James - Controlling The Tongue

In today’s passage of scripture we will be challenged to controlling the tongue.

James 3:1-12

Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. 3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. 7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

As James is writing this letter he continues to warn against false teaching. In this passage it reminds us that Our Words matter. Our Words have power. Our words can lift someone up to the high places or Our words can bring someone to the lowest places.

The Tongue can lead us to Stumble

James says in verses 1 and 2: 1. Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. Teachers are held to a higher standard because their words influence others.

Luke 12:48

48. when someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

We know it is a higher accountability. As far as followers we are also held to a standard. Our lives need to tell the truth about who God is. We need to live in a way that it is evident that God is our father.

James is not talking about perfection in a sense that we are perfect. He says we make mistakes, we will stumble. James is providing a way to measure spiritual maturity for teachers and for all Christians.

Matthew 12:34-35

34. You brood of Snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For Whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.

Words Reveal our inner Character. When we do not Stumble in our Words it shows true Spiritual maturity. We can Stumble in our Words especially about ourselves by boasting, by exaggerating, and by just selecting what we want to say about ourselves that may be untrue for reputation purposes. We can stumble in our Words about others by gossip, slander, cruelty, being two-faced, and anger; or with flattery and insincere words meant to gain favor. We need to demonstrate Godly speech, modeling Christlike Self-Control. This is a very important lesson that James wanted to relay to his Audience and something God wants us to apply today.

The Tongue can control the direction of your Life and your relationships

Even though the tongue is small in comparison to the body. The tongue has Immense power. It has the power to direct. It has the power to build. It has the power to destroy. How do you use that Power? Do your words direct people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus? Do your words build others up? Do your words destroy others or relationships? We have all heard the “sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me” It is a lie! Words do hurt. When you hear the words “You were a Mistake” it hurts. When you hear “You are not good enough” It hurts. When you hear “You’re Stupid” It Hurts. When you hear “ I can’t stand you instead of I love you" it hurts. Words Hurt.

I have struggled with depression for a while. It really hit me hard when my brother was tragically killed in a car accident. It brought me to a point where I no longer thought my life was of value. I thought that this world, my family and friends would be better without me. God spared me from my thoughts. God spoke through all the noise of the words I had replayed in my head. The words: not good enough, worthless, loser, subpar. God Spoke louder. I ended up going to a facility and started counseling and for the first time I started to replace the lies with truth. I realized that the words I heard were not true. I realized that I was not defined by the words of people but by the Word of God. I am a Child of His. I am not junk.

I do not pretend to know what each of you are going through, but I do know that God loves you. Maybe you have been completely shattered and broken by the words of others, or maybe your words have deeply wounded someone else. I can tell you that I personally have been on both sides.

I know from my own personal experience and by reading God’s word that the tongue has the potential to harm and needs to be used with wisdom and restraint.

We always hear about the Freedom of Speech, but that doesn’t give us the right to just say anything we want. Use your words wisely. Even if your mom cooked the dish your wife just cooked better, doesn’t mean you should say it.

Use Your Words wisely and use restraint. Remember your words can alter someone’s direction in life. Positively or negatively.

We see that there is power in the tongue, so how can we control it? How can we Tame the tongue? James 3: 8 says but no one can tame the tongue. it is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. James is not saying give up. He’s not saying just say what you want because it uncontrollable. What James is saying is that

The Inability to tame the tongue shows our need for God

We as humans can control a lot of animals. Those animals can be tamed. They can be tamed without divine power. We can tame them by our own ability and power. James says we Cannot tame the Tongue. He’s saying it is difficult to tame the tongue without God’s help. What we say comes down to our heart. Luke 6:45 says what you say flows from what is in your heart.

Studies have been conducted to measure the amount of words used on average and it equals about 6000. That seemed like a lot of words. This equals 12 single space pages. Now imagine this is all being recorded. It’s being recorded by God. Now think about all of the years you have been able to speak and it's all recorded. That’s scary right? Now let’s just focus on this last week or month. Based on the words that you have spoken to your spouse, what does it say about your heart? Do your words to your spouse relay the truth of God? What about your children? What about your coworkers? What about Your Family? or Friends?

Think about every Word being written down and recorded. What will it reveal about your Heart. I shared before how God led me here. I had served many years in the Ministry and was so hurt by people that I wanted to just fade away and never be in ministry again. I had been hurt by people. I was hurt by their words. I shared that I spent time in a facility. I shared with the church I served at my struggle with mental health. I shared who I was and my struggles. One day we as a church decided to replace some flooring. Some wanted tile, some wanted carpet. This blew up into a full blown war. A fight for power. We lost focus on our mission to reach the lost. Words were spoken. Words ruined relationships. Words hurt the advancement of God’s Kingdom.

In this process I received an anonymous typed letter using my struggles with mental health against me. The words in this letter hurt me deeply. It brought me to isolation. I felt I could be in a church like this full of people and still feel all alone. God used people in this church to speak words of truth to me. Words that built me up. Even though words had hurt me and brought me to a place of worthlessness. God used the words of people to build me up. Words that reminded me that God wasn’t done with me, That he had never uncalled me. I allowed words to harden my heart but God put people in my life that used words to bring life back to someone who hadn’t felt anything in several years.

