Jesus uses these parables in facing down the religious leaders and Israel proper for the rejection of him as the fulfillment of God’s promise to offer mankind a way to a restored relationship with their Creator. Some believed they were good enough by their nationality; others bought the lie it was their innate goodness. Jesus warned both it was only through belief and actions that proved the belief was genuine that they would enter God’s kingdom. Instead, the kingdom would go to those who knew they didn’t deserve it.

The parable of the wheat and weeds indicates that it’s God job to render judgment at the end of time—not ours in the here and now.  Some Christians seek to avoid contact with the unwashed masses; others tend to take mingling a bit too far. God’s word gives us helpful instructions for being in the world, yet not of it, for being discerning without judgmental. 

Text is James 2:8-13. We zero in on the importance of playing the mercy we’ve been shown in Christ forward to others who don’t deserve it any more than we did. Ouch!  The warning is that, if we don’t, God won’t be merciful to us.  In other words, our salvation comes with God’s expectation that we know we should show mercy to—i.e., forgive--those who hurt us. If we don’t, it may reflect that we’ve not really embraced salvation at all.  So, we have to remember to focus on what God has done for us more than that stuff that is done to us in this world.

Text is James 12:1-9. It’s all about the horrors of favoritism. God doesn’t play favorites: he sees us all equal in our sin, all equal in our salvation, all equal in our worth. So don’t let your preferences become prejudices, don’t compare and keep score. Remember that in addition to loving God, we’re to love our neighbors as ourselves—and everyone’s our neighbor 

James 1:26-27 is the text. God hates external piety with a poisonous tongue, angry bickering over lesser theology, rituals devoid of spiritual reality, man-made rules, and fear and isolation from the world. He’s impressed with us helping the helpless and living a life that’s set apart to Him,

When we say someone is “lucky” what we usually mean is that they are fortunate. The biblical term for that is “blessed.” James 1:21-25 gives us some great insight on improving our odds at being lucky, fortunate, or blessed: get rid of the crud we know about; get more insight from God’s word because there’s probably more stuff you need to change you didn’t know about yet; don’t just hear God’s word, do it; continue to go deeper in obedience.

It’s about tempering our temper. We’re to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Too often, we overlook the first two and jump right to anger. And we’ve all got that in us, but we can rein it in if we listen and be slow to speak and to get angry. We are to be new creations in Christ, so Christ can transform us.

It’s all about temptation.  Bottom line:  when we screw up, we’ve got no one to blame but ourselves. It’s not someone else’s fault. We have desires, some good, but some bad. We play around with those desires, and pretty soon we start thinking about fulfilling them. We flirt around the edges for a while with that, and then fall headfirst into it. The desire eventually gives birth to action that harms us. Temptation isn’t bad—we’re all tempted, just as Jesus was. But giving in to it is the problem. Best action:  Flee!!

James, writing to a dispersed community of Christians who have lost most everything, encourages them to find their vet worth is what God says about them, not what their possessions or earthly status or other people say about them. Our value comes from whose we are, not what we have. And if you have stuff, make sure you know it’s from God and act like the manager of it, not the owner.

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.

We see injustice, or evil, or sickness, or a society gone wrong, a holocaust or an orphan and we ask the question - where is God? Why does He allow this to happen? Our prophet asks the question, but instead of this being a rhetorical exercise to not believe, he gets an answer from heaven itself.

Transitions, temptation, and trouble always create questions and doubts. But Peter responded to an uncertain future following Jesus with, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of life and we’ve come to believe you are the Holy One of God.” Yeah, we’d better consider the alternative. Salvation costs nothing, but following Jesus will cost you something. But refusing to follow Jesus will cost you everything. To whom will you go?

In response to competition between the 12, Jesus tells them that to be great, you must be the servant of all. And he demonstrated it by living for others. Leverage authority to benefit those under you . Be for others, be humble. Ask how you can help others. Maybe you can’t do for everybody, but you can do for one person.

