We should be trustworthy at all times, and therefore have no need to take oaths. If we feel the need to take oaths then it suggests that our word cannot be trusted otherwise.

Some of us may have been excluded for being Christians, whilst others may have experienced more intense suffering. James calls us to be patient, but he is not insensitive to suffering, nor is he telling us to be inactive. To cope with suffering, we need to learn how to lament. Our ultimate hope is the return of Jesus.

We should not put our trust or find our security in possessions. We should be rich towards God, and generous with our wealth. We should not be complicit in oppressing the poor by our shopping habits. God is not against us having money, but wants us to use wealth for his glory and his kingdom.

We are told to love one another, bear with one another and accept one another because God has first loved, accepted and forgiven us. Do we know that we are loved, accepted and forgiven by God every moment?

Because God came as both Jesus (Saviour) and Immanuel (God with us) we can know him and be saved from our sins.

Join us as we look at why, despite all the restrictions and changes, Christmas can never really be cancelled.

To see the full Carol Service please go to: https://youtu.be/OwoV8BnRLRg.

God is in control, and Jesus relied totally on God. James isn't telling us not to plan ahead, but warning us against the arrogance of thinking we are lord of our own lives. If we don't know God then we can know him today. If we do know God then we can trust him today.

If we focus on other people's faults, we don't keep our eyes on what we should be doing. We shouldn't judge others because when we do, we are looking in the wrong place with a wrong attitude, we are putting ourselves above the law, and we damage church unity. We should deal with our own faults, loving others instead of judging, and remembering that it's up to God to judge.

Jeremy Simpkins and Dan Maton give us a brief introduction to what our new Hubs are all about.

We mustn't have a domesticated view of Jesus. He is exalted in heaven, and our appropriate response is one of worship and repentance. He is also enthroned, and so we should live as a community of kingdom people. And he is also active, pouring out his Spirit. We may be in Lockdown, but Heaven is still open.