Now what?

"We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." John 4:42

When we hear stories of how other people’s relationship with God helped them overcome adversity, it empowers us to persevere through our difficulties. And when God personally helps us to overcome our struggles, it causes our faith in him to be even stronger.

There is nothing like experiencing God first-hand in our lives. It is in those times when God speaks clearly and directly to us that we truly understand his love and faithfulness.

Maybe you know someone who has yet to discover the great benefits of a life yielded to the Savior. Or, you may have heard others talk about the awesome, life-changing power of Jesus Christ but have never experienced it for yourself. Take some time right now to invite him into your life.

Knowing Christ personally will literally transform you from the inside out. If you have a personal relationship with him, share your story with someone who doesn’t yet know the Savior, and encourage them to experience God first-hand. Let your life serve as a bold reminder that Christ really is the Light of the world so that others can be brought out of the darkness and have a new, brighter life with Jesus.

Truth or...

"Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned." James 5:12

When someone asks you to do something that you really don’t want to do, what is your first reaction? If you’re like most people, you don’t want to be face-to-face when you let them down or offend them. So to avoid any awkwardness or tension, you may verbally agree to it. Then later, you send them a message with an excuse of why you have to back out.

But under the guise of not wanting to disappoint or offend anyone, how often do we offend God? We do our best to try and justify our actions, but this type of behavior is not okay.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, there is no room in your life for half-truths, excuses or deceit. That’s why James says, "Let your 'Yes' be yes, and your 'No,' no."

When someone asks you to do something you don’t want to do, be honest. Instead of conjuring up an untruth, simply say, "Thank you for thinking of me, but I’ll have to decline." And as you continue to live a life of integrity, God will bless you and use you in amazing ways to reach others for Him.

We are told to be...

"You have hoarded wealth in the last days." James 5:3

Nowhere in the Bible does it say it is bad to have money. But when we depend on that money instead of God, we can get into some serious trouble.

The Bible is not anti-investing or anti-saving. God expects us to be good stewards, to save, invest and enjoy the fruits of His blessings. Hoarding, however, is completely different. The word "hoard" comes from a word which means "to hide." And when we attempt to hide what God has blessed us with, we show a lack of concern for others and quench the generous Spirit of God living inside us.

There is a powerful reality that we must all learn in regards to our material possessions: we don’t actually own anything. We are simply managers of what God has given us.

So when it comes to wealth and material possessions, do you want more just to have more? Or do you simply want to do more for the kingdom of God? Because when you invest your money into God’s economy, only then will you begin to recognize the real potential and power of money.

Did somebody say...

"Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded... Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:8, 10

So often we shy away from the word "sin". We try to make it sound better by saying, "mistake," "issue" or "struggle" instead. Rarely do we call it what it really is. But to discover the life that God has for us, we have to admit our sin. Rather than laughing off our "mistakes", James challenges us here to admit our sin and admit it to God.

Sin is a serious issue. So serious in fact, that it cost God the life of his only Son, Jesus Christ. But the good news is that your sin doesn’t have to come between you and God. When you admit to God that you are a sinner; when you fall humbly before Him and ask Him for forgiveness, "He will lift you up."

No longer will you have to be ashamed of your sin. Once you are forgiven, God holds no memory of your transgressions. Nothing on earth has the power to lift you up and give you life like the power of a purified heart before God.

God's...

"But he gives more grace. That is why Scripture says: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God... Come near to God and he will come near to you." James 4:6-8

When you drill down nearly every emotional, relational and spiritual struggle in your life, you’ll come to one root cause: pride. We all have a tendency to want to be in charge. We want to be our own god, to call the shots. But control is far from ours, no matter how much we may want it.

The Bible tells us that God opposes the proud. So when pride causes you and me to attempt to wrestle the reins of life from God, we end up facing some major opposition.

To get back to a place of peace with God, James tells us to place ourselves in a position of submission. In this context, the word "submit" is a military term. It conveys the idea that we need to get under God’s plan for our lives. He is the one who is in control; He has set forth the battle strategy. And when we submit to His plan rather than trying to follow our own, we will discover victory over every other battle in life.

The real issue is...

"You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God." James 4:2

We are all familiar with our external battles like verbal conflict. But there is another battle that is a bit tougher to identify; our internal struggle for control. This takes place when we’re presented with the choice to either fulfill God’s plan for our lives, or to fulfill our own desires for life separate from God.

We can wear ourselves out by clamoring for dreams and goals that were never meant to be ours. And when we try to claim something that doesn’t belong to us, we are guaranteed a nasty fight. Ultimately, when we desire possessions of this world, we are selling ourselves short of the greatness and grandeur that God has in store.

