Part 1 - James 2:1-4

Title: Part 1, James 2:1-4- Assumption

Big idea: We cannot claim to follow the heart of Jesus if we continue to view people through the lens of our culture.

Points: Lived out faith

Car ride conversation: If Jesus gave everyone in our church a new name tag today based on their heart, what do you think yours would say?

Anchor Passage: James 2:17 Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Prophetic Thought: Most of us would not say we show favoritism, but if we are honest, it shows up in subtle ways in how we treat people, who we notice, and who we overlook. This message is about slowing down enough to see those patterns and recognizing that favoritism is not just a behavior issue, it is a heart issue. A faith shaped by Jesus begins to interrupt those instincts, choosing to treat people with consistency and dignity, not based on what they offer, but simply because of who they are.

Application: Farming your heart starts when you intentionally examine the "weeds" of judgment in your daily routine. When you are at the grocery store or at school, notice the first label you mentally slap on someone. For the single parent, this means digging up the root of "doing it alone" to accept help; for families with kids, it is seeing older couples as support rather than strangers who don’t understand the noise. For students, it is digging up the "popularity lens" to sit with someone alone, and for retired couples, it is turning over the soil of the past to offer grace to a struggling young family. By digging up these cultural biases, you choose to see the image of God in every person you meet. Over time, this hard work changes your natural reaction from segregation to collaboration.

James 2:1-4 NLT. 2 My dear brothers and sisters,[a] how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting[b] dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

Luke 14:10-11 NLT 10 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Colossians 3:9-10 NLT 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.