James

The Final Call for Action

August 28, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 5:19–20

We have come to the end of our study through James. Most New Testament epistles (letters) end with some form of benediction or prayer of blessing. Not James! He ends with a call to action. If faith without works is dead, then what does the congregation do when they witness worthless religion among their membership? How do we respond when someone strays from the gospel into legalism?

The Missing Ingredient

August 21, 2022 • James 5:13–18

I really like to cook. In particular, I like to make chocolate chip cookies. It is a simple recipe that I have refined over the years. Even though it is simple, precision with the ingredients is important. Too much baking soda and they turn into cake. Too little, and they fall flat. Too much flour turns them into bread. Too little and they have the consistency of a cracker. And, they just don't taste right without real vanilla. Now that you want cookies, here is my point: in essence, a faith that works is very much the same. In James 5:13 - 18, we learn the secret and often missing ingredient in a relationship built on faith is prayer. It is essential and we must give prayer the priority it deserves.

An Appeal For Integrity

August 14, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 5:12

We know by now that how we speak is a serious matter when it comes to the practice of our faith. In James 5:12, the subject comes up again. It is one final command that gives our speech the sense of priority deserves.

How Long O Lord - Part 2

August 7, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 5:7–11

We return to James 5:7 - 11 and continue to discuss the need for patience as we wait for the coming of the Lord. Lest we get the wrong idea, being patient is not idleness. It is not sloth. It is not passive. it is active. According to our text, it is another way genuine faith works itself out. In fact, James illustrates this with 3 personifications of patience, all of which encourage us to wait by their example for the coming of the Lord.

How Long O Lord?

July 31, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 5:7–11

In Revelation 6:10, those who have been martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ cry out, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” As time unfolds, and the purposes of God are fulfilled, there are those, even in Heaven who must wait. We too must wait. For now, we groan and travail alongside all of creation. It is a painful, but hope-filled waiting for the completion of our adoption as sons and daughters. With eager longing we look for the final redemption of our bodies. We wait because we know that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18 - 25). It is on account of that glorious future reality that James calls upon us to... “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord” (v. 7). Today we discuss what genuine faith does as it waits for the coming of the Lord.

The Root of All Evil

July 10, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 5:1–6

We need money, but Jesus said "You cannot serve God and money at the same time" (Luke 16:13). Lordship is exclusive. Allegiance is exclusive. We cannot serve two masters. We will love one, and despise the other. This thought is expanded in James 5:1 - 6. A rebuke is levied against the faithless acquiring and selfish using of wealth. It is stern because our relationship with money really is a test of genuine faith. Only the worthless kind of religion mentioned in James 1:26 justifies such things.

Practical Atheism

July 3, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 4:13–17

According to James, how we go about planning for the future is another test of genuine faith. Our text in James 4:13 - 17 rebukes a self-determining approach to the future. Planning without God, as if we do not need His help, or planning as if He does not care is a form of practical atheism.

The Devil’s Tongue

June 26, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 4:11–12

We return to the subject of the tongue in this video. We spent a couple weeks as we covered chapter 3 talking about our speech as it relates to genuine faith. Now in James 4:11 & 12 we get super specific with a prohibition against slander - which is the devil's tongue.

Greater Is He - James 4:6-10

June 12, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 4:6–10

After the lengthy rebuke of friendship with the world and what it produces, we are given a pragmatic reminder that He who is at work in us, is greater than he who is the world (James 4:5, 1 John 4:4). In verses 6 - 10 we are taught what tools we have at our disposal to combat the spirit of the age. And that by the means of these tools, He will help us walk in a manner that is worthy of our calling in this world (Ephesians 4:1).

In League with the Enemy - Part 2

June 5, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 4:1–5

We will revisit our relationship with the world this week from James 4:1 - 5. Choosing friendship with the world puts us in league with the enemy. It makes us the enemies of God (v. 4).

In League with the Enemy

May 29, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 4:1–5

Choosing friendship with the world puts us in league with the enemy. It makes us the enemies of God (v. 4). This is another hard truth from James. It reminds us that genuine faith involves distinct separation from the world.

Wisdom that Behaves

May 22, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 3:13–18

We return to the subject of wisdom this week in James 3:13 - 18. Wisdom, as presented by our text, is behavioral, not merely intellectual. It is more than just knowing the right thing. It is knowing how and when to do the right thing. According to God, wisdom is the skill to live right.

The Lie of Sticks and Stones - Part 2

May 15, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 3:1–12

We are back in James 3:1 - 12 addressing the lie of sticks and stones for the second time. The damage caused by an unredeemed, uncontrolled tongue is our focus.

The Lie of Sticks and Stones

May 8, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 3:1–12

In Deed & Truth

May 1, 2022 • Ben Gibson • James 2:21–26

Verse 20 is a rhetorical answer to the hypothetical argument presented by James in 2:18. “You believe your faith can stand alone. You think you can make me see it without any evidence. Instead, faith is documented and verified by our actions." In verse 20, he boldly declares, "Let me help you understand how this works!” To do so, James supplies three examples of faith that works itself out in deed and in truth.