For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. —James 3:7-8 ESV Pastor Steven Cole comments: On a windswept hill in an English country churchyard … More The battle to tame the tongue
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?—James 2:14 ESV From the conclusion of John Piper’s sermon, “Does James Contradict Paul?” When Paul teaches in Romans 4:5 that we are justified by faith alone, he means that the only thing that … More Faith and no works?
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. —James 2:1 ESV John Piper helps us understand why we should not show partiality… 1. Verse 1: Partiality contradicts faith in Jesus Christ as the Lord of glory. 2. Verses 2-4: Partiality reveals a judging heart … More Why we should not show partiality
James 1:21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. John Piper, in a sermon, “Receive With Meekness the Implanted Word” Receive it—this implanted word. In other words, if you treat the word of God like your kidneys, you are making … More Soul Survival
Kim Riddlebarger comments in a sermon on James 1:1-18 James makes very critical two points in these verses. The first is that God does indeed allow trials to come our way. The second is that sin arises in us (because we have a sinful nature), not because God somehow tempts us to sin. What this … More Trials and temptations
Pastor Kim Riddlebarger on James 1: Joy is simply the knowledge that it is well with our souls, despite our present circumstances. It may not be well with our bodies. It may not be well with our job, or with our particular circumstances. But because Jesus died for our sins, and because he was raised … More Even in trials, it is well with my soul
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. —James 5:16 ESV Kim Riddlebarger: What is the most important thing that a persecuted and suffering church can do? The answer is so obvious that … More Prayer is not a magical “abracadabra”
John Piper, in a sermon “The Elders, the People, and the Prayer of Faith” In James 5:13–18 we see at least three kinds of praying not just one. And all three of them are ways of praying for people who are sick or suffering in some way. You can’t use this text to say there … More NOT Just One Way to Pray
Are you ever struck by how God seems to speak directly to us through multiple Bible passages, saying the same things and reinforcing the message? Today, a unifying theme seems to run throughout our readings: God’s purposes and plans in our lives may not be clear, but we can trust in His grace and mercy. … More A unifying theme: God’s purposes
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. … More “If God wills…”
