"Living Faith" Series 2022

 

“Living Faith” Series Overview

What would you say if someone asked: “What is faith?”  How would you describe what faith looks like?  Sometimes we want to put faith in a box – a Sunday morning church box.  Or, we think that faith is about saying, thinking, and believing the right things.  But there is so much more to faith than that.  In the Bible, we see that faith is about being rooted in a relationship with God that shapes the way we live and has the power to change the world.  John Wesley, who started the Methodist movement, summarized faith in three principles: (1) Do no harm; (2) Do good; and (3) Love God.  As we trust in God’s promises to transform us, let’s awaken our living faith in all that we say and do.

 

August 7
GENUINE FAITH: Faith not only affects your personal life but also produces change in the world.  In James 2:1-7, 14-17, James mocks those who favor the wealthy over the poor.  As Christians, we are called to put our faith into action, such as feeding the hungry or healing the sick.  What do people associate with our church?

August 14
DO NO HARM: What we say matters.  Words hold the power of life and death.  In James 3:1-12, the apostle warns how our speech can hurt others.  When have you been hurt by words?

August 21
DO GOOD: God’s wisdom is pure, peace-loving, gentle at all times and willing to yield to others. In James 3:13-18; 4:1-3, the writer teaches that a wise person shows mercy and seeks peace with good deeds.  What’s wrong with a “me-first” attitude?

August 28
LOVE GOD: Loving God is about a relationship.  It is not about getting what we want.  In James 5:13-20, the apostle name several practices that give people a connection with God, such as praying, anointing, confessing, forgiving, and singing.  What practices help ground you in God?