Faith On Display

James 2:14-26

14   What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15   If a brother or a sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16   And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; not which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17   Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18   Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19   Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20   But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21   Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the alter?
22   Seest thou how faith wrought with his works was faith made perfect?
23   And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24   Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25   Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26   For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Thriving Towards One Spirit And One Goal

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

 24   Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25   And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26   I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27   But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.


The UnAcceptable Gift

Genesis 4:1-7

1   And Adam knew Eve his wife; a she have gotten a man from the Lord
2   And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3   And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord
4   And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.
5   But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6   And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7   If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 

Hope For A Needy People

Psalm 119:49-50

49   Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.
50   This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

Lessons From An Upset Profit

Jonah 4:1-4

1   But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
2   And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country?
3   Therefore, now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
4   Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?

The Audacity of Running From Responsibility PT 2

Jonah 3:1-10   

1    And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2    Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
3    So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.
4    And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
5    So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6    For word came unto the king of Nineveh , and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7    And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
8    But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
9    Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10   And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way;  and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

The Audacity of Running From Responsibility PT 1

Jonah 1:2-12

2   Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3   But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
4   But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
5   Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast sleep.
6   So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God, will think upon us, that we perish not.
7   And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
8   Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
9   And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land
10   Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
11   Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
12   And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.