Heritage Church

October 20, 2024 - The love of money is unique in Scripture as the premier obstacle to Christian discipleship. More than any other commodity, James says, the desire for money leads hearts astray, specifically to hoard wealth, to defraud the vulnerable to obtain it, and to seek after a life of luxury and self-indulgence. God has given the church the ability to generate wealth (Deut. 8:18), but Scri...

October 13, 2024 - ​ The Folly of Control (Wrong way to plan) ​ The Right Way to Plan ​ The Heart of the One Who Ignores God’s Will For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://heritageshawnee.org

October 6, 2024 - Speaking against your brothers or sisters in Christ is elevating yourself: I. Above other Christians II. Above the Law III. Above God For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://heritageshawnee.org

September 29, 2024 - James underscores the subject of humility and its significance for faithfully embodying the kingdom of God. He provides 10 commandments that teach the church what it means to “walk humbly with God” and all the beautiful promises that come from living this way. For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://heritageshawnee.org

September 22, 2024 - Sermon by Jon Burgess For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://heritageshawnee.org

September 15, 2024 - James teaches that you don’t always experience the desires of your heart because, often: 1. You desire the wrong things, 2. You have not stopped to ask for them, and 3. You ask with impure motives. James applies this to church infighting as well as individual soul-searching to determine whether our hearts are truly aligned with the will of God. For more information about Herit...

September 8, 2024 - James demonstrates the fruit of true wisdom which is from above, as opposed to all of its counterfeits which are “earthly, natural, and demonic.” To the Christian who would keep their wisdom pure, James promises the fruit of a blessed life—namely, the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://herita...

September 1, 2024 - In James 5:13-18, we are encouraged to pray in all situations, whether facing trouble, joy, or illness. This passage emphasizes turning to God consistently and seeking His presence through prayer, embracing both gratitude in blessings and resilience in hardships. For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://heritageshawnee.org

August 25, 2024 - James confronts any individual that would consider themselves wise. What makes one wise is not the ability to utilize worldly management principles in the church, but rather knowledge of God displayed through good works done in the proper spirit. The result of the world’s wisdom is only bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, and it creates restlessness among God’s people. For more...

August 18, 2024 - From the same mouth come blessing and cursing, and for those who have been renewed in heart by the Holy Spirit this cannot continue. James urges us to consider the power of our words and how we ought to use them to give praise and blessing. For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://heritageshawnee.org

August 11, 2024 - The ability to control your speech is a work that requires the miracle of a second birth to access. James compares the tongue to the small rudder which grants a captain control of an entire ship and to a bridle which gives the rider control over the entire horse. Like all forms of power, there is tremendous ethical responsibility that comes from a soul wielding the power of speec...

August 4, 2024 - James 2:20-26 proves that faith without an accompanying characterized by bold, tangible, and moral actions is useless in fulfilling the purposes of God. After restating his point that faith without works is dead, James proves the point through three powerful illustrations. For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://heritageshawnee.org

July 28, 2024 - James 2:14-19 with Associate Pastor Jon Burgess. For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://heritageshawnee.org

July 24, 2024 - James makes a careful argument in James 2:8-13 that there is no reason the church ought to show partiality, both within and outside of the church walls. He lists six specific and forceful reasons why every Christian must be careful to love our neighbors as ourselves, regardless of any external. For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://heritageshawne...

July 14, 2024 - James 2:1-7 emphasizes the crucial imperative of impartiality as a core principle of true Christian faith and how practicing no favoritism reflects God's inclusive salvation, demonstrated by Jesus, and highlights how this principle should be applied in our church to foster unity and support for the vulnerable. For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https:...

July 7, 2024 - James 1:27 represents the pinnacle of the book of James and a living illustration of what a "doer of the word" looks like in practice. The heart of a Christian is for the orphan and the widow because this is the heart of God. For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://heritageshawnee.org

June 30, 2024 - The Bible is a book unlike any other book—it is the Holy Bible—and because it holds that position it must be approached differently than any other book. James teaches that the Christian must be quick to hear it, slow to speak it, slow to be angered by it. Additionally, the Christian must adopt the attitude of meekness and physically put away “all filthiness and rampant wickedness”...

June 23, 2024 - The Bible is a book unlike any other book—it is the Holy Bible—and because it holds that position it must be approached differently than any other book. James teaches that the Christian must be quick to hear it, slow to speak it, slow to be angered by it. Additionally, the Christian must adopt the attitude of meekness and physically put away “all filthiness and rampant wickedness”...

June 16, 2024 - In James 1:16-18, James provides perspective on trials and testing and adds the command for Christians: “Do not be deceived.” God’s goodness must not be questioned because he leads us into difficult circumstances. He uses cosmological and astrological language to fix the Christians mind on the stars above and then connects them to the promise: “Every good and perfect gift is from a...

June 9, 2024 - James reintroduces the theme of trials and testing and teaches the church that God is the author of our trials. They exist to refine the Christian, that one day he might reward their perseverance and so “pedestal them in glory.” What he is not the author of are our temptations. Temptations well up from our fallen nature and lure and entice us to sin. Christians must cut off the life...

June 2, 2024 - As we learn to embody the kingdom of God, James shifts discussion to the level of our mindset and attitude. What is vain and what is worth boasting in? The answer is: it depends on your circumstances—how much money you have, whether you live on the margins, or how beautiful you are. To the rich and physically-privileged Christian, he commands they focus on their humiliation that cam...

May 26, 2024 - James 1:5-8 For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://heritageshawnee.org

May 19, 2024 - James 1:2-4 addresses the nature, response to, and purpose of trials in life. It encourages believers to view trials as opportunities for joy, understanding that these challenges test faith, fostering perseverance. For more information about Heritage Church, visit our website at: https://heritageshawnee.org

May 12, 2024 - The book of James teaches the church how to embody the Kingdom of God even amidst the hardships and trials of life. The book is many things at once—it is a letter but (at times) thunders like Old Testament prophecy; it is wisdom literature but is applied like a sermon; it is loosely ordered like Psalms and Ecclesiastes and yet follows a definite pattern. Each of these nuances make t...

May 5, 2024 - Psalm 89 is a Psalm written by one of the wisest men of the ancient world, whose wisdom is still shaping our theology and worship 3,000 years after his death. Ethan the Ezrahite teaches what it looks like to express confidence during doubt as he looks at the promises of the Davidic Covenant and how they seemingly do not align with Israel’s current experience. Despite his doubts and c...