A king sent for his court jester one day and presented him with a stick.  He said, “Take this stick and keep it until you find a bigger fool than yourself.”  When he was lying on his deathbed, the king once again sent for his jester.  “I am going away,” the king said.  “Where?” asked the jester.  “to another country,” replied the king.  “What provisions has your majesty made for this journey and for living in the country where you are going?”  The jester asked.  “None,” was the answer.  The jester handed the stick to the king. “Take it,” he said.  “I have finally found a bigger fool than myself, for I only trifle with the things of time while you have trifled with the things of eternity.”

Plans for the future.  It is all about understanding God is the director of your life.  It’s all about getting it straight what is important.

Aren’t you glad God has not revealed to us the details of our time on this earth.  READ James 1:14.  Life is short.  Life is uncertain.  Boom.  In an instant the world changes.  One of the great satisfactions of life is to live God’s unfolding plan.  God writes the most amazing story you will ever read.  (God bless the Hammond family who join us today as they eagerly await the turning of a page to begin a new chapter.)  Sometimes I joke about me being the most entertained person on the planet as I go through my day.  I love Disney’s Jungle Book. Mowgli, raised by wolves, sets about to return to the man village; the story line is the journey as he meets one character after another, some dangerous like Kaa the snake, King Louie the Orangutan, Shere Khan the tiger, and others are friends like Baloo the bear, Bagheera he panther, Major Hathi the elephant.  Mowgli has a goal, whether he makes it is uncertain; the path is filled with fears and joys along the way.  Sounds like my life. I hope all of you are amazed by your life and God’s unfolding story. 
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We don’t know the future…but God knows.  That is the best news of all.  

“How to deal with Psychic Vampires.” /// (www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-Psychic-Vampires)  I ran across that article on Wiki How as I was preparing for this message: How to deal with Psychic Vampires.  Basically that is what James is talking about in the scripture.  Psychic Vampire are “emotionally immature individuals who drain the time and energy from those around them.  They are usually highly self-interested…”  I.e. drama queens, people who get caught up in trivia, the webs, the never ending quest for creating a perfect world that conforms to me. 
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If I were to use “Psychic Vampires” in the title, I would title this message: “Conquering the Psychic Vampire Within.” Last week the lesson from James was importance of looking at the 3 fingers pointing back…Today it’s about being consistent in what we profess we believe, and to quit playing games that sidetrack us…James is practical. 

6 years ago I preached through 2 Corinthians in a series titled, “Restoring Broken Relationships.”  I have been posting the notes on all the sermons on the church website since 2009.   On a monthly basis, even today, 2-4 times a month, I get a note from somebody around the world that read one or two of those sermons, asking for prayer for the restoration of a broken relationship.  I don’t get more than a few comments the entire year from all the other sermons combined.  Brokenness, fighting, division, are the scourge of our world.  People are searching for wholeness, peace, reconciliation, rest.

“What causes fights and quarrels among you?”  James’ question is a dart to the heart. Today we continue our look at the wisdom in James.  James is probably addressing specific issues to the people in his day, but the words are timeless and apply directly to us.  What causes fights and quarrels in my world?  The words apply to marriages, families, parents/children, neighbors, communities, churches, countries, cultures, racial tensions, class tension ~ what level do you want to discuss?  How to not fight is the question of the hour?  Or to say it positively, How to be a person of peace!