In 15 years as a pastor, I have heard Christians say some strange things. There are many deep held beliefs in the church and in our culture that do not come from the Bible. We are going to look at a few of these beliefs over the next few days. The first belief we will look at is the Bible verse: “God helps those who help themselves.” This verse is one of the most … [Read more...] about True or False: God Helps Those Who Help Themselves
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Becoming a Person of Integrity
There are many parallels in James with the Sermon on the Mount. We have seen some examples of this during the past few weeks. Here is another example in James 5: But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. James 5:12 (ESV) This is very … [Read more...] about Becoming a Person of Integrity
Prayer that Heals
There are Christian practices of prayer that don’t come from the Bible. Take for example the idea of folding our hands, closing our eyes, and bowing our heads. This is the most recognized posture of Christian prayer. The Bible talks about lifting our hands. It talks about bowing our knees. But the common posture of prayer many of us use today, is not specifically … [Read more...] about Prayer that Heals
Words to Change Your Life
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. James 5:13 (ESV) If you are suffering - PRAY! It is so simple. Instead, we worry. We allow negative feelings to churn inside of us. We get stuck on an emotional roller coaster. Pray! It is it is to speak. It is to take those negative thoughts and feelings and to formulate a request from … [Read more...] about Words to Change Your Life
4 Ways to Make the Most of Prayer
We often have a limited view of prayer. We view prayer as a tool to get something we want. We see God as being there to serve us. Give me a good career Help me get accepted into the school I want Heal me of this disease Other than giving us what we want, we let God’s gift of prayer slip into the background. When times are good, we go along without much thought towards … [Read more...] about 4 Ways to Make the Most of Prayer