We cannot tame the Tongue without God. With God our words can bring life! Use your Words wisely because

Our Words expose the contradictions in our Hearts

True Faith calls for our words and worship to be consistent. We should be reflecting God’s Love in all we say. My words do not always reflect God’s Love. I know James says earlier that we all make many mistakes, we all stumble. You may be here or online and struggle with this as well. You may still be hurting from someone’s words. You may realize today that you may have hurt someone with your words.Maybe you are here and realize you need to seek forgiveness. You may need to start using your words to build up and not destroy. No matter where you are right now, know that God is still changing lives. He’s still perfecting imperfect people. The words of others may have kept you away from church for a long time. you may still be holding on to something someone said many years ago. I know it hurts.I’ve been there. I also know that the words of man do NOT define you but the Words of God do. Hold To what he says about you. You are Loved! You are not Worthless. He sent his Son for you! He knows you! He created you!

Use your tongue…Your Words for Building up not tearing down.

Ephesians 4:29

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Recognize the influence of your tongue, your words, and seek God’s wisdom to speak with Grace and love.

James - Faith Without Works

On November 13, 2024, our Beach Church team held our first Annual Planning Meeting. It was a day of celebration, reflection, and looking ahead. Each ministry department shared its “wins” for 2024 and strategic goals for 2025. Reflecting on this past year, it is obvious that God is doing great work.  Since the first Sunday of this year, we have seen over 180 baptisms and 83 salvations, and on many Sundays, we have more than doubled in worship attendance since 2022!  

We have experienced incredible life-change across our worship, Life Groups, family ministries, and beyond. We have so much to be thankful for because God is moving among us, and He is changing our lives and the lives of others. I recognize that the first part of this message may sound a bit self-serving.  If you hang with me through the end, I think you will realize it is not. I may sound like I am patting myself on the back…I assure you I am not.

Every year, churches in America hang a “Permanently Closed” sign on their doors.  Researchers estimate anywhere between 5,000 to 10,000 churches shut down every year. The difficult truth is that the churches just didn’t suddenly die; they had been on life-support for years. And, Beach Church could have been one of those statistics. So, on this first Sunday in December, I want to take a few moments to highlight some of the measurable ways God has been moving among us this year:

SINCE JANUARY 2024…

• With our Monthly food distribution, we have provided food for 12,360 people, doubling the amount of people from 2023. 

• We gave away over 900 Bibles during weekend worship services

• Since January 2024, we have welcomed 988 first-time guests, 385 second-time guests, and 314 third-time guests. 1,686 guests have visited Beach Church!

• We celebrated 180 baptisms (so far!) in 2024

• We provided wood-burning stoves to the Mayan people, hosted a Back Yard Bible club, and engaged the community by providing help with construction projects. 

• Launched an “Adoption and Foster Care Ministry” with 28 adults and 12 children. We matched three sets of families with support. Widows Ministry helped launch a “Foster Care Closet” to help meet the needs of foster children and foster families.

• In response to Hurricane Helene, we collaborated with other churches and our community and delivered over 100 pallets of supplies. 3 teams provided disaster relief work, with scheduled trips for 2025.

• Chili Fest: Earned First Place and $2,500 for Grand Strand Miracle Leagues.

• LifeGroups: Expanded from a pilot of 5 groups to 34 groups in 2024. Leadership grew from 5 to 34 LifeGroup leaders, connecting over 350 people in life groups.

• Children's Ministry has grown 50% since 2022, we now average 150 and growing. 

• Student Ministry: Averaged 75 students in the latter half of 2024. The first-ever Student Bash led to 7 salvations, 18 rededications, and 26 students interested in baptism.  (By the way, Baptism Sunday is December 15th…)

• Operation Christmas Child: Provide 941 Christmas boxes in partnership with Samaritan’s Purse. 

• We wrapped up our Sermon Series on Marriage with 350-400 couples renewing their vows.

• We have been recognized by Outreach Magazine as the 58th fastest-growing church in America.

I believe the reason God has been moving in and through Beach Church is because so many people have invited God to continue to CHANGE them into the people He wants them to become. They are being the hands and feet of Jesus in our church, and in our community. They are practicing good works and living out their faith in very real, practical ways.

Today in James 2, we will read about the life-changing faith that so many in our church have been practicing – faith characterized by a servant lifestyle.  And, we will be reminded that many people do not serve because they have not yet been changed by Jesus.

Let’s read.

James 2:14-26 (NLT2) 

14  What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15  Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16  and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17  So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. 18  Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” 19  You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20  How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? 21  Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22  You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23  And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24  So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. 25  Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26  Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. 

James describes two different types of faith in this passage:  He describes a dead faith, and a living faith.  And, it is important that you understand the difference between the two.  A living faith resides in the heart of those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus and serves others gladly when given the opportunity.