Here’s the rub. God is God, and we can’t thwart His will. And because He’s God, He’s invited us into something bigger than us. We can do what we want and think it’s right, like Judas did, and rue the day. Or we can decide, as Jesus followers, to trust God knows what He’s doing. It’s all about whose will wins out in the battle for our hearts.

Jesus eventually lays out the fine print for following him, and it’s to be willing to deny yourself and take up a cross. That means simply saying, “No” to me. We’re not unfamiliar with this—we all turn down dessert at restaurants from time to time, right? But Jesus telling us we are to say “No” to us scares us to death. But maybe it shouldn’t. You save your life by losing it to Christ and the gospel. Truth is, you’re going to lose your life anyway, at the end, right? Will you be willing to say “Yes” to Jesus and “No” to you in those defining moments in life? Everything hangs in the balance.

People tell us what they follow by what they wear: Cheeseheads at Packer games; green and yellow faces at Brazil soccer games; women in birkas; Buddhist monks. What we should be known for as Jesus followers is loving people like Jesus loved people—people that don’t deserve it. Paul describes loving like Jesus loved us as as clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, putting up with, and forgiving. Yeah, it’s supernatural stuff.

It’s not just to be a better person, although we will be better people. It’s not just going to heaven, although we will. It’s not to be pain or problem free. It’s “fear not.” The endgame is to make us fearless. The lack of fear results from our utter confidence that God is always with us regardless of the circumstances, even painful ones.

Following Jesus begins with listening and asking questions, not leaving your world, your family, and your job. Jesus teaches truth, we listen, ask questions, and learn. It’s not blind faith. It’s based on information Jesus imparts. But don’t be surprised Jesus might lead you to do something that makes no sense, maybe doing something you’ve done 1,000 times but in a different way. In other words, he asks you to take a step of faith. And if you follow Him in that step, it’s because you’ve grown to respect and admire Him. And the outcome f that step will probably may startle you and proves to you that Jesus is worth following some more. So, when you become aware of the next step in following Jesus, take it.

Jesus invites people who are a mess into a relationship, and you don’t even have to believe anything or do anything. There’s no admission fee. He picked people others thought should not have been allowed into the club. Change happens through the “following” Jesus.

Well, truth is truth, and all truth is God’s truth. That said, not all truth is of equal importance. “A prophet is without honor in his hometown” is true, but it may not be as important as “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” What are the truths worth dividing over and what are the ones not worth such division?

God has saved us, but left us here on earth. Seems logical to think there must be a reason He hasn’t just taken us home. In fact, what’s delaying God from just ending this mess down here and getting the fun stuff of eternity with Him started? Don’t we know it’s because there are yet people to be saved? Shouldn’t that be about what we’re about, individually, and as a church? Isn’t that why we should be doing what we do?

Yes, we don’t just “get along” to “get along” on every issue. Some are matters of opinion where we have the freedom to do what God tells us individually, but some are more indisputable issues, where God has clearly spoken. On the latter, we need to take a stand. Even on those, there’s a right, loving way to begin to deal with the other person—personally and privately.

Don’t be sitting around judging each other on disputable issues, where everyone has the freedom to do what God tells them to do. Be sensitive to newer, less mature Christians—do what helps them grow. Judging doesn’t help that growth, by the way. be willing to pass on your own freedom in Christ out of deference to others in the body.

Connecting the story of dramatic change in Ephesus to the call Paul makes in this passage for Christians to wake up. I never saw before that the dramatic change in Ephesus began when Christians saw the consequences of treating Jesus as something less that He really was. He’s not a genie or a consultant; He’s God and He wants to be Lord.

We should be known for our love—owe no one anything, except to love each other.

Proverbs 4 has Solomon telling us to guard ours heart because everything we do flows from it. So, we need some guardrails for our hearts. You ever say something and wonder, “Where’d that come from?” Answer: your heart. So, how to tell the heart’s got a problem? You’ll find guilt, anger, greed, jealousy. When you hit these guardrails, what do you do? Confess, forgive, give, and celebrate.

If you can’t serve both God and money, how to do tell if money is your master? This is about setting up guardrails with regard to over-consumption or greed and handling money wisely.

