Category: Bible

A heart open to grace

September 19, 2026

I really enjoyed this devotion based on the Parable of the Sower…

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable. “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” Luke 8:4–8

God always takes the initiative in our lives. We do not need to persuade Him to care for us or to extend His grace—He already does. Our relationship with Him is one of response: He sows, and we are called to receive. We say “Yes” to Him, allowing His will to take root in our lives. At the heart of His divine will is the call to hear and embrace His Word.

Today’s Gospel presents one of Jesus’ most familiar parables, rich in meaning and imagery for prayer. God is the Divine Sower, and the seed is His Word. That Word is not merely a message or set of teachings—it is the Person of Christ Himself, the Incarnate Word of God. This is one of the great mysteries of our faith. Christ is sown into the hearts of the faithful. We are not invited to solve this mystery but to receive it, enter it, ponder it, and allow it to transform us.

To enter more deeply into this mystery, imagine God the Father sowing the seed of His Son into the soil of your soul. Once we understand that Christ Himself is the Divine Seed, it becomes clear that Christianity is not merely about following a moral code or ethical system. Rather, it is about being interiorly transformed by Christ’s living presence. He is planted in us by grace, takes root in our souls, and grows, bearing spiritual fruit.

This parable also challenges us to examine the condition of our hearts. Are we hardened like the path, distracted like the rocky ground, or choked by worldly concerns like the soil filled with thorns? Or are we striving to be rich, tilled soil—open, receptive, and ready to nurture the life of Christ within?

If we extend the parable further and consider the entire field, it is consoling and inspiring to recognize the countless other souls with rich soil who also receive the living Word of God and in whom He grows and bears fruit. As members of the Body of Christ, we are not alone. We are part of a vast field, tilled and watered by divine grace.

And yet, there remains so much more to be done. Many hearts have not yet received Christ. Many remain hardened, distracted, or choked by the anxieties and pleasures of life. By receiving the Word of God and bearing fruit ourselves, we also produce seeds—seeds of the Incarnate Word meant to be sown into the lives of others. The Divine Sower desires to extend His mission through us until the end of the age.

Though this parable primarily focuses on the condition of our own hearts, we can also discern in it the urgency of the Gospel mission. The Divine Sower seeks laborers who will help sow the Word far and wide, expanding the field of the Church and multiplying its fruit.

Reflect today on the high ideals set forth in the Parable of the Sower. Move from concept to reality. This parable is not only meant to inspire, it is meant to prompt action. First, open your heart to Christ the Word through daily prayer, participation in the Sacraments, and works of charity. Then, become a co-worker with Christ. In what ways can you assist the Divine Sower? To whom can you be an instrument of the Word of God? Be receptive to His grace and resolute in your mission, that the Field of God’s Kingdom may continue to grow and flourish.

My Divine Sower and Eternal Word, You urgently desire that all people come to know You by forming hearts of fertile soil, receptive to Your saving Word. Please till the soil of my heart. Remove every weed of sin, every rock of resistance, and every thorn of worldly care. Enrich me with the grace I need so that Your Word may take deep root and bear abundant fruit. Make me also an instrument of Your divine work, sowing the seeds of Your Word in the hearts of others. Through me, may the mission of the Church flourish and Your Kingdom be extended to the ends of the earth. Jesus, I trust in You.

(Image and text from https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2026/09/18/a-heart-open-to-grace/)

Shine brightly with the attitude of Christ

September 13, 2026

We are going to continue with our series of messages from Philippians. This week we are up to chapter two and the title is, “Shine brightly with the attitude of Christ”.

Last week in our message Living wholeheartedly for Christ from chapter one we saw four main ideas…

  1. Paul was thankful for the Philippians and he prayed that they would grow in their faith.
  2. Paul was thankful that Christ was being preached. Even though he was in prison.
  3. Paul lived his life for Christ. To Paul to live is Christ, to die is gain.
  4. Paul asked them to live as citizens of heaven. He wanted them to represent Christ well.

This week we will have four points again.

Bible Reading

Philippians 2:1-30

Main Points

Today I want to share four main points that spoke to me as I was studying this passage this week.

1. Having the attitude of Christ

Philippians 2:1-11. It is titled, “Having the attitude of Christ”. It contains a number of ideas.

a. Be unified

Paul urges the believers to be unified in Christ. He asks them to make him happy by “agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working    together with one mind and purpose” (v2).

Being unified is about loving and caring for each other, putting differences aside and working together in our joint Kingdom purpose. Jesus prayed for His followers in John 17. He prayed that we might be one as He and the Father are one. So being unified is very important to both Jesus and Paul. Therefore, it needs to be important to us.

