All the Sermons

Acting out James 1:19-27 What happens when you hit your thumb with a hammer? Or, you’re driving down the road, minding your own business and suddenly someone cuts you off in traffic. How do you respond? Once a police officer was traveling behind a car and watching the driver who seemed to be full of road rage. He sure didn’t notice the officer as he swore at other drivers, swerved across lanes and sped up at a yellow light. The officer pulled him over. The guy said, “I didn’t break any laws. I know that light was still yellow when I went under it.” Still, the officer took his license and registration and went back to his car. In a while he came back, returned the documents and said, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience sir. But I saw the religious fish symbol on the back of your car and from the way you were acting I thought you had stolen this vehicle from a well behaved Christian type person. But it checks out as yours.” People are watching. On a more positive note, many years a...

James 1:12-18 How many of you have seen the movie trilogy called The Matrix ? As a Christian, it may be worth your while to watch it because it is a story that deals with whether or not the world we perceive is really the real world. In it, a computer hacker named Neo discovers that all life on Earth is nothing more than an elaborate facade created by a malevolent cyber-intelligence. It looks like modern American culture. But it turns out everyone in that world is just dreaming about it. In reality, they are sleeping in a permanent induced coma in liquid filled cribs that keep the humans alive while their life essence is "farmed" to fuel the huge electronic computer called the Matrix. In the real world of the movie, people are just being used as batteries! But the world they are dreaming about keeps them happy and keeps them from knowing the truth. For an even scarier thought, back in April, some serious scientists published an article in Scientific American discussin...

James 1:9-11 Now at first glance, these few verses might seem to be introducing a new subject. We have moved away from trials and troubles and wisdom to deal with money. Now we’re talking about poverty and riches. But, in reality what James is doing here is giving us an example of how God’s wisdom is applied to circumstances. He chose to talk about money issues because money holds one of the strongest grips on the human heart. It is one of the most powerful influences on human ideas about security and power. In fact, even in the Old Testament we find proverbs about the blessings of wealth. Wealth in and of itself is not a bad thing. Proverbs 3:13-16 is just one example, but a powerful one, that links wisdom and riches as follows. “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her...

A video link! In case you want to see me giving this message. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gspkpfmftco2phedifd7n?oref=fre James 1:5-8 Last week we discussed how trials and tribulations test and prove faith, making healthy things grow. It is not obvious to our human reasoning that this should be the case. We hate suffering and try to avoid stress. We prefer a life of ease. So how can we possibly accept the teaching of James and obey his instructions to rejoice when we face trials of many kinds? James himself suggests the best answer in his next words of instruction. James says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” Wisdom enables us to take the proper view of things. We don’t want to miss the connection James has made. He said in verse 4: “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Then in verse 5 he uses that word again, “If any of...

James 1:2-4 In my brief time with you, I have been trying to learn and discern what kind of pastoral leadership would most bless you. As I pray for you I ask the Lord to lead me in this. It needs to be acknowledged again that you and I are in a process of discerning whether it is the Lord’s will for me to remain with you as your next pastor. This is why I have not yet officially candidated for you. I am still to be considered as pulpit supply, or interim pastor, while we all continue to pray and seek the Lord’s will. Nevertheless, even if I am not able to stay with you much longer, we would do well to have sermons that apply directly to your immediate needs as a congregation. So now that I have been with you a couple of months and we have gotten past the Christmas season and its traditional texts and messages having to do with our Lord’s coming, I believe that I am now in a position to share with you, as the Lord leads, the things I believe you and I need to hear, contemplate and ...