Being a good friend is a good thing...unless it’s with the world. James urges us to be friends with God and unfriend the sinful world.

What causes so many fights in our lives? Pride. James warns his fellow Christians about the dangers of pride and the blessings of humility in this classic section.

Words hurt. And words help. As the Proverbs say, the tongue has the power of life and death, which is why James urges us to watch our words.

Most people claim to believe in God, but James reminds us that Satan believes in God too! True and living faith proves itself by what it does. Genuine faith works!

Human nature loves to pick favorites. Unfortunately, everyone in the church is human! James warns us against playing favorites at church.

Some people are religious, but they don’t seem to remember much about the teachings of their religion. James spurs us on to not deceive ourselves with our church attendance, but to actually love one another.

James shows us the blessings of hardships, allowing us to rejoice even in our suffering and pain.

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he told them to make unity their priority. Like Jesus’ words about reconciliation in Mt. 5, Paul told us to make every effort to preserve our unity in both doctrine and love.

Paul’s letter to the Romans shows us the beautiful joys of true fellowship and the sad results of divisions in the church. Chapter 16 is perfect proof of what fellowship wants and what it must not stand.

While week 1 is beautifully true, God also cares about doctrines which aren’t essential to salvation. Baptism and communion matter to him. This sermon is meant to celebrate the incredible unity we have found in all the teachings of the Word and help people see the beauty of our churches, which unite around the Word of God. Mt. 28’s “teaching them to obey everything I’ve commanded you.”