James 5:7-11
RUN INTO THE DARKNESS
Rev. Dr. Bruce Boria, Senior Pastor
Bethany Church
SERMON NOTES: JAMES 5:7-11
QUESTION: “What will it take to be victorious when challenged by life’s hardships?”
James 5:7-11
7 BE PATIENT, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to
yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be
patient and STAND FIRM, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 DON’T GRUMBLE against
each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10
Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in
the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You
have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord
is full of compassion and mercy.
KEEP THE END IN VIEW
[Underline every reference to the Lord’s coming in the above passage]
BE PATIENT . . . UNTIL THE LORD’S COMING

We are in a ______________ , not a sprint (cf. James 1:2-4)
James 1:2-4, 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must
finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

The farmer waits for what they cannot ______________________: crops/rain;

The farmer waits _________________ that both will materialize
Joel 2:23, Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the
autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains,
as before.
STAND FIRM. . . THE LORD’S COMING IS NEAR

Exercise your faith muscles: ____________ and ________________.

His coming is an ______________________________ not to quit.
James 1:6-8, 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like
a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive
anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
DON’T GRUMBLE. . . THE JUDGE IS STANDING AT THE DOOR.
James 1:19–27, 19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow
to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life
that God desires. . . . 26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein
on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father
accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to
keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

HOW WE _____________ MATTERS.
James 3:7–12, 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed
and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of
deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who
have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My
brothers, this should not be.
 WE HAVE RECEIVED A _____________ CALLING.
Insight #1: A fruitful way to respond to life’s trials is to embrace God’s process; lean into the
trial; maintain an eternal perspective; acknowledge the true root of our struggle; trust God’s
character and provision. (James 1:1-18)
Insight #2: In the midst of trials we need to exercise restraint: be quick to listen, slow to speak,
slow to anger. Listening involves accepting the truth of God’s word and acting on it. (James
1:19-27)
Insight #3: Confronting the challenge of favoritism, James challenges his readers to exhibit the
faith taught and modeled by Jesus: a faith informed by the truth of God’s word, guided by the
grace of God, and that loves our neighbor as ourselves. (James 2:1-13)
Insight #4: The faith God accepts is a faith expressed in deeds; a faith that is more than
adherence to a creed; a faith validated by obedience to God’s will. (James 2:14-26)
Insight #5: An errant tongue can only accomplish much harm. The influence of God in our life
will help us to use our tongues for good. (James 3:1-12)
Insight #6: The wise person’s life reflects the wisdom that comes from heaven. The harvest of
peace “shalom” will comes from living the Good Life. (James 3:13-18)
Insight #7: The cause of conflict is placed at the feet of our misplaced desires. The solution calls
for repentance. (James 4:1-12)
Insight #8: We will avoid faithless, presumptuous decisions when we know our limitations,
know God’s will, and offer no excuses. (James 4:13-17)
Insight #9: To guard against mishandling wealth we must remember that wealth carries
responsibilities; we can never ignore God’s will; we are to treat others justly, mercifully,
humbly; we must refrain from overindulging ourselves. (James 5:1-6)
Insight #10: We will be victorious in our battle against life’s hardships if we keep the end in
view; be patient; stand firm; and Don’t Grumble
CONNECT GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE: JAMES 5: 7-11
OPENING
My wife’s sister and her family have vacationed with us for the past 26 years. As the summer
approaches, we look forward to gathering our families and spending some down time on the
beach of South Carolina. The dates are placed on a calendar and then we tick off the weeks as the
day draws near. Now that I have two grandsons, I look forward to our gathering even more!
What are some future events in your life that you look to with anticipation? How does this
event influence your planning? your behavior?
GOING DEEPER
The return of Jesus, by James and other New Testament writers, is assumed to be imminent.
The truth is no one can know for certain when that day will appear. Jesus addressed this
ambiguity (cf. Matthew 24:42-51; Mark 13:32-36). However, we are assured that He is coming.
The return of Jesus will mean evil is vanquished and God’s rule will be complete. Fellowship
with God and mankind made in His image will be restored. (cf. Romans 8:21; 1 Corinthians
15:54; Revelation 21:1-5) In light of the return of Jesus, we are challenged to be patient, to
stand firm, and not to grumble.
How does the anticipation of Jesus’ return help you to live better? How do you feel knowing
that one day you will stand before Jesus? Are you anxious? Excited? Worried?
CHALLENGE
Compare James 5:7-11 to Romans 12:17–19: 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to
do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at
peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is
written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.