No one denies that we are saved by grace. The Bible makes this abundantly clear. Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. It is […]
God has created us with the ability to remember, and He expects us to take advantage of this ability (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). There are many things that we should remember when it comes to the things of God, but the first thing we should remember is God Himself. It sounds strange to say this, especially […]
The moral compass of this world has been broken for a long time. It might be said that it was originally broken by Adam and Eve in the garden and never completely repaired. That is not to say that we are born sinners, but that once sin was in the world, it influenced everyone in […]
Some find it difficult to take responsibility for their actions. Instead, they blame others for their shortcomings. This is not a new development among mankind; it goes back to the Garden of Eden. Adam sinned and then tried to “pass the buck” to Eve. Genesis 3:11-12 (ESV) 11 He said, “Who told you that you […]
Reminiscing is something we all do from time to time. I sometimes remember that Whitney, even when she was as old as twenty-five, loved to climb into our bed when Janice and I were watching TV and watch it with us. The problem was she would usually do it late at night when I was […]
Every Christian should know of and be confident in the power of prayer. God’s people, including some of the most famous biblical characters, have always prayed to God sincerely and regularly. Great lessons for life can be gleaned by simply reading the many recorded prayers of Paul. James closes his epistle with some important points […]
In the practical epistle that is the book of James, James teaches us some important lessons about the future, the brevity of life, and the sovereignty of God. James 4:13–15 (ESV) 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and […]
It is better to learn some things sooner rather than later. This is the case with the fact that we cannot tame our tongues. James 3:7–8 (ESV) 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can […]
In these verses before us, James is dealing with a critical issue…the nature of law. The reason he is doing this is because some brethren confuse law as being made up of unconnected rules and regulations. Taking this view lends itself to the conclusion that some rules in a given law are unimportant and can […]
The book of James is one of the most practical books in the Bible. This week I want us to consider a lesson from each one of its chapters. Let us begin with James’ exhortation to be doers and not just hearers of the word. James 1:22–25 (ESV) 22 But be doers of the word, […]