The Word for Everyday Disciples with Dave DeSelm

It’s one thing to have knowledge – it’s something else to possess wisdom. Knowledge is the accumulation of information. Wisdom is the application of insight. Knowledge provides you with the facts of life. Wisdom gives you the ability to live. Knowledge is measured by degrees acquired. Wisdom is measured by deeds accomplished. James begins verse thirteen by asking the question, “Who is wise and und...

“Sticks and stones may break my bones...but words will never hurt me.” We’ve all heard those words and maybe even said them ourselves. But as catchy as they might be, they’re just not true. Words are extremely potent and can mark a person for life.  The writer of the book of Proverbs recognized this when he wrote: “The power of life and death is in the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21) Now James picks up...

The Apostle Paul declared that we are saved by faith alone. James agreed but noted that the faith that saves is never alone. Paul's teaching is consistent with James': “For it is by grace, you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good wor...

Over the centuries, humankind has passed along a lot of wisdom from generation to generation through truisms or proverbs. But many of these “words to the wise,” while they seem to contradict each other, are both true, such as:    “Look before you leap” and “He who hesitates is lost.” “Better to be safe than sorry” and “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” While we can easily overlook the apparent co...

In the book that bears his name, James challenges us to be hearers and doers of God’s Word. If we fail to do so, we will eventually end up “being polluted by the world.” And one way that will be manifested is that we will speak and relate to others with prejudice and partiality. In Chapter 2, James takes on this problem within the church. The Principle Stated In verse 1, he takes it head on: “ My...

God’s Word is timeless and transformational. Through its inspired words, the Holy Spirit will mark those of us who live in the 21st century just as He did those disciples who lived in the 1st century. However, that will only happen if we are not only hearers of the Word, but we are also doers of the Word. In other words: it’s one thing to be open to what the Bible has to say, it’s another thing to...

This message is about divorce. Not the kind that separates husbands and wives. Rather, it’s the divorce between hearing the Word of God and doing it. Between believing and behaving. Putting our faith into practice is at the heart of the Book of James. In 1:19, James says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” Though this is great relational advice, the cont...

Our culture tends to believe that a person is lucky if they’re wealthy and unlucky if they’re not. But in these verses, James is saying that the true status of God’s people cannot be determined simply by their finances.  The poor are richer than they think if they trust Christ and the rich are poorer than they think if they trust anything else James first addresses “the brother in humble circumsta...

There’s a big difference between faith and foolishness.  That is why we need wisdom. How do we get wisdom? James says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all…” (vs. 5) Of course, the primary source of wisdom is God’s Word.  But God can also lead and guide His children by giving them direct insight regarding situations that they are facing. He can impart wisdom...

The book of James was written to followers of Jesus who had been “scattered” by the threat of persecution. They were facing tough times and James knew that unless he helped these young believers gain a different perspective on their trials and tribulations, they might very well compromise their commitment if not bail out altogether.  That’s why he begins his letter with this striking statement: “C...

Our world is weary of “noun” Christians. It’s looking for “verb” Christians – people who will walk the walk, not just talk the talk. But how can you move to a life that goes beyond belief? The Bible is filled with counsel toward that end, but one of the most practical texts is the N.T. book of James. We were made for more than “easy chair living.” We were called to a life “beyond belief.” And that...

Feelings of inadequacy have sidelined so many people in the Kingdom of God. Whether because of past failures, poor self-esteem, or too many put-downs, they’ve concluded they could never make a difference. Ironically, one of the greatest heroes of the Bible suffered from feelings of inadequacy. His name is Moses. Hidden by his mother in an attempt to protect her baby from those committed to killing...

Loss is a part of life. Some losses are natural, even predictable. But there are other losses that are unnatural and unexpected. These “catastrophic losses” change your life forever. How does faith survive in those times? Is God big enough for that? The book of Job speaks of the pain and confusion that always accompanies loss and offers us a remarkable perspective to help us through our loss.  To...

