you can learn how to apply God's wisdom to your problem.

Thirdly, and not at all least, is to listen to the Holy Spirit. The Bible promises that God's Spirit does speak to us. Not necessarily with trumpets in the sky or dreams or visions. But one of the ways we mature is by discerning God's voice in our hearts. That takes time and prayer, and we weigh everything we hear with God's word and godly counsel, but it is worth developing your spiritual ears to hear his voice.

How is wisdom connected with growing up? Wisdom, like patience, marks a growing believer. A child makes hasty, rash decisions. An unwise adult speaks before they think about what they are going to say.

Years ago, when I was a teenager, I had a friend who made a website about his favorite TV show. He created a section on the website where he gushed about the romance between two of the show's fictional characters. It was really bad. So, I stupidly emailed him, laughing about how corny it was. Ugh. He quickly emailed me back saying he never wanted to speak with me again. Now, to be fair, it was really corny. But I had no business making fun of this guy, over a website. It was rash, cruel, and unwise.

Gaining wisdom from God will keep you from doing very stupid things like that. God's wisdom will instruct you to think about others instead of just yourself. And that is a hallmark of being mature. A grown-up is more concerned with the well-being of others than just himself. And the same is true for mature Christians.

We all know those people who monopolize a small group or prayer session going on and on about their problems. We show them compassion and hear them out. But they are immature, because they think the meeting is all about them. It doesn't even occur to them that other people have prayer requests of their own.

The good news is, by God's grace, they will learn this valuable lesson, gain wisdom, and grow up.

Let me recap. God has promised to freely give us wisdom when we ask. And three ironclad ways to receive wisdom are 1) meditate on God's word, 2) seek godly counsel, and 3) ask the Holy Spirit to direct you.

But, even the most mature Christian, might struggle with the assurance that God is speaking to them. Can I be sure that this decision is the right decision, during this trial? How can I know for certain that God will answer my prayer? That's where we're going next.

Part 3: We grow up by overcoming doubt (vs. 6-8)
So far, James has taught us two important truths about how we grow up in faith. One, we grow up by patiently enduring trials. Two, we grow up by receiving God's wisdom. What does James teach us in our final passage for tonight? Here it is: 3) We grow up overcoming doubt. Of course, he saves the toughest one for last.

James writes in verses six through eight of chapter one, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Ouch. That's painful, isn't it? You've probably felt tempted to skip this part of James. He seems to be coming down hard on his readers. As we've said, these are Jewish believers facing persecution and abandonment. Why does James suddenly sound so harsh? Well, he's not being harsh. He's actually doing us a big favor.

This is the first time James reveals to us that he is well-acquainted with the events of the Gospel. He wrote this book before any of the Gospels were written. But he lived through much of it himself, being Jesus's half-brother. And the accounts that were eventually recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were well-known by the early church, through the apostles' teachings.

But why do I say this passage, in particular, proves James knew the Gospel account so well? Because of this mention of the sea. Here's a little nugget for ya...

The ocean long served as a fearful image to the Israelites. The Psalms and Jonah associate the depths of the sea with death and hell. Why? Because, long ago, God destroyed the earth with a massive flood. And there was this little thing where an entire army was destroyed by the Red Sea. A whole generation of Israelites saw that firsthand.

So, the Bible often uses the imagery of the sea to represent death and destruction. But on top of that, in the Gospels, the sea posed a literal threat of death many times. All four Gospels recount numerous moments when the disciples were knocked around in a boat, only to be delivered by Jesus. He used those experiences to teach the disciples about doubt. James is expertly bringing up this same imagery as a reminder to his readers who also knew these moments from the Gospel.

And this is appropriate imagery, since James just wrote about enduring trials. How many times in your life have you felt as uncertain as someone stuck in the middle of a raging sea? That's how we feel when we go through trials. We are often tempted to feel overwhelmed by the situation, just the like the disciples when they feared they'd be lost in the storms.

But James offers us hope in this passage. Although you might not see it at first. James connects this passage with verse five by saying, "But when you ask God for wisdom and help during a trial, you must ask in faith, never doubting."

Easy for you to say, James. I'm the one with the problem! What does James mean when he says we must ask in faith? I think he is saying, when we pray, we must simply trust that God will answer our prayer. It's as straightforward as that. Jesus said we must receive his kingdom like a child (Luke 18:17). That's the one thing we must not lose as we grow up. The simple, uncomplicated, trust that God is going to take care of us.

