Slander, boasting, and knowing what's right but not doing it. There's a common thread running through these seemingly unrelated issues -- arrogance. It is a slippery slope when we put ourselves above others and above God's way. We think we're moving up the ladder when in reality our self-importance is driving us further from loving our neighbors as ourselves. We might even start believing we're in control. These two paragraphs in the letter of James serve as a powerful call to stop the gossip, surrender our plans, and declare our dependence on God.

RESOURCES --

A To-Do List Prayer:

Lord, this day is stretched our before us

but only you know what's ahead.

As we go together

let us walk when it's time to walk,

run when it's time to run,

and rest when it's time to rest.

Let me live each moment in step with you.

You know the way because you are the way.

May the yoke be easy and the burden light

because we shoulder it together.

May I remember your promise today

that you will never leave me nor forsake me.

This day is yours,

I am yours,

You are mine. Amen.

Breaking news: Christians can be mean to other Christians, especially lately. When we put our differences before our call to love our neighbor, we get a community at war with itself. This is our tragic reality and the only way back to friendship with God and others is humility and repentance. James' call to humble ourselves is just as critical in our world today as it was then for his community in chaos. May we live lives of repentance and friendship -- even if it means embracing difficult relationships.

Our society is more fragmented politically, racially, economically, and spiritually than it has been in a very long time. So here is the crucial question for followers of Jesus today -- How are we called to be peacemakers in a divided and violent world? It is no longer an option to remove ourselves from the fray, we have got to step in as bridge builders in a world of divides. But we need God's wisdom to guide us. James' words are profoundly relevant for this time in our country. May these words and practical steps challenge us to make peace in a world of division.

SUMMARY: We've all experienced a "slip of the tongue" -- those words you wish you could take back. When research shows that the average person speaks around 16,000 words a day, James' warning about taming our tongues is about as relevant to our relationships today as we can get. Can we as God's people go around cursing those people God has made? Can we ever get the reins on that little body part with such enormous impact? What James is after is consistency. He reminds us that if Jesus is Lord of all, he's Lord of our speech, too.

RESOURCES: Here are some other passages in James that reveal the connection between speech, discipleship, and judgment:

- 1:19

- 1.26

- 2:12

- 4:11

- 5:9

- 5:12

No passage in this powerful letter is more central to living your faith than James 2.14-26. No passage is more controversial, either. James' argument is that works alone or a dead faith alone won't save us. Rather, real faith expresses itself in works. Everyone in Christ has work to do. Everyone has something to give. Everyone has someone to serve. So will we live out our faith? How is God calling us to put our faith into action? We hope you'll be challenged and motivated by this message.

TEXT: Matthew 1.18-25

SUMMARY: There is no shortage of definitions of love in our culture this time of year. Love is giving her the perfect gift, a magical feeling during the holidays, or eating a dozen Christmas cookies in one sitting. It can get confusing. Simply put, love is sacrificial action. Anything less than that doesn't get at the kind of transformational love God shows us and calls us to. Joseph, Jesus' adopted father, is an incredible example of sacrificial action. Joseph embraced Mary and child even though it cost him. He sacrificed to love them and embrace them in love. In the last message of the Advent season, we hear the same call to embrace others even if it costs us, because love is sacrificial action that can transform your world.

Can we experience joy in difficult times? "Yes" is the surprising answer in Isaiah 35, smack-dab in the darkest days of God's people. Joy is letting God's reality be our reality. How is that possible? With confidence that God will come to rescue, renew, and restore us, even if our circumstance gives evidence to the contrary. May this message of joy in dark days give you permission to be joyful in this season of waiting.

"Joy is home...God created us in joy and created us for joy, and in the long run not all the darkness there is in the world and in ourselves can separate us finally from that joy, because whatever else it means to say that God created us in his image, I think it means that even when we cannot believe in him, even when we feel most spiritually bankrupt and deserted by him, his mark is deep within us. We have God's joy in our

blood." // ­Frederick Buechner

Other passages referenced:

Luke 7.22

John 15.9-11

Philippians 4.4

Do not be anxious about anything! During this advent season and beyond- Paul's words are an assurance that peace is not out of reach. Through prayer, petition and thanksgiving it is assured that the peace of God will protect our hearts. Indeed; God's not dead, nor doth he sleep!!

The season of Advent is a season of waiting. After the last Old Testament prophet spoke, Israel waited 400 years for God's promised King to come. Like Israel, we all face seasons of waiting and difficulty. We wonder if God's promise will ever be realized. We face this crucial question: Will we continue to trust God and hope even if we can't see where God is at work? In the first week of Advent, guest speaker Keas Keasler issues a powerful reminder to keep our hope rooted in Jesus.