Straddling the fence can really hurt (James 4:1-10)
James gives us a stark reminder. We can't try to play Christian and fool God. We either follow Him or we don't . We either live lives that are different from the prevailing culture or we don't. God calls us to be humble and trust him for daily strength. We either do it or we don’t.WatchNotesDownloadDateTitle
- Oct 27, 2019Straddling the fence can really hurt (James 4:1-10)
Straddling the fence can really hurt (James 4:1-10)James gives us a stark reminder. We can't try to play Christian and fool God. We either follow Him or we don't . We either live lives that are different from the prevailing culture or we don't. God calls us to be humble and trust him for daily strength. We either do it or we don’t.
- Oct 20, 2019Smart is not always wise (James 3:13-18)
Smart is not always wise (James 3:13-18)
Throughout this past summer we examined wisdom as it is seen in the Proverbs. In a brief segment of James, tied in contextually with how we use our words, we are given an outline of the differences between earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom. It should be obvious, what path we want to choose, but it is not always easy. Being smart does not always equate with being wise in the eyes of God. - Oct 13, 2019A Most Powerful Gift (James 3:1-12)
A Most Powerful Gift (James 3:1-12)
The ability to communicate is a gift. God has gifted humans with speech. Words are important. Words are powerful. Words are permanent. Words can build up or tear down. James reminds all of us that we need to be very careful as to how we use our words. - Oct 6, 2019Oh Yeah! Prove it! (James 2:14-26)
Oh Yeah! Prove it! (James 2:14-26)
It is easy to talk about how good we are or how much faith we have. James essentially says "talk is cheap." The proof of one's faith is not in their personal declaration, it is in the way they live their lives. If one is not exercising their faith, then there is a possibility it may not even be there. We learn in this section of James that our faith must be validated by our actions and good works. - Sep 29, 2019Who is unworthy of….? (James 2:1-13)
Who is unworthy of….? (James 2:1-13)
Who is unworthy of your kindness? Who is unworthy of your help? Who is unworthy of your respect? Think very carefully before you answer those questions. We have a tendency to determine who is worthy of our attention based on what we see. No matter who we are we can be guilty of showing favoritism. We learn in this section of James that showing favoritism is the opposite of loving one’s neighbor as themselves. - Sep 22, 2019Don’t Just Look, Do Something (James 1:19-27)
Don’t Just Look, Do Something (James 1:19-27)
A new theme that will play out through the book of James is introduced in this section. James is about living what we say we believe. First we are instructed to be good listeners, and people who don’t adopt ungodly standards for bringing about change. We are reminded that just taking in the word and not doing anything about it is empty. We need to be people who let God’s word change us from the inside out. - Sep 15, 2019Adjusting Our Perspective (James 1:9-18)
Adjusting Our Perspective (James 1:9-18)
Navigating difficult times in our lives can be managed as we learn to have the right perspective. We have learned to have an attitude of joy because of what we know to be true (James 1:3-8). As James develops this thought he reminds us that we need to be dependent upon God, not our wealth. We need to be very honest with ourselves regarding our possible role in the difficulty. We need to remember God is the giver of good things, even when they come through difficult circumstances. - Sep 8, 2019Faith Under Pressure (James 1:1-8)
Faith Under Pressure (James 1:1-8)
We all face pressure. We all have struggles, or tests, or trials that come into our lives which are hard. It is at these times when our faith in God’s presence, or His ability, or His care are called into question. As we begin a Fall study in the book of James we discover that learning to live what we say we believe is often put to the test. We will discover that we can weather the storms of life when we have the long view in mind and when we by faith seek God’s guidance step by step. It is not easy, it is not without pain and struggle, but it will make us stronger. - Sep 1, 2019Created for Purpose (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15)
Created for Purpose (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15)
Why are we here? Many of us have at one time or another wondered either out loud or in the depths of our own minds. The simple answer is we are here because God created us. But maybe the question that is really being asked is “What is my purpose?” We want to know that we matter, that we can make a difference, that we have purpose. Click on the link below to hear Pastor Scott's Labor Day Sunday Sermon. Consider that we are here for a purpose and believe it or not that purpose involves understanding God’s creation of work. - Aug 25, 2019What Wisdom Looks Like (Proverbs 31:10-31)
What Wisdom Looks Like (Proverbs 31:10-31)
All too often the epilogue of the book of Proverbs is reserved for Mother’s Day sermons. However, we need to look at these last 22 verses of Proverbs from the standpoint of the whole book, that being wisdom. Since wisdom is personified as a woman in the early parts of Proverbs, it stands to reason that this last chapter also speaks more of wisdom than an impossible “to do list” for a wife. When we see it as a metaphor, Proverbs 31:10-31 has a powerful message for all of us. - Aug 18, 2019The Wisdom of Honesty
The Wisdom of Honesty
We live in a culture in which truth is not always held in high esteem. Fact checking seems to be the norm when anyone of note speaks or writes. Plausible deniability is valued, statistics are manipulated, and advertisers only tell you enough to make a sale. If everyone is playing loose with the truth, why should we be different? In this sermon we consider the wisdom of honesty. - Aug 11, 2019Wise Leadership
Wise Leadership
Leadership is a topic that has been researched, written about, analyzed, evaluated, and critiqued. We are in the throes of spending the 15 months hearing people tell us why they should be in leadership positions. In this study of Proverbs we will look at the characteristics of leadership as defined by wisdom. Each of us in one way shape or form is a leader and we should each evaluate our own lives in light of what we will see in this review. - Aug 4, 2019Wise Friendships
Wise Friendships
Research continues to show that while we are more connected than ever, we are also growing lonelier. People, by and large, have many acquaintances but few real friendships. Could it be that we need to revisit what it means to have friendships based on wisdom? We will look at some principles of a wise friendship and work to evaluate not just our friends, but also ourselves. Am I the kind of friend to others that I want them to be to me? - Jul 28, 2019Parenting With Wisdom
Parenting With Wisdom
How many times have you heard that being a parent does not come with an instruction manual? Guess what? There is a manual. It takes some time to read it. It takes some thought to apply it. But we have some guidelines in the book of Proverbs that guide us in rearing our children. We will look at some key principles today. As a church family we can all be part of helping and guiding parents as we model the wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord. - Jul 21, 2019A Wisdom Based Marriage
A Wisdom Based Marriage
God created marriage. A wise marriage as described in Proverbs is characterized by partnership, peace, and pleasure. We will look at how those three characteristics are not just ideals, but can be realities in any marriage. In fact they are also characteristics of a good friendship as well.