What must the Church be devoted to in and out of season? What is the mandate on the Church no matter the politics, culture, time, and place? Acts 2 provides a lens of what the early church was devoted to, and thus, what we must devote ourselves to.

What must the Church be devoted to in and out of season? What is the mandate on the Church no matter the politics, culture, time, and place? Acts 2 provides a lens of what the early church was devoted to, and thus, what we must devote ourselves to.

What must the Church be devoted to in and out of season? What is the mandate on the Church no matter the politics, culture, time, and place? Acts 2 provides a lens of what the early church was devoted to, and thus, what we must devote ourselves to.

What must the Church be devoted to in and out of season? What is the mandate on the Church no matter the politics, culture, time, and place? Acts 2 provides a lens of what the early church was devoted to, and thus, what we must devote ourselves to.

What must the Church be devoted to in and out of season? What is the mandate on the Church no matter the politics, culture, time, and place? Acts 2 provides a lens of what the early church was devoted to, and thus, what we must devote ourselves to.

Reflection

Think about your former manner of life before you met Jesus.

What has Jesus saved you from?

Are there aspects of your former manner of life that still manifest itself in your life today?

How does Ephesians 4:17-20 describe our former manner of life? Why is it necessary to flee this type of faultily?

Think about your life in Christ.

What things have you learned about Jesus in your walk with him?

Read Ephesians 4:25-32. Where do you see these qualities in Jesus? Take some time to read through the Gospel of Mark to identify them.

What kind of spiritual habits do you have that help you spend time with Jesus?

If you don’t have any, why not?

What are some health habits you can begin now.

Pray

Ask God to help you see areas of your life where you have allowed futility to creep in.

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the humility you need to submit to Christ’s authority.

Pray for the universal church. That God would protect her from futility and that she would display the unity that we have in Jesus to the world.

Summary

James' final message is: Faith works, by lovingly pursuing wandering people back to the truth. This is a reminder that the Church is in the business of soul winning. As good as it is to feed the hungry and clothe the sick, we must remember that God has called Christians to preach the gospel and make disciples.

Reflection

Can you think of a time when someone lovingly pursued you back to the truth of the gospel?

How about a time when you pursued someone else? How did it go?

What about a time when you decided not to pursue them? Reflect on reasons why.

Do you find it difficult to confront those who wander away from the faith?

Why or why not?

Pray

Pray for the person(s) you believe God is calling you to loving pursue and encourage back to the truth.

Ask for the boldness to speak

Pray for humility and gentleness

Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers and sisters, if a person is caught in sin, you who are spiritually mature should restore them with a spirit of gentleness... Carry each other’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Join Steve Ross (Arise Ventura), Bert Alcorn (Anthem Ventura) & Brent Hisayasu (Harvest Bible Chapel) as they chat about Advent, our collaborative teaching series, and how we can press into biblical hope in a deeper way this year! 

Reflection

• In episode 3 of our Advent podcast we're going to identify several ways we can grow in hope. What are some practical ways you can think of that will help you gain a clearer vision of the future promised to us, so that it affects your present walk with Jesus?

• Remember: our working definition of hope is "The present life lived remembering God’s faithful past, with confidence in God’s promised future.

• Pastor Brent opened up with a story about his son watching Iron Man for the first time. Is it hard for you to remember the end of the story as you journey through life's trials? Why or why not?

• Can you think of someone who has lost hope, and perhaps their faith, in Christ because of trials? How would you encourage them with the truth of Romans 8:18-32 in order to help them?

Prayer

Pray for the person(s) you've listed above asking God to give you an opportunity to share the truth of His hope with them this season.

Join Steve Ross (Arise Ventura), Bert Alcorn (Anthem Ventura) & Brent Hisayasu (Harvest Bible Chapel) as they chat about Advent, our collaborative teaching series, and how we can press into biblical hope in a deeper way this year!