James 4:6-10

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....."

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.

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

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

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 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..."

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

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

"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."

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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."

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.