The Cross and the Crown

In this second part exploring 2 Timothy 4:6-8, we examine closer Paul's closing words to Timothy. We find this text to be both a challenge and a summons to live all of live with the good and glorious purpose of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever. What does Paul intend to tell Timothy with his final words? 

2 Timothy 4:6-8 is both a challenge and a summons to live all of live with the good and glorious purpose of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever. How does the wider context of 2 Timothy help us take to heart Paul's enduring words?

Psalm 117 invites us to worship, explore, and meditate on the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. What impact should these truths have in the life of the believer? How should this psalm drive us to carry out the Great Commission?

In Paul's second letter to Timothy, we see the heart of a spiritual father pouring out his parting wisdom to his son in the faith. To Christ's church today, this precious letter plants our hearts in the glorious truth of the gospel. It encourages, inspires, corrects, and directs our hearts to Christ our hope at every turn. As I enter a season of extended leave due to health reasons, I pray this le...

James concludes his epistle with a challenging call, reminiscent of Jesus' parable in Luke 15:1-7. As clearly as one can walk in the truth, one can wander from truth. What responsibilities do believers share in seeking after those who wander from truth? What are the repercussions if we fail in this task? What beauty awaits if we succeed? How does Christ's seeking us strengthen and equip us for thi...

In this extraordinary and heatedly debated passage, James challenges believers to pray boldly as individuals, leadership teams, and the church as a united covenant community in the name of Christ, in the power of Christ, and for the glory of Christ. 

James encourages the hearts of his audience toward patience by offering 3 practical examples of how we can learn to wait upon the Lord, trusting in His sovereign, compassionate, and mericiful purposes amidst our deepest suffering. 

In this section of the text, James levels sweeping judgements upon the rich guilty of persecuting poor believers. James echoes not only the prophets of old, but the teachings of Jesus with clarity and precision, challenging those to whom he is writing to forsake the trap of living for earthly treasure, while heeding the call of a Savior who beckons us to live in light of eternal treasure. 

Understanding the various ways that Scripture speaks of God's will is vital for discerning His purposes in your life and the life of the church. Having a space for these categories will build faith, clarify understanding, and help us grow deeper in God's wisdom from above. 

We need the wisdom of God before and after graduation. Nonetheless, we often feel the weight of life's changes during our most significant milestones. In this service, we commission our recent graduates, their families, and the church.

How did Paul model the truth found in James 4:13-17? How is his life an illustration of what it means to align our hearts to God's will and aims? 

How does James confront many of the prevailing attitudes of his day regarding submission to the will of the Lord? How does our planning expose the thing in which (or Whom) we truly trust? 

What do Paul, James, and Peter have in common? What happened to transform these men who once persecuted the Lord, rejected the Lord, and denied the Lord? 

What does this passage teach us about who God is and how does God call us to respond to this reality? How do we submit to God and draw near to Him who first drew near to us? 

Are our passions truly at war within us as believers? How shall the human heart be freed from the the allure of worldly pleasures? In the words of Thomas Chalmers, "The allure of sin is severed by the power of a superior pleasure and a more compelling joy." What wisdom and grace does the book of James offer us here?

Christlike thinking fuels Christlike loving and overflows into Christlike living. Godly conduct flows from a godly heart that is informed by a godly mind. How are the messages of James and Peter similar? How do both stir us to renew our minds in a way that fuels our heart that bears the fruit of service in our lives?

What are three spiritual battlegrounds that every believer in all times and all places will face? What role do the bookends of 1. seeking wisdom from above and 2. trusting the Lord's will in this section play in helping us grow in Christlikeness? 

James, from the outset of his letter, calls the believer to ask God for wisdom. In chapter 3, he describes the wisdom from above, one of the gifts from the Father of lights, as being pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. What does this tell us about the character of God? How do we as believers grow in aligning our hearts and minds to th...

The words we speak reveal the truth about the state of our heart. How does James 3 challenge us to examine the root and fruit of our speech? How does James' declaration of the impact of the words we speak challenge us to seek deeply the wisdom of God? What are the consequences of being careless with our words?

What is the connection that James makes between faith and works? Do James and Paul disagree about the issue of justification? How do the examples that James gives of Rahab and Abraham help us understand clearly what James is- and isn't - saying?

How does holding faith in Christ, the Lord of glory, being quick to gospel mercy, and embracing the royal law in Scripture ground our efforts to erode the sins of paritiality, favortism, and discrimination in the life of a believer and church? Why is this particular sin so egregious to the Lord of glory? 

In an age where many are slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry, Christians are called to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. What action steps can believers take to grow in this area? 

How do we recieve with meekness the implanted word? Why is the righteousness of God the measuring line to which believers aim to align their heart? What is the law of liberty to which James refers? What distinctions does James make between true and false religion? 

How can Christians count it joy when we endure trials of various kinds? Why is it so important for believers to ask God for wisdom in their trials? How do we cultivate a life of humility? Where does sin originate? How sovereign is the God? What is the word of truth?

In this introduction to the epistle of James, we will examine the author, date, content, and aims of of this beloved letter of the New Testament.