Renewed to Honor

 We are continuing on our study of James. What have we learned so far? Trials are at the hand of a loving father This is another way of saving that God is Sovereign in our suffering. We are to know that this means that God has not abandoned us but rather it is he who preserves and strengthens us Like a father training his child, so does trials work together for our good. As in Romans 8:28 -- all things work together for the good ... Trials build us up and strengthens our faith muscles. Doubting In our steps of faith, things are not crystal clear We are not called to take calculated risks but rather risks based on our trust in God Trials are means to shake us and refine and strengthen our faith with better quality sand of word of God like how people do when they construct buildings with sieving sand., Placing our foot on the right thing Not in our richness Not in our influence But rather on God and on His word Trials separate wolves from sheeps Trials can be like temptation God cann...

dear brothers, this week we are looking into the book of James chapter 2 from verses 14. Lets look at the last time we looked at the dangers of partiality . Why does James say that it is wrong to be partial? There is a reason for it. It is because the Church is a family. We are not partial in our family, so should we not be in the Church.  James explores this topic even further in this section.  What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?  Look the the verse from Ephesians 2:8-10. We are saved by faith and not by works so that no one could boast. What is Paul saying? Paul is saving that aa person becomes a believer by faith and that salvation is a gift and not a reward for good behaviour. Paul explains early on that salvation cannot be attained by human will or wisdom. This echos what John said too. Not by the will of man (John 1:13) or by the desired but by will of God. We see that statement and we belie...

Key Verses: Matthew 28:19-20 Acts 14:21 Background of Acts 14 Paul/ Shaul (Saul ) a sinner is saved by Christ and he sees Grace. He later meets the rest of the believers and the Spirit of Lord tells them to set apart Paul and Barnabas as evangelists. They begin their travel through Asia Minor and reach in chapter 14 Iconoum (Koyna)  in modern day Turkey. There are significant events in this chapter and we will see through them as we try to understand the nature of disciples and what we are called to be. This is not a special teaching but rather a way we all look together to the word. First of all we need to define who is a believer We are unable to save ourselves We are not able to meet the righteous requirements Only Christ was able to meet then It is Christ who gave us his righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21 , Romans 4:5, Philippians 3:9 ) We take on his righteousness in faith The next step is to be with a Church (2 Timothy 2:22 -  So flee youthful passions and p...

 Sermon Notes: (Please hear the audio as my notes are not well written)  v26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.  James tells us what it means to be following a good God and being religious is. He tells us what a false religion is. See, you and the orphan have a same Father- if God s your both father- then how are you not visiting the needy? 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 2 vs 1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.  Deuteronomy 10:17  17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, g...

Scripture: James 1:19-25 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.