How big is your God?  This is an important question because the way you live will be the consequence of the size of your God. If you have a small God, you will live in a constant state of fear and anxiety. But we do not have a small God. He is the sovereign, transcendent Lord of all! Whatever your weakness, God is stronger.  Whatever your lack, God is sufficient.  Whatever your loss, God is enough...

We have reached the conclusion of this great book. But it’s also how God chose to conclude the entire Bible. So, if these are the last words of the Bible, we need to ask ourselves, “What does God hope for us to remember?” As I read through these final verses, I came up with a list of His hopes for us, and my hopes for you. 1.      I hope we will have a greater commitment to the local church. The b...

Home. What does that word mean to you?  Take all those wonderful memories, multiply them a hundred-fold, and you will just have scratched the surface of what our heavenly home will be like.  What will heaven be like? Revelation 21-22 gives us a glimpse. Here John describes a place that is absolutely perfect with streets of gold and gates of pearl. He is introduced to the “Bride” – a city that is a...

After Jesus’ glorious defeat of the Antichrist and his armies at Armageddon, He steps down on planet Earth once more and takes up His throne. The King has returned to set up His Kingdom. The 1000-year reign of Jesus is best known by its Latin name: the Millennium. Revelation 20 lays out four events that will take place during this time. 1.     Satan will be chained. Jesus commissions an angel to s...

The Second Coming of Christ is not a point on which the Scriptures are ambiguous or unclear. “In the same way” as He ascended, it says in Acts 1:9-11, He will return. Literally, bodily, gloriously . The Bible even tells us where He will return: the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4). But it’s in Revelation 19 that the day of Jesus’ return is described. First of all, there is rejoicing at the destruction...

Revelation 17 is one of the most difficult passages in the entire book. The identity of the woman on the beast has been a matter of great theological debate down through the years.  In trying to interpret these thornier texts, it’s important to ask this basic question of biblical hermeneutics: What did the writer intend to say to his original audience? The Bible cannot mean what it never meant. As...

Deep inside every human spirit, there’s this unquenchable longing for justice. We look at the inequity of our world and ask, “How long, Lord? How long must we put up with this evil? How long before You step in and set things right?” At last, in our study of Revelation, we reach the point where God says, “Enough!” He pours out His wrath and final judgment on “every living thing.” (Rev. 16:3) Since...

In this message, I’d like to walk us through four key images in Revelation chapters 8-11 – one from each chapter – and then find an application in each for our lives.  When Revelation chapter 8 begins, Jesus opens the seventh and final seal on the scroll of God’s ultimate plans for mankind. This triggers the 7 Trumpet Judgments. Before the first trumpet sounds, there was silence in heaven for abou...

One of the central themes of the book of Revelation is the struggle that has been going on down through time between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.  We’ve already seen how that conflict will culminate in a series of dramatic “end time” events. But in John’s vision recorded in Revelation 12, God pulls back the curtain of human history and lets us see what’s been going on behind the sc...

One of the most exciting events on the end-times timeline is the Rapture of the Church - the day when believers in Jesus will suddenly be “caught up” to meet Him in the air. Paul speaks of this great day in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 when he says that we will be caught up to meet Christ in the air. The Greek word for “caught up” is the term “harpazo.” There are 3 basic ideas conveyed in the word harp...

What will the first five minutes after your heart stops beating be like? The answer to that question all depends on whether you’ve been sealed or marked. What do I mean by that? In Ephesians 1, we read that those who come to God by faith in Christ have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. A seal, such as a king’s signet ring, would be pressed into hot wax on a document to affirm its authenticity and...

The Bible talks about a 7-year period of time that will be the climactic era of history - when the church will be raptured, God’s final judgments will be poured out, and Jesus will come again. This 7-year period will be kicked off by the arrival on the world scene of a key figure: the Antichrist. In 2 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul reassures these young believers that despite the rampant rumors a...