Whenever we think of being wise, we think of people who are particularly skilled or knowledgeable. But James wasn’t all that concerned about how much knowledge a person possessed. What he wanted people to think about was their actions: the things they did to and for others, meaning the works…

Wise words. Oh, to be found guilty of speaking wise words! Wisdom is spiritual insight. It’s being able to speak and act guided by the truth of God. Hang out on Facebook or even in a coffee shop and you’ll encounter lots of different viewpoints. Some are being shouted in…

Inconsistent speech. Oh my, the trouble it can cause. We stand in service and raise our voices in praise of the God and King, and then as we leave the building we mutter about what so-and-so was wearing or complain about the organist who hit a sour note. *cringe* James…

Charles Wesley wrote some wonderful hymns. “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” was written in 1738 on the first anniversary of his conversion to Christianity. In 1888, a man named Ralph Hudson took lines from three verses of Wesley’s hymn text, mingled them with the phrase “Blessed be the…

I’m good at stumbling. I can trip over a piece of lint. But James didn’t mean physical stumbling. Here, “stumble” means to offend, err, or make a mistake. Unfortunately, I can be pretty good at that, too. It’s so easy to speak—to bandy about our opinions and our feelings and…

There is power in words. I can still recall statements from decades ago, some that edified and some that decimated me. I’m sure you can, too. When those statements come from people in authority, they seem to carry more weight with us. Those in authority should “know,” so we tend…

If a body is not breathing, it is a dead body. If a person who claims to possess faith isn’t serving the kingdom, his is not a living faith. Works—those acts that carry ethical and religious consequences—set us apart as believers. Now, to be clear, works aren’t what we do…

Are you willing to learn? I imagine James’ heart ached as he penned that question. We all know people who are stubbornly set in their own belief system that isn’t scriptural and therefore is leading them down a road to condemnation. We want so much to change their course, but…

HYMN DAY! This wonderful hymn was written by John Henry Yates, who was already preaching in churches at the age of 21…40 years before he was officially ordained. My favorite line in this hymn is the end of verse 3: “We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night in Jesus’ conq’ring…

This is a strong statement, isn’t it? It can make a person sit back and think, “Whoa…” But it’s an important statement. There are many people who think they’re okay because they believe in a “higher power.” That’s basically belief in a creed rather than personal trust in a Savior.…