James: Just Live It! (January 7 - April 1, 2007)
James: Just Live It!
Have you ever heard the expression, "Easier said than done?" In James 1:22 (NIV) it says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." In this series of messages, James shows us practical ways to live life with God. Let James show you how to "do life" with God.
James: Just Live It! (January 7 - April 1, 2007)
|  | Just Live It!
[January 7, 2007] Just Live It! Faith is intensely personal these days. It is to be kept private and hidden from public view. Yet for James, faith was intensely public. Faith was to be put on display before a watching world. Being a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ is at the core of the Christian's identity. A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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| | | Passing the Test
[January 14, 2007] Passing the Test. James 1:1-12. Inevitably, every single person faces trials and hardships. These trials test our faith in extraordinary ways. In our text this morning, James is concerned that we pass the test—that these external trials not destroy us but become the foundation for deeper faith in Christ.
A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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| | | The Anatomy of a Sin
[January 21, 2007] The Anatomy of a Sin. James 1:13-18. James identifies one of our greatest pitfalls; our propensity for giving sin power over our lives. Sin is conceived with an evil desire, occasioned by temptation, born in sinful action, and ends with death. Thanks be to Jesus Christ because he has forever broken the power of sin and death and has given us the gift of his Holy Spirit. A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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| | | Beyond Reactive Living
[January 28, 2007] Beyond Reactive Living. James 1:19-21. Most people spend their lives reacting to people, events and circumstances. Unfortunately, such reactions arise out of emotional, carnal, or visceral impulses. Here James is calling us to empty ourselves (humility) and to accept a more reasoned approach to life. This is the way life is prescribed in scripture. Such an approach to life will save us in more ways than we can imagine. A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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| | | The Danger of Sermons
[February 4, 2007] The Danger of Sermons. James 1:22-27. The Christian life is more than listening and feeding the soul on a sermon. The worst kind of deception is believing that Christian life is only a matter of talk. James calls on us to roll up our sleeves and put God's word into action. His prescription is simple. Hear the word, look intently into the word, live the word, and experience blessing. Two examples are found in James 1:26 and James 1:27. A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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| | | Love Beyond Skin Deep
[February 11, 2007] Love Beyond Skin Deep. James 2:1-13. Valentine's Day is all about celebrating true love. But what is true love? The love the world celebrates is superficial. It discriminates on appearance and social status and is blindly taken advantage of. But true love values people as much as self, does not favor the superficial things, and above all, is merciful toward others. A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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| | | A Faith That Works
[February 18, 2007] A Faith That Works. James 2:14-26. A spiritually lethal disconnect has developed in this modern era between belief and obedience. Many Christians believe that God is only concerned about the heart (our good intentions) and the mind (what we believe). James unveils the shocking truth that we are not justified by what we believe alone, but also by what we do. In fact, faith without works is dead! A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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| | | The Biggest Little Troublemaker
[February 25, 2007] The Biggest Little Troublemaker. James 1:26, James 3:1-12, and James 5:12. How important is it to control the tongue? One of the greatest indicators, or hallmarks, of spiritual maturity is a well-controlled tongue. If we can control the most restless member of the body, we will be able to keep the whole body in check. A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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| | | Sowing Seeds of Peace
[March 4, 2007] Sowing Seeds of Peace. James 3:13-18. One of the most destructive things we do is to sow seeds of bitter envy and selfish ambition. Such seeds, which are often passed off as God's wisdom, wreak destruction wherever they are sown. But true wisdom is sown in purity and is peace loving, considerate, submissive, merciful, produces good fruit, is impartial and is sincere. This fruit produces righteousness. A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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| | | The Purpose of Wealth
[March 11, 2007] The Purpose of Wealth. James 1:9-11, James 2:1-7, Proverbs 22:26-27, James 2:14-17, James 4:1-3, James 4:13-17, and James 5:1-6. For many of us, wealth is a means of self-gratification and indulgence. We expend our money pleasing ourselves. We even destroy people in our pursuit for more. Our sin is valuing wealth to idolatrous proportions. Consider James' sober warnings about being rich and consider God's purpose for wealth. A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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| | | Drawing Near to God
[March 18, 2007] Drawing Near to God. James 4:4-17. Our biggest complaint is not feeling closer to God. But who has the responsibility for creating all the distance between self and God? Here, James reminds us that through grace, God has already taken the first step and spanned the gulf that once separated mankind from God. Now it's our turn to humble ourselves and take the next step. A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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| | | Be Patient, Stand Firm
[March 25, 2007] Be Patient, Stand Firm. James 5:7-11. We live in an instant gratification society. We microwave our food. We send electronic messages and pay our bills instantly. We are not accustomed to waiting for much of anything. This mindset is incompatible with the Christian life. We reap the fruits of a righteous life ove an entiire liftetime and in eternity and not always in the here and now. Without this bigger perspective, we will fail. A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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| | | Powerful, Effective Prayer
[April 1, 2007] Powerful, Effective Prayer. James 5:13-20. Prayer is a lot of things to a lot of people. But here, James ventures into some unexplored dimensions of prayer. James talks about prayer as praise, prayer as intercession for others, and prayer as confession of sin. Yet James adds one further dimension of prayer; prayer as non-avoidance. In prayer, we deepen our resolve to live righteously and to confront sin in our lives and relationships. A message by Jon Morrissette. read more...
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