SERMON SUMMARY The Bible is filled with accounts of the miraculous. For the Christian, miracles confirm God’s existence, his power and his message, but the secular world view allows no divine intervention. But if miracles are not possible we should all go home, forget about God, and abandon our faith. Portuguese philosopher Benedict Spinoza best…
Sermon Summary All of us want to live a life of significance. And the only way to assure that is live each day with eternity in view. This life is preparation for roles and responsibilities we will assume in the next life when we will have the opportunity to reign with Christ in the coming…
Sermon Summary How do believers walk with God in a deteriorating society? Is it even possible? To answer that question, there are some foundational truths that we need to understand. First, we must understand what hinders us from walking in fellowship with God: our sin problem. Rather than seeing God’s loving and wise boundaries as…
Sermon Summary Spending time in prayer is a spiritual discipline that is instrumental to the Christian’s journey to become more like Christ. Prayer is vital to our spiritual health and instrumental to life change. However, if we are honest, many of us view prayer as an optional part of the Christian life. It is something…
Sermon Summary Last Sunday we completed a 13-part series on the New Testament book written by and bearing the name of Jesus’ little brother, James. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Seeing is believing.”, but James thoroughly disproves it. James spent more than 30 years seeing perfection—watching Jesus “up close and personal”—and yet he was a…
Sermon Summary In James 5:13-20, Jesus’ brother warns his readers of the numerous challenges to their faith. In this final section, James encourages us to look to God in all circumstances of life—when things are good, and when they are not so good. When we are suffering, we should pray (v. 13a). The word translated…
Sermon Summary In James 5:1-12, Jesus’ brother outlines why we should not envy the rich, which is something we are prone to do. Many people have thought at some point in their lives, “If I just had more money, all my problems would be solved.” It’s not true—you would just have a whole different set…
Sermon Summary In James 4:1-12, Jesus’ half-brother describes what happens when we adopt the world’s value system: we make enemies on two fronts. We quarrel with each other, and we quarrel with God. In James 4:13-17, James expands the implications of adopting the world’s value system, which is flawed primarily because it leaves God out…
Sermon Summary Why do Christians sometimes fight, bicker, and quarrel? Who is to blame, and what are we to do about it? James, Jesus’ half-brother, addresses that very question in James 4:1-10. James asserts that quarrels are sourced in wrong desires. We all have desires, many of which are perfectly legitimate. But at times, when…
Sermon Summary The book of James has a lot to say about living wisely and provides instructions on gaining wisdom. But how can we discern if a person— whether he is a teacher, friend, or advisor–is wise? We need a wisdom detector. James tells us to examine both his conduct and his motives. James 3:13…
