James begins the second chapter with a discussion on favoritism, specifically toward those with wealth. The abject poverty of the early church created a strong temptation to cater to the rich—even when they were treating believers poorly. Financial strain can lead us to make unwise judgments, even within the church. James' wisdom is clear: show no favoritism.

One of our faithfull and older members, Keith Nutt, preached to us a message about the word of God. Encouraging us with the word to “settle” ourselves in it, “until” it does its perfect work in our hearts. Listen to the stories and exhortation of this man’s history with the word of God.

In the final verses of chapter one, James emphatically exhorts the church to do the word. Twice, he warns that hearing the word without living it out leads to self-deception. This highlights a prevalent issue among believers: some assume they are spiritual simply by being around church, scripture, or other spiritual activities, yet they remain unchanged because they do not practice what they hear.

James writes, “Human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” Here, he is teaching an infant church how to handle the anger that was “prevalent” among them. In this lesson, I explore why they were angry and how James instructs them to deal with it.

William Barclay, a 20th-century scholar, once described the Book of James as “the most practical book in the New Testament,” and he wasn’t wrong. James’s letter to the twelve tribes of Israel is straightforward enough to understand, yet challenging to live out. This message marks the start of a verse-by-verse series on James. In this first installment, James urges the infant church: it’s time to grow up.

There is a fascinating story in 1 Samuel about the Ark of God being captured and a head-to-head—quite literally—battle between the God of Israel and Dagon, one of the Philistine gods. It serves as a powerful reminder that God is sovereign, full of authority, and glorious all on His own.

Continuing with the theme of “testimonies,” the story of Rahab offers a profound example of how God used the testimony of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage to transform her life—and ultimately include her in the Messiah’s bloodline. Her words, “We have heard,” show how what she heard became genuine faith.

The concept of God—encompassing Jesus—as “The Shepherd” is a far more significant identity than many of us realize. From Genesis to Revelation, including the Psalms, the Major and Minor Prophets, the Gospels, and the Epistles, this theme is sprinkled throughout the entire biblical narrative. We would do well to deepen our understanding of The Shepherd.

We know how testimonies make us feel. We can sense that they build our faith, but this message walks us through Scripture to reveal how God uses stories of faith in His gospel plan. It helps us understand their purpose and the larger role they play in spiritual life.

Testimonies are more than just personal stories—they are essential to God’s master plan. They are woven into the very fabric of prophecy and the life of the Church.

The power of a testimony lies in its ability to build faith and remind us of God’s ongoing work in our lives and beyond. This message shares the story of a recent discovery of how intricately God has been orchestrating my life, reaching as far back as when my grandfather was a child. It’s a faith-building story, filled with evidence that His love truly endures forever.