James 4

"Dear Disciple, Yesterday I talked to you about letting the Spirit lead the dance of your life. Today, I want you to notice what happens when a person..."

Does God ever use Scripture to step on your toes? We make all these plans and get upset when they don't unfurl like we want, but God often has other plans!

What is really important as you go to face your week? So much of what we work for really doesn't matter, so let's invest in what does, the people around us.

How long do you really think you have? Paul has a scare while tending his goats and it makes him realize the urgency of now, of doing the things today that need to be done and saying the things that need to be said right now.

Does such a transformation actually happen? Rubel Shelly uses the story of John Callender's failure and subsequent courage to remind us how to overcome the failure of our past.

"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....."

"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know..."

Have you seen the flash lately? God has a record of the things he has done through us in his family album.

Have you given resisting a try lately? Patrick Odum reminds us that overcoming temptation requires us to resist the devil, but he also adds some other insights from James' famous passage about overcoming temptation by being honest about oursleves and our need for God.

What good can we find in a major delay? Often the delays in our plans are really God being gracious and giving us what we need and not what we want or plan.

"You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world,...."

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to...."

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and....."

"What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you..."

What do we do with sinners? We must be tough on sin but offer mercy and forgiveness for those who are truly repentant.

Things are not always the same. You wake up in the morning, and things are changing every day. Paul Faulkner reminds us to greet each day as a gift of something fresh, new, and something that has never happened before or will again.

Who do you see in the sunset's last light? God's presence comes to us in many ways during the course of an average day; but are we looking for presence and to we respond with humility?

"Dear Child of God, James, my half brother, hit the nail on the head when he taught about why My people lack so many of the simplest and yet most..."

Can anything good come from being sick? Jackie Halstead reminds us of our need to slow down and let God lead us instead of thinking we can be in charge of our own lives.

What do you do when all the lanes seem closed? When there seem to be no good answers, we need to have some strategies to help us deal with life's problems.

What does the mist look like in your life? Patrick Odum reminds us of the mistiness of life and reminds us to live with a sense of urgency and also anticipation of resurrection and joy.

Does it really make any difference? Bill Sherrill talks about not worrying about tomorrow, because we are not able to accurately predict it and Jesus and James tell us not to worry.

Are you making your plans or trying to live God's plan? So often we make all these elaborate plans and never think of allowing God room in our busy schedules.

Everything happens so quickly! Tom Norvell reminds us that life is temporary and should mean so much so let's grasp what is good and godly while we are here.

"So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin."

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

"Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.""

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

"You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that..."

Inspirational illustration of James 4:15 -- Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

Greeting card of James 4:14 - What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

Picture of James 4:8 - Come near to God, and He will come near to you.

Inspirational illustration of James 4:7 -- Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Inspirational illustration of James 4:17 -- Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

Isn't this an oxymoron? Mike Barres reminds us that God wants to bless us and he also wants to conform us to Jesus: so let's not use our Christianity for selfish motives.

What are you waiting for? Russ Lawson shares some insight into why we put off being happy and worrying about tomorrow.

Have you been trapped lately? Satan loves to trap us when we wander away from God's people.

Why do we not ask for something God longs to give? Phil Ware begins a four week challenge that coordinates with the SpiritFire daily devotional challenging us to invite the Holy Spirit into our daily lives.

No one wants to be an expert, but we all must be alert! Rubel Shelly reminds us of the sly intentions of the evil one who would like to deceive us, but we can and do have the power to resist.

In an age that has lost any sense of sin, why worry about temptation? Brian McCutchen reminds us that dealing with temptation is not easy for the Christian and must be dealt with seriously.

The old saying is that life happens fast, but can we live like that and enjoy its fullness? Tom Norvel reminds us that life happens quickly, fast, and if we are not careful, we can get so busy that we miss life in all its fullness, abundance, and joy.

Whose voice do you listen to? Satan is the Father of lies and tries to get us to believe his cruel and ugly lies.

How are you going to get it all done? A plan to help us get things done we need to get done in a world of too much to do.

