Trials and temptations in the life of a Christian, wealth and poverty, godly wisdom, these are some of the key themes we will be discussing over the next couple of months as we go through the Letter from James.
We come today to the end of a first-century sermon written by an author trained in Jewish rabbinical tradition. He wrote this to a congregation of Jewish Christian believers, probably residing in Rome. He has encouraged them to remain faithful to Jesus no matter what. And he wants them to understand that knowing and following Jesus is far and away better than any religious tradition they can ever find anywhere else.
Let’s go back for a moment to the afternoon of Tuesday, August 23, 2011.
This was the report from ABC News:
“The strongest earthquake to hit the East Coast of the U.S. in seven decades damaged landmark buildings in the Washington, D.C. area, while rattling the nerves of tens of millions, just three weeks ahead of the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks …
Strictly speaking spiritual renewal doesn’t follow any strict formula. It’s a work of God’s grace and, as such, is entirely dependent upon Him. Still, if we are willing to recognize our need for spiritual renewal, then we can take conscious steps in that direction. God, as it happens, loves to move in the lives of people who are earnestly seeking Him.
Central Reflections 