I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
The Way of Life
The letter from James, found in the New Testament, is overflowing with practical wisdom for our daily lives. James was the brother of Jesus, and his writings are full of teachings similar to how Jesus taught in the Gospels.
James 4:17 provides us with a very simple definition of sin. James says that sin is when we know what we ought to do and we do not do it. It’s when we have knowledge of what's right, but we deliberately choose not to do it.
There are many ways that we learn what the right thing to do is. When we read Scripture, we are constantly learning how God wants us to live, and what He wants us to do with our lives. We also have the Holy Spirit within us who guides and teaches us.
We have no excuse for not knowing the right thing to do in almost every situation—because God has told us how He's designed things to work and how we should act. So when we decide not to live according to God’s ways, we are sinning.
But the beauty of the gospel is that when we sin against God, we can still come to Him and confess our sins. God’s Word says that when we confess our sins to God, He is faithful to forgive us—and He doesn’t count our sins against us.
Take some time to think about an area where you know you’re not following God’s best for your life. Confess your sin to God and ask Him for forgiveness. Then, walk in the assurance that God loves you, has forgiven you, and provided a way for you to walk in the newness of life. Thank Him for His faithfulness today!
Responding to God at All Times
Throughout our lives, we will all experience both suffering and joy. We'll have times of great grief and times of overflowing happiness. Sometimes, they’ll be separate seasons—but other times, these experiences come together.
In either case and in any situation, James expected Christians to come to God. If someone was suffering, prayer was the call to action. If someone was cheerful, people were to pause and praise God.
This might seem obvious, but when suffering clouds our thinking, we can sometimes forget to prioritize prayer. And when things are going well and we're feeling cheerful, it’s easy to just enjoy our season and not stop long enough to praise God for it. But every season of life is actually just an opportunity to put into practice what James wrote about…
When we are suffering, let us pray. When those around us are suffering, let us pray. When we are cheerful or happy, let us praise God. When others are happy, let us praise God with ...
