Just because someone is poor, new, sounds funny, or even wealthy it doesn’t give us the right in God’s eyes to make fun of them, be mean to them, or even treat them differently. Pastor Mark will remind all of us that we were all created EQUAL. God loves each of us EQUALLY. There is no greater than or less than in God’s kingdom…we are just His children. Are you tempted to show favoritism inside or outside the church? We should see others as God sees them, equally loved and valuable in His sight.

In today’s teaching with Pastor Mark, we are reminded by James that we are not to treat some people better than others because they are rich, but that we are to show hospitality to everyone, even to those who cannot repay us. See, we are all made in the image of God. We are all children of God and we should treat each other as equals in His eyes. As Christ-followers, we must stand up to any notion that there are superior and inferior people groups. After all, shouldn’t we be glad that God didn’t show favoritism with us?

Jesus told people who listened to his teaching to “Come and follow me.” He didn’t tell us to sit there and listen to my teachings and do nothing. He told us to follow him. That means to deny yourself...serve others first. Commit to take up your cross and commit to follow Jesus daily...24/7. Not just on Sundays. The greatest barrier to following Jesus Christ is SELF. Following Jesus is a call to die, and yet a call to really live! Will you site on the sidelines waiting for the end of the game or will you jump in a be part of God’s family?

We’ve learned from Pastor Mark that hearing and doing God’s Word brings blessings, freedom and success. We listen to God’s Word and Pastor Mark tells us we need to put it into action. Calvary Chapel Melbourne has many opportunities for you to “walk the talk.” That is, to put into action what God has done in our life. To act upon what we have heard from the Bible here on Lessons for Living. Are you ready to get involved and show others, by your actions, God’s love? It’s time to show others God’s love through our actions.

When we look at the Word of God we must look at it with the thought of putting it into action. Living it out in and through our lives. To study the Word just to fill our heads with knowledge, without applying the Word, short changes God’s purpose in giving it. Pastor Mark will tell us that listening to the Word and knowing what it says is not enough if our lives are not changed as a result. For if we only hear the Word of God and never put it into practice, we have deceived ourselves.

We can come to church every week and think we have been filled and we are ready to go conquer the world. Pastor Mark will tell us not to be deceived. It takes more than just filling a seat every week. It takes listening and reading God’s Word with intent. When we obey and “do” God’s Word we will have freedom, blessings and success. But we also must remain teachable. This comes from a persistent, routine of reading God’s Word so that we don’t forget what He has taught us. And finally, we must simply…DO IT.

There are so many things in the world trying to deceive us. Trying to persuade us to think one way or do a certain thing. Sometimes these things or ideas are good and will draw us closer to God. But other times they will draw us far away from God. Pastor Mark will tell us not to just be listeners of the Word, but doers so that we will not be deceived. Hearing the Word and doing it bring blessings to us from God. Hearing the Word without doing it brings self-deception. We need to be on guard for this kind of deception.

When was the last time you received a gift that was useful to those around you? It wasn’t just for your benefit, but for those around you as well. God has given gifts to all of us. Pastor Mark opens today’s message with a summary of what these gifts are. Motivational gifts, manifestation gifts and ministry gifts. Every Christ Follower has at least one of these gifts. They are all to be used to bring people to God. These gifts will allow others to see and hear from God through us when we use these gifts.

James begins teaching us how to control our anger. Pastor Mark tells us that we control our anger when we root ourselves in the Word of God. When we align ourselves with the Word, we allow it to shape us and then we fall in submission to the Word of God and we line up with the character of God. When we have a strong belief that God is in control, we know that nothing happens to us without His permission. Even when our desires are blocked, we know God are not. We can hold our peace because God’s purposes are bigger than our inconveniences.

Pastor Mark will share with us in today’s teaching that James tells us we should be swift to listen, but we also should be slow to speak. How many times have you blurted out something, only to regret it the moment it left your lips? All of us have done this at least once in our lives. And we wish we could take back those words. How different our lives would be if we lived by this simple advice found in James? How many conflicts would be avoided if we followed this principal? If only we had a grip on this little bit of wisdom for the rest of our lives.