But a…

DEAD FAITH KNOWS ABOUT JESUS, BUT DOESN’T FOLLOW HIM

James 2:17 (NLT2) 

17  So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. 

Let’s imagine the same scenario James describes at the beginning of this passage.  Imagine this evening as you are driving home from dinner, and the person who held the door open for you as you came into church today, is holding up a cardboard sign at an intersection that reads, 

“Cold and hungry. Please help.”

You say to yourself, “I know them from church.” So you lower your window and say, “Hey! Don’t I know you from Beach Church?”  They affirm that they attend, you chit chat back and forth, the light turns green, and you drive off and tell them, 

“Stay warm – it’s going to get cold tonight!”

If you profess faith in Jesus but can imagine yourself doing something like that, you have a dead and useless faith.

James 2:26 (NLT2) 

26  Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. 

Faith is dead without good works. 

That means you know and understand what Jesus did for you on the cross – but you have never surrendered your life to him.  You don’t follow Jesus to do good works, because you haven’t given him your hands and feet yet. You believe in Jesus, but you have never received Jesus. You have a dead faith. In fact, you have a demonic faith.

Look again at verse 19…

James 2:19 (NLT2) 

19  You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 

A dead faith, is the same faith demons have.  The demons believe in God, but their belief is only intellectual, it is not transformational. A transformational faith that is alive that God uses to change the lives of others only comes when your belief leads to, surrender.

If…

you believe God created the human race,

you believe humans disobeyed and sinned against God 

you believe the punishment for sin is death.

But you also believe Jesus was fully God and fully man, 

And you believe he satisfied the punishment for your sin by dying on the cross, rising from the dead, ascending into heaven, and will one day return…

If you BELIEVE these things – then let your belief lead you to surrender.

Surrender your life to Jesus.  Commit to follow him.  From this moment forward, invite Jesus to be your Savior, and give Him your hands and feet.  Tell him from this moment forward, you will live for Him. Now, because you have repented and turned away from your sin, you want to meet the needs of others.  You have experienced the life-changing, resurrection power of Jesus in your life.  He gives you the power and the desire to do what pleases him…

And…

LIVING FAITH SERVES OTHERS AND MEETS NEEDS

James insists people prove they have faith by the good works they produce.  They demonstrate that Jesus is Lord of their lives by serving others and meeting their needs. The hypothetical situation that James introduces in chapter two could never happen because a true follower of Jesus would never chit-chat with a brother or sister in Christ, a believer in need, and tell them to stay warm in such a callous way. A follower of Jesus would read the sign, have compassion, pull the car over, and offer warm clothes and a meal.

And whether you are serving with Meals on Wheels, distributing food once a month, building houses with Habitat for Humanity, serving at New Directions ministry to help those at the end of their rope, regroup and get their lives back on track, a life group leader, or working with our children’s ministry, you understand that living faith serves others and seeks to meet the needs of those around them, whatever they may be.

And finally,

LOVE FOR JESUS COMPELS US TO GOOD WORKS. 

As followers of Jesus, we must remain close to the heart of Jesus and do those things he whispers into our hearts.  Those ARE the GOOD Works he has prepared for YOU to do.  I have mine.  You have yours.  

Mine is to equip followers of Jesus to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT2)

11  Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12  Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 

Your responsibility is to stay close to the heart of Jesus and be obedient to God.  Do the work God has called you to do. And one of the ways I am convinced God has called me to equip us as a church is to lead our church to get out of debt. This year, for our Christmas Offering, I am inviting you to give sacrificially to help our church retire the mortgage we have carried for the last twenty years or so.

I often pray, “God, keep me out of your way to let you work.” Truthfully, this year, I almost got in God’s way regarding the Christmas Offering. I almost let doubt and fear dictate the plan instead of obeying the Spirit’s prompting. But I refuse to limit what God wants to do through us!

If we have learned anything from our recent journey, it is this: GOD IS NOT FINISHED CHANGING LIVES THROUGH BEACH CHURCH. As your Pastor, I am convinced that the Lord desires us to be debt-free. So, I’m asking—let's dig deep, give sacrificially, and see what the Lord will do!

Our mortgage balance is $571,169, with a monthly payment of $16,400.

Imagine standing together as a church family at a Note Burning Ceremony in 2025! Imagine knowing that we are completely free to serve, give, grow, and lead people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus—unencumbered. Reflect on those wins from 2024 – and imagine what we can do if we were able to move forward into 2025 with no mortgage. 

Imagine the impact Beach Church can make on our community when we are free from that mortgage payment! God has led me to this, and I know He’s leading us as a church. Together, we can eliminate this debt and increase God’s Kingdom locally and globally. If our faith is alive, it means we take steps that may seem impossible, trusting God to move mountains. Paying off our debt is one such step. Imagine how God can multiply our good works when we are completely unencumbered, ready to say yes to anything He puts before us.

We will receive the Christmas Offering at our 9:30 and 11:15 services on Sunday, December 22, 2024.

James - Favoritism & Sin

Last week I shared a bit of my childhood story.  I have two sisters born before me, then a brother, a sister, and another brother born after me.  

So, six kids.  

It’s no wonder my dad was an alcoholic with a bad temper.

