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Welcome to Day 2121 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom James – Wisdom is Faith in Action 3 – God's Prized Possession – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 09/19/2021 James: Wisdom is Faith In Action – God’s Prized Possession We are continuing our series today on the Proverbs of the New Testament, better known as the book of James.  Last week we started mining the rich wisdom that makes this letter a treasure trove of practical advice we can use daily. Today we will discover why we should not be misled by sin because we are God’s Prized Possessions.  Join me on page 1881 in the pew bibles as I read the Scripture for today. I would recommend keeping this passage open as we go throughout the message today: James 1:13-18 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;  but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. Let me read verse 18 also from the NLT, as I feel it gives a better intent of how God views us: He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. So hold that thought. In last week’s message, James dealt with the kind of “trials” of life that test a person’s endurance—the ability to keep the faith under extreme pressure to give in (1-12). Next, James explores the other meaning of that Greek word for trials: a test of moral endurance (13-18). (Bulletin Insert) In six short verses, he presents the truth about temptation in a straightforward manner. Rather than skimming the surface of temptation, as many preachers and teachers tend to do, James probes deeply below the surface to reveal the inner workings of temptation. But less like a psychologist and more like a physician, James begins with certain facts that describe temptation (13-16), then moves to a focus that determines victory for overcoming temptation (17-18). Verse 13 James wants his fellow believers to understand at least four things about temptation. First, temptation is always present, and nobody is exempt from temptation. Once again, James says, “when,” not “if.” Like trials in the form of tests of faith, trials in the form of temptations are inevitable. There is no “spiritual vaccine,” no “get out of temptation free” card, and no alternate route to avoid the traps along the trail. Not a person here is immune or innocent. The aging monk in the monastery is no safer from temptation than the young person in the inner city. The lowly saint in prayer wrestles with temptation just as much as the executive in his Porsche.   Second, God never prompts temptation verse 13 in the NLT says, And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. God doesn’t whisper evil thoughts into our minds or create an alluring mental image. God isn’t even indirectly involved...