“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:17How do faith and actions fit together? What role do good works and obedience play in the life of the Christian? Did the reformers place too much emphasis on “faith alone” that now we’ve lost the other side of the coin? Is there any truth to the idea that many people have walked away from the faith because th...  Read More

There’s an old preacher phrase that goes something like this: “No sin is too heavy for Christ to bear, and no sin is too light for Christ to spare.” The idea is that we often try to trivialize our wrongdoing by projecting our thinking onto God. Well, James spends most of the first part of chapter 2 dispelling that idea. Even something as seemingly benign as showing favoritism is offensive to God. ...  Read More

Hearing and Doing the Word (NIV)19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.22 Do not merely listen to ...  Read More

"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone." James 1:13Trials and temptations both have a similar impact on our lives, but they are significantly different. Trials arise from the challenges and crises of life. Temptations mainly arise from within our hearts, from our inner motivations.Trials are as numerous and varied as the ...  Read More

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5We often say things like, “God has a plan for you.” We believe that to be true, but how do we figure out where that plan is supposed to go? Wouldn’t it be nice to have step-by-step directions for making our real-life decisions?Most of us don’t get that luxury. ...  Read More

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” Revelation 21:2Have you ever known people who like to know how a story ends before they read the entire book? For some people who are impatient or who have little time for reading; before reading the first chapter, they read the last chapter. If the ending catches ...  Read More