Courtney Doctor, Vanessa Hawkins, Melissa Kruger, and Trillia Newbell discuss what discipleship is and why it is important, especially within the local church. The panel defines discipleship as a lifelong growing in the knowledge of the Lord, a growing in his likeness, and a growing in affection for Christ until he returns.

Kruger explains that discipleship isn’t “you becoming like me,” but instead becoming like the Lord together. A practical path to discipleship is outlined during the discussion:

• Ask boldly for someone to disciple you.
• Find it within systems in your local church.
• When you ask, express what you want, when you want it, and for how long.

By following these guidelines, discipleship is more attainable for you and your mentor. Kruger describes that discipleship is like tethering a young sapling to an old oak tree. The sun and rain still make the sapling grow, but it is guided in the right direction by the help of standing beside the older, more mature tree. The panel closes with the reason why we should be a part of discipleship—it impacts all of eternity.

Julius Kim closes the Book of James with an explanation of why we should pray, tying together all the teachings from TGCW21. Kim connects all the previous teachings on steadfastness by describing what James meant in his closing statements of the book. Kim explains that what we pray about reveals the priorities of our hearts.

In his letter, James teaches us exactly what we should pray and why, listing four reasons why we should remain steadfast in prayer:

1. God hears us.
2. God heals us.
3. God forgives us.
4. God fortifies us.

Kim argues that when we pray, it is a grace by which we are strengthened, calling us all to steadfast prayer in the midst of suffering—just like our example, Christ Jesus.

At TGCW21, Nancy Guthrie teaches on James chapters 4 and 5 and paints a picture of two different songs being sung to us—the world’s song of self-indulgence and self-accomplishment, and the song of God’s sovereign plan of patient endurance through suffering. She explains that we must reject the world’s song and instead, sing the song of Scripture, which tells us to wait patiently for the coming of the Lord.

Singing God’s song of Scripture so that it comes out in our dreams, ambitions, and plans is the way to endure suffering. Guthrie encourages steadfast waiting with two reminders:

1. The prophets suffered and were blessed, and so will we be.

2. Consider Job, who refused to give up on God, and be sure that God will work in and through the worst things in our lives to refine us as we wait on him.

Unpacking James chapters 3 and 4 at TGCW21, Paige Benton Brown teaches us how to discern where worldliness has crept into our lives:

1. Worldliness in Our Logic
2. Worldliness in Our Longings
3. Worldliness in Our Loyalties

As we recognize our worldliness, we can become humble, draw near to God through repentance, and reflect the wisdom God gives. Worldly striving is no longer necessary since Christ already exalted us and seated us with Him in the heavenly places. Brown ends with the glorious news that Jesus rescues us by giving more grace—and there is always more grace.

Courtney Doctor teaches at TGCW21 on James 2:14-26, and carefully examines the true meaning of “faith apart from works is dead.”

Are we justified by faith alone or justified by works along with faith? In her keynote address, Courtney Doctor explains that true and living faith transforms us and changes what we do, creating the good works to which James calls us. We should not muster up these good works to be right with God. Instead, we can follow the four examples of living faith James gives us in his letter:

1. Living faith shows itself in active compassion.

2. Living faith shows itself in a deep love for God.

3. Living faith shows itself in radical obedience to God.

4. Living faith shows itself in full identification with all of God’s people.

If we can simply love and abide in Christ, our good works will be a response from our hearts rather than a striving towards salvation.

At TGC's 2021 Women's Conference, K. A. Ellis presents a message called, “Whose Story Will You Follow?” based off of James 1 and 2.

Ellis explains that the Bible is an ancient and true story that God has created for his people. She also speaks of the false stories and idols that we, as humans, are so quick to follow. Ellis, preaching from the Book of James, lays out what it means to choose to follow God’s story, instead of all the other false stories that lead us astray.

The theme she creates is that our “say” should match our “do.” When our words (our say) match our actions (our do), we show the story of the Kingdom of God, but when they do not match, our idols lead us to destruction and dehumanization. Ellis uses James’ words to encourage us to ask which story we are following—God’s true story, or the idols of our hearts.

“Our conversations will produce more light than heat if we can focus in on one argument at a time. By more carefully isolating our real disagreements, we will be better equipped to talk responsibly, listen respectfully, and find common ground and move in the direction of possible solutions.” – Isaac Adams

Isaac Adams delivers a message at TGC21 addressing the question, “Why is it so hard to talk about race?” He begins with the most basic and foundational of answers from James 4: sin is the reason for the quarrels and fights among brothers and sisters in Christ. Adams identifies 11 reasons he believes sin specifically affects conversations about race. He encourages us listeners to repent, to seek wisdom and listen to one another, and fix our eyes on Jesus.

Though we may not fully agree on questions of race and racism, we can be unified through our conversations if together we are fixated on Christ.

“It's by relying on the Father of every good and every perfect gift that we can remain steadfast under trial.” –– Mary Willson

Mary Willson delivers a message at TGCW21, teaching from James chapter 1, addressing the questions and concerns that have arisen within the Church over the last couple of years around sickness, financial strain, joblessness, loneliness, disorientation, anxiety, and how to faithfully stand firm in the midst of such compounding adversity. She encourages listeners to remember who they are and, ultimately, whose they are, as James describes in verse 1.

Willson also addresses three sets of instructions that follow in James’s teaching in light of our identity in Christ, crescendoing into a glorious remembrance of who God is and the sovereign grace he bestowed on us, that we might be first fruits of his kingdom—reflecting his love in broken creation.

“I want to be content in the presence of God with me, no matter what the circumstances are around me.” – David Platt

David Platt preaches a message at TGC21 based in Hebrews 13:1-21. He begins by reminding us that we have an adversary who wants to destroy our intimacy with Jesus and divert his people from his mission in the world, which is why we have the book of Hebrews.

Platt gives 25 ways that God directs his people through instructions, expectations, declarations, and a benediction in the final chapter of Hebrews. Platt exhorts us to fix our eyes on the Son of God, our reward, our Savior, our Sympathizer, our Intercessor, our Great High Priest who covers over all our sins, and the Great Shepherd who oversees our soul.

Every society has concepts of right and wrong, including overlaps and differences, and those concepts formulate moral ecosystems that pass down values from generation to generation. As described by Tim Keller, moral ecosystems display four distinct characteristics: moral cosmology (who we are and why we are here), moral instruction in some authoritative text, moral imagination (the stories we tell), and cohesive community made up of moral discourse, moral modeling, and moral practices.

In her talk from TGCW21, Betsy Childs Howard addresses each of these characteristics from both historical and practical viewpoints with a particular focus on moral imagination—how the stories we tell shape our children.

Check out the new book, Polly and the Screen Time Overload, written by this episode's speaker, Betsy Childs Howard.