MAY NEWSLETTER
Roots & Wings
My mom has told me she and Dad’s goals for
my brother’s, and I was to give us
Roots and wings.
Seems to me that might be God’s goal for each of us,
Roots that are embedded in the solid grounding truth that Jesus is our Savior.
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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Open your hymnal to page 315 and let’s sing, “The Solid Rock . The piano would play, and Jed Wheeler would wag his finger and lead us in words that still resonate In my mind’s eye.
“On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.”
Paul the apostle encouraged us to be:
7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,
and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:7)
Being Rooted (Trust in in Jesus) and Built up (Studying of God’s Word)
We are Freed to Fly.
I invite you to participate in flight school; with Scott and I this summer as
we investigate the gravity defying practical wisdom of James.
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See you in church!
Dan
The Letter of James
Entering into the spring and summertime Dan and I will be preaching through the letter of James. His letter is richly filled with wisdom for everyday Christian living. Many of his words are commands and instructions.
“Count it all joy!”
“Do not be deceived!”
“Be doers of the word!”
“Show no partiality!”
So, who exactly is this James as he speaks with such authority? In the Bible there are a handful of different persons named James. Here are a few examples…
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James the son of Zebedee from Matthew 10:2
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James the brother of Jesus from Galatians 1:19
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James the son of Alphaeus from Matthew 10:3
Of the many James listed in the Bible, the letter of James was highly likely to be written by Jesus’ younger brother James. According to the Gospel of John his brothers didn’t believe that Jesus was the actual Messiah (John 7:5). If one of my brothers stood up and told me he was the messiah I probably would get a good laugh but later after Jesus’ death and resurrection he would appear to James (1 Cor. 15:7). This would change not only his mind but also his life.
According to the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, James would go on to become a leader in the early church in Jerusalem and guiding him to write his letter to the early Christians of 44-48 AD. His reason for writing is the increase in persecution of those scattered by the rejection of the notion of Jesus as a resurrected Messiah. A message that would not be stopped but only spread like a wildfire of hope.
I hope that in the coming months Dan and I can share the heart and wisdom of James with you. So that as you follow Jesus you would be encouraged and maybe even changed by the Holy Spirit as he speaks.
News Article Written by Scott Carpenter