Even if we are getting knocked back and forth in a stormy trial, we can have confidence that God is going to help us. This is a sign of maturity, because most children (and immature adults) panic when something bad happens. Have you ever seen how some children react when they drop a dish? They often just freeze and watch it hit the floor, their hands shaking like this...

They panic, because they're not mature enough to quickly reach out and grab it before the thing broke. Now, why do they do this? Because, more often than not, their mom is right there gasping like Ahha! She panics and the child learns that behavior, freezing in panic as well.

The child has a good excuse, they don't know any better. But we all reach a certain age when we should be grown-up enough to know how to handle something without falling apart. So it is in matters of faith and prayer. We must be confident that God hears our prayers and is our support in a crisis. We don't need to fall apart just because the wind starts blowing.

After all, why ask God for help, if you think he isn't going to help you?

Remember what David wrote, "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:2)? That's a pretty good helper. Is anything too hard for the one who made the earth? Who hung the stars in the sky? Is any problem too big for him? Is any enemy stronger than he? Of course, not. So, why should we doubt his ability to answer our prayer for help?

A maturing Christian, as Hebrews says, matures through practice. You're not going to get this right away. You need to experience quite a few trials to learn how to ask in faith and never doubt. But James gives us a big leg up in the rest of this passage. Notice how he says a person doubting as they pray is "double-minded"?

In the original Greek that can be rendered as "two souled." Doubts do not mean you don't have faith. It means there is something else that is competing with faith in your heart. You are holding onto a thought, false belief, or attitude that is contrary to what you know is true in the word.

So, your thoughts are split. You are double-minded. We all have these kinds of thoughts or false beliefs. We gather them up throughout the course of our lives. A key part of growing up is allowing the light of God's word to expose those lies, so we can reject them.

That is also something we do at our Biblical Counseling ministry. If you want help exposing doubts and lies in your life, we are more than ready to walk with you through the word to do just that.

James says a double-minded person shouldn't expect to receive anything from the Lord. He is unstable in all he does. Sounds a lot like a child, huh? Children, although we love them, can be very unstable. A child can't do certain things, because they've never done them before. They need to be taught so that, in time, they can learn to do it themselves.

And, as they practice that task, they go from being unstable--or uncertain--to stable. Surefooted. Confident. So it is with our spiritual growth. Another hallmark of a mature Christian is being able to do certain things yourself. Now, please hear me. I'm not saying a mature Christian doesn't need the rest of the Church. That's foolishness.

But as we grow in Christ, we need to move from being babies, suckling on the milk of the word, to being adults who can disgust meat. That requires doing some of the work yourself. A teacher provides the knowledge, but then you think about it, pray about it, and decide how to apply it to your life.

A mature Christian isn't easily knocked back and forth by the waves of this world. Paul uses the same imagery in Ephesians 4. He says we can be blown around by, "every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes." An immature believer is taken in by every new false teaching and fad coming out of the religious world.

It's because they have not learned how to test everything, relying on the word of God to judge truth from fiction. Yes, you need fellow believers to help you. But, at the end of the day, you need to make up your mind about the truth. And that takes time, practice, and maturity.

This includes learning how to overcome doubt.
So, how do we crush doubt and become single-minded? We focus on God's promises in his word. Let his truth drown out those lying thoughts that contradict him. If you have to do this every day, ten times a day, do it.

Recite Scripture when you drive to work. Read a short Bible passage on your coffee break. Before you go to bed, turn off Netflix and read a Psalm. Trust me, you're better off not knowing what happens in the next season of Stranger Things!

Keep the word of God in the forefront of your mind. Eventually, there won't be room for doubt. You may be thinking, "Does that mean I won't ever doubt again?" No. Doubts are like weeds. They are constantly trying to sprout up and kill a carefully-tended garden. A good gardener daily works to pull up weeds, wherever they rear their ugly heads.

A growing Christian is watchful over their heart and mind. He or she is quick to catch a lying doubt, especially when they face trials. This, by the way, is what Paul means when he says we "take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Now, this might sound like tiring work. You may think to yourself, "Why can't this just be easy? No problems? No doubts? Just smooth sailing?" Sorry, but when you accepted Christ you weren't signing up for a pleasure cruise. You were signing up for war. Growing up in Christ is a necessity. Maturing takes patience, wisdom, and the ability to defeat doubt. But the results are tremendous.

A grown-up believer is strong. He or she has evidence of growing fruit of the Spirit. This fruit, by the way, doesn't just benefit others. You get to enjoy love, joy, peace, patience, and all the rest. That's much better than being a baby that has to go to bed at 8 o'clock. And maturing Christians, who move past the stage of spiritual babies, get to enjoy the wonders of bringing glory to God in everything they do.