If you base your value on the have’s or the have-not’s, then you will always find yourself fighting for rank, yet still falling short in the world’s economy. Instead, surrender to the truth of God’s perfect plan and ask Him to take control. He is the only one who truly has your best interest at heart. And remember—in God’s economy, your true value and worth will never waiver.

Proverbs 15:4

Christianity can sometimes get a bad rap due to professed Christians being insincere. They say one thing, yet do another. And it results in one of the biggest excuses people have for not going to church: "It’s full of hypocrites."

The word hypocrite means one who simply acts like a Christian, or one who wears a mask. Many people try to convince the world that they are Christ followers only to turn around and take the mask off when they think no one is looking.

True sincerity, though, is seen when no one is watching. How do you behave behind the scenes when no one you know is watching? Make sure you are sincere in all that you do, even when you think no one is watching—because God always is. And His opinion of you is truly the only one that matters.

Class of 91`

Pastor Todd Bush is in the opening scene and the ending scene...

Pure...

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure..." James 3:17

When you wake up in the morning, one of the first things you do is look in a mirror. You brush your teeth and comb your hair. But no matter what, people don’t typically leave the house until they’re confident that all basic grooming behaviors have been covered. The goal is to have that polished look—clean, spotless, pure.

It’s ironic that we can spend so much time trying to perfect our outward appearance, yet neglect our most important feature - our hearts.

No matter how well put together we may be on the outside, we will constantly find our lives in disarray if we lack God’s wisdom and guidance in our hearts. Without that, our hearts become dusty, dirty, unkempt, creating a less than desirable living space for the things that matter most.

Spiritually, God is the only one who can make us clean. And when we seek His wisdom, the "wisdom that comes from heaven," we are seeking the one thing that can truly make us pure — inside and out.

True or ...

"Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies." Psalm 141:3-4

Armed guards and No Access Allowed signs seem to accompany celebrities, high-ranking government officials and professional athletes in order to ensure their safety. But did you know that we need that same type of protection for our mouths?

Saying we have faith in Jesus is a step in the right direction, but true power comes when you’re able to put substance behind those words. When you become a follower of Christ, God calls you to display an authentic faith. And one of the ways you do that is by guarding the words that come out of your mouth.

In the above passage, King David asks God to put a guard over his mouth because he knew that the words he spoke did more than just communicate what was on his mind. The words we choose communicate the truth about our faith in God.

Do you need to shift your thinking around?

"In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." James 2:25-26

Rahab had a bad reputation. And it may seem surprising that James speaks of her as being righteous. But that is one of the most powerful things about God.
If you have faith in God, if you trust him, it doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done in the past. He will declare you righteous. Once you put your faith in Jesus Christ, all your sins are completely forgiven. Justification by faith is not something that any of us can earn; it’s something God simply offers us out of his love. It is something we can receive.

Despite her occupation, Rahab is "considered righteous" because she was willing to put her faith into action, even though it could have cost her everything. So, don’t just say that you love and trust God... show God you trust Him. Because it’s your actions towards other people that will enable you to tap into your true significance.

Love won't let you down...

"Love your neighbor as yourself." Romans 13:9

Scripture should be the standard that we use to measure how we live our lives. In every situation and circumstance, we need to allow God’s Word to determine how we behave, rather than allowing our feelings to determine our actions and reactions.

If Scripture is going to be our guide for life, then love has to be the law. The essence of Christianity is love. In fact, it was because of love that God sent Jesus Christ to die for us. And because of that, we should initiate this outflow of love to others.

But the love described here isn’t a fleeting feeling or evaporating emotion; it’s an action word that takes a constant commitment in treating others the way God treats each of us. And as we learn to treat people with kindness, respect, mercy and grace, we will discover that we are being transformed from the inside out.

Tithe? Pt.3

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

There’s a philosophy in our culture that breeds mediocrity. Most people do only what is necessary to get by.

If there’s a job to be done, it’s done adequately. We tolerate people we work with, instead of actually taking an interest in them. And when it comes to really important matters, like our relationship with God, our spouse, our family and friends—some offer indifference instead of creativity and an eagerness to engage.

Our God is not a lack-luster God. Our God is overflowing with power and a desire to know you, to bless you, and to offer you his peace and hope for the future. But to receive that, you have to be willing to share what you have now with others. God’s design is that in order to get more, you have to give more. And once we understand that, our lives will be blessed and go above and beyond anything we’ve ever dreamed.