Being unified does not always mean we will agree on every issue. But it means we chose to put Christ and unity of faith above our issues or personal beliefs.

A.W. Tozer, in his book the The Pursuit of God said this about unity. “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So, one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.

b. Be interested in others

Verses 3 says, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too”.

Life is not just about you and me as individuals. It is about all of us. When I fall into selfish patterns I don’t look out for others. I can be concerned about my interests only. Jesus lived in a constant mission of the Father. He was interested in others to the point of sacrificing all. As we have seen in the last year. He travelled miles for the just the one person.

c. Be humble

Verses 7-8 says, “Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross”.

Christ left the glories of heaven to live in this world. He took a lowly place of a servant and even died a “criminal’s death” for our sin. His humility paved the way for our salvation. If Christ showed that humility, what do I have to be proud of?

Years ago Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, was scheduled to speak at a Large Presbyterian church in Melbourne, Australia. The moderator of the service introduced the missionary in eloquent and glowing terms. He told the large congregation all that Taylor had accomplished in China, and then presented him as “our illustrious guest.” Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his message by saying, “Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master.” (W. Wiersbe, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers, p. 243.)

So today, let us be unified in Christ’s mission, be interested in others above ourselves and be humble in all we do. Let us understand we are little servants connected to an awesome God.

2. Shine brightly for Christ

Verses 12-18 is the next section. It is titled, “Shine brightly for Christ”.

In verse 12 he says, “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear”.

In this passage Paul encourages the Philippians to continue on living right. He says they did well when he was with them, but it is important to keep it up while he is away.

As I read this passage it took me back to my primary school days. When the teacher was in the classroom with us, everyone behaved well. When the teacher left us alone, some of the kids (including me!) misbehaved. We would all sit down nicely before the teacher returned!

So, the Philippians stayed on track while he was away (unlike my school friends and I!) Paul urged them to…

  • Work hard to show the results of their salvation (v12)
  • Obey God with deep reverence and fear (v12)
  • Do everything without complaining and arguing (v14)
  • Live clean, innocent lives as children of God (v15)
  • Hold firmly to the word of life (v16)

If they continued to do these things Paul knew they would be on track. He wanted them to be a witness to the world in the way they lived. He wanted them to shine brightly in the midst of the crooked world around them.

So today, let us remember to shine brightly and be a good example in the way we live. As we do remember “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (v13). In chapter 1 we saw that God will continue the work He started in us too (1:6)

3. Paul commends Timothy

In the next section in our Bibles “Paul commends Timothy”.

In this passage the Apostle Paul speaks highly of Timothy to the Philippians. In verse 12 we see he Paul wants to send Timothy to them to see how they are going.

Bible scholars tell us that Timothy had already been to Philppi. Timothy accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey when the church was planted. So, some would have known him, but not all.

In his recommendation Paul says three encouraging things about Timothy…

a. That he really cares for the Philippians.

In verse 20 he says, “I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare”.

b. That he cares for Christ’s work.

Verse 21 says, “All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ”.

c. That he served Paul well.

Verse 22 says, “But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News”.

This is a great recommendation! One that most of us would be proud of. In it we see that Timothy really cares for the Philippians, he cares for Christ’s work and he serves Paul and the Gospel like a son serving his father.

When I read this passage, I can see why Paul love his “spiritual” son in the faith so much. He was a great young man with lots of potential and he really cared about what mattered to God.

4. Paul commends Epaphroditus

In previous verses Paul commended Timothy. In verses 25-30 he commends Epaphroditus.

a. Commends him for his work

Verse 25 says, “Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need”.

The church at Philippi took up an of offering for Paul while he was in prison in Rome. This was to help him through his time of need. The church sent Epaphroditus to deliver the offering and stay with Paul for a while.

Paul really appreciated the offering from the church he planted on his second missionary journey. In Philippians 4:18 he calls it a “sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God”.

Paul also appreciated Epaphroditus coming and being with him. As we see above he described him as a true brother, a co-worker, a fellow soldier, and a messenger in his need. Often when we have been away from home serving God for a while, there is great joy catching up with someone from home.

b. Paul commends him back to the church

In the final section of verses 29-30 Paul commends him back to the church and Philippi and asks them to recognise his great work…

“Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and give him the honour that people like him deserve. For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away”.

Honoring people who served well was a big part of the early church. We see this in the commending of both Timothy and Epaphroditus. I believe it is something we should continue to practice today.

Closing summary

Today we looked at Philippians chapter two and saw four main points.