I was the oldest son, and there was a 16-month age difference between my brother and me.  My dad had spent the day drinking, and one night, he sat my brother and me down at the table; he looked me dead in the eye and said, “You are my favorite son.” Then he looked at my brother in the eyes and said, you are number two.  But Joe is number one.”

What a terrible way to parent! Throughout our childhood and teen years – my brother was always competing against me. He and I fought hard.  Fist fights. Cussing fights. But now – years later – we have both surrendered our lives to Jesus, and of all my siblings, I have a closer relationship with him than any others.

Trust me, it's destructive when parents play favorites with their children. It creates tension, fighting, jealousy, division, and isolation. Yet, the first followers of Jesus were Jewish people, and they were convinced that they were God’s favorites. The Old Testament teaches us that God promised to bless the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and he promised to send a SAVIOR.

So, the earlier followers of Jesus initially considered Jesus an EXCLUSIVELY Jewish Savior. We understand why they may have thought that…but…as we will learn from our passage of scripture today, these early followers of Jesus were WRONG.  

Or as Colonel Sanders from “Waterboy” would say – “Momma was wrong again.”

When Jesus was about to ascend into heaven, he said to his disciples:

Matthew 28:19 (NLT2) 

19  Therefore, go and make disciples of (finish the sentence) all the nations.

Yet, the followers of Jesus that James wrote this letter were failing at reaching other nations with Jesus' life-changing message. They were only reaching the Jewish nation, and, to make it worse, they showed favoritism between the Jewish people.

Let’s read:

James 2:1-13 (NLT2) 

1  My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? 2  For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3  If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4  doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? 5  Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6  But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7  Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? 8  Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 9  But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. 10  For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. 11  For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law. 12  So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. 13  There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. 

When we launched this series, we looked at Acts 1-9 to get some of the context for the people James wrote this letter to.  Now, it is highly likely that James wrote this letter after the events that unfolded in Acts 10. In Acts 1-9, the good news of Jesus had not yet reached outside the walls of the Jewish community.  But in Acts 10, non-Jewish people began surrendering their lives to Jesus.

If that is the case, then it makes sense that he began his letter writing to the “Twelve Jewish Tribes scattered abroad…”  In his mind, he was writing exclusively for the Jewish people he had pastored, even though he now understood the message of salvation was for everybody. The first thing we understand from this passage is something James learned from the gospel spreading outside the circle of Jewish people:

FAVORITISM IS A SIN BECAUSE FORGIVENESS IS FOR ALL. 

James was a Jew.

He was a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

He was chosen by God.

He was a brother to Jesus and the Pastor of the first Church in History.

Through his growth as a believer in Jesus, James understood that God created all people and God Loves all people…therefore He has no FAVORITE!

Can I tell you a secret? I actually thought I was God’s favorite as a younger believer. 

After surrendering my life to Jesus, I began reading my Bible and praying in the morning before work. In the evenings, before bed, I read my bible and talked to God again.  I attended church every Sunday morning, night, and Wednesday and often furiously took notes.

And on top of those outside visible things – I sensed a nearness with God unlike anything I had ever felt. Whenever somebody would teach that God does not have favorites – I wanted to leap out of my seat and yell – YES, HE DOES!  I’m his favorite!

I think that is what a growing intimate relationship with Jesus feels like.  When you are growing in your relationship with God – you can’t help but feel special.

Even though I felt like I was God’s favorite, the truth is – There is no favoritism with God.

FORGIVENESS for sins is for everybody.  ALL who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. 

We are to love people regardless of race, political affiliation, religious views, nationality, socioeconomic status, and it is our mission to “Lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.”

Which people? All people.

Why? God loves them all!

I understand we live in a divided world. 

We are divided by wealth. 

We are divided by State lines. 

We are divided by borders of countries. 

We are divided by language…

But all…

DIVISIONS DISSIPATE AT THE CROSS

In the days of Jesus, the Jewish people not only believed they were God’s favorites but there was also great hostility between Jewish people and non-Jewish people.  

The Gentiles were forbidden from entering the Jewish Temple, where the Jewish people could go.  The closer one was able to get inside the temple, the “nearer” you could get to God.  But the Gentiles (all those who were not Jewish) were not good enough to enter into God’s presence for worship, and they were restricted to the outermost wall —the Court of the Gentiles.

It was like a designated spot for smokers.

You could go this close – but you weren’t good enough to have the best seats…

Archaeologists found an inscription on the wall that warned Gentiles against going any further.  

It read: 'No foreigner is to enter within this wall. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his death.'

If you are having a hard time grasping the hostile meaning of those words, imagine that on the outside of our church building, we had a sign that read:

"Snowbirds, enter these doors, and you die...”

"Transplants, enter these doors, and you die…”

“White people, enter these doors, and you will die.”

“Black people, enter these doors, and you will die.”

I know these words are harsh, but I want you to feel the kind of exclusion that was happening at the time of this writing. This is the type of hostility that Jesus' sacrifice destroys. The truth is, if we are honest, we sometimes still have barriers in our hearts that keep people at a distance. Barriers that treat others as if they are not welcome or good enough to be around us.

