Be a Thermostat
Read: James 3:13-18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (v. 18) A thermometer and a thermostat are both devices that help us understand and manage temperature. But a thermometer merely shows the temperature of the area and rises or falls accordingly, while a thermostat, when properly used, adjusts […]
The Power of Words
Read: James 3:1-12 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. (v. 10) Have you ever said something in anger or frustration and immediately regretted it? If only there was a rewind or delete button on our mouths! So many hurt feelings, awkward situations, and difficult moments […]
Talking and Walking
Read: James 2:14-26 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? (v. 14) “Talk is cheap.” “That’s easier said than done.” “Put up or shut up.” These are all various ways of stating what most of us know about life. A person […]
Love God, Love People
Read: James 2:1-9 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. (v. 8) With information, both good and bad, so readily available on the internet, celebrity status is often given to people almost overnight. People can become well-known for the most trivial […]
Trust and Step
Read: James 1:5-18 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. (v. 6) Can you imagine an aspiring soccer player who read countless books on skill development but never actually practiced? They may know all […]
Trial or Opportunity
Read: James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (vv. 2-3) In life, difficult times are unavoidable regardless of our circumstances. But is it really possible to meet the trials and tribulations of life with joy as James […]
Gideon’s Charge!
Read: Judges 7:15-25 Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand. (v. 15) All week, we’ve focused on the call of God. Alongside Gideon, we’ve seen that God’s call begins when he tells us who we are and where he’s sending us. We’ve learned that we can only respond to God’s […]
Gideon Gets Courage from God
Read: Judges 7:9-14 That same night the Lord said to him, . . . “Your hands shall be strengthened.” (vv. 9, 11) No matter what God calls us to, when we get up close to it, the sheer size of the task can threaten to overwhelm us. Sometimes, the job just seems too big. Whether we are called […]
Gideon’s Army: Culled by God
Read: Judges 7:1-8 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many.” (v. 2) At this point in my life, I know what I’m good at (and what I’m not so good at). Some tasks come more easily for me now. Some accomplishments require less practice and preparation than they used to. Some […]