Conclusion:
Repeat the points: We grow up by patiently enduring trials. We grow up by receiving wisdom from God. We grow up by overcoming doubt.

Now, as we close, I want to issue a few challenges. Tonight, some of you might not be going through a trial. Or, some of you may be going through something very difficult. Something, that has troubled you for a long time.

Regardless of where you are right now, let me encourage you. Don't try to fix the problem outside of God's help and direction. Our father Abraham had a problem. God gave him many promises. All of them depended on one thing: he and his wife Sarah having a boy.

Do you know how long Abraham had to wait from the time God first spoke to him to the day he had Isaac? Twenty-five years! That's a pretty long time to wait for a baby. There came a moment when Sarah grew impatient. She convinced Abraham that they had to "help God." So, Abraham married another woman and had a son with her.

What they were really doing was bucking God's directions to "fix" the problem themselves. And the child that was born from this decision was not the promised one. And this child's descendants, to this day, have been nothing but a thorn in Israel's side.

I know it's hard, waiting on God. I was 15 when I first came to the Lord. And, like any young man, I wanted a girlfriend. But I knew it was wrong to date the unbelieving girls at school. So, I asked God to bring the right young woman into my life. I was confident that he would, at the right time, bring us together.

Do you know how old I was when I first met Sarah, the woman I am now happily married to? I was thirty-three years old! I had to wait eighteen years from the moment I asked God, to the moment I met the woman he had picked for me. During that time, I didn't date much. I never had a serious relationship. Didn't sleep with anyone. I simply had to wait, even as I watched my friends date, get married, and start families.

But I'm glad I did wait. I'm glad I didn't rush off and marry the first girl who batted her eyes at me. I'm glad I didn't try to "help God" by finding a woman and saying, "This is her." I'm glad I waited, enduring the frustration and loneliness, so I could marry this wonderful woman of faith.

So, don't try to help God. Heed his instruction through a trial. And obey him.

Here is another challenge for you, especially for those who have gone through really hard trials. Or are, tonight, going through something very hard. Don't run from your trials.

There might come a time when you think you have an out. It would be just easier to get divorced. I would go through less embarrassment if I stopped telling people about Jesus. Things would be easier if I just dropped out of this ministry or group. Or, you've gone through enough pain in your life that you'd rather just coast from here on out.

Don't do it. Trials are hard, but they are worth it. And we can endure the pain, frustration, and discomfort, because our God is the God of all comfort.

Take heart knowing that everything you are going through has been ordained by God. He's not punishing you for sin. But everything in your life is Father-filtered. That means nothing happens to you that is out of God's control. He hasn't forgotten about you. He has a plan. But you must submit to that plan, even when your flesh doesn't want to.

I knew a man who once had a bright future ahead of him. He was young, smart, and extremely passionate about the word of God. But he was immature. And, a few times, he was rebuked by his pastor for doing immature things. This man didn't like being rebuked by an authority figure. As I understand it, he never liked being told what to do.

So, he left that church. Went to another one. But he didn't stay at that one very long. He ended up divorcing his wife. And spent decades avoiding the Church because he didn't like the discomfort of submitting to a God-appointed authority. Many years passed and, when he reached an age when he should have been an elder or a teacher, he had nobody to sow into. Nobody to instruct, guide, or counsel. Because he had refused to be instructed, guided, or counseled himself.

There is a great cost to running away from your problems. You never grow up. You will never mature into the person God has called you to be. Imagine all the good things you'll miss out on. Don't run.

Finally, to those struggling with doubt or those eager for wisdom. Let me encourage you with some really good news. All of this is possible because of the grace of God. God is ready to give you wisdom, when you ask, free of charge. And his good word will fill you with strength to crush your doubts.

How? Not because you are so godly and holy. Not because you can earn this goodness through anything you do. But because God's grace, his unearned favor, is available for the asking--thanks to Jesus Christ. Two thousand years ago, Jesus the Son of God gave up his life by dying on the Cross. All so that every person who turns from their sin and believes in him will be forgiven. If you believe Jesus rose from the dead and is alive today, you will also receive eternal life.

This is the grace of God. And God's grace doesn't stop there. You can endure trials, receive wisdom, crush your doubts, because God's abounding grace is working within you. If you've never believed in Jesus Christ as your Lord, Savior, and friend--all you have to do is ask him into your heart.

And if you have, never move away from the gift of God's grace. Only by grace do any of us grow up in our faith. In time, even through the trials, you will see his fruit flourish in your life.

 

Taught by Adam Casalino

James Series