Understanding Legalism

Text: Matthew 15:1-9 The term “legalism” has a strong negative connotation for many. It is not found in the Bible, but it has been coined to describe a certain approach to the Bible. Legalism is associated with the idea of strictness, narrow-mindedness, and being judgmental. Yet there is more to legalism than the popular concept. […]

Judged by the Law of Liberty

Text: James 2:12-13 James said we will be “judged by the law of liberty” or “the law that gives freedom” (NIV). This should affect how we “speak” and “act.” So what does this mean? What is the “law of liberty”? How does recognizing this affect our lives? And how does this impact our view of […]

Members One of Another

Text: Romans 12:3-5 Paul told the saints in Rome they were “members one of another” as part of the same body. Therefore, they were to act in a certain way toward one another. The same is true for us today. As members of the church – and of a local congregation in particular – we […]

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Text: Luke 18:9-14 Jesus often used parables in His teaching – using an everyday illustration to describe a spiritual truth. In this parable, Jesus described two men going to the temple to pray; but only one of them was accepted by God. As we study this, we are going to attempt to identify the MAIN point. Once we do that, we […]

Submit and Resist

Text: James 4:1-12 This lesson is the seventh in a series on the book of James. In this passage, James talked about the need to submit to God and resist the devil. There Is a War Inside of Us (v. 1-5) Conflicts among us are primarily rooted in selfishness (v. 1) – our desires over the good of others Following […]

Mercy and Judgment

Text: James 2:1-13 This lesson is the third in a series on the book of James. In this passage, James discussed mercy and judgment – what they mean in our standing before God and how we are to apply these principles in our dealings with others. Warning Against Showing Favoritism (v. 1-7) James just finished discussing […]

Unlikely Converts

Text: James 2:1-4 Sometimes when we think of evangelism and converting the lost, we may have a picture in our minds of the type of person who would be receptive. If we’re not careful, we could subconsciously reject/overlook some who may have otherwise been interested (the single mother, the person with tattoos, the immigrant who speaks broken […]