The Word for Everyday Disciples with Dave DeSelm Dave DeSelm

Our culture tends to believe that a person is lucky if they’re wealthy and unlucky if they’re not.But in these verses, James is saying that the true status of God’s people cannot be determined simply by their finances. The poor are richer than they think if they trust Christ and the rich are poorer than they think if they trust anything elseJames first addresses “the brother in humble circumstances” (1:9) – the poor man. There are two kinds of poverty: generational poverty and situationa...

There’s a big difference between faith and foolishness. That is why we need wisdom. How do we get wisdom? James says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all…” (vs. 5) Of course, the primary source of wisdom is God’s Word. But God can also lead and guide His children by giving them direct insight regarding situations that they are facing. He can impart wisdom to us apart from His written Word but never at variance with His written Word.But Jame...

The book of James was written to followers of Jesus who had been “scattered” by the threat of persecution. They were facing tough times and James knew that unless he helped these young believers gain a different perspective on their trials and tribulations, they might very well compromise their commitment if not bail out altogether. That’s why he begins his letter with this striking statement: “Consider it pure joy…whenever you face trials of many kinds.” (vs. 2) From these words, w...

Our world is weary of “noun” Christians. It’s looking for “verb” Christians – people who will walk the walk, not just talk the talk. But how can you move to a life that goes beyond belief? The Bible is filled with counsel toward that end, but one of the most practical texts is the N.T. book of James. We were made for more than “easy chair living.” We were called to a life “beyond belief.” And that is what James addresses in his remarkable epistle. 1. WHO was James? Most bib...

Feelings of inadequacy have sidelined so many people in the Kingdom of God. Whether because of past failures, poor self-esteem, or too many put-downs, they’ve concluded they could never make a difference.Ironically, one of the greatest heroes of the Bible suffered from feelings of inadequacy. His name is Moses. Hidden by his mother in an attempt to protect her baby from those committed to killing all the male Hebrew children, he was discovered and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. Moses was rais...

Loss is a part of life. Some losses are natural, even predictable. But there are other losses that are unnatural and unexpected. These “catastrophic losses” change your life forever. How does faith survive in those times? Is God big enough for that?The book of Job speaks of the pain and confusion that always accompanies loss and offers us a remarkable perspective to help us through our loss. To understand the book of Job, we would do well to think of it as a play with 2 stages. There’s ...