This week we are in James 1:2-8. The theme of this passage has to do with facing trials. When something or someone is on trial they are being tested to see if what is said about them is true. They are being examined to find out if the accusations are true. God, for one reason or another, decides to call the trouble and pain we face "trials". I think this speaks volumes to what God is all about. He is testing us not so that He can know that we have faith, or that our faith is right and pure, but to help us,... us to know that our faith is real.
God's passion is His people, and if you have a relationship with Him, you are one of those people. As a result, the reason He allows pain to come into our lives is so that, as James says, we might become mature and complete...now check this one..."not lacking anything." How many of you would like to be considered mature and perfect by God? I would. How many of us would want it said of us, "That person lacks nothing when it comes to living for Christ!"? Once again, my hand is up...as I'm sure yours is, too.
But here's the thing...and I love this about our God. He says that when we notice that we do lack the wisdom or the strength or the faith to do what we are supposed to do, He is not only able, but willing and excited about giving us what we need...and that is wisdom! God's grace grants us the wisdom we need to know how to handle the difficulty of this life. Every time we ask Him, He gives. He doesn't condemn us for asking. He doesn't say, "What's the matter with you? Don't know how to handle this yet? You should know this by now!" No! He is willing to give us what we need and He will always do so.
So be encouraged today, believer. Your God loves you, even in the midst of your trial. He is proving to you that you are His. And in that you can rejoice!!!!
Please leave a question or comment below, and we'll see you on Sunday!
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Friday, June 10, 2016
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Through the Fire
This week we will be looking at James chapter 1, verses 2-8. I want us today to look at what it means to have your faith "tested" as James puts it. The idea that I think James is referencing is that of refining of precious metals like gold or silver. When gold or silver is discovered one of the first things that happens is that it will be tested; that is, it is put through fire to see just how pure it is. As it melts down those things within the silver or gold that are not silver or gold will rise to the surface and then be skimmed off the top. Then it is allowed to cool down again and the metal is now more pure than before.
This process is done over and over again for the purposes of getting the gold or silver as close to "pure" as it possibly can be. The fire purges the things that are not precious and keeps that which is.
God does that with us when it comes to trials. We face the fire of difficulty, sickness, persecution, a wayward loved one, and we want to run from it. But friend, may I encourage you to do as James instructs us here...be joyful because you know that this pressure, this fire, is taking out of you things that God never intended to be there. He is bringing you closer to "pure" than you were when you started, and that's an awesome thing!
Read through James 1:2-8 one more time today and then thank God for the things in your life that are purging sin and impurity from your life.
Feel free to comment below or leave a question, and we will look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
This process is done over and over again for the purposes of getting the gold or silver as close to "pure" as it possibly can be. The fire purges the things that are not precious and keeps that which is.
God does that with us when it comes to trials. We face the fire of difficulty, sickness, persecution, a wayward loved one, and we want to run from it. But friend, may I encourage you to do as James instructs us here...be joyful because you know that this pressure, this fire, is taking out of you things that God never intended to be there. He is bringing you closer to "pure" than you were when you started, and that's an awesome thing!
Read through James 1:2-8 one more time today and then thank God for the things in your life that are purging sin and impurity from your life.
Feel free to comment below or leave a question, and we will look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Celebrate! June 8, 2016
Take some time today to celebrate what God has done in your life over the past week. Look back and remember what has changed because you have made the decision to follow after Jesus and celebrate!
Monday, June 6, 2016
Seeing Ourselves as Bondservants
No one is comfortable with the idea of becoming a slave...especially given the state of our culture. As a society, we have endured the tempestuous horrors of a Civil War over the very concept of slavery. But the fact remains that the Scriptures call us to a life of indentured servitude. As we looked at on Sunday (if you were with us), God allowed in His Law to Moses an opportunity for the servant who loved his master to be his slave for life. In his former life, this servant was forced to work because his master had purchased him at a price. In the law given in Exodus 21, it is clearly spelled out that the servant had the right to "stay on" with his master and serving him not because he had to, but because he wanted to.
Read Exodus 21:1-6 again, and then come back and I want to open your eyes to two words that are especially important to this idea.
