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The holiday season is now behind us, and as such we resume our series in James. This week we are picking up in James 5:1-6 where we read strong words that James has in store for the rich. He warns them not to trust in their earthly riches on the Last Day. Gold, silver, diamonds, and rubies will all rust and corrode when brought into the burning presence of Holy God. However, the riches and the robes of Christ’s perfect righteousness will not. The one who is rich in Christ is rich toward God, and this wealth is eternal. (Music used with Permission through our Church CCLI Copyright License® Number 2539700 and Streaming License Number 21992710.)

Elder Rob Whims will preach a message from Hebrews 1 titled Christ as King. (Music used with Permission through our Church CCLI Copyright License® Number 2539700 and Streaming License Number 21992710.)

When I was growing up, my favorite part of summer were the fresh pies my Grandmother would bake. I remember asking my Grandma for constant updates as she dutifully went through each step of preparing an excellent pie. As I would ask “Is it ready yet?” she would smile and reply “patience is a virtue.” I remember thinking, “I don’t want patience, I want pie!” This Lord’s Day, James is calling us to patience. Not patience as we wait for something temporal, like a pie. But patience as we await the greatest event of human history: The triumphant return of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s hard to exercise patience as we await the return of the Lord. Sin exists in the world and in our hearts, and sin’s consequences are painful. James encourages our patience not only by reminding us that the return of Christ is closer than we might think (5:8), he also calls us to patience by remembering the character of our God (5:11). As we wait His return, we rest in His compassionate and merciful character. (Music used with Permission through our Church CCLI Copyright License® Number 2539700 and Streaming License Number 21992710.)

The Book of James ends this Lord’s Day. James has been a highly practical letter. We haven’t learned doctrine in the way we do in Paul’s letters, but we have learned how to live out our doctrine. Chiefly, James has been concerned with our developing wisdom. Wisdom is right perspective: seeing the things of earth from the perspective of heaven. The final thing we need to see from a heavenly perspective is prayer. Often times it is difficult for us to pray. But, if we saw prayer from a heavenly perspective, it would be difficult to get us to stop praying! This week, with God’s help, we will see James display for us the purpose and the power of prayer. And we will see how prayer is a privilege granted in the gospel. (Music used with Permission through our Church CCLI Copyright License® Number 2539700 and Streaming License Number 21992710.)

This Lord’s Day, we begin a new series on the Book of Romans. In his preface to the Book of Romans, Martin Luther wrote, “The Letter of Romans is the truth of the chief part of the New Testament, and the purest gospel. It would be quite proper for a Christian, not only to know it by heart word for word, but also to study it daily, for it is the soul’s daily bread. It can never be read or meditated upon too much or too well. The more thoroughly it is treated, the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes.” Let us be in prayer that our meditation upon Romans will yield the precious fruit of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Music used with Permission through our Church CCLI Copyright License® Number 2539700 and Streaming License Number 21992710.)

What do you think of when you consider the phrase “The power of God”? The Egyptian plagues? The splitting of the Red Sea? Maybe the great flood, the times fire fell from heaven, or the many miracles of the Bible? If you were to ask Paul what was the single greatest display of the power of God in history? He would have a quick answer for you: the gospel. This Lord’s Day we will seek to understand how God’s power is manifest in this gospel. (Music used with Permission through our Church CCLI Copyright License® Number 2539700 and Streaming License Number 21992710.)

This Lord’s Day, we give our attention to Romans 1:18-32. In this passage, Paul describes the wrath of God as it is revealed from heaven. He also reveals why God’s wrath is being revealed: after being given sufficient evidence of God’s existence in the natural world (verse 19-20), the human race has still chosen to worship the creation, rather than the Creator. And as we will see, the consequence for such idolatry is more idolatry. In this vicious cycle, only God Himself could be our Savior. And thanks be to God, He has saved us in Christ! (Music used with Permission through our Church CCLI Copyright License® Number 2539700 and Streaming License Number 21992710.)

This Lord’s Day, we give our attention to Romans 2. This passage challenges us. Last week, Paul put before our eyes all of the ways in which our denial of general revelation leads us into idolatry. We saw how the punishment for sin is more sin as God hands people over to darkened ways of thinking. Paul knew that as we read Romans 1, we might be tempted to condemn others while we congratulate ourselves. To prevent this, Paul provides us with Romans 2. This passage reminds us that sin is to be found within our own hearts, in our own actions. We will also see this week how holiness is impossible without humility. (Music used with Permission through our Church CCLI Copyright License® Number 2539700 and Streaming License Number 21992710.)