Nov 12, 2023
Unwavering or Unwilling?
Series: Daniel
Daniel and his friends found themselves faced with a difficult choice right at the beginning of their training in Babylon. They sought permission to avoid eating the king’s choice food, in order not to defile themselves.
It’s a fairly straightforward account in which we learn a few things from Daniel’s example: 1) Daniel Wanted to Honor God; 2) Daniel Cultivated a Good Relationship with His Captors; 3) Daniel Was Creative in Pursuing His Goal of Godly Obedience.
These examples should find a place in our lives as well: 1) We Should Honor God with What We Do; 2) We Should Cultivate a Godly Relationship with the Culture Around Us; 3) We Should Be Creative in Our Goal of Godly Obedience.
Obeying God may risk our acceptance by the world, but it is always the right thing to do.
Daniel 1:8-16
Nov. 12, 2023
To watch the video of this message, click here.
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- Nov 12, 2023Unwavering or Unwilling?
Nov 12, 2023Unwavering or Unwilling?Series: DanielDaniel and his friends found themselves faced with a difficult choice right at the beginning of their training in Babylon. They sought permission to avoid eating the king’s choice food, in order not to defile themselves.It’s a fairly straightforward account in which we learn a few things from Daniel’s example: 1) Daniel Wanted to Honor God; 2) Daniel Cultivated a Good Relationship with His Captors; 3) Daniel Was Creative in Pursuing His Goal of Godly Obedience.These examples should find a place in our lives as well: 1) We Should Honor God with What We Do; 2) We Should Cultivate a Godly Relationship with the Culture Around Us; 3) We Should Be Creative in Our Goal of Godly Obedience.Obeying God may risk our acceptance by the world, but it is always the right thing to do.Daniel 1:8-16Nov. 12, 2023To watch the video of this message, click here.
- Nov 5, 2023Trusting God in Trying Times
Nov 5, 2023Trusting God in Trying TimesSeries: DanielAs a Christian, it’s hard to look at our world and not feel like things are going downhill, especially in our western culture. Things that would have seemed unthinkable a few short years ago are now celebrated as sources of pride and encouraged. Can we possibly thrive as believers in Christ in a culture that is as seemingly godless as ours?God answered this question for us 2,500 years ago, and I believe His answer is the same today as it was then. In the Old Testament book of Daniel we discover that the Babylonian culture Daniel was forced to live in wasn’t all that different from the culture we live in today in many ways. As we begin this study we'll do a little 1) Digging in to the Background of Daniel. From there we'll look at 2 things which show up in the short introduction: 2) God is Still in Control When Things Seem Out of Control; and 3) Christ Followers Will Face Cultural Conflict.Because God has complete control, we can trust Him completely.Daniel 1:1-7Nov. 5, 2023To watch the video of this message, click here.
- Oct 15, 2023My Brother’s Keeper
Oct 15, 2023My Brother’s KeeperSeries: JamesHave you ever known someone who has walked away from their Christian faith? Lately, there have been a few prominent people who have "deconstructed" their faith. They reevaluate everything they have believed and decide what to keep and what to reject in favor of their personal experiences or current cultural values.With the end of James letter, he expresses concern for those who wander from their faith, and he calls us to seek them out and make an effort to turn them back toward God. There are 3 things that stand out in these final 2 verses: 1) Some People Reject or Wander from Their Faith; 2) We Have a Responsibility to Watch for & Pursue the Wanderer; 3) Wonderful Results Which Await Those Who Are Willing to Respond.We need to be about the business of bringing people back to God.James 5:19-20Oct. 15, 2023To watch the video of this message, click here.
- Oct 8, 2023The Power of Prayer
Oct 8, 2023The Power of PrayerSeries: JamesPraying in public is something that our culture seems to feel is a contentious issue. But, in spite of the few who try to eliminate prayer from public, the vast majority of people believe in prayer. A commitment to prayer is fundamental to every aspect of our relationship with God, faith and ministry. We are to be a praying people.As James begins bringing his letter to a close, he focuses on this vital Christian discipline. Eight times in 6 verses James speaks of prayer and commands us to pray. In the process, he answers 3 vital questions about prayer: 1) When Should We Pray? 2) How Should We Pray? 3) How Effective is Prayer?Wholehearted prayer & praise should be our first response to every circumstance in life.James 5:13-18Oct. 8, 2023To watch the video of this message, click here.
- Oct 1, 2023Integrity: What Do You Have to Say About It?
Oct 1, 2023Integrity: What Do You Have to Say About It?Series: JamesHave you ever stretched the truth a bit? Ever told a fib? How about a white lie? How about promises? Ever broken a promise? Ever told someone you’d do something and then not done it? These questions push us into uncomfortable territory, don’t they? These things and more have to do with our integrity.Without apology, that’s where James takes us in James 5:12. With a single verse, James points us in two directions. First, he calls us to 1) Avoid Compromising the Truth. Secondly, James encourages us to 2) Commit to Speaking the Truth.We should be people of such integrity that our words may simply be trusted.James 5:12Oct. 1, 2023To watch the video of this message, click here.
