James Offers Guidance to Young Leaders

The Bible provides timeless wisdom and guidance for young leaders. Jeff Cavins draws from the Letter of James to reveal what true Christian leadership looks like— leadership rooted in wisdom, humility, justice, and prayer.

Shownotes

James 1:5 (RSV)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him.

James 3:13–18 (RSV)

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good life let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity.
And the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Proverbs 3:34 (RSV)

Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he shows favor.

(Quoted by James in 4:6 as “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”)

James 4:6–10 (RSV)

But he gives more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind.
Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to dejection.
Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

James 3:1–12 (RSV)

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness.
For we all make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.
If we put bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies.
Look at the ships also; though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.
So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!
And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell.
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind,
but no human being can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so.
Does a spring pour forth from the same opening fresh water and brackish?
Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

James 5:1–6 (RSV)

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.
Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.
Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire.
You have laid up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.
You have condemned, you have killed the righteous man; he does not resist you.

Micah 6:8 (RSV)

He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

James 5:13–18 (RSV)

Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray.
Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise.
Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.
Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
Then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit.