Free Methodist Church of Santa Barbara

Our scripture this week is close to the end of the book and one of my favorites. In it, James is reminding the church about a gift they have been given: to seek the Lord for healing and hope. No matter how you find yourself, James is exhorting you to pray. If you are sick, suffering, or cheerful, the Lord is near and will hear your prayer. He will not only hear it, He will answer. In the middle of...

This Sunday we are looking at only one, verse but oh, does it "pack a punch." James 5:12 starts with the words, "Above all . . ." Needless to say, after all James has said to us over this series and all he has yet to say he is making it clear to take a deep breath and listen a little more intently. Our focus will be on the power and challenge of integrity in our daily living. If you want to prepar...

In James 5: 7-11, we will focus on how delayed gratification and self-control lead to a more patient lifestyle and overall healthy person. I define patience in this context as the "ability to ask for help when you realize you may not have all the answers." Also, I define spiritual patience as the "ability to ask God for help despite circumstances, to be confident in Christ in times of uncertainty,...

As we begin chapter 5, James is giving a strong warning to those who not only rely on their wealth but who also use that wealth as a tool of oppression. Reading this in anticipation of worship, how do these words hit you? Do they bring up strong feels or can you easily pass them by? What could you get out of this scripture that would encourage or strengthen your understanding of who God is and wha...

James continues to bring it! And so will the Youth this Sunday when they lead us in worship and other parts of the service. I (Jake, the guy behind the guitar), as the "youth-est" one on the pastoral staff, will be preaching on our continued lessons from Pastor James, as we seek guidance from his instruction to the Church. Last week, we looked at a pervasive spirit of judgement in the group of Chr...

This Sunday, we slow down a bit in the book of James and soak in what he has been saying to us. In these last weeks, James has been giving us strong exhortations about how we use our tongue, what wisdom truly is, how our hearts matter, and where conflict originates in our lives. There is much good inspiration to be found in the scripture we have read. His words have convicted us, yet I hope you ha...

James takes aim in the text this week at why certain struggles are happening in the church. Many of the troubles they are experiencing come from their own hearts. He has just finished talking about the tongue and the heart, both sources of good and harm to ourselves and others. Now, James zeroes in on how their actions come from desires which are not of God. He just lets them have it! As we read t...

What does wisdom look like to you? Would you say you are a person of wisdom? How do you know? These are going to be a few of the questions we ask on Sunday as we finish out the third chapter in James' letter to the church. In this section, he is contrasting human wisdom with the wisdom God gives to us. It is important that we are able to tell the difference between the two, as they are not the sam...

Sunday, we continue the study of James as we begin chapter 3. Our pastor gives more counsel about the tongue in this part of his letter and it makes us wonder: what kind of people need to be told to watch what they say? James uses multiple illustrations in this section to help his listeners understand the reality of how our words impact the world in which we live. We have already talked about sins...

James' exhortation to the church has been incredibly foundational. Imagine not having his words to challenge and assure us. . .so glad his letter ended up in the Bible for all of us to learn from. For a second week, we will be in the same passage. Last week, we meditated on what it means to have a dead faith. Praise be to God that all things can be made new in Christ Jesus! Whatever is dead can co...

At the last supper, Jesus began a sacred tradition which His people have practiced daily since that evening. The Eucharist. Communion. The Lord's Supper. The Table. The Blessed Sacrament. Some of the names connote the different emphasis that is put on the act. Whatever it is called, it is meant to be a remembrance of His death on the cross for our sins. Although churches celebrate it in different...

We continue talking about the consequences for favoritism in our lives. The verses we study Sunday are connected to the thoughts we began, but now James goes a bit further, talking about the consequences for breaking the law Jesus set out when He was here. We will be talking about what it means to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We will talk about why James is discussing the law. And, we w...

For our sermon text this week, James is highlighting a situation which must have been happening in the church under his watch. Reading through it caused me to wince, thinking of similar experiences I have had and know about from others. James is emphatic that those who follow Christ should refrain from treating only some people well, especially when it heightens the divide between rich and poor. W...

James continue to calls things like he sees it. On Sunday, we are going to be looking at just two verses. In a wisdom literature kind of move, he gives us these last thoughts before transitioning to talk about partiality. While the text is short, he packs in a lot of ideas about being religious, the use of the tongue, caring for those who have had loss, and being holy. As we read them, we want to...

One of the best aspects of the book we are studying is how plainly the truth is told. Truth that the church needed to hear then and still needs to hear today. To grasp James' points, we don't need to unpack complicated doctrine or understand twisty arguments. Instead, he simply tells us what we need to know, expecting us to act on that knowledge. This is the heart of the lesson this week. What do...

The second verse of this week's text (James 1:18-21) are wise words in and of themselves: "...let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger" (v.19). If you've been around Christian circles, you have probably heard these verses used to rationalize why all anger is bad, or to embrace meekness at all costs. Images of a monastery with folks who have taken vows of silence and peace come...

James has always been a controversial book. It is very directive and this emphasis on action made Martin Luther think it ought not even be included in the Bible! So it's a little ironic that in the six verses we will examine this week, James urges us to wait! As we have already seen in the earlier verses of the first chapter, and as we will see throughout the remainder of the letter, he wants to h...

The book of James looks a bit like the Old Testament book of Proverbs dressed up in New Testament clothes. Its consistent focus on practical action in the life of faith is reminiscent of the Wisdom Literature in the Old Testament, encouraging God's people to act like God's people. The pages of James are filled with direct commands to pursue a life of holiness, and to remain consistent in the face...

This Sunday, we delve into James' first idea. With a brief salutation, he launches in by telling the church to be glad for hardships because of what they produce in our lives. There is no explanation given nor is there any context for what he is talking about. What I appreciate about this is that all of us have pain. We could all stop and think of a difficult situation or season in our lives when...

A Servant's Letter | Overview of James/James 1:1 This week, we begin the book of James. This is a practical book for believers in Christ, and one that acts as a reminder through the generations of what conduct as Christians looks like. This is not a narrative, nor is it meant to give us new information. It is meant to wake up its readers to what they have forgotten or failed to live into. This is...

This is our last week in Ruth! It has been a joy for me to go through this adventurous book with all of you. While a unique story in the Old Testament and difficult to completely understand the cultural and religious context happening, there are truths which come through in vibrant ways to enliven God's people today. When we read chapter 4, we see a transaction between two family members happening...

This Sunday we will once again pick up our series on the book of Ruth. We have been traveling with Ruth and her mother-in-law. Their lives took a series of different turns. In the process, we have learned about God's kindness through his people and what it means to follow Him. We will catch up with Ruth in chapter 3, and experience her encounter with Boaz, who is a relative of Naomi. God's kindnes...

This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, one of the most important days of the Christian year. In Acts 2, Luke records how the Holy Spirit came on the believers who were gathered together in one place. Just as Jesus promised, the sound of a violent, wind-filled the house where they were praying. Tongues of fire came to rest on each one there, and they were filled with God's very presence to do the ministr...

For our communion meditation on Sunday we are going to reflect on a theme we have seen in Ruth thus far. As a reminder, I encourage you to read through the first two chapters of the book and notice how much of the book is about a necessary component of life: bread. In fact, the need for it is an organizing force around which the whole book is written. Without the need, there is not the same moveme...

This Sunday, we continue in the book of Ruth. In chapter 2, the story progresses significantly with Ruth going to find provision and God acting on her behalf. We want to explore how God operates to help humankind and if we really believe that in our lives. We will talk about those who are vulnerable and how the Lord uses His people to bring relief to them and to protect them. We want to think abou...