Saturday – June 18th – James 1:27 -----
1:27) Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
The Daily Walk Bible inspirational thought for today:
THE PERSON WHO DOES GOOD FOR GOD’S GLORY SEEKS NEITHER PRAISE NOR REWARD BUT IS SURE OF BOTH IN THE END.*
Good Saturday and good weekend to you! Since tomorrow is “church” day I wanted to share my excitement about the final chapter in our current SunRise series – “Who We Are”. Week number five focuses on “Know Who We Are”, the understanding of what connects us followers of Jesus. I am a firm believer that most every human being has within them a good heart, knowing the difference between right and wrong. History attests to the reality of the human heart that constantly reaches out when others are in need. And yet at the same time I have observed that constantly doesn’t always translate to consistency. Without the solid foundation of a life in Christ acts of kindness can lack sustainability over the long haul. When we express our service through the lens of what Jesus did for us, we are able to push through times of distraction or disillusionment to continue to serve out of pure thankfulness to God. Oh, and tomorrow is also Father’s Day, and we have an awesome video shot out in the O’Fallon community with some great tributes from kids to dads. Join us inbuilding, livestream, or on-demand.
In our pick verse today, James concludes his teaching on service and obedience with one of the most practical and poignant statements found in scripture. True faith will always show genuine care and concern for those in need. James particularly lifts up those with greatest need in the early days of the church – widows and orphans. James then tags this verse with a second practical instruction, that we are not to be a reflection of the world but instead to allow the light of Heaven to shine through us. The renowned Wesleyan theologian Daniel Steele identified the foundational blocks of our faith journey this way: The world needs a gospel which undeniably and unapologetically gives us a victory of sin. In our spiritual journey there exist two stages to this victory – justification (regeneration) which saves us from sinning, and sanctification which saves us from sin. And that, my friends, is the foundation of “Knowing Who We Are” at SunRise.
Blessings
Pastor Jim
Sunday – June 19th – James 2:1
*Tyndale. The Daily Walk Bible NLT (Daily Walk: Full Size) (Kindle Location 31608). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.
1:27) Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
The Daily Walk Bible inspirational thought for today:
THE PERSON WHO DOES GOOD FOR GOD’S GLORY SEEKS NEITHER PRAISE NOR REWARD BUT IS SURE OF BOTH IN THE END.*
Good Saturday and good weekend to you! Since tomorrow is “church” day I wanted to share my excitement about the final chapter in our current SunRise series – “Who We Are”. Week number five focuses on “Know Who We Are”, the understanding of what connects us followers of Jesus. I am a firm believer that most every human being has within them a good heart, knowing the difference between right and wrong. History attests to the reality of the human heart that constantly reaches out when others are in need. And yet at the same time I have observed that constantly doesn’t always translate to consistency. Without the solid foundation of a life in Christ acts of kindness can lack sustainability over the long haul. When we express our service through the lens of what Jesus did for us, we are able to push through times of distraction or disillusionment to continue to serve out of pure thankfulness to God. Oh, and tomorrow is also Father’s Day, and we have an awesome video shot out in the O’Fallon community with some great tributes from kids to dads. Join us inbuilding, livestream, or on-demand.
In our pick verse today, James concludes his teaching on service and obedience with one of the most practical and poignant statements found in scripture. True faith will always show genuine care and concern for those in need. James particularly lifts up those with greatest need in the early days of the church – widows and orphans. James then tags this verse with a second practical instruction, that we are not to be a reflection of the world but instead to allow the light of Heaven to shine through us. The renowned Wesleyan theologian Daniel Steele identified the foundational blocks of our faith journey this way: The world needs a gospel which undeniably and unapologetically gives us a victory of sin. In our spiritual journey there exist two stages to this victory – justification (regeneration) which saves us from sinning, and sanctification which saves us from sin. And that, my friends, is the foundation of “Knowing Who We Are” at SunRise.
Blessings
Pastor Jim
Sunday – June 19th – James 2:1
*Tyndale. The Daily Walk Bible NLT (Daily Walk: Full Size) (Kindle Location 31608). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Posted in Who We Are
No Comments