what’s in your hand? willingness and submission …and prayer

What’s in your hand?Willingness and Submission

…and prayer

James 4:1-10

The Elevation of Desire

The Elevation of Desire**James 4:1-10

**Adapted from Paul David Tripp's War of Words

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10

(love, respect, family, sex, security, peace, acceptance, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

Lust/coveting idolatry

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

idolatry

Entitlement

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

idolatry

Entitlement

(a resentment waiting to happen)Expectation

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

idolatry

Entitlement

Demand

(a resentment waiting to happen)Expectation

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

idolatry

Entitlement

Demand

(a resentment waiting to happen)

Disappointment

Expectation

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

idolatry

Entitlement

Demand

(a resentment waiting to happen)

Disappointment

Expectation

Punishment(Deed of the Flesh)

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10 Closed-handed

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

idolatry

Entitlement

Demand

(a resentment waiting to happen)

Disappointment

Expectation

Punishment(Deed of the Flesh)

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10Open-handed Closed-handed

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

idolatry

Entitlement

Demand

(a resentment waiting to happen)

Disappointment

Expectation

Punishment

We are to hold our desires loosely

(Deed of the Flesh)

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10Open-handed Closed-handed

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

idolatry

Entitlement

Demand

(a resentment waiting to happen)

Disappointment

Expectation

Punishment

We are to hold our desires loosely

Humility

(Deed of the Flesh)

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10Open-handed Closed-handed

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

idolatry

Entitlement

Demand

(a resentment waiting to happen)

Disappointment

Expectation

Punishment

We are to hold our desires loosely

Humility

Submission

(Deed of the Flesh)

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10Open-handed Closed-handed

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

idolatry

Entitlement

Demand

(a resentment waiting to happen)

Disappointment

Expectation

Punishment

We are to hold our desires loosely

Humility

Submission

Foot-washing

(Deed of the Flesh)

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

The Elevation of DesireJames 4:1-10Open-handed Closed-handed

“Need” (I need this from you to be content!)

idolatry

Entitlement

Demand

(a resentment waiting to happen)

Disappointment

Expectation

Punishment

We are to hold our desires loosely

Humility

Submission

Foot-washing

Kindness(Fruit of the Spirit)

(Deed of the Flesh)

(love, respect, sex, etc.)

Resentments Inventory

Who Why - The Cause The Affect What part of "Self" was hurt or threatened?

My Role (done with sponsor after praying through each one)

List the persons, institutions or principles with whom we are/were angry or who may have hurt us.

Ask yourself why you are/were angry? List the specific action I did or that was done to me.

The affect that action had on my life.

Social SecuritySex Relations

Ambitions Exact nature of My wrongs

Self-

Esteem

Personal

Relationship

s

Material

Emotional

Social

Security

Sexual

Selfish / Self -center

ed

Self-seeking

Frightene

d

Dishonest

Inconsiderate

 Mr. Brown • He is kind to my wife   X    X  X     X           

  • Told my wife about my mistress   X      X  X  X X           

  • Took my job at the office X  X  X X    X X            

 Wife •Likes being around Brown   X  X                   

  • Wants a divorce X  X X X X X X X          •Tells me I’m a looser X

 Employer •Fired me X  X X X   X X            

 Mrs. Jones •Gossips about me/ruined reputation  X X  X   X              

Who Why - The Cause The Affect What part of "Self" was hurt or threatened?

My Role (done with sponsor after praying through each one)

List the persons, institutions or principles with whom we are/were angry or who may have hurt us.

Ask yourself why you are/were angry? List the specific action I did or that was done to me.

The affect that action had on my life.

Social SecuritySex Relations

Ambitions Exact nature of My wrongs

Self-

Esteem

Personal

Relationship

s

Material

Emotional

Social

Security

Sexual

Selfish / Self -center

ed

Self-seeking

Frightene

d

Dishonest

Inconsiderate

 Mr. Brown • He is kind to my wife   X    X  X     X           

  • Told my wife about my mistress   X      X  X  X X           

  • Took my job at the office X  X  X X    X X            

 Wife •Likes being around Brown   X  X                   

  • Wants a divorce X  X X X X X X X          •Tells me I’m a looser X

 Employer •Fired me X  X X X   X X            

 Mrs. Jones •Gossips about me/ruined reputation  X X  X   X              

A Mistaken Enemy: Desire

Step Six: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.  

The Development of Character Defects

Jeremiah 17:9

"The heart is more deceitful than all elseAnd is desperately sick;Who can understand it?

Deceitful Heart

Jeremiah 17:9

Engaged a Sinful World full of Lies

John 16:11 says that Satan is the “ruler of this world.”

John 8:44 says that the devil is the “father of lies.”

Deceitful heart + Sinful world influenced by Satan= ?

Faulty Belief System (what we believe about God, self, others and our

circumstances)

(based in lies)

Faulty Belief System leads to Faulty Coping Strategies/Defects of Character/Shortcomings (sin)

Need God’s Revelation

Character defects are self generated means of trying to live in a sinful world independent of

God.

What’s in your Hand?

Luke 18:18-25

Step Seven: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Matt. 7:9-11

Redeeming Truth in Steps 6 & 7 –

After careful examination, we have begun to see how we, as sinners, attempt to live in a sinful world among sinful people. Independent of God, we have developed dysfunctional (sinful) patterns of “coping” that are ultimately based in lies and lead to greater chaos. What a mess. We have begun to see the deceit in each, but realize we will not overcome them without God’s help, so we ask Him. We have come to a place where we have become open-handed and willing to allow God to change us in His timing and according to His ways. 

Father, we see how we have followed after the voice of our adversary, and now offer ourselves to You completely, renouncing his ways. In the name of Christ and by His authority we ask that you would deliver __________ from any demonic influence that is tempting him/her to _________ and free him/her to serve you freely.

Redeemed 7th Step Prayer

Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mark 11:23-24