Maybe you treat Golf buddies better than the cashier at the Grocery Store. Maybe you treat the people who live in your community better than those who stand at the corner begging for food. God’s love compels us to something radically different. The Temple walls kept people out, but the cross tears down every wall. At the cross, every single person—regardless of background—is welcomed by Jesus. 

Favoritism contradicts everything Jesus stood for. The first church was almost exclusively filled with Jewish converts. They believed that Jesus was just a Jewish Savior. Because of favoritism, they missed God’s bigger mission—to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham.

The favoritism seeped into other areas.  The rich and wealthy received the best seats, the poor sat on the floor in the back.

And that is why we see AMAZEMENT in Acts 10:45:

Acts 10:45 (NLT2) 

45  The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.

The Jewish Believers were amazed that divisions dissipate at the cross.  Paul wrote this in Galatians: In Christ…

Galatians 3:28 (NLT2) 

28  There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Love changes the way we see ourselves, changes the way we see others, and changes the way we treat and respond to others. 

Remember, it’s always a good thing to show grace and love. Love is patient. Love is Kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude, It is not focused on itself. AND LOVE NEVER FAILS.

Because there is no favoritism or partiality with God, as followers of Jesus, we love and lead differently. Finally, because God has no favorites and Jesus died for all people…

GOD’S GRACE IS FOR EVERYONE – INCLUDING YOU!

Whoever you are. 

Whatever you’ve done. 

Whatever has been done to you. 

No matter your background, failures, or successes – God offers forgiveness and hope! 

“Everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”

Salvation isn’t based on your heritage, ethnicity, education, language, employment, or criminal record. It is offered to everyone who surrenders to Jesus, simply asking Him to change their lives by receiving him as your Savior.

PRAYER OF SURRENDER

God,

I believe that Jesus suffered for my sin on the cross and died.

I believe he rose from the dead; he is now with you in Heaven

and will return to earth one day.

I surrender my life to you and receive Jesus as my Savior.

Thank you for forgiving my sin and changing my life.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Make these words your own prayer, and turn your life over to Jesus.

James - Listening and Doing

When we relocated to Myrtle Beach a couple of years ago, to help my daughter's transition, we bought two large Goldendoodles named Magge and Winne. They weigh about 90 lbs each, are two years old, and within two weeks of having a bath – they stink like dogs. I bought a huge air purifier when we bought the dogs.  It has a little light on the front of the machine that changes color when it detects “dirty air.” I keep it in the dogs' room…and sure enough, within a couple of weeks after the dogs get a bath – they start stinking enough for the air purifier to tell us that the quality of the air in our home is poor.

It’s not because they are bad dogs or do anything crazy like rolling in filth…it’s because they are dogs…and eventually, dogs get dirty and stink. And, sometimes, followers of Jesus are like that, too.  

We have surrendered our lives to Jesus.  We are born again and made new…but even the most careful and obedient follower of Jesus starts to wreak after a while. We let unconfessed sin build up in our lives.  We carry hurt, resentment, or bad attitudes.  We carry a judgmental spirit towards others and a “holier than thou” attitude, and after a while, we begin to stink. As James wrote the followers of Jesus, he mentions how they have started stinking, too.

Once, these followers of Jesus were examples for everybody to look up to, but these followers of Christ had turned sour, mean, rude, and…stinky.

So James reminds them of the importance of listening to the Word of God, the voice of the Holy Spirit, that they received when they trusted Jesus as their Savior.

He writes:

James 1:19-27 (NLT2)

19  Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20  Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21  So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. 22  But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23  For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25  But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. 26  If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27  Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. 

Great conversations are being had today about what it means to “live clean.”

Health experts have warned us for years that to be healthy; we must be more particular about what we eat and choose products with the least amount of ingredients. Everything you and I eat and purchase at the grocery store requires a “list of ingredients.” And, the fewer ingredients we eat, the cleaner our bodies become. So, if a product only has one or two ingredients (and if you can pronounce those ingredients) the more that product is considered healthy.  They call it, “Eating Clean” or “Living Clean.”

And, in this passage, James challenges us to…

LIVE CLEAN, BECAUSE GOD HAS STAMPED TRUTH ON YOUR HEART

James tells us to get rid of all the filth and evil in our lives. Since the days of Moses, the Israelite people were told how God wanted them to live.  He gave them instructions on how to love God with all their heart and how to love their neighbor as they loved themselves. Then, he gave them Levitical priests whose only responsibility was to teach and remind the Israelite people to follow God. Yet – the Israelites continued to rebel time and time again. He gave them the Word, and they disobeyed and rebelled. He gave them priests; they stuck their fingers in their ears and said we would not listen.

Zechariah 7:11 (NLT2)

11  “Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. 

The Israelites figuratively stuck their fingers in their ears like a child and refused to listen and do what God wanted them to do.  They refused to love him with all their heart and love their neighbor as they loved themselves. In the eyes of the Lord, they rebelled and kept choosing their own way to live.  They ignored the Prophets. They ignored the priests. They ignored the Word of God. And, they kept doing wicked and evil things.