  1. Have the attitude of Christ – be unified, be interested in others, be humble
  2. Shine brightly for Christ – continue to shine whether Paul is with them or not
  3. Paul commended Timothy – he cared for the Philippians, he cared for Christ’s work, he helped Paul greatly
  4. Paul commended Epaphroditus – a true brother, a co-worker, a fellow soldier, and a messenger in his need

Amen

Living wholeheartedly for Christ

September 6, 2026

This week I want to start a new series of messages based on the Book of Philippians. Over the coming weeks I want to look at one chapter a week and work our way through.

The title of my message today is, “Living wholeheartedly for Christ”. It is inspired by the Apostle Paul’s attitude in chapter one.

Introduction to Philippians

Paul’s Letter to the Philippians was written to the first church that Paul established on European soil. Paul established the church on his second missionary journey in 49AD.
It was in the Roman province of Macedonia. It was written while the Apostle Paul was in prison. On Paul’s first visit to Philippi he was thrown in jail (Acts 16). On his second visit he was thrown in jail again.

The main reason for writing the letter was to thank the Philippian Christians for the gift which they had sent to help him in his time of need. He also uses this letter to reassure them, so that they may have courage and confidence in spite of all his troubles and their own as well.

Paul pleads with the church to have the humble attitude of Jesus, rather than to be controlled by selfish ambition and pride. He reminds them that their life in union with Christ is a gift of God’s grace which they have received through faith, not through obedience to the ceremonies of the Jewish Law.

Some of the other themes of this letter are joy, confidence, unity, and perseverance in the Christian faith and life. It also reveals the deep affection Paul had for the church at Philippi.

Bible Reading

Philippians 1:1-30 

Message Points

Today I want to share four main points as a part of my message. They pretty much follow the structure of chapter one.

1. Paul’s thanksgiving and prayer

The first point comes from verses 3-11. This section is titled, “Paul’s thanksgiving and prayer”. In this section, two main things jumped out at me.

a. Paul’s joy with the Philippians

Verses 3 says, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God”.

The Philippians give Paul special joy because they have been his partners in the Gospel. They have shared with him from the day they first heard about Christ until the day of writing.

Paul has a real love for the Philippians because they believed in the message of salvation and continued steadfastly in it. They took it so seriously that they partnered in his work – in prayer, encouragement and financially.

b. Paul’s prayer for the Philippians

In verse 9 Paul says, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding”.

Paul wanted them to continue to grow in their faith and be blessed by God. He prayed they would have full understanding of the things of God, be pure and blameless in their walk with the Lord and be filled with the fruit of salvation.

Paul really loved the Philippians. He was like a spiritual father to them as he planted the church at Philippi on his second missionary journey in 49AD. This is why he experienced so much joy, prayed for them and wanted the best for them.

Not only did he want them to keep growing, but he assured the Philippians that God would continue to work on them. In verse 6 he said, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Not only did Paul pray for their continued growth, he knew God wanted them to keep growing and would continue to work on them to see it happened.

2. Paul’s joy that Christ is preached

The second main section is Philippians 1:12-19. The title of this section in the NLT is “Paul’s joy that Christ is preached”.

Verses 12-14 read, “And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear”.
Two things really jumped out at me from these verses.

a. Paul is pleased being in prison

The first is that Paul is glad to be in prison. He tells us that the whole palace guard knows he is there for the Gospel. Paul came in contact with people he would not normally be able to share Christ with. As we see from Acts 16 Paul got to share his faith with the jailer and his family. This is where the jailer asked, “What must we do to be saved?” Paul’s response was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, both you and your family”. Paul was saying that if a father in a household believed it would flow through to all the other family members.

b. Paul’s continued boldness encourages others

The second thing is from verse 14. Paul says that, “Most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear”.

Paul’s boldness despite being in prison gave others courage to continue to talk about Jesus. Acts 16 said they prayed and sang hymns while in chains! Most people in prison would be afraid, worried and downcast. Not Paul, he sang hymns and praised the Lord.

Paul’s boldness to preach the message of Christ landed him in prison. However, this did not stop him and everyone knew why he was there. We see the jailer family of the jailer came to Christ. And the other believers were greatly encouraged in their efforts.

Paul’s commitment to preaching the Gospel inspires me nearly 2000 years later.

3. Paul’s life for Christ

The next point comes from Philippians 1:20-26. It is titled, “Paul’s life for Christ”.

Verses 21-24 explains Paul’s heart. They give us a glimpse of his priorities.

“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So, I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live”.

