During

week one, we saw how James calls the poor to boast in their exaltation and the rich in their humiliation. (James 1:9-10) Food for Thought: Have you ever done something to someone that you knew would hurt them or place them at a disadvantage? James 5:1-6 A Word to the Faithless Rich James foretells the miseries that the unfaithful rich will experience. (vv. 1-6) James says in chapter 1 that the rich will fade away. Here, he explains that their riches will fade away also. (vv. 2-3) We identify these individuals as faithless because the cheat others. (v. 4) These people have, in this life, lived in uninhibited luxury and committed injustice. (vv. 5-6) James 5:7-12 Encouraging Patience In chapter 1, James explains that the testing of faith produces steadfastness. Now, he urges us with a closely related wordpatience. James calls us to be patient until the coming of the Lord. (vv. 7-8) James provides practical instructions for living out patience. (v. 9) o Consider his shift to speech. James calls his audience to see the prophets as their example. (vv. 10-11) o Not only do we have them, but we also have the saints who have gone before us. In dealing with what we say, James urges his readers to be consistent in speech. (v. 12) James 5:13-18 Faith in Prayer As we pray, trusting God, we should trust in his ability to heal those for whom we pray. (vv. 13- 15) Sickness is not directly tied to sin. (v. 15b) Elijah, a prophet, serves as an example of prayer for us. (vv. 17-18, cf. v. 10) James 5:19-20 Winning a Wayward Brother or Sister This book has presented to us how to practically live out our faith. Consider this message, let us conclude that if a brother or sisters life fails to regularly reflect their faith, they might be straying. At that point, the Lord calls us to walk with that individual and win them back to the faith. James: Practical Lessons in Living Your Faith James 5