Quarrels and fights. Sadly, we are all familiar with the painful experience of relational conflict. No one is exempt, even if you are a Christian. If you don’t find yourself presently involved in a relational conflict, I’m sorry to be the one to inform you that there is a relational conflict in your future. Maybe even today. Now understandably, that’s not what you just wanted to read, but let me direct you to a passage that will most certainly prepare you for…
There is nothing special about walking. We all do it. Walking isn’t as exciting as a sprint or as explosive as a long jump. Yet, it is one of the more common metaphors in Scripture for the Christian life. That’s because, like walking, Christians grow one step at a time, one plodding day at a time. Growth in grace and godliness is a process, not an event or a crisis experience. This is the biblical perspective on the Christian life. And…
“The average person suffers from three delusions…” That got my attention. “The average person suffers from three delusions,” writes Steven Sample in his book The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership, “(1) that he is a good driver, (2) that he has a good sense of humor, and (3) that he is a good listener. Most people, however, including many leaders, are terrible listeners; they actually think talking is more important than listening.”¹ Many centuries ago, James seems to have been keenly…
James is a divinely-inspired, discerning pastor who cares for those to whom he writes. And his little letter—what we now call the book of James—is full of surprising wisdom for the serious trials of life in this fallen world. This past Sunday, we looked at James 1:13–18 and there we discovered the kindness of God in the pastoral care and wisdom of James. It is pastoral care that simply reflects the Good Shepherd himself. James wants his readers—and us—to be careful…
When you find yourself experiencing an enduring trial, what do you need the most? Would you be surprised to discover it is wisdom? Would wisdom have even been on your list? Well, it’s at the top of James’s list and would be his primary concern for those to whom he writes in the midst of their “trials of various kinds” (James 1:2). You are no doubt familiar with this verse: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God…” James 1:5…