Some people think knowledge and wisdom are one in the same. While knowledge is important there have been many people throughout history that in spite of what they knew still acted foolishly. The Mars candy company thought it would be bad for business to let the movie ET use M&M’s to entice the Extra Terrestrial into the house. That proved to be one of the biggest missed marketing opportunities in history.  The ancient city of Troy believed the wooden horse left by the Trojans was a sign of peace but that proved to be an unwise conclusion and they lost their city. Simply put, wisdom is the correct use of knowledge. And wisdom from a spiritual perspective means using knowledge in a way that reflects our relationship with God. In James 3:13-18 false wisdom is compared to true, godly wisdom. The growing follower of Christ will seek the wisdom God promises us when we ask for is sincerely.  Join us this Sunday.

There are lots of way we measure growth in a child’s development. In addition to things like height, weight and physical features. We also measure their growth by how they talk. I volunteer once a week in a Kindergarten class at CBES and it sometimes takes all my powers of understanding to comprehend what some of these students are saying. As they grow, they will develop a better ability to communicate. The same is true in the spiritual life. How Christians talk is a big indicator of their spiritual growth or lack thereof.  In James 3:1-12 we will see the powerful influence our words can have on the world around us and how they reflect what is on the inside of a person. Join me as we look at the Sound of Growth this Sunday.

The primary tenant of the gospel is that salvation is through the grace of God alone, and personally received by faith. We emphasize that salvation is not by our own good works but is simply an act of God’s grace through Christ to forgive our sins and redeem our fallen condition. So what does James mean when in 2:17 he says “ . . . faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James is not contradicting the Gospel, but instead is clarifying what true and saving faith is like. Genuine, gospel faith is one that will be accompanied by the ongoing transformation of the individual to become more and more like Christ. Spiritual transformation occurs when, by faith, the individual takes action to be better aligned with God. Join me this Sunday as we look at the equation of spiritual growth: Faith + Works = Growth.

In the “you scratch my back – I’ll scratch your back” kind of world we live in it is natural to show favor to the people who can bring benefit to us. Those principles may work in the business world, but they are disastrous for the church and stifle spiritual growth in the believer. In chapter 2 James tackles the issue of favoritism – you might want to wear steel toed boots because James has stepped on my toes a bit just getting this message ready. The good news is James provides a pathway to counter our bent toward favoritism with a fresh take on the command to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Join me this Sunday as James shows us how to grow by loving our neighbor.

Read James 2:1-13

Read Luke 10:25-37

Pure Religion that Brings Growth

This Sunday is our third week in the book of James and the series “Growing Up with Jesus.” In the later part of chapter one James identifies religion that is disingenuous, followed by what is the religion that is accepting to God our Father.  Unfortunately, much of the unsaved world around us sees religion in a negative way because the version of Christianity they have experienced has not been the kind that God accepts. What is the religion that God desires? Join me this Sunday as we explore what is the pure religion God accepts.

This Sunday is The Sanctity of Human Life Sunday; a day to recognize that all life is sacred because it is created in the image of God, including the life of the unborn child. Join us this Sunday as we find a scriptural basis for the value of all human life and seek God for ways to defend the life of the most vulnerable in our society, the unborn child.

Happy 18^th Birthday to Connor Peterson!

It was 19 years ago this past December that Lacy Peterson, who was at the time 8 months pregnant with her son Connor, went missing. In the days and weeks that followed, we came to understand the horrific details of their murder by the husband and father, Scott Peterson. If Lacy had lived, their son Connor would have been born around this time that year which would mean Connor Peterson should have been 18 years old this month. Apart from the tragic death of an innocent woman and child, this story is a telling commentary on how everyone viewed this unborn child. The family viewed him as a person in that they gave him a name; Connor. When it was determined that Lacy, the mother, had been murdered, and because Connor’s life ended with his mother’s society viewed his death as murder as well. That resulted in Scott Peterson being charged with not just one murder but two. What does this tell us? Deep within our conscience human beings know that what grows within a mother’s womb is a human life that deserves the same rights and protections as humans that have been born. Sadly, many states in our Union offer abortions well past the time in the pregnancy of when Lacy Peterson was murdered. The State of California decided that what was in her womb was in fact a human and deserved justice for the violence taken against him. If only every unborn child could be viewed in the same way.