Jeremiah 7:13 (NLT2)

13  While you were doing these wicked things, says the LORD, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but you refused to answer.  

But – here is where we are different from the Israelite people. If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, God has written His commands on your heart.

Jeremiah 31:33 (NLT2)

33  “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 

This Covenant that God made with mankind is for all those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus. If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, God has put his instructions DEEP with you. He has written His Word on your heart. That’s why your perspective changed after you surrendered your life to Jesus. That’s why after you trusted Jesus as your Savior, your “want to” changed. And, it’s why some of your behavior changed immediately after you gave your life to Jesus. For example, I gave my life to Jesus on a Wednesday night.  During the day on Wednesday, almost every other word that came out of my mouth was “filth and foul.”  My Nana liked to say, “I cussed like a Sailor.”  

Then, I gave my life to Jesus on Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, when I arrived at the construction site for work and heard some of the other men cussing, it immediately repulsed me.  I hated to hear them curse and take the Lord’s name in vain. Why? Nobody had given me a list of words not to say…

I was offended because God had written his Right and Wrong Word on my heart. If you have believed that Jesus died on the cross and paid the price for your sin, if you have asked Jesus to forgive you, surrendered your life to him, and believe he rose from the dead and will one day return, then God has written His word on your heart, too!

Because God wants people to live clean lives, he changed their desires. He changed their “want to.” He wrote His word on their Hearts, giving you and I the ability to discern what is right and what is wrong. So, live clean because God has stamped TRUTH on your hearts.  Confess sin to him, and stop doing what you know is wrong, even if nobody has caught you, because YOU know its wrong.

And living clean doesn’t mean we only stop doing wrong; it also means we start doing right. That’s why every week I begin the sermon, I talk about the importance of applying God’s word to our lives. “Living Clean” means we stop doing evil and wicked things and begin doing right and pure things. We are promised that if…

IF WE READ AND APPLY GOD’S WORD WE WILL BE BLESSED

James 1:25 (NLT2)

25  But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. 

James doesn’t just tell people to stop DOING evil; he tells them to START doing what the Word of God that He has written inside our hearts tells us to do. God didn’t just want me to stop speaking filth and foul from my mouth, He wanted me to start using my mouth to speak his Word. He didn’t want me to be silent and say nothing; he wanted me to speak the truth to encourage, rebuke, and strengthen followers of Jesus. And God doesn’t want you just to stop certain behaviors you know are wrong; he wants you to begin doing what is right. And, when you begin doing what is right, God will bless you for doing it. God has saved you FROM Something, FOR something.

God has a purpose for your life; his purpose is for you to live your life to glorify Him.  To make a big deal with others about the goodness of God. God not only wants you to wash your hands, repent, and turn away from sin, but he wants you to begin living for him and doing what is right.  And, as you do what is right, He will bless you for doing it. So, I think it is easy for us to know the behaviors we need to stop doing.

We know lying is a sin, so we stop lying. We know stealing is a sin, so we stop stealing. We know murder is a sin, so we refuse to take the life of others, even in anger. We know dishonoring our parents is a sin, so we strive to honor them. We know gossip is a sin, so we refuse to gossip about our lying, stealing, murderous HOA’s.

But – it is hard sometimes to know precisely what God wants us to begin doing. So, James provides them with very practical advice:

CARE FOR WIDOWS AND ORPHANS IN DISTRESS

James 1:27 (NLT2)

27  Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. 

The important part of this verse is the prepositional phrase that follows “widows and orphans.”  James told these followers of Jesus to care for widows and orphans “in their distress.”

When is a widow distressed? When she is grieving the loss of their spouse, they are crushed. They are hurting. They have lost their husband or wife of 30,40, or 50 years.  They feel alone and in distress.

I love that we have a group of Widows in our church that gather monthly and support one another. And I love that they have decided to come alongside a brand-new ministry we are launching this weekend that cares for orphans when they are distressed!

South Carolina released statistics for 2023.  In 2023, there were 7,000 children in Foster Care. 14,000 verified cases of abuse or neglect.  And 80% of the victims are children under the age of twelve.

These children are in distress. I know what it is like to be a child in distress.  

I know what it is like to be removed from my home and placed in foster care.  I know what it is like to be separated from my family, pulled away from my brothers and sisters, and cry myself to sleep at night. And I am grateful that our widows ministry has decided to help create a Foster Care ministry that cares for children when they are pulled from their homes and are in distress.

They will be an example of what a few people who choose to do right can do to care for other people. And you do not have to be widowed to join them! Very practically, here are four things you can do to care for orphans in their distress:

• BECOME A FOSTER PARENT OR SUPPORT FOSTER FAMILIES

• ADOPT A CHILD

• DONATE ITEMS FOR FOSTER CARE CLOSET

• PRAY!

Some of you may sense you are being led by the Lord to become a foster parent or possibly support foster families.  The steps to fostering a child are larger than I can share, but I am grateful that our Foster Care ministry will help you understand how to come alongside and support those families who have chosen to foster and adopt children.

Fostering is one of the hardest and best things a person can do.  It’s hard because you love and care for the children that have been placed with you, but it’s hard when they are reunited with their parents because a piece of your heart goes with them.

