As we move into the second half of the book of James, the theme of teaching from James 3:1 continues through a presentation on wisdom. In this week’s passage, James contrasts worldly wisdom with godly wisdom.  Worldly wisdom looks slick and polished while godly wisdom is full of godly characteristics that impact a generation for Christ. James teaches us that wisdom is made evident by our actions. Join us as we take a closer look at this passage and learn how we can live out godly wisdom while living in the world. 

James is an intensely practical letter. In this section, he takes aim at an area in which many of us fall short—the use of our tongues. The human capacity to communicate reflects our God-likeness. It is a remarkable ability. Unfortunately, too often we don’t use this ability for its God-designed purpose—to offer encouragement, support, love, and protection. As these verses make clear, the way in which we use our tongue says a great deal about our spiritual maturity, for the simple reason that our tongues ultimately reflect the condition of our heart. Listen in as Pastor Doug Meye teaches us how our dangerous tongues are transformed by the work of God's Spirit in our heart.

James was a foundational leader in the early Church known for peacemaking. In the book that bears his name, his goal isn’t to teach new theological information but to get in our business and change how we live our lives. In today's passage, James is going to teach us that if our faith is genuine, it’s alive and active in every aspect of our lives. For us to better understand what genuine faith looks like, James compares it to both intellectually based faith (which has no substance) and emotionally driven faith (which has no action). Finally, we learn from two examples in the Old Testament about having a dynamic faith.  Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches on James 2:14-26. 

Proverbs 29:18 says: “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (KJV). Vision can be defined as “the state to be able to see or the ability to plan for the future with imagination or wisdom.” At Coastline we like to take one Sunday a year to specifically focus on the vision of our church. This vision is a big dream that requires us to trust in a big God and work together in unity. None of us can accomplish it alone - it requires each of us to play a unique role in God’s kingdom for God’s glory. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches from Luke 15 and shares our new vision. 

James, the half-brother of Jesus, was a leader in the early church. He was known for his compassion, leadership, and influence over the early church. In this letter he writes very practical ways to live out their faith. In James 2 we have a long example of why we are to treat everyone the same in Christ. Another way to say it is that we are not invited to show favoritism to anyone. In this time period, Jewish people coveted recognition and honor from others. It was typical to give a better seat to the wealthy people in the church. James wasn’t going to allow culture to influence the teaching of Jesus. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches on James 2:1-13. We learn the gospel changes how we see, treat, and care for people. 

In week two of the James sermon series we're going to take a deeper look into how we should approach God’s word. Why does James speak about our conduct? How does he tell us to receive God’s word? What might we be missing in our personal time of devotion in God’s word? As we seek to answer these questions, we'll see that there is a difference between receiving instruction and applying instruction. The genuineness of our faith is evident in how we apply God's word and instruction in our lives. Listen in as Blaze McEntee explains that the way we live isn't what determines our salvation; instead, our salvation should determine how we live. 

The book of James is a letter of wisdom full of short wisdom speeches and metaphors that helped the early church follow the teachings of Jesus. As we study this book together, you’re going to see that James' letter is primarily influenced by the book of Proverbs and Jesus' teachings from the Sermon on the Mount. In chapter one, James gives an overview of almost every topic he will talk about. Then in chapters two through five he will expand on each of these topics. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches about finding joy in our trials and our position in life and how to not be deceived by the things of this world.  

In John 15, Jesus uses an agricultural example to teach a spiritual lesson about remaining rooted in Christ. As time passes, those remaining in Christ will undergo deep transformation as they are formed in His image. The disciplines and the formations we’ve studied over the last ten weeks are powerful tools in shaping us, but without remaining in Christ the formation they bring may be fleeting. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson focuses on abiding in Christ in the final sermon of the "Formed" sermon series!

A recent study found that 71% of Americans say the Bible is the word of God. Another study tells us that only 48% of Americans interact with their Bible three to four times a year. In Psalm 1 we learn the value of Scripture and how the blessed person is formed through spending regular time in Scripture. One of the primary reasons that people don’t read their Bible is they don’t think it’s applicable. In Psalm 19 we read that the Law of the Lord is perfect. We learn that God’s precepts are trustworthy. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches us how regular time in God’s word forms the direction of my life. 

This summer at Coastline, we’re talking about being formed in our relationship with Jesus. Part of that formation involves fasting. Most of us would prefer to talk about anything but fasting. Fasting reminds us of our vulnerability. Fasting reminds us of our relationship with food. When we stand before God hungry, we suddenly know who we are. We are ones who are poor that are called to be rich in ways we don’t understand in this world. We are the ones who are broken who have been mended by the grace of Jesus. We are the ones who are empty that are longing to be filled not with the perishable but with the imperishable food of God. Listen in as Neal Benson shares how fasting continually sets our minds back on the Lord.