- Sep 24, 2023Don’t You Just Hate to Wait?
Sep 24, 2023Don’t You Just Hate to Wait?Series: JamesPatiently waiting is something that doesn't come naturally to most of us. We tend to want instant gratification – microwave popcorn, fast food drive-thru, overnight shipping. We’ve got super-fast internet, but, if a page takes more than a second or two to load, we get frustrated. Waiting takes patience, especially when waiting through circumstances that are unfair.The people that James is writing to understood being treated unfairly. They were struggling in many ways and through many circumstances, but James encourages them to be patient. There are 3 points James makes about patience in James 5:7-11: 1) We Are Called to be Patient; 2) James Presents 3 Case Studies in Patience; 3) We Need to Confront Our Lack of Patience.God calls us to patiently persevere through all of life's problems.James 5:7-11Sept. 24, 2023To watch the video of this message, click here.
- Sep 17, 2023The Power & Peril of Wealth
Sep 17, 2023The Power & Peril of WealthSeries: JamesWealth is a powerful tool, allowing a person to do a great number of things, either good or bad. But, wealth is also a perilous thing, as there are a number of dangers that come with it. This is what James takes on in the 5th chapter of his letter.The 3 things we'll discover in our passage are: 1) Wealth Should Come With a Warning; 2) Wealth Has a Major Weakness; and 3) Wealth Can Tempt Us to Do Wrong. After we consider each of these things, we’ll finish up by talking about how we might 4) Choose to Live Well With What We Have.In light of James’ warning, we should prayerfully consider how to best use what God has given us.James 5:1-6Sept. 17, 2023To watch the video of this message, click here.
- Sep 10, 2023Planning for Uncertain Times
Sep 10, 2023Planning for Uncertain TimesSeries: JamesIt seems that uncertainty is alive and well in our world today. One look at the cost of many items, people’s retirement savings & plans, or the housing market shows that life is uncertain at best. So, what are we to do? How do you plan for uncertainty?Really, there are only two options here. One is to strive for self-sufficiency – try to do it all ourselves, figuring things to the best of our natural abilities. But, the better way is to seek God’s direction – relying on the one who can see all things and holds the future.There are two major movements in the last few verses of James 4. James warns us that 1) Self-Sufficient Planning is Full of Problems, and 2) Self-Sufficiency is Boastful & Sinful.We need to seek God’s direction in all we decide to do.James 4:13-17Sept. 10, 2023To watch the video of this message, click here.
- Sep 3, 2023Judge, Jury & Executioner
Sep 3, 2023Judge, Jury & ExecutionerSeries: JamesFrom TV courtroom dramas to the dreaded Jury Summons, we all have some familiarity with the justice system. We may think of the judge as being the one to render the judgment, but actually the judge is just there to make sure the law is followed. The jurors are the ones to make the final decision.Outside the courtroom, however, we make judgements all the time. Unfortunately, sometimes these judgements can be unkind or harsh evaluations of other people. It’s one thing to allow thoughts like this to rattle around in our heads. Worse yet is to speak these things out loud, that’s when we truly become judge, jury and executioner.In James 4:11-12, our author once again takes up the topic of speech. His only command in these verses is to 1) Steer Clear of Critical Speech. With the remainder of the passage, he shows us that 2) Critical Speech Causes Problems for the Speaker. The last thing we'll consider are 3) Four Ways We Can Avoid Critical Speech.We need to reject a harsh, judgmental attitude, and the critical speech that comes from it.James 4:11-12Sept. 3, 2023To watch the video of this message, click here.
- Aug 27, 2023The Work of Restoration
Aug 27, 2023The Work of RestorationSeries: JamesIt can be a fun project to restore something. Usually, the reason whatever it is needs to be restored is that it’s been left to itself too long and has become rusty and unusable. Restoring something takes it back to its original purpose. Instead of letting it continue to degrade and decay, it is the process of renewing it and helping it again do what it was intended for.This same work of restoration is necessary in each of our lives as well. We can spend too much time focusing on our own self-interest. Spiritually, this can lead to the equivalent of rusting and corroding. So if, as Christians, we want to be everything God wants for us to be, how do we sacrifice self-interest? How do we make the choice to go God’s way instead of our own?James 4:7-10 offers these 4 recommendations: 1) Renew Your Submission to God; 2) Resist the One Opposed to God; 3) Reestablish Closeness with God; and finally 4) Repent Before God.Sacrifice self-interest by submitting to God and serving Him only.James 4:7-10Aug. 27, 2023To watch the video of this message, click here.