The first word is LOVE. This servant decides to stay because of his love for his master, wife and children. He is staying with the idea that he doesn't want to go anywhere else. This servant may have come into the situation he was in because of a debt he owed the master, or perhaps he just needed to have a place to live and survive. But when his six years were up, he had the option to go or stay. When he stayed, it was out of love.
The second word is FREE. This servant is free to go. He owes the master nothing at this point because he served him for six years. He is free to go without owing the master a thing. This freedom coupled with his love then makes his decision to stay all the more compelling. He doesn't have to stay, but because he loves he makes the choice of his free will to stay.
When we see ourselves in this way, we are telling God, "I know that I am free, but I also know that I love you and my family, and I want to serve you for the rest of my life."
As we have made the challenge to see ourselves as servants of the Most High God, let us remember that this decision comes as a result of our own free will born out of a love for God that is deeper than anything else we could hope for.
Please feel free to leave a question or a comment below. And we will see you on Sunday!!
Read Exodus 21:1-6 again, and then come back and I want to open your eyes to two words that are especially important to this idea.
The first word is LOVE. This servant decides to stay because of his love for his master, wife and children. He is staying with the idea that he doesn't want to go anywhere else. This servant may have come into the situation he was in because of a debt he owed the master, or perhaps he just needed to have a place to live and survive. But when his six years were up, he had the option to go or stay. When he stayed, it was out of love.
The second word is FREE. This servant is free to go. He owes the master nothing at this point because he served him for six years. He is free to go without owing the master a thing. This freedom coupled with his love then makes his decision to stay all the more compelling. He doesn't have to stay, but because he loves he makes the choice of his free will to stay.
When we see ourselves in this way, we are telling God, "I know that I am free, but I also know that I love you and my family, and I want to serve you for the rest of my life."
As we have made the challenge to see ourselves as servants of the Most High God, let us remember that this decision comes as a result of our own free will born out of a love for God that is deeper than anything else we could hope for.
Please feel free to leave a question or a comment below. And we will see you on Sunday!!
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Ascent Week 1
As you read this Psalm, remember that these are people traveling from their homes far from Jerusalem, and their thoughts begin from where they are. Eventually, these Psalms will begin to talk about the wonder of God's house and the glory of God Himself.
Psalm 120New Living Translation (NLT)
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
I took my troubles to the Lord;
I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
Rescue me, O Lord, from liars
and from all deceitful people.
O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you?
How will he increase your punishment?
You will be pierced with sharp arrows
and burned with glowing coals.
I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
Rescue me, O Lord, from liars
and from all deceitful people.
O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you?
How will he increase your punishment?
You will be pierced with sharp arrows
and burned with glowing coals.
How I suffer in far-off Meshech.
It pains me to live in distant Kedar.
I am tired of living
among people who hate peace.
I search for peace;
but when I speak of peace, they want war!
It pains me to live in distant Kedar.
I am tired of living
among people who hate peace.
I search for peace;
but when I speak of peace, they want war!
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Friday, June 3, 2016
Getting to Know James
Yesterday we looked at James in the context of being one of Jesus' half-brothers. We looked at an account from the Scriptures that showed us a moment in time when Jesus' brothers and mother were trying to get in to see Him, but Jesus shut them out. I'm pretty sure that Jesus did love His earthly family, but He also knew that their thoughts about Him were not the thoughts that the Father had for Him.
This Sunday we will look more in-depth at that, but today I want you to read John 7:2-9. These verse share the account of Jesus' interaction with His brothers just before the feast of Tabernacles. His brothers want Him to go show Himself to the world at this feast, but Jesus says His time has not yet come. There is something here that is troubling, and as you read it, see if you can pick up on what it is. Then come back and read the rest of this post...
Are you done? Good. Did you see what it was? Jesus tells His brothers in verse 8, "I am not going up to this festival." But then in verse 10, he goes up to the festival. So this begs a few questions. Did Jesus lie to His brothers? Was there ulterior motive in what Jesus did here? Did Jesus not keep His word? These are questions that we will discuss more in detail and try to resolve Sunday morning, but suffice to say, we know that Jesus does keep His promises, that He is not a liar and that His sincerity is unquestionable. So there is definitely something else at work here, and we will talk about it Sunday.
