There is no better way to close out the book of James than prayer. Prayer always connects with God as we bring our joys, pains, fears, hopes, and desires before the throne of grace. Regardless of your situation, prayer is the best and right response.
Read MoreWhat do we do between now and the return of Christ? James tells us to be patient. Patient means "long-suffering." Then, Jesus will return, and we will give an account to him of how we stewarded our lives. So we look to the farmer, the prophets, and Christ to grow in our ability to suffer well as we wait for our salvation to come.
Read MoreIf you want to know how you are doing in your walk with Jesus, take a quick look at how you spend your time and what you spend your money on. Planning and profits are not sins, but presumption is. When we omit God from our time and money, we fall into the self-focused sin of finding security in our plans and money. Putting God in the center allows us to walk in the freedom that God has for us.
Read More"If my kids would just...", "If my spouse would just...", "If my boss would just..." When there is conflict, we naturally blame others. We think outside of ourselves and blame others. But what if the problem isn't outside of you but within you? What if you are the problem? In James 4, we see that the root of our conflicts is a selfish desire to be our little god. So if the problem is within us, then the answer must be something outside of us. God deeply loves his people and desires them to have life abundantly. We are the problem, but God is the solution. We humbly submit to his will and way as he offers his love and grace.
Read MoreSticks and stones can break your bones, but words can build up or break down. Not quite the motto we were told growing up. But according to James (and our own experiences), words are immensely powerful. They can bring life and blessing to those around us or break down and destroy. How we use our words matters. But nobody can tame their tongue. We need something outside of us to transform what is within us so that what comes out of us are words of life.
Read MoreMartin Luther famously said, "Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is never alone." As believers, our faith is shown by our good works in the LORD. This does not make us righteous before God, but it shows our righteousness before others. Faith without works is a dead faith, but a faith that gets to work blesses all those around you.
Read MoreIt is human nature to show favoritism to those most like you or most likely to benefit you. This is the sin of partiality. It is inconsistent and unbalanced love. James will give us four warnings about partiality as we continue our series. Finally, he will end with an invitation to truly love the way God loves. So who in your life have you thought less of and need to love more? Move towards them this week with the impartial love of Christ!
Read MoreWhen was the last time you heard God's word and thought, "I have to go do that right now!?" Like a good dad, God desires us to not only hear what he has to say but actually do it. As we do God's word, it leads to freedom, blessing, and joy in this life. As we continue our series in the book of James, God will call us to not only receive his word but also respond to it. When we do, it transforms our lives as we love others in his name.
Read MoreAll of us face trials of various kinds. Some of those trials come from the broken world we live in, and some come from our own brokenness. During trials, we are called to be steadfast in Jesus as we rely on him for wisdom. As trials come, temptation is soon to follow. When we remember the goodness of God, temptations and trials can become triumphs in our lives.
Read MoreWelcome to the book of James! James is known as the proverbs of the New Testament. James went from skeptic to servant to shepherd to sufferer. His whole life changed when he met the risen King Jesus. In this letter, James shows a picture of full devotion to Jesus. This is not a burden to win God's love, but the appropriate response and results of knowing God's love. This is the book of James.
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