It’s about keeping your significant other your significant other

This is about the need for guardrails with regard to friends and associates. Modern science and the bible show us that we become like those we hang around with. So, choose wisely.

The main text is Ephesians 5:15-18, and this first message is just establishing the wisdom of having guardrails in our lives to protect us from going into a ditch, i.e., damaging our lives and our futures. Identify where you’re at risk and set some boundaries. Society won’t do this for you, but it will laugh at you and ridicule you when you mess up. You’ve got to take the reins on this yourself.

Two helps with anxiety. (1) Think about the right thing. Problems require some thought, some attention, but fixation? Probably not. Obsessing? Nope. Scripture tells us to be careful what we ponder. Not talking here about positive thinking, but Godward thinking. Intentionally direct your mind to God. Meditate on His Word. So, think right and, (2) do the right thing: obey. Practice the things Jesus taught us, and we'll have less time to worry about us. Focus shifting from us to God and others causes anxiety to lose its grip.

God commands us (not a suggestion) to stop worrying. Great. How do we do that? God's recommendation: pray. But prayer isn't to just be a rehearsal of your worries. It's unburdening yourself, getting rid of the burden, putting them on God. He can handle it. Stop trusting in you; instead trust in God. Plead specific requests. Pray with thanksgiving, because thanksgiving kills anxiety. If you ponder how good God is, it helps keep worry at bay. Pray with rejoicing

This message is all about financial anxieties, given that 80% of Americans have financial fears ranging from somewhat to extreme. Even the rich have these fears. We can handle money better, but those concepts don't cure this because it's our hearts that need curing. Our fears reveal our idols, what we really want. Answer from Jesus: Dump your life of the love of money and what money can buy. We think money can satisfy and provide security. It doesn't. It's fleeting. A relationship with God provides both, however.

The focus is on fear of the future, what's going to happen. The belief that Murphy's Law is true if it can go wrong, it will. The answer to our key question is found in three questions. 1) Who am I listening to? It'd ought to be Jesus; 2) Who am I trusting? It ought to be Jesus. Our fears show us we're not. 3) What am I seeking? It ought to be the kingdom of God make your great goal God, and He will take care of all your needs. A special on trusting in the right thing, worrying about tomorrow, looking for happiness in all the wrong places would work.

We have a double whammy in our culture not only fear of death, but fear of aging. Good news is the bible agrees that death is a problem. And death exists because of sin... we've all sinned. So our greatest need is someone to die for us. We may not think so, but the bible tells us we are in lifelong slavery because of a fear of death. The answer: Jesus came in the flesh, died, and was raised he is the solution to our fear. In Him, we're free, and no longer crippled by fear. A special about death or the fear of it or the uncertainty of it would work.

When it's seems hopeless, we need to hope in God. Our minds are going to talk to us about how awful things are. We need to interrupt that conversation and start one where we challenge ourselves to hope in God, and buttress that with what we know of who God is, what God is, what God has done, and what God has pledged to do. And we use that to keep pushing back the hopeless thoughts that we or other people, or the devil or the world pitch to us. Fight through that to praise God for the help He's capable of providing. A special on hope or when it all looks hopeless would work.

Be subject to governing authorities, recognizing that government is instituted by God. You resist them, and you resist what God has appointed, and you will suffer the consequences. Do this, not from fear, but because you answer to a higher authority than the government: God Himself. Pay the taxes you owe, and deliver respect and honor to those governing over you. Special could run the gamut from rebellion or something anti-government or bringing down “the man” to some July 4th anthem about how wonderful America is to it’s my country, warts and all.

Don’t pay back evil for evil. Do what everyone around you would claim is the honorable thing. In other words, don’t be what you hate in others. Take the high road and give God room to deal with the ne’er-do-wells around you. Even better, look to do something good for your enemy. Special could be about getting even or paying someone back or, flip side, refusing to lower oneself to get someone back or how hating others just messes you up.

