This Summer, we spent our Sunday mornings looking at key themes in the letters by the Apostle Paul. The series “13 Letters” gave us a chance to look at the astounding wisdom, experience, and hope Paul shared with his friends, churches, and, even now, with today’s followers of Jesus. These invaluable letters make up half of the Bible’s New Testament.
At the highest level, the letters provide us a compelling picture of what the early church looked like, what the first followers of Jesus wrestled with in their own lives, and how they lived in light of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Majors themes of faith, hope, and love are apparent. But as we listened on Sunday mornings, we also heard of the freedom, unity, and encouragement given to us through Jesus. Through our generosity, by living the Spirit, and in our relationships with one another, we can actually bring pleasure to God. We were challenged to embraced the mystery, to see Jesus throughout the entire story of the Bible, and to “honor the emperor” while remaining faithful to the true and better King.
A great resource to help you continue walking through the 13 Letters, and even the rest of the New Testament, is the “New Testament for Everyone” series of books from N.T. Wright (you can buy them individually or as a set). Also check out the great Bible Plans from the Bible App to help you make the Bible a daily priority. And of course, you can always go back and listen to these messages below or any past messages in our Series Archive.
Matt Carder - July 27, 2014
James - A Tangible Faith (Pt. 9)
When bad things happen to good people, everything in us wants to make it right and hopes for justice to be done. If someone has wronged you specifically, this feeling is multiplied a hundred times over. This message drawn from the book of James reminds us that justice is God's business, not ours. He will ultimately make all things right. So what's our job? To have faith that our God is just, even when we live in a world that seems to prove otherwise.
From Series: "James: A Tangible Faith"
The book of James doesn't pull any punches. It's tangible practicality and focus on acting out one's faith deserves an in-depth look. At times its tone can come off audacious, but isn't that the way our faith should be - bold, courageous, and intentional? You bet.