And, maybe you sense the Lord leading you to adopt a child. Again, there are legal details for adopting a child.  You can’t walk over to our children’s ministry and begin selecting a child. But if you do sense the Lord leading you, adopt, search South Carolina laws, and take initiative. Or, maybe you can DONATE items for our foster care closet.

Here is the list:

• Bags- to keep, a backpack or overnight bag, new or gently used. 

• Hygiene kits:

• Tooth brush

• Tooth paste

• Brush

• Body wash

• Deodorant

• Pads (feminine products)

• Overnight needs:

• Pajamas

• Underwear

• Socks

• Diapers/wipes (various sizes, not just newborns, prefer larger sizes)

• Shoes

• Pull ups

• Special items:

• Blanket (Blanket ministry may provide)

• Stuffed animal 

• Journal with Pens

• Lice Kits/Bed bug treatment

• Pillows and pillow cases 

• Twin sheets

• Walmart or Target gift cards

Each new placement bag will have a personal note with scripture provided by the widow's group for encouragement. 

The Foster closet will be maintained weekly by the Widow’s ministry.  A key person will be notified of the number of children, ages, sizes, and specific needs and will drop it off at the door for the family.

And finally, pray.

Pray for children in distress. Pray for Parents who are making mistakes. Pray for children who feel isolated, abandoned, who are neglected and alone. Pray that the need for a Foster Care Closet will end, and pray that God will use you to care for children who are in need of loving families.

James - Faith and Endurance

The author of James was the half-brother to Jesus and the pastor of the first Church in Jerusalem. James grew up alongside Jesus.  James was the son of Mary and the son of Joseph.  And he was the half-brother because he had a different Father. Joseph was the father of James….and God was the father of Jesus.  That makes Jesus and James half-brothers.  James was present during much of the ministry of Jesus, and no doubt his heart was crushed with grief when his brother was betrayed by Judas, arrested, mauled, and tortured to death on the cross. 

And no doubt, James became a believer that Jesus was the Son of God when Jesus rose from the dead, appeared to his disciples for over forty days, then ascended into heaven.

James knew many of the apostles because they were friends of Jesus.  James knew Peter, Matthew, Mark, Bartholomew, John, and the rest.  And after Jesus ascended into heaven, James was filled with the Holy Spirit - and possibly because he was the half-brother of Jesus – he became the Pastor of the first group of believers in Jerusalem.

The first group of believers started around 120 people…

Acts 1:15 (NLT2) 

15  During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place, Peter stood up and addressed them. 

Then – as those 120 believers began loving their neighbor as themselves – they began leading others to a life-changing relationship with Jesus, and the church began to rapidly grow. We see this growth throughout the first several chapters of the Book of Acts.

Acts 2:41 (NLT2) 

41  Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. 

So, after Peter’s first sermon, at least 2,880 people surrendered their lives to Jesus.  And now, 3,000 people were loving their neighbor as they loved themselves.  

They were living with joy.  

They were serving one another.  

They cared for each other. 

They sacrificed for each other.  

We see how they lived in Acts 2:44-47.

Acts 2:44-47 (NLT2)

44  And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45  They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46  They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— 47  all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. 

They shared EVERYTHING with other believers.

They shared their property.,

They shared their homes.

They shared their meals.

They shared their money.

They were selfless, giving, and cared for others. And because of their generous lifestyle, every single day, people wanted what these people had and became believers in Jesus. Then, Peter preached another message…

Acts 4:4 (NLT2)

4  But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of believers now totaled about 5,000 men, not counting women and children. 

Most men were married in this region.  Most families averaged 4-6 children.  That means this first church had at least 20,000 people who were followers of Christ, and historians tell us that James was their Pastor. And – the church continued to grow!

Acts 5:14 (NLT2)

14  Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 

And it kept growing!

Acts 6:7 (NLT2)

7  So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too. 

Now, even the Jewish priests saw the change in the lives of the people and surrendered their lives to Jesus. The first church was characterized by their love and care for one another, and their joy and faith. It was an amazing, breathtaking, unstoppable wave of people trusting in Jesus and receiving forgiveness for their sins. 

They were on fire for the Lord.

These new believers wanted to do nothing except live for Jesus, and nothing stood in the way of the good news of Jesus spreading into the furthest corners of the world.

But then…

The already defeated Satan devised a plan to attack the church.  He began blinding the minds of unbelievers.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT2)

4  Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 

And, the devil began whispering into the minds of non-believing Priests and religious leaders  to take their traditions back by:

Attacking, killing, and persecuting those who believed in Jesus. In Acts 6, a follower of Jesus named Stephen was speaking to the Jewish Priests and, beginning with Abraham, taught them Jesus was the Messiah the prophets said would come. But this time, rather than trusting Jesus as their Savior, the Jewish Leaders rushed at Stephen and began to throw rocks at him to kill him.

Acts 7:59-8:1 (NLT2)

59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died. 1 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. 

