For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. –James 2:13 I’ll never forget an experience that I had during my first year of working in the church. Every Tuesday at noon we held a “Pastor’s Prayer” time where people would come and pray with the pastors for requests that were shared by the church family. One dear, old saint ... [Continue Reading]
Welcome to the Deep End
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. –James 2:8 It’s seems that, once a person has been a follower of Christ for any significant amount of time, there’s a phrase that begins popping up in his or her vernacular: “I want to go deep.” But what is “deep,” exactly? It’s easy to ... [Continue Reading]
You Never Know
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. –James 2:1 After my freshman year in college I took a job at Texas Roadhouse as a server. Though it had its fun moments, the job was also incredibly frustrating. As a server you learn the challenging lesson of doing the best for people regardless of what they will give ... [Continue Reading]
Beyond Me
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. –James 1:27 My Grandma was a young widow – she was in her 50’s when my Grandpa died. Though she never remarried and lived alone, my Grandma was very involved in her church, and there were several families who ... [Continue Reading]
Losing Palmolive
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. –James 1:26 There’s a scene in the movie, “A Christmas Story,” where the little boy, Ralphie, uses a bad word and is forced to have his mouth washed out with soap. His mother demands to know where he learned the word, so rather than implicating ... [Continue Reading]
On Freedom
But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. –James 1:25 It’s not often that we think of laws as providing freedom; most of the time we think of them being restrictive. When I drive down the highway, I want to be able to drive as fast as I desire. The ... [Continue Reading]
The Joys of Painting
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. –James 1:22 I’m exhausted. I spent the last 3 nights of my life painting at our new house. First it was the ceilings; then it was the walls. As tiring as painting is, there’s a joy that comes with it though, isn’t there? When you finally get to roll on that last coat, it’s amazing to see the change ... [Continue Reading]
The Garden of Your Heart
Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. –James 1:21 Kari and I just bought a new home, and I’m realizing what an enormous task the landscaping is going to be. The previous people living there didn’t have time to tend to the yard, and needless to say, there are a lot of weeds ... [Continue Reading]
Be Slow
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. –James 1:19-20 I’m a hurried sort of person. There’s always one more thing to do on my list and one more place to go… typically a place to which I am running about 5-10 minutes late. Living a ... [Continue Reading]
You Don’t Own Me
Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. –James 1:18 One of the incredible benefits of the spiritual rebirth that takes place when a person puts his or her faith in what Jesus accomplish on the cross with the forgiveness of sins is that the old nature that used to reign in us no long has the ... [Continue Reading]
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