James

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Bow Down to be Lifted Up

June 4, 2017 | James 4:6-10 | humility, submission

Are you “up” or “down” today? If you are feeling down today, guess what? God wants to teach you how to give that to Him today. He wants to show you how that actually puts you in a better position to hear from Him and get some things in order with Him. If you’re feeling up today, great! But is it based on circumstance or is it because God has lifted you up by His power? The paradoxical truth is this: In order to be at peace with God–– to experience His salvation and grace–– we must “bow down to be lifted up!” In God’s economy, we descend to greatness! In the book of James, he taught his hearers that God lifts up those that humble themselves before Him. We can experience how God lifts up those who humble themselves before Him.

Talk Less to Say More

May 21, 2017 | James 1:19-25 | listening

In a modern culture of self-promotion on social media and the constant chatter on our smart phones, texting and tweeting about every opinion that pops in our heads, the Bible says, “Be quick to hear and slow to speak.” That’s biblical wisdom, godly wisdom. Stop talking so much and start listening more. Even when we keep quiet, in our heads we’re already thinking of what we’re going to say. No wonder we’re having so much trouble in our society. Divisions within and without. Arguments everywhere. But no one is listening. And no one is really being heard.

What can be done? The book of James offers the paradoxical wisdom that we can actually talk less in order to say more. For real communication, real understanding to take place, we need less talk and more listening, and more appropriate action. The book of James is one of the most practical books of wisdom in the Bible. It is sometimes referred to as the New Testament’s book of proverbs. Written by James, the brother of Jesus, and the pastor of the first church of Jerusalem, it is also a very pastoral book, and a very practical one too.

In the first chapter of James, he told believers that the first place to apply this paradoxical principle of talking less to say more should be in rightly responding to God’s Word. We can learn to rightly respond to God’s Word.

Communication: Overcoming the Biggest Challenge for Most Families

August 2, 2015 | James 1:19-21 | family

Pastor Gary Combs continues the sermon series “Faith and Family” with this message from James 1:19-21 on communication. In the epistle of James, he told believers how to communicate with one another in a way that pleased God. With Christ’s help, we can hear and follow God’s instruction on how to communicate with one another in a way that pleases Him and results in the righteousness and oneness in our relationships that God desires.

An Orphan’s Hope – 2014

November 2, 2014 | James 1:27 | orphan care

When God adopts us into his family through the grace of Christ, we begin to work that out by having a heart for the fatherless here on this earth. As we remembered Orphan Sunday as a church, Pastor Gary helped us understand how we “visit” the orphans as James 1:27 encourages us to do.

I’ll Get To That Later

June 22, 2014 | James 4:13-17 | discipleship

In the third installment of our FAIL: Life Strategies that Fail Us sermon series, Jonathan Combs helps us understand the failed life strategy called, “I’ll Get To That Later”. What major life decision have you been putting off? Have you heard the calling of God, but you’ve resisted following his will? Stop waiting for the “right conditions” and learn to follow God’s will right away!

An Orphan’s Hope – 2013

November 10, 2013 | James 1:27 | orphan care

Pastor Gary Combs preached on WCC’s Orphan Sunday from James 1:27 on how the church is to “visit” hope on the world’s orphans as an expression of their authentic Christian faith.

The Perfect Response

October 24, 2010 | James 1:2-15 | trials

Guest preacher, Steve Davis, pastor of Spout Springs Church, spoke on the “Perfect Response” to trials and temptations. This is part three of the PERFECT series.