The believers all ran away to escape persecution.  They saw the religious leaders stone Stephen to death.  They heard the cries of others as doors were kicked in and other believers were stoned and murdered. They were scattered throughout the region with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They ran for their lives. These caring, generous, loving people who willingly sold their property to bless others now ran for their lives.  And, as they settled into neighboring villages in the regions, churches began popping up.

And – fast forward about 15 years later. James, their former Pastor, wrote them a letter.

James 1:1 (NLT2) 

1  … I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings! 

But throughout his letter, James doesn’t sound like he is describing followers of Jesus who were loving, caring, and generous. Listen to how James describes them in James 4:

James 4:1-3 (NLT2)

1  What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2  You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3  And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 

Rather than living by the resurrection power of Jesus the way they did in the first several chapters of Acts. Rather than going from house to house worshiping the Lord and living in harmony with one another…they had become cynical, bitter, and tyrants.

What happened?  Where did their love for other people go?

It is clear to me, that when they were persecuted and fled, rather than turning to the Lord and helping one another, over time, the adversity caused them to become bitter.The side-by-side characterizations of their lives is too ironic. Once, they had given away all of their possessions, but now, they wanted the stuff other people had, they were willing to fight to take it from them.

So, my advice:

REMAIN POSITIVE ABOUT ADVERSITY; VIEW IT AS GROWTH

James 1:2-4 (NLT2) 

2  Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. 

You and I will experience adversity in our faith as followers of Jesus.  And how we handle adversity will determine who we become in the future. You may be filled with joy, generosity, and kindness and go out of your way to care for others now.  But will you do it after you have faced difficulty, hardships, and persecution?

These followers of Jesus were filled with joy when they fled, but adversity caused them to become mean, crusty, and rude. Many of us can probably think of an individual who once followed Jesus with great joy – but now their faith seems more like a shell of who they used to be. They have become bitter, mean, and jaded. And I bet if we looked real closely, somewhere along the line, a professed follower of Jesus hurt them.

At some point, the adversity they faced became so difficult they became bitter. And, you may be faced with something similar today.  So, I want you to view the adversity you are experiencing in your life today as an opportunity for growth.

When you forgive others, you grow and become more like Jesus. When you turn the other cheek, you grow and become more like Jesus. When you return words of insult with words of blessing, you grow more like Jesus. As a follower of Jesus, you will either grow to become more like Jesus or drift and become more like the person you used to be.  If you remain positive about adversity and see it as an opportunity to grow and become more like Jesus, you will live a blessed life. If you are a follower of Jesus today, you are growing…but…

NOT ALL GROWTH IS HEALTHY; BEWARE SEEDS OF BITTERNESS

Over the 15 years these believers were scattered, I think there was one nagging thought that troubled them and grew into a root of bitterness. I think they regretted giving away their possessions, selling their homes, and giving away their money to people with needs.  Once the moment of persecution began for them and they were scattered, they did not have anybody to turn to help them out.

I bet they thought, “Why did I give all my stuff away?  Now I have nothing.  I should not have been so generous.”  

And initially, that thought of regret could be dismissed.  But as time passed, the root of bitterness grew deep into their mind and corrupted their faith in Jesus. Now, rather than seeking to bless others, they wanted to be blessed by others.  They wanted to take rather than give, they regretted being generous and had become greedy. And, you and I need to make sure that as we grow as followers of Jesus, we beware of any seeds of bitterness that we might carry with us.

Do you carry seeds of bitterness in your heart?

Seeds of favoritism.  

Seeds of Gossip.  

Seeds of unchecked anger.  

Seeds of laziness.  

Seeds of division.

Seeds of grumbling.  

Seeds of complaining.  

Seeds of insecurity.  

Seeds of worry.  

Seeds of doubt. 

Seeds of mistrust.  

If you read the full chapter of Hebrews 12, you will see that the Author of Hebrews is discussing the discipline of God.  10 times in 7 verses, the word Paideia (Pie-DAY-uh) is used to talk about obeying the correction of God.

These formerly generous followers of Jesus stopped listening to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in their lives, refused to receive correction, and grew into bitter, crusty people. So beware, because if you and I fail to listen to the Holy Spirit and receive correction in our lives when we stray from God’s path to follow our own, roots of bitterness will begin to grow. And, James told the believers how they could get back on track to become devoted followers of Jesus.  James writes:

James 4:8-10 (NLT2) 

8  Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9  Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter and gloom instead of joy. 10  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. 

James tells us that…

HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE LEAD TO GOD’S PROTECTION

We prevent growing bitter and seek to remain humble. We trust in the promise that God will draw near to those who are humble and draw near to him.

Humility was the attitude of the first believers before they were persecuted - and it seems that humility is what was lacking 15 years later.  If a person is truly humble, they are constantly receiving correction and discipline from the Lord – because whom the Lord loves, he disciplines. You overflowed with Joy when you first trusted Jesus as your Savior because you had been humble, confessed your sin, and God came near you.

You overflowed with joy. If somebody hurt you with their words or actions, you were quick to forgive because you had been forgiven for your sins. So, continue to be humble and walk obediently with the Lord.  Allow the word of God to be a light to your feet and a lamp to your path. Keep loving others and leading them to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.