James 4 – Let’s draw near to God

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James 4 – Let’s draw near to God

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” What a beautiful, interactive image. Imagine how you feel when you are naturally drawn to a beloved person or pet. Think about that desire you have to share time, touch, conversation. This is the kind of intimate relationship God wants with us. Notice that there is no qualification or “entry fee” to connect with God – if we simply make the effort, God is always ready and anxious to connect with us.

No matter who you are, what you have or have not done, what you have or have not achieved… none of that matters. The Kingdom of Heaven’s doors are open to all. Let’s draw near to God, together.

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James 1 – Slow to Speak, Slow to Anger

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James 1 – Slow to Speak, Slow to Anger

The key to fully appreciating James’ urge for us to be slow to anger is being able to first recognize our emotions and the emotions around us and then understand how everyone’s feelings are responses to our environment. Wrapping that in prayerful conversations with God can lead us to managing our anger (and other emotions) so that we’re motivated in a positive way to fulfill what James calls the purest definition of religion: caring for the most vulnerable people in our society (in his case, widows and orphans).

How can our anger at social injustices motivate us to be quick to listen to the needs of our community, to the cries of the vulnerable? How can we then speak out for their needs?

By listening quickly, speaking slowly, and acting with great compassion, we can be God’s loving, transformative presence for our community.

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Where is God? – God’s Nature: Location

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Where is God? – God’s Nature: Location

If you’ve ever prayed with a young child, they may have asked you, “Who are you praying to?” When you answer, “God” a likely follow-up question is, “Where is this God you’re praying to?” Great question! Today we’re going to address a specific aspect of God’s nature: location. Where is God – far away, nearby, or within us?

Our understanding of God’s location consciously – or more often subconsciously – plays a major role in how we treat ourselves and others as well as how we understand and deal with life’s major questions and events (ex: birth, death, tragedies, etc).

So today, we’ll look at several major schools of thought regarding where God is. FYI, each belief paradigm is supported by Bible verses as well as theologians with PhDs, so no matter what you personally think about God, know that there are many incredibly smart, educated, compassionate people who agree with you.

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Tempted and Moving On – Mark 1:12-15

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Tempted and Moving On – Mark 1:12-15

As individuals and as a faith community, I encourage all of us to address whatever tempts us. And I encourage us to do this with each other. By doing so, we can genuinely look out for and support each other.

With Jesus as our role model and with God actively supporting us, let us bravely address whatever tempts us so that we can confidently move on and move into new seasons of loving God, loving ourselves, and loving others.

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Childlike, not Childish – Matthew 18:1-14

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Childlike, not Childish – Matthew 18:1-14

If all of us, individually and as a community of faith, could be a little more childlike, offering ourselves as ambassadors of God to the people around us, offering all we have, all we can, without restraint, without shame, and without worry for our own futures…
If we could exhibit those childlike traits, we would all make major strides toward creating the Kingdom of God in our midst.

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Conflict and Character – Genesis 25:19-34

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Conflict and Character – Genesis 25:19-34

If you remember nothing else from today’s text and my comments, remember how verse 21 starts: “Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife…” Married or not, we are all in relationships with people – family, friends, and acquaintances. Prayer connects us with God and with each other. When we pray for each other – including our enemies – we create opportunities for forgiveness, for healing, and for growth.

Each week our worship service starts with a “Peace Quote” to encourage us to have peace in our lives and create peace for others. Prayer is where that peace starts, grows, and bears fruit – first within us, and then for others.

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