Mark's gospel recounts the many different responses to Jesus's death and resurrection. To his death - darkness, a torn curtain, a declaration of faith. To his resurrection - wonder, fear, and then also belief. Join us this Sunday as we consider the events of Easter and why a man from Galilee came to be worshiped as the Son of God, whose death means new life for us.
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When Jesus entered Jerusalem the week before his crucifixion and resurrection, crowds of people greeted him shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Mark 11:9). The people were quoting from Psalm 118, a prayer of praise that speaks of human need, God's faithfulness, and ultimately looks forward to the Messiah who would save God's people.
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As we come to the end of our time in James, we have been challenged in many ways. He has instructed us in how to live wisely, and given us a picture of the new life in Jesus Christ. But to end his letter, James calls us to prayer. It is not the first time he instructs us to do this, and it is a good reminder that what he wants most for his audience is that they would tend to their faith in the Lord as they live the life God has given them.
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As we near the end of James's letter, he comes back to a topic he addressed earlier - patience in the midst of suffering. James knows the struggles of his audience and the temptation we all have to take matters into our own hands. But he calls us all to patience and perseverance instead, encouraging us to trust in God's goodness and mercy, even when facing the troubles of life.
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In this week's passage, James gives a hard word to wealthy people who use their money only to enrich themselves more. The message here continues with his earlier themes of caring for the poor, the need for humility, and the temporary nature of this life. The rich oppressors he is speaking to are living in opposition to all of these ideas. Again we hear James's implicit call to repentance and living faithfully and wisely instead.
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As James continues to instruct us in wisdom, this week he turns to an idea that runs through scripture - the brevity of life. It is an idea that is perhaps most explored in Ecclesiastes and the Hebrew word for it is hevel. As James says, we "are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14). James ties recognizing this reality to being wise, as does Moses's prayer recorded in the Psalms, "teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12)
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As we return to the book of James this week, he continues to instruct us in wisdom. In this week's passage James contrasts the wisdom of the world with the wisdom that comes from God, and emphasizes the necessity of humility if we are to be wise in the eyes of the Lord.
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We often rehearse our own speeches when coming to the Father, all of them some variation of the same speech the son prepared, “I have sinned, and I’m no longer worthy to be called your son…” As we dig into this parable, we will see the Father’s love in a new light, and come see that he comes to us when we are far off, because he loves us. Join us as a longtime member of the ICP Family, Vince Corpus, brings us God's word this Sunday.
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As James continues to instruct us in how to live wisely, in this week's passage he turns to matters of speech. Our words have more power than we give them credit for, with the ability to both build up and tear down. James reminds us again of the fact that all human beings have been "made in God's likeness," and we should always take this into account in how we use our words.
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One of the more well-known passages from his book, here James expounds on the relationship between faith and works. We see here his emphasis on followers of Jesus living with a sort of righteous integrity - where what we claim to believe and how we live are in line with each other. For James, a living faith in Jesus Christ will be expressed in how we live day to day. Otherwise, our faith is as good as "dead" (James 2:17).
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It can be difficult not to judge a person by their external appearance; however, James warns us of playing favorites based on how people dress. This, as with many other warnings in the Bible, is likely to have been an admonishment of an early church - but is just as valid today. Join us this week as we continue to explore the book of James, and hear Pastor Mike highlight the numerous 'take aways' available in this brief passage.
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One of James's main purposes is to encourage his audience to live with what might be described as "Godly integrity," meaning that the way they live would line up with what they proclaim to believe about Jesus Christ. In this week's passage he reflects on the role of God's word in all of this. It is through his word of truth that God gives us new birth, and also how he instructs us in this new life.
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After instructing us to ask for wisdom from God in responding to life's trials, James addresses one of those trials that is common to all people - temptation! Why is temptation so powerful, and how can we persevere when faced with it? James points us back to the goodness of God, and the good gifts that have been given freely to us from him.
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This Sunday we are glad to welcome Josef and Daniel Pavliňák to our worship service. Josef is the founder and director of In-Life, a ministry to university students in the Czech Republic and Slovakia where Daniel works as well. ICP has partnered with In-Life for many years. You can find out more about them here. We look forward to hearing more about their ministry and to hearing Josef bring us the message from God's word.
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This week we begin a new series in the Book of James, a letter written to the early church by one of its main leaders. Similar to the wisdom books of the Old Testament, James uses his letter to teach God's people how to live well in this world. James addresses many topics, from trials and temptations to faith and works, but always with the purpose of instructing us in how to live out our faith in practical ways. It is a challenging book, but one from which there is much to be gained.
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As we begin a New Year, we look to Paul's letter to the Ephesians and his prayer for them in Chapter 1. Paul prays specifically that they "may know him better" and in several specific ways. May we adopt this prayer for ourselves and our church family for 2025 as we grow in our knowledge and love of God together.
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This Sunday we’ll be looking at the story of the Magi from Matthew’s gospel, considering how the different character respond to the news that a new king had been born in Bethlehem.
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Merry Christmas! In tonight's special Christmas Eve message, follow along while we learn about God's gift to us in 4 parts - creation, fall, redemption, and fulfillment. We hope that you are able to celebrate this Christmas season with your family, friends and loved ones - while sharing this message with them.
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We continue in the season of Advent, the time each year when the church prepares for Jesus Christ to enter the world. It is meant to be a time of reflection and repentance, of hope and joy. This year, each of the four Sundays of Advent we'll consider the different themes of the candles on the Advent wreath and explore what it means that Jesus is the source of our hope, peace, joy, and love. This week: Love
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We continue in the season of Advent, the time each year when the church prepares for Jesus Christ to enter the world. It is meant to be a time of reflection and repentance, of hope and joy. This year, each of the four Sundays of Advent we'll consider the different themes of the candles on the Advent wreath and explore what it means that Jesus is the source of our hope, peace, joy, and love. This week: Joy!
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