Dear Friends:

You gotta take care of your business. Period. If you do not take care of your business, you will - or someone you love will - pay a price for unattended to business.

The problem is, taking care of your business is oftentimes routine and mundane. Things that are so simple - brushing your teeth, washing your hands, using deodorant/anti-persperant, buckling your seatbelts, keeping up with your finances - really don't inspire us, and oftentimes may feel like drudgery.

That is, unless or until you decide to not do these things. Then, we will wind up with more issues than an airport bookstore's magazine rack.

Well, friends, the same is true of our faith. The final of Wesley's three simple rules for his United Societies was, "[Attend] upon all the ordinances of God." In other words, do what it takes to STAY IN LOVE WITH GOD. This Sunday, we will hit on what Wesley meant by this rule by examining James' words found in the latter part of chapter 3 and the early part of chapter 4.

Bring a friend!

Grace and Peace, Lamar

SCRIPTURE LESSON

James 3:13-4:8

Who is wise and understanding among you? 

Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 

But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 

Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 

For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? 

Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 

You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. 

And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. 

You do not have, because you do not ask. 

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. 

Adulterers! 

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 

Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, “God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 

But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 

Submit yourselves therefore to God. 

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. 

Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.