It’s all about how we are to genuinely love each other. Let God’s word work in us to root out stupid stuff, and then blast out love to other church members. In fact, outdo each other in showing honor to others. In doing so, you are serving God. Ponder how you can stir each other to grow in Christ. And don’t miss church, like some habitually do. I suppose the special could be any one of a zillion songs about love, or how love gives or thinks of others more than oneself.

We live the Christian life best when we’ve died to ourselves. Paul told us earlier that we’re to be led by the Spirit. Same concept. Don’t just conform to the crowd; let God take hold and be transformed. It’s really a whole life commitment, not just one hour on Sunday. A special about being sold out for something, being all in on something or someone would work.

Yes, there is a master plan, and it’s God’s, and He’s is working it to perfection in ways that we aren’t even capable of grasping as mere humans. Paul explodes into worship here in v33-36. It’s almost as if he himself is overwhelmed at the inspiration God has given him to pen. God needs no advice, makes no mistakes, never apologizes, and what he does stands forever. If there is glory to be had, it belongs to God. I don’t know what special works here, but if you can get a choir of angels to assist, that’d be great!

The short answer to that is R-E-S-P-E-C-T. (Should be a song with that title out there, shouldn’t there?) We shouldn’t write the Jews off as lesser because God’s not done with them, any more than He wrote Gentiles off during Israel’s heyday. Jews are still getting saved here and there, despite a partial hardening they are enduring as a people. God’s intent with all the Gentiles getting saved is to make Jews jealous. And a time’s coming when they will return en mass to believe in Christ. And how sweet will that be? God’s doing something in history with the Jews, so we Gentile Christians should not be haughty or condescending. Keep doing what we’re supposed to do—believe by faith in Jesus, the only way to get salvation, and share with everyone, including Jews.

From the thousands of years of persecution, it seems God has moved on from his covenant with Israel. But has he? And if he has, what’s to keep him from getting disenchanted with any of us? We find here that Israel is still in the game, even though most are super opposed to Jesus. Even now, God continues to save some Jews—the remnant—the same way he saves Gentiles—through faith, not works. Bottom line is that God is true to his word, even though things might look a little grim for a season here and there.

Israel was offended that people not Jewish could become the people of God. As such, they lost sight of the great purpose God created the Jewish nation—to be a light to all the other nations, that whoever would believe could be saved. It’s easy to bash the Israelites, of course, but we can be so like them. Christians can be very comfy with our salvation and our relationship with God, but lack any fervency to play it forward. Should we not rise to the challenge to share Christ when we live in a city 96% of which is not Christian? I mean, we can’t walk outside without running into lost people.

Yes, God may have elected, or chosen, you, but he has also included your free-will decision to place your faith in Jesus Christ as part of the process of salvation. Paul returns to that concept in this text, lamenting that his Jewish brethren still are trying to make nice with God through their works when Christ has already done it all for them. Salvation is amazingly easy to acquire once you bag trying to get it on your terms.

It’s about making a vow to confide in and not hide from our spouse. Such openness is the key to purity in a marriage. Why? Sin causes shame, and shame leads us to keep secrets, hide from each other (ex: Adam and Eve in the Garden, post-fall), and secrets begin to eat away at intimacy. As intimacy erodes, we will naturally look for it elsewhere.

It’s about making a vow of partnership with our spouse--taking the differences of each spouse and weaving them together in oneness rather than allowing them to divide and separate us. To do that, we’ve got to start thinking more about WE than we do ME. This is a commitment, a covenant, with a spouse—I’m in 100%--and not a mere contract—I’m in as long as I get out of this what I want/need.

This is about making a vow of pursuit of our spouse. We tend to pursue what we don’t have but want. So, we tend not to pursue our spouses—after all, we already have them. But the relationship we really want is only at beginning at the beginning. You should want it to grow. If you want that enough, you will continue to pursue it by continuing to pursue your spouse.

This is about making a vow of priority to your spouse. Maybe a successful marriage isn’t as much about finding the one as making God the “one” and your spouse your “two”: God the 1st priority; spouse the 2nd. Let the relationship with the spouse flow from the relationship with God.