James 3:13-4:3 | Undivided: Grace for Change from the Book of James | Trent Hunter

James picked up his pen to write because of his great concern for the churches in his day. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, but you would not know it by looking at some of these churches. But James is not without encouragement. He writes in 3:13–4:3 to commend the peacemakers among us, to show us where peace comes, and how we may help it along in our church today.

James 3:1-12 | Undivided: Grace for Change from the Book of James | Trent Hunter

Now it's time for James to talk to us about our tongues. The tongue, of course, is just a figure of speech for speech itself. As we've said, James is intensely practical, but that doesn't always feel good. Here in James 3:1–12, Jesus' brother applies Jesus' words about the words that come from our mouths. These words are the overflow of the heart. James reveals our problem, but he also tells us it doesn't have to be this way. In fact, it should not be this way. And God has grace and more grace to make it so if we will only humble ourselves and receive his perfect and implanted Word.

Matthew 9:35-10:15 | Harvest: GO Week 2023 | Jason Read

It isn’t always good news when a kingdom gets a new king. Will he be benevolent or tyrannical? Will he be wise or foolish? Does he desire peace or war? The Gospel of Matthew tells us that a new king and his kingdom have come. But who is this king and what is he like? Matthew 9:35-10:15 shows us this new king is compassionate, and his compassion creates a mission to fill his kingdom with people.

Amos 9:11-15 | Harvest: GO Week 2023 | Trent Hunter

Speaking for myself, I don't spend too much time thinking of where food comes from. If you're like me, we are the exception. Amos' vision of a new creation is one of incredible bounty and beauty, flowing and overflowing with food and drink. The best part? We get to enjoy this as recipients of God's grace, for he will include some from every nation in this blessed feast. None of us deserve it. That's the point of most of the book of Amos leading up to chapter 9:11–15.

James 2:14-26 | Undivided: Grace for Change from the Book of James | Trent Hunter

James 2:14–26 is the most theological section of James' letter. Perhaps no surprise it is also the most controversial. James, at one point, appears to directly contract the Apostle Paul on the heart of the gospel? I'll say the quiet part out loud: does James even understand the gospel? A faithful reading of this passage will put that question right back to us.

James 2:1-13 | Undivided: Grace for Change from the Book of James | Trent Hunter

It is a contradiction with Jesus' kingdom and God's very nature for God's people to show partiality. What is partiality? Partiality is making value judgments about one another based on appearances, based on worldly advantage. This sin plagued the churches to whom James wrote. We do well to study his rebuke and his reasoning in James 2:1–13 to protect our own church from this soul-dividing sin.

James 1:26-27 | Undivided: Grace for Change from the Book of James | Trent Hunter

It runs in the family. We all know that phrase. And we all know what it means. It's true that children display characteristics and traits that reflect their parents. This is true of God's children as well. They know and reflect the Word and ways and love of their Father in heaven. That simple truth will go a long way to helping the churches to whom James writes with great concern. There are plenty who are faithful, but these churches are dangerously lax on the whole. Many care about looking religious more than looking like the Father. With God's help in this short passage, James 1:26–27, we will not only know ourselves better but the God who brought us forth by the Word of truth.

James 1:19-25 | Undivided: Grace for Change from the Book of James | Trent Hunter

Anger is a real problem. It looks different for each of us. Some of us are venters burning off our anger with many words while others are volcanos that erupt after a long period of build up. There are many other unproductive ways to handle our anger. In the moment we feel justified and righteous in our anger, but with some reflection we're often willing to admit that anger is indeed a problem for us. Our justice antennas are broken and biased. We are provoked by many wrongs, yes, but we also commit many wrongs ourselves. What help does God's Word offer us in our anger? This is the subject that James turns to next in James 1:19–25.

Psalm 97:2 | Guest Speaker | Andy Naselli

The world has taken the Bible's word, "justice," and redefined it by attaching certain adjectives before it such as reproductive or racial or social. In order to evaluate those definitions, we need to answer a more fundamental question: What does God mean he uses the word justice in the Bible? In short, justice is getting what you deserve and giving others what they deserve. We'll consider justice in five steps: (1) Divine Justice: God’s Character; (2) Imputed Justice: Justification; (3) Imparted Justice: Progressive Sanctification; (4) Public Justice: Impartiality in Society; and (5) Ultimate Justice: Final Judgment.

James 1:12-18 | Undivided: Grace for Change from the Book of James | Trent Hunter

Each of us has a love/hate relationship with temptation. On the one hand, we have been down this road before, reaping the consequences of the sins we willingly commit. On the other hand, we are going down this road again because somehow we actually believe the promise of sin over the reality of sin's consequences. This is no way to stability, to completeness, to wholeness. Sin is inherently destabilizing and disintegrating. Where do we begin in our fight against temptation? We begin with God. Not because he is the tempter, but because temptation gets its power by lying to us about him in order that we might believe lies about everything else. Are you a sinner? You need this sermon.