Posts from April 2023

Those of you who are in our small groups program will recall that we studied judging others this past week. That is a good topic to discuss in this space, too, as we consider the daily problems we struggle with. Jesus famously warns, Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you (Matt 7:1-2). And James tells us, Do not…

We have been writing for several weeks now about grappling with practical, everyday problems, inspired by our sermon series in James. Let’s discuss ingratitude, something that I suspect most of us struggle with at times. Yet, we are actually commanded to be grateful. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thess 5:18). For Christians, to be ungrateful is to be disobedient to God’s will. We are also taught by…

In our sermon this week, we will see James turn to the theme of speaking wisely. He mentions it earlier in the letter with these well-known words: Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (James 1:19). It reminds us that much of the problem with controlling our tongues is speaking rashly, often out of frustration. In short, we struggle with impatience. How many of us can sympathize with that…

In Hebrews 5:14, the writer states, solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. As we continue to discuss the everyday problems we all deal with in this space, let’s consider the idea of discernment. To discern is to see and identify by noting differences. In particular, we are to distinguish between good and evil. That’s not the same thing as choosing between what’s pleasant…