Category: East Main Bulletin Articles

Articles I write for the weekly bulletin of the East Main Church of Christ, the congregation where I preach.

James: How Should We React to Hardship?

The Christians to whom James had been originally writing were likely impoverished Christians of Jewish ethnicity who were being oppressed by fellow Jews who were wealthy and were withholding wages from them,  as well as killing them (5:1-6).  Yet the instruction which God inspired James to give to these persecuted Christians is note-worthy. Do we react to hardship and oppression in the same ways God instructed them to react?… Read More James: How Should We React to Hardship?

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James: The Excoriating Condemnation of the Rich

It is not an inherent sin to be wealthy.  With that said, the Bible also teaches that it is difficult for the rich to find salvation (Matt. 19:16-26; cf. 13:22; 1 Cor. 1:26).  One reason for this is due to how easy it is for the rich to focus on their wealth instead of God and His will (Lk. 12:13-21; 1 Tim. 6:6-10, 17).  Another reason, closely related to this, is the fact that many wealthy people give in to the temptation to do sinful things to others in the name of obtaining more wealth.  Such was the case with the rich people to whom James was speaking in chapter 5. … Read More James: The Excoriating Condemnation of the Rich

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James: Do The Right Thing, Today

How many families who sat down to supper together while traveling across the North Atlantic on the RMS Titanic on the evening of April 14, 1912 knew that they were eating their last meal together and that within hours their husbands and fathers would drown or die of hypothermia?  Did they know they would meet the dawn of the new day as newly made widows and orphans?  Of course not…and yet it still happened with no warning.… Read More James: Do The Right Thing, Today

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James: The Source of Quarrels and Conflicts

It is impossible for anyone to overcome sin in their lives if they do not give serious thought as to why they commit that sin in the first place.  Thus, God gives us the reason we fight amongst ourselves.  The “source of quarrels and conflicts among you” is “your pleasures that wage war in your members” (4:1).  We want things that please US, which give US pleasure, which make US happy.  SELF is our highest priority.  When we care most about SELF, what happens?… Read More James: The Source of Quarrels and Conflicts

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James: Who Among You Is Wise and Understanding?

Let’s “examine ourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5).  How do we react to what’s on the news?  How do we interact with those with whom we disagree?  Is it in ways which we would consider appropriate if our children or grandchildren said and did the same things?  How gentle are we?  How humble?  Do we feel we have to “weigh in” with our thoughts on everything?  If someone disagrees with us, do we feel the need to put them in their place?  Are we bitter?  Can we find nothing good in our life, our country, or the world because all we focus on is the negative?  Is how we want things to be in our home, our job, and the nation the most important thing, with everything else taking a distant second?  Are we prideful, thinking that we have it all figured out?  Is it inconceivable that we would be wrong in any way about what we see going on in the world today?… Read More James: Who Among You Is Wise and Understanding?

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