For Paul, living was all about Christ. Since his conversion on the road to Damascus, he was all consumed with Christ. He desired earnestly to go and be with Christ, but knew staying here would mean he could continue His work in the world.

Paul knew he could help others come to know Christ, he could plant churches, and he could strengthen the churches he had planted. In short, his mission was to know Christ and make Him known.
Over the years I have known people like this. They have been completely sold out for God’s Kingdom. Their life was hidden in Christ and His will was all they wanted. Some are alive still serving, while some have gone to be with their Lord.

I am so inspired by these three verses and the sold-out Kingdom people I have met over the years. It is something that I aspire to myself. I hope and pray that I can wholeheartedly say, “To live is Christ, to die is gain”. How about you?

4. Live at citizens of heaven

The last section is Philippians 1:27-30. It is titled, “Live as citizens of heaven”.

Verse 27 says, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News”.

As I have shared before, I like this idea of being a citizen of heaven. As Christians we live in this world, but citizenship is of another place – the Kingdom of Heaven. The moment we asked Jesus Christ into our lives our citizenship status changed.

Paul reminds us in today’s passage to conduct ourselves worthy of being a citizen of heaven. We need to live in a way that shows we no longer belong to this world. We are like an Ambassador who serves in a foreign country as a diplomat. They deal with their host country, build relational bridges and represent the interests of their country in that place. But in reality, their devotion and loyalty is to another place.

Not only does the Ambassador have to serve his country in that place, but they need to represent the country well. All they do reflects on their homeland. We are like this as Christians.
So today let us remember our spiritual passports are stamped as citizens of heaven. Let us remember the words of Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father”.

Closing summary

Today we have looked at the first chapter on Philippians 1. We saw four main things.

1. Paul was thankful for the Philippians and he prayed that they would grow in their faith.
2. Paul was thankful that Christ was being preached. Even though he was in prison.
3. Paul lived his life for Christ. To Paul to live is Christ, to die is gain.
4. Paul asked them to live as citizens of heaven. He wanted them to represent Christ well.

Amen

The Resurrection

August 25, 2026

If you could go back and witness any historical event, which one would you pick?

If I could go back and witness one event it would be the Resurrection of Jesus.

I cannot imagine being there as an eye witness. The power. The majesty. The splendour.

Seeing the Christ who died for our sins raised to life again would be incredible.

I would also love to see the early followers of Jesus and their faces when they saw Him again.

I imagine their grief and sense of hopelessness in the days after His death, then their joy seeing Him alive.

He is risen. He is risen indeed!

Final warnings and encouragements

August 23, 2026

Today we come to our last message from the Book of James. I was going to split it in two but prayerfully decided to look at the whole of chapter 5. Today we have four main points that I have titled, “James’ final warning and encouragements”.

As I have shared with you, James has been a big encouragement to me over the years. It has practically showed me how to live as a Christian man. It has showed me what I am doing well and it has also showed me where I need to improve. This time has been the same. Even though I have been preaching through it, it has been speaking to me again. I hope it has been encouraging you too.

Bible Reading – James 5:1-20  

1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.  2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  6 You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.  7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.  8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.  9 Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!  10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.  12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear–not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.  13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.  14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.  15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.  19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Message Points

1. A warning to the wicked rich

My first point for today comes from verses 1-6. When we read this first six verses which are pretty heavy, we have to remember that James is writing to a new community of believers who were made up of all types of people. There would have been devout Jews who came to Christ, moral people who came to faith, but also people whose lives were previously wicked and self-centred.

In these six verses James first declares the fact of coming judgment (v.1) and then lists the crimes against which this judgment will be meted out: hoarded wealth (v2-3); unpaid wages (v4); living in luxury and self-indulgence (v5); and the murder of innocent people (v6).

The warning to the rich is about mistreating those who work for them. The main charge was holding back wages that were due and cheating people of their rightful pay and keeping the money for themselves. We have all probably heard and seen examples on the current affairs shows of people mistreating their workers where they hold back money and live lavish lifestyles. There was one just recently of workers being paid the right amount and then their bosses standing over them demanding cash back on payday. This was so the books looked right and it looked like they were doing the “right” thing. To us as Christians this is obviously not the right thing to do.

Verse 5 says that the rich people have lived in luxury and satisfied every desire and the treasure accumulated will stand as evidence against them on the day of judgment in verse 3. So, their ill-gotten gains from wrong treatment of others will catch up with them in time.

For me as a Christian man, it comes back to treating people well by loving our neighbour as ourselves as it says in Mark 12:31. Matthew 6:19-21 also comes to mind when it tells us not to build up earthly wealth only for ourselves and the importance of building up heavenly treasures. We know that are gained by focussing on God and doing His will and treating people well.

