Her heart pounded, and she felt sick. Her face was hot with shame. Adultery was a serious sin that carried serious consequences. She and the man she had been caught with stood before a group of Pharisees and teachers of the law. They were both frozen not daring to move. The awkwardness was unbearable. Then, … Continue reading Good News For Those Caught In Sin: How The Woman Caught In Adultery Points Us To The Gospel →

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out … Continue reading Every Good And Perfect Gift: God’s Unchangeable Goodness In A Storm-Tossed World, James 1:16-18 →

  And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives … Continue reading God Never Tempts Us To Do Wrong…That’s On Us: James 1:13-15 →

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 God does not promise the Christian an easy life. On the contrary, Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that here on earth we will have many trials and … Continue reading When Troubles Come, God Blesses Our Patient Endurance: James 1:12 →

Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In … Continue reading Christians, Do Not Boast In Fading Things, Boast in God Alone: James 1:9-11 →

I love living in a part of the country where we experience all four seasons. (Although spring and fall can feel too short in the South with summer stretching far into both.) With each changing season, I plant different flowers in pots at the front of my house. It is a joy of mine to switch … Continue reading Living Out The Mission Wherever You’re Planted →

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that … Continue reading When Troubles Come, Ask God For Wisdom: James 1:5-8 →