Our prayers often treat God as if he is the free Amazon delivery service for our every whim and want. Phil Ware with Andy Johnson remind us that our prayer is for the bread we need today, not the extravagance we want for ourselves.

Decide Now to Choose Obedience Max Lucado reminds us that while all sorts of challenges await us today, the Lord longs for our obedience so he can step in and crush Satan at our feet.

How important to you is your stuff? A scary robbery experience helps Steve remember how precious and tenuous life is.

Decide now to choose obedience and resist the devil and invite the LORD to help you win your victory over the evil one! Max Lucado reminds us that while all sorts of challenges await us today, the Lord longs for our obedience so he can step in and crush Satan at our feet.

The trouble with life is that it is so unpredictable. It just happens. I have the greatest remote control anywhere. It is amazing what it can do with my television. If I miss something, I can replay it until I catch it, and then jump back into real time.

Prayer that the Father hears is directed to him in faith with an unselfish attitude, seeking to bless and honor God's will because of our love for the Father. Bill Sherrill reminds us about the importance of prayer and how we should pray to honor God.

Why is it so hard to not be the one recognized? Russ Lawson describes why it is hard and important to be willing to play second fiddle in the Lord's orchestra.

Can your ego handle the call of Jesus to humility? Our egos are fragile and important but also dangerous, but we must learn humility.

What happens if your best isn't good enough? Mike Barres reminds us that we all reach times in our lives when our best efforts are not enough, but God can do what needs to be done if we will persevere, fast, and pray.

Jesus calls us to the future, not to fear. safety net, net, rescue, Jesus, servant of God

Who are you blaming for your messes? We've got to be honest about our weakness and inconsistency and quit trying to blame everything on someone or something else, including satan or the devil.

How fast does your time go? Life passes by so quickly, let's enjoy and savor today.

Can you imagine what in the world these people had in mind? Dumb criminals remind us that we are all just a step away from moral calamity and disaster and must resist satan and draw near to God.

What happens the other 51 weeks of the year? Phil Ware begins a 4 part November series on giving thanks just in time for the Thanksgiving season.

Godliness means having the commitment and the spiritual discipline to live in ways that honor and reflect the character and compassion of God. Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware lead through worship in song, the Lord's Supper, a powerful message from God's word, and a closing blessing for worship from home with family and friends in a meaningful way - we are called to live godly lives, intentionally!

Why does time move so much more quickly now that I'm older? Phillip Morrison shares ideas and input on our perception of aging and birthdays.

Jesus talked about a haunted house? Don't simply get rid of evil, but fill your life with goodness!

What 15 is it in your life? We must learn to use the time that we have to do enjoy the things of life and do the work of God.

Would you be willing to help Britney if you could? Rubel Shelly reminds us that while we may not know Britney Spears, we do know someone like her and we need to ask if we are willing to be a friend to these people?

Are you dead enough to catch on fire? Mike Barres challenges us to die to self so we can catch fire with the Spirit of the Lord.

What good thing can come out of bad things? God can turn our worst nightmares into a way to find his blessing and be his blessing, if we can persevere and look for his presence.

Can you get rid of that sin that entangles you? Throwing away the ring, getting rid of our sin is crucial if we are to bring peace to our world and those around us.

How should you present yourself before God? You may be rich or powerful or beautiful or famous or extremely talented. But when you come to God, you take all that off. You humble yourself and say to him, “Have mercy on me, a sinner.”

How do you extract a splinter from your soul? Just like a splinter can infect our body if left too long, sin infects our souls if we don't get it out. The old saying is true, "Confession is good for the soul."

Just how significant is my life? God takes our small lives and fills it meaning and purpose even though its time is short.

Are you ready? Alan Smith reminds us that we are all vanishing away, our bodies grow older and we face challenges, but understanding this and what it means to us is dependent upon our relationship with Christ.

Do spooky things scare you? There are scary things in this world, but we need not fear any of them. The one who is in us is greater than the powers of this world.

Are you putting off a confrontation with the enemy? We often try to deny or feel sorry about the attacks of Satan in our lives rather than resisting and fighting him with the spiritual power God has given us.