Pastor’s Page | June 26th, 2025
Sermon Prep (Read James 2:14-26)
Let’s suppose that I tell you that I am baseball player. You ask me, “What team do you play for?” I say, “Oh, I don’t believe in organized team sports, I play on my own.” You then say, “Okay…well, what position do you play?” I respond, “Oh...I don’t like throwing or catching” “So you like to hit the ball?” “Ewww. That is so barbaric. I would never swing a bat at something.” “But I thought you said you were a baseball player?” “I am…don’t you see my ball cap?”
This all sounds silly, but this is what James is getting at in our study this week. James says that it is easy for someone to claim to have faith (notice the word claim in your text), but where is your faith evident in your life (highlight in your text where is says “show”). Now we must be careful here. James is not disagreeing with Paul that we are saved by grace and by grace alone. Instead, James is saying that when you are saved by grace it becomes evident in your life. Also, James is not saying that your whole life is going to be one perfect deed after the other or else you are not truly saved. You are saved by grace and grace alone and we will continue to be a mess (though as we grow in Christ we tend to get less of a mess and more Christ-like in all we do). So James is saying, if you have faith in Christ, it should show up in your life. On Sunday, we will look at this passage and ask how our salvation is connected to our knowledge and belief in Christ, what role our works play and in what order does our good works appear.
As you begin to read over this passage, think about the connection between works and faith. How is it that we are saved? What does James mean by deeds or works? Then ask the tough questions: how is my faith evident to others?
Here are some passages for you to study in addition to our passage in James: Ephesians 2:8-9, Hebrews 10:38, John 6:28-29, Galatians 5:6, Hebrews 11:4-5, John 14:23, Titus 2:11-14, Matthew 7:21-23, Galatians 3:5, Luke 17:7-8, and Revelation 2:13-19.
Updates, Thoughts and More
Acton Celebrates America is this week. This is something that I look forward to each year. It is a chance for us to celebrate our great nation, but more importantly to remember that true freedom is only found in Jesus Christ. Rawlianne has put together an amazing service that will be wonderful and will truly bless our souls. Make sure to invite your friends and family to come and join you. It is going to be a great time.
Izzy is doing a great job getting us ready for Vacation Bible School. If you see a giant moose running around, let Izzy know. She may have accidently let one loose. We will be having volunteer meetings here in the next few weeks so be watching the bulletin for more information.
I would like to announce to the church that Don Steen has agreed to volunteer to help me out with some administrative tasks around the church. Don has tons of experience working in churches and he will be helping me to help our church fulfill our vision to be Christlike in leading Generations to be like Christ.
I have started a new book on the life of C.S. Lewis. It is written in a very easy to read format and it goes into how his childhood impacted his beliefs, his humor, and his love for education. In other news, Jack Reacher is still beating up bad guys.
No Football, No Basketball! SUMMER IS THE WORST!
What’s Going On This Week (06/29)
Sunday (06/29)
Combined Worship - 10am
Monday (06/30)
Stitching Angels - 1:30pm
Tuesday (07/01)
Men’s Meeting - 7:30am
McGee Duff Funeral - 10am
Acton Celebrates America - 7pm
Wednesday (07/02)
Prayer Warriors - 9am
Sip and Share - 10am
Table Talk - 5pm
Youth and Kids - 6pm
Choir - 7pm
Joke of the Week
I was talking to my pastor the other day and he’s getting quite elderly now. He said to me, “You know, when you get old as me you start to spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter.”
“Why do you say that?” I asked him.
He said, “Well nowadays I’m always going into a room and then stopping and thinking what did I come in here after?”
Memory Verse of the Week
“But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”
~James 2:18 (NIV84)
Quote of the Week
“Good deeds are such things that no man is saved for them, nor without them.”
~Thomas Adams
