Why is it that we’re not more courageous in sharing our faith with others? What’s keeping us from speaking up about Jesus? If we want to grow in our boldness and willingness to share our faith with others, we must 1) Be with Jesus and 2) Ask for courage.

We’ve all experienced the grace of God, and sharing our story has the power to change lives! Even though we might be timid about sharing our story when the doors open to conversations about our faith, let’s step out of the boat and trust the Holy Spirit to guide us in those moments.

We serve others because God served us! He laid down His life for us before we knew Him or even believed in Him. By serving the people around us, we are building an incredible relational bridge that God uses to open the door to conversations about Jesus.

What would happen if we prioritized loving our neighbors in the same way that Jesus modeled? If we take ownership and personal responsibility to “love our neighbors as ourselves” by breaking bread with those in our community, it will open doors for Biblical conversations and remove obstacles so that people far from God can come to know Him.

How do we fish for men? Jesus alone can give us a perfect picture of how to navigate difficult conversation with people in a way that shows the love of God to a hurting and broken world.

We can love the lost, serve, be a blessing, carry burdens, and overcome obstacles, but we must start with prayer because God is ultimately the only one who can change the human heart! So, we follow Jesus’ example in Acts by praying for open eyes, open doors, and open hearts.

This week, Pastor Rob kicked off our Fishers of Men series. When we recognize that Jesus came for the lost and broken, and when we recognize who He is and what He’s done for us, our only reasonable response is to give our whole lives to Him and His mission to make disciples of all nations, to do whatever it takes to carry burdens, and overcome obstacles to get people to Jesus, and to become fishers of men.

This morning, Pastor Rob ended our Faith that Works series by preaching on James 5:13-20 and answering questions like: What is the prayer of faith? Does the prayer of faith guarantee healing? Why do we use anointing oil?

In James 5:7-12, James gives three examples of how to patiently wait for the coming of the Lord: The endurance of a farmer, the long suffering of the prophets, and the perseverance of Job.

Today, Pastor Dave Buering guided us through the Sermon on the Mount and recited Matthew 5-7 to create an intentional moment to reflect on the words of Jesus.

In James 5:1-6, James warns against greed because it leads to hoarding, self-indulgence, and injustice. But the antidote to greed is intentional financial generosity.

In James 4:13-17, James says that human life is like a mist, here for a moment and gone the next. Knowing this, how do we approach the future? By trusting in the providence of God.

Today, Pastor Dave Buehring preached on James 4:1-12. In this passage, James is addressing Jewish believers on the war within themselves, their friendship with the world, and the importance of submitting to God.

In James 3:13-18, James tells us there are two types of wisdom: heavenly wisdom and worldly wisdom. Wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, fruitful, impartial, and sincere, and God invites us to pursue it!

Our words have power. They can build others up or tear them down. James 3:1-12 warns us that the tongue cannot be tamed, so how do we watch our words? It’s a matter of the heart.

Growth in Christ isn’t for us; it’s for the world! And the world is in desperate need of a savior. What would it look like for us as a church, with people from every generation, to walk in unity and say, “God use us”?

In James 2:14-26, we see that there are three different types of faith: dead, detached, and devoted. It is only when we see and experience the love of God for ourselves that we will be compelled to devoted faith, not out of self-preservation but out of gratitude.

God does not ask us to be the Judge. He is not asking the Church to be his Jury. There is no room for partiality in the family of God. We are all guilty and Christ stands as our defender, offering himself in our place. That is Jesus. That’s how Mercy Triumphs over judgment!

Like a fish that is only free in water, we are only truly free to the degree that we refuse to compromise, live in alignment with his Word, and obey Him in all things. There is a difference between hearing and doing. We are called to put the bible into practice.

James illustrates through the tales of three men how we can react in the face of our circumstances.  We can be a people who remain steadfast under trial if we cling to Jesus because He remains steadfast. When we avoid suffering, we avoid the opportunity to look like Jesus. Our lives are meant to be a constant submission into the hands of our Creator, like gold in the hands of the Refiner.