25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” 27 The man answered, “‘You...
1 Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! 2 Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. 3 You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals!” 4 For you, a thousand...
This weekend Matt taught out of James chapter 4, verses 11 and 12. In these two verses, James addresses the issue of judgment within believers of the church. The word judgment is used to convey several ideas in the Bible, including God’s condemnation or His...
27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. 28 If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.” Proverbs 27:1 1 Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will...
“It’s my life, I’ll live how I choose.” Though very few Christians would have the audacity to actually vocalize such an attitude, most — if not all — functionally live as though we believe it is true. Often we plan days, weeks, months, and even years...
13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life...
As a church, it's important to be unified on things such as foundational doctrines and core values. If you are new to our church or have yet to become a member, one of the things we ask in order to commit to being a member...
I love to write. I love the actual art of writing. I can spend hours carefully considering a paragraph or a sentence or even a word....
1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. 3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s...
1 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables....
This weekend Matt Williams continued in leading us through the book of James. The Bible is a fascinating book because it constantly leverages the dichotomy of judgment and grace. It is both the knife that cuts into us as well as the medicine that heals...
1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. 2...
One of the greatest challenges many Christians will face as they begin to grow in godliness and maturity of faith will be what to do with their words as they relate to other believers. As one grows in his faith, it becomes easier to recognize...
11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone,...
As we drove towards the village where the Bible school was to be held, I saw a road paved across a flat, wide plot of land with Mount Kenya towering over us on the right and the Aberdare mountain range running like hills to the...
7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 8 Yet it is also new. Jesus lived...
This past week, Bill White taught on James 3:13-4:3. In this passage, James challenges believers to walk in wisdom and to recognize leadership that does the same. He contrasts true, heavenly wisdom with false, earthly wisdom. They may seem similar on the exterior, but they can...
1 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned...
Throughout our study in James’ letter to the early church, we have seen a constant reminder of our fickle, double-minded nature. While God is true, steadfast, and enduring in his devotion to us, we are easily led astray by our sinful desires to pursue those...
4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have...
11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what...
1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For...
This weekend we took a look at what James has to say on taming the tongue. James begins chapter 3 by addressing teachers and reminding readers that those who teach are judged with a greater strictness. James doesn’t say this to scare people away from...
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. 2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. 3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what...
When you think of the word wisdom, what comes to mind first? Is there someone in your life that you consider to be wise and understanding? In this section of his letter, James distinguishes the wisdom that comes from God from the wisdom the world...