james-2:22-26

We've now completed our study of Jesus' major statements regarding stewardship. If you're still reading, you've probably made some very significant stewardship decisions. Yet the flow of the world and most of the church may well be tempting you to wonder if you are out of your mind. Let me assure yo... Read More

Last month, George Sodini walked into a women's aerobics class at an LA Fitness Club just a few miles from where I live. He turned out the lights and began shooting into the darkness, firing fifty rounds. Within seconds, he killed three women and wounded nine others. Then he shot and killed himself.... Read More

John the Baptist preached repentance, as did Jesus and the apostles. It is through repentance that we begin a relationship with God. There is no other way to be saved. Repentance simply means turning away from sin and turning to obedience. A gospel that does not include the concept of repentance is ... Read More

Faith in Jesus is incompatible with partiality, because God is impartial. He certainly doesn't show partiality to the rich---something that is often done in human societies---and unfortunately by some in the early church as well. Keep in mind that the believers to whom James wrote had been driven fr... Read More

If it hasn't been clear before, it couldn't be clearer today. When Paul wrote of our freedom from the Law in this letter, he was speaking about the Law of Moses. He certainly wasn't speaking about the law of Christ, because we read in 6:2: "Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of ... Read More

Agnostic and celebrity astronomer Carl Sagan used to keep a framed postcard near his shaving mirror—just so he could see it every morning. On the back was a penciled message to a Mr. James Day of Swansea Valley, Wales. It read: Dear Friend, Just a line to show that I am alive and kicking and going g... Read More

In my article last month, The Limits of God’s Grace, I tried to show how God’s grace is frequently presented in such a manner that it nullifies the numerous scriptures that clearly speak of the absolute necessity of holiness if one is to ultimately gain entrance into heaven. Those scriptures are too... Read More

Introduction You are going to love this story. Jesus told it using just one sentence, but with a little imagination, it can easily be expanded without doing any harm to the lesson. A man is walking across a neighbor's field early one morning when something poking through the soil—perhaps exposed fro... Read More

Can you imagine what it would have been like to witness this miracle? Four men brought their paralyzed friend on a pallet to a house where they heard Jesus was staying. Upon arrival, they discovered that the house was jammed with people, and many others were standing outside looking in, blocking all... Read More

I've been thinking about a conversation I had not long ago with a friend who is a pastor. He shared his pain regarding some people who had recently left his church. At one time they had been loyal, enthusiastic supporters of his ministry. But their departure was anything but that. Now they were spea... Read More