But for today, I want you to think about those who would push you to do things that you know God does not want you to do...or to not do something that you know God wants you to do. I had a youth who told me that he wanted to go to Moody Bible Institute and become a youth minister some day. I cannot tell you the joy that my heart felt when I heard him say that. But a few weeks later I found out that he had told his parents and they discouraged him from it because "there's no money in that". I wish I could tell you that this young man listened to God over his parents, but he did not. Today he is an agnostic and has nothing to do with the church, and very little to do with spirituality.
So when God is calling you to something, do not settle to do something else easier, or more comfortable. Do what God is calling you to do.
Please feel free to leave a comment or question. And we will see you on Sunday!
This Sunday we will look more in-depth at that, but today I want you to read John 7:2-9. These verse share the account of Jesus' interaction with His brothers just before the feast of Tabernacles. His brothers want Him to go show Himself to the world at this feast, but Jesus says His time has not yet come. There is something here that is troubling, and as you read it, see if you can pick up on what it is. Then come back and read the rest of this post...
Are you done? Good. Did you see what it was? Jesus tells His brothers in verse 8, "I am not going up to this festival." But then in verse 10, he goes up to the festival. So this begs a few questions. Did Jesus lie to His brothers? Was there ulterior motive in what Jesus did here? Did Jesus not keep His word? These are questions that we will discuss more in detail and try to resolve Sunday morning, but suffice to say, we know that Jesus does keep His promises, that He is not a liar and that His sincerity is unquestionable. So there is definitely something else at work here, and we will talk about it Sunday.
But for today, I want you to think about those who would push you to do things that you know God does not want you to do...or to not do something that you know God wants you to do. I had a youth who told me that he wanted to go to Moody Bible Institute and become a youth minister some day. I cannot tell you the joy that my heart felt when I heard him say that. But a few weeks later I found out that he had told his parents and they discouraged him from it because "there's no money in that". I wish I could tell you that this young man listened to God over his parents, but he did not. Today he is an agnostic and has nothing to do with the church, and very little to do with spirituality.
So when God is calling you to something, do not settle to do something else easier, or more comfortable. Do what God is calling you to do.
Please feel free to leave a comment or question. And we will see you on Sunday!
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Who Is James?
Welcome to week 1 of our journey into making Sunday the focal point of our week. These times together will be short, but will (hopefully) help you to focus on what we will be discussing together on Sunday morning. It will also help you to identify with how you may be challenged to respond, thus giving you ample time to mull it over.
This week, we begin our study of the book of James...a study that will take us slowly through a book that demands our understanding if we are going to live out God's purpose for our lives. Our Scripture this week will be James, chapter 1, and verse 1. We will be looking at who this "James" really is, and what he was like. So today, I will ask you to look up three passages and read them in preparation for this week's sermon.
The first group of passages (Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; and Luke 8:19-21) all relate the same event. It is when Jesus mother (Mary) and His half-brothers (of whom James is one) seek to meet with him. As you read these passages, think about how you might have felt getting this answer from Jesus if you were trying to spend some time with Him...and He was your brother!
And what do you think of Jesus response in general? What does this say about His followers, and about you and me as we follow Him? Pray today and thank God for the spiritual kinship you have with His Son, Jesus.
Please feel free to leave a comment or question. And we'll see you on Sunday!
This week, we begin our study of the book of James...a study that will take us slowly through a book that demands our understanding if we are going to live out God's purpose for our lives. Our Scripture this week will be James, chapter 1, and verse 1. We will be looking at who this "James" really is, and what he was like. So today, I will ask you to look up three passages and read them in preparation for this week's sermon.
The first group of passages (Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; and Luke 8:19-21) all relate the same event. It is when Jesus mother (Mary) and His half-brothers (of whom James is one) seek to meet with him. As you read these passages, think about how you might have felt getting this answer from Jesus if you were trying to spend some time with Him...and He was your brother!
And what do you think of Jesus response in general? What does this say about His followers, and about you and me as we follow Him? Pray today and thank God for the spiritual kinship you have with His Son, Jesus.
Please feel free to leave a comment or question. And we'll see you on Sunday!
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