In the Bible we find multiple stories that tell of everyday encounters where people bump into Jesus and their lives are eternally changed because of it. In John chapter 2 when Jesus turns water into wine, we see that when Jesus is invited in, he will be involved in the everyday moments of our lives and show us that he is more than enough.

In the book of James, we are reminded how short life is and the importance of pursuing God’s will for our time here on Earth. The problem isn’t our human desire to plan; the problem is not involving God in the planning. In trying to be in tune with God’s will we must do these things: pursue obedience, pursue humility, pursue eternity, and pursue grace. When you ask God to guide you and show you the way, you will not be led astray.

James tells us that what really matters is our actions and how we apply what we are learning. As believers, we so easily become consumers of the Word, but we have to actually do something with what we learn. We can’t just gain more knowledge to build our faith, we have to use it and change our lifestyle and behavior. It’s not what we know that makes the difference, it’s what we do with that knowledge.

In the book of James, we are told to be careful with our tongues because our words have the unique power to script and steer our lives. We have a tendency to complain, gossip, criticize, speak rudely or sarcastically, but if Jesus is the Lord of our lives, he needs to be the Lord of our lips. The words we speak can be weights to tear people down or foundation blocks they build their lives on. We must choose our words wisely.

As we continue in our series called Scattered, through the letter of James, we see how to be wise with our wealth. The Word makes it clear that it’s impossible to be financially bound and spiritually free and James tells us there are some unhealthy tendencies that come with wealth- hoarding, cheating, and extravagant indulgence. Having your financial house in order unlocks generosity and allows you to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Everything that comes to our hands comes from God, so we must be prayerful and attentive to how we handle our wealth.

In week two of the series called Scattered we are reminded of the power of prayer. James tells us that when we feel scattered, prayer is something we can hold onto. We can pray for direction when we don’t know what to do. We can pray for correction knowing that we need God to correct and rebuke us so we can be refined. Prayer is also a powerful tool for confession and healing so that we might ask God for forgiveness. Don’t let prayer be the last resort, let it be your first response.

Right now as a society, we are scattered, dispersed, disrupted, and everything seems to be going in all different directions, but God is going to use this season for our benefit.

At the beginning of the book of James, we're assured that we will face trials of many kinds, but guaranteed that it is for the refining of our hearts. James reminds us that God will use trials for our good as he refines our hearts. What you are going through right now—that wilderness won’t be wasted.

Journey's Consistency Project is an opportunity for the people of Journey to commit one month to re-engage in the spiritual practices of Scripture reading, praying, and expressing gratitude.

Every choice we make lines up and knocks down another choice—one domino at a time. Each domino has enough force when it's tapped over, to knock down the next domino twice its size. Each choice has the successive power to make a bigger and better choice along the way. We want to encourage you to consistently seek after God.

Because of what this season has looked like, there are going to be a lot of long standing mental and emotional effects that we all experience. We have experienced shock and sorrow that can lead to struggle which we often attempt to soothe with unhealthy choices. Moving forward, in order to set ourselves up for success we must first build a strong foundation of connection and relationships. After you have that solid foundation, we must build a frame of purpose and routine. Last, we must find the beauty that comes from balancing trust and self-control.

A lot of us carry around the weight of our past mistakes believing that they disqualify us from being used by God, but God uses broken people to do His work. In the Bible, Paul comes from a past that is full of brokenness to the point of murder, but this only further propels Him towards the work God does in and through him. You are not what you have done. Instead, you are who God says you are, and He wants to use you if you will say yes.