September 7 | James 2:1-17 | A Working Mercy A faith without works is dead. Lifeless. Pointless. The faith we have in God and in one another must birth in us action and care and a willingness to give of what we must serve one another.

August 31 | James 1:17-27 | An Undefiled Mercy Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, according to James, is this: “to care for the orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” It is time we take these words to heart. Our religion is only as pure as our ability to care for those who are need of care.

The final lesson for Timothy from a dying Paul is to endure. Paul believes the Lord will come to rescue the faithful, and we must not give up or walk away. Christian work is hard, but God will strengthen us with the resolve and endurance we need if we remain faithful.

August 17 | 2 Timothy 3:14-3:17 | Equipped for Every Good Work Paul warns Timothy that culture will have ‘itching ears.’ What he means is that people will find teachers that speak to their own desires even if it’s a false witness or doctrine. To push against this cultural trend, Christians need to feel comfortable convincing, rebuking, and encouraging others who have fallen prey to false myths.

August 10 | 2 Timothy 2:8-15 | Speak Well Perhaps the most profound advice from Paul to Timothy is found here: ‘Remind them of this and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.’ What we say (and how we say it) matters to our faith and witness. This applies to us in all aspects of our lives (both digital and real life).

August 3 | 2 Timothy 1:3-14 | Do Not Be Ashamed We have a testimony. God has suffered unto us in the world, and it is our calling to share this with everyone. We do this best if we learn to not be ashamed of our faith but claim it. Live out of it.

Why would a competent sower sow seeds on ground he knows won’t take root? It seems bizarre, but that’s how the Kingdom of Heaven works. Despite some things taking root, the Kingdom spreads everywhere and to everything. The farmer, like God, is giving everyone a chance to find their place in Kingdom work.

The Kingdom of Heaven is growing and producing good wheat. Unfortunately, weeds sprout up in the middle of the good growth. Should you cut it out? According to Jesus, “No. You should not.” Let the weeds and wheat grow together. They will be separated in the harvest. Similarly, people in the Kingdom of God will also do so.

Could you sell everything you own? I could only if what I was buying in return was worth it. Jesus offers us an image of the Kingdom that he believes is worth it. He says the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl that is so mesmerizing it enraptures us to sell everything we have to buy it.

Kingdom of Heaven is like a Mustard Seed | Matthew 13:31-32 | Rev. Jayne Davis

A mustard seed starts small and seemingly insignificant, but it grows like wildfire. According to Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven starts similarly. It was insignificant at first, but now it has caught fire across the globe, and our actions help spread it.