No More Discouragement
Pastor Bruce Hillyer
18 March 2007

Questions for Reflection and Discussion Focusing on No More Discouragement

How do you know when your ambition is selfish or God initiated? (Before the disorder and evil sets in.)

What is the antidote to selfish ambition? How can I get back on track?

Question for Quiet Reflection
What do I envy in someone else and what gifts should I be focused on?

No More Discouragement
Pastor Bruce Hillyer
18 March 2007

Text: James 3:16
“For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

Preparation for the Sermon
Imagine this verse rattling around in your head for a couple of months.
See everyone with selfishness or self ambition
“How selfish am I?”
“Why am I a pastor? Am I selfish in this?”

3 Steps to Tackling a Difficult Text
“Lord of all wisdom, please show me what you want me to learn.”
Read the text.
Ask 3 questions.

Question 1: What is the Problem? (What don’t I get? What bothers me?)
The problem isn’t that I don’t understand. The problem is that I don’t want to agree with it.
This is not written for the unbelieving world. It was written for the church. It was written for me.

Question 2: What is God doing here? (What is the reason God wanted this in the scriptures?)
God understands that envy can keep me from being the person God wants me to be. I am so busy wanting what you have that I can’t enjoy what God has given me. Bruce’s experience with the woman at work who tried to teach him to sing. “Don’t think about the gift I have. Think about the gift you have.” If we envy we won’t enjoy.
Selfish ambition can negatively effect what God wants us to be as a church.
A lesson from the professor and the preacher as they coach basketball. It may work at first but it leads to disorder and disaster.
A lesson from a country church. They weren’t coming together to encourage each other. They were coming together to watch each other.

Question 3: What’s in it for me? (How should this affect my life?)
Spent 2 months thinking about ways I am selfish.
Am I encouraging you or am I jealous of you?
I want to be like verses 17 and 18. “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”

Call to Action: Encourage each other to enjoy the gifts God has given each of us.