I am not an employer of others, but if I ever do become one, I will keep this warning and the verses from James in mind. Also, the reminders from Mark and Matthew.

2. A call to patience and endurance as we wait for the Lord

My next point from today comes from verses 7-12 and touches of the idea of “Patience and Endurance”.

The first part of verse 7 says, “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return…”

One of the great truths of the Bible is that Jesus is coming back. Jesus Himself said, “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:3).

That is a great promise for those who follow Jesus. That He will come back and take us to be with Himself and His Father for all eternity. It is a living hope we all share if we have put our faith in Christ.

In the end of verse 7 and in to verse 8 it tells us while this will happen, we need to be patient waiting like farmers waiting for their crops.

“Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near”.

Moving to a farming area has taught me a lot about farming and patience. Each year the farmers prepare and wait for the first rains, then they seed for weeks. Then they wait patiently for more rain and in time the harvest which is months away.

Just as there is a gap between seeding and harvest, there is a gap between Jesus first and second coming. In the meantime, we wait patiently and we do the things He asks us to do.

So today as we patiently wait for Jesus return let us remember His words… “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am”.

3. The power of prayer

“The Power of Prayer” is the next main section that James talks about. We see this in verses 13-18.

Verse 13 reminds us to pray when it says, “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises”.

It reminds us to pray when things are going bad and to praise when things are going well. Whether good or bad is happening to us we should be connected to God in constant communion.

The passage gives us two examples of how powerful prayer is. The first is healing for when we are sick. It tells us to call the Elders of the church to anoint a person with oil and to pray. I heard a story once of a church who did not really pray for healing and then they studied this passage. The Elders thought that because it says it in the Bible, we should do it. They got some oil, prayed over it and then anointed the sick, and guess what, people started to get healed or their illnesses significantly improved.

I stand here today as someone who has been touched by God with my Rheumatoid Arthritis. I shouldn’t be able to the lift weights I do, I should be able to cycle and run after being diagnosed with RA at 12. But more than 40 years later I can because of God’s intervention as a result of the prayers of others lifting me up to God. If I was at home and crippled in a wheelchair today, I wouldn’t be able to preach this message! It is all because of God’s intervention.

The second is when Elijah prayed for the rain to stop and the rain to start again three and a half years later. The text tells us that Elijah was as human as we are in verse 17. His prayers were powerful, so are ours.

I have experienced many amazing things as a result of a prayer of faith in God. When I trusted God’s ability to intervene or bring change, He has acted mightily.

Let us remember today the power of prayer. Prayer can be our most powerful tool as a Christian, or it can be one of our most underutilised resources. Verse 16b reminds us, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results”. Never forget the power of prayer.

4. A call to go after wandering believers

In the last section of James, he looks at the idea of “Restoring wandering believers”. It comes from verses 19-20. It says…

“My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins”.

These two verses tell us the importance of going out after people who have wandered away from the faith.

Over the years I have seen a number of people wander away from the faith. Some of the reasons I have seen are…

  • People have been hurt by the church or by people in the church
  • A breakdown of an important family relationship and they withdraw from life in general
  • A long-term illness that they can’t make sense of God allowing
  • Some have had no solid foundation of discipleship when they came to faith
  • Some don’t regularly pray, read the Bible and keep connected with God, so when the storms come, they fall away.
  • For some the decision to follow Christ was a quick alter call decision with no real thought involved.
  • They feel their needs were not met by the church or they felt they didn’t fit in to the church culture.
  • They love the world or someone in the world too much to fully commit to God.

It is not easy to approach people who we think have wandered away from God. It can be confronting and most of us would probably not do it if we are honest. But I think it is important to keep the lines of communication open.

Jesus reminds us of the importance of this in the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7. In verse 4 He says, “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?”

Jesus goes on to say in verse 7, “There is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away”!

As I was preparing this week I wondered if there are people in my life who have wandered away from God who need a shepherd to go and bring them back into the fold? How about your life? Are there any people you know? Maybe you could be the one that causes heaven to party because of your efforts to bring someone back into the fold.

Closing summary

Today we finish our look at the Book of James. It has been a practical reminder that shows us what James, Jesus’ half-brother, thinks are important about living the Christian life.

Our four points from today were…

  1. A warning to the rich to treat their workers well.
  2. A call to patience and endurance as we wait for the Lord’s return.
  3. The power of prayer.
  4. A call to restore wandering believers.

Amen.