Daily Directional

Live Wisely, LIve Well

There is a sense of hopelessness sometimes that when living with and around other people it is impossible to maintain peace. James says living peaceably with others is possible, but it does require effort on our part, the choice to live well and extend grace. Today we're talking about Godly wisdom and the way it helps characterize us as people who may live reasonably with those who may be unreasonable.

Full of Poison

Unfortunately, our tongues are wild, unable to be tamed outside of the power of the Holy Spirit. We all have experience with saying something that cuts, bites, or poisons another. We all have experience with that poison affecting us. May you be aware today of the power of your words in a way that brings you to repentance and prayer, asking the Lord to forgive and pave the way for a new way of living and speaking.

Speak Life, Speak Truth

We're in James 3:1-13 once again. This time, considering what it looks like to choose words of life for others. What does it look like to lean into the Lord and ask what He says about others? Can we become those who speak encouragement and light into others' lives instead of words that sear and scorch. 

Out of the Overflow

We're still camped out in James 3, considering the difficulty of taming our tongues. Today we're talking about the possibility that we don't actually have a word/mouth problem, but perhaps a mind/heart problem. So--let's purposefully lean into Jesus and recenter, regroup, and get filled up with his love, mercy, and grace. Then, our tongues have a much better likelihood of choosing encouragement over evil.

Bridled with Guest John Horsley

Today we have a guest speaker, John Horsley, joining us to explain the metaphor James uses about keeping our whole bodies in check with a bridle. He says, "If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies." So, enjoy this conversation about bits and bridles.

Many Mistakes

We're jumping into the first day of several spent in James 3:1-12. Our tongues need taming! Today Pastor Bethany talks about Solomon as The Teacher, Jesus as our new Teacher, and the Holy Spirit as our Guide. Then, she shares a real life story of tongue trouble and the precious mercy of the Father.

Rahab: A Faith that Models, A Faith that Matters

I did a little more digging with the Lord into the faith and legacy of Rahab. Today we're detouring just a little bit from James 2, into the story of Ruth and her kinsman-redeemer, Boaz. They, too, showcase actionable faith.

Rahab and the Spies

Today we're looking at the second example James gives from the Old Testament of people putting faith into action: Rahab. Rahab heard of God, decided she knew he was the God of heaven and earth, and chose to move in accordance with her belief. It saved her, and her family, and ultimately, positioned her within the lineage of Jesus.

Faith in Action

We are looking at James 2:18-24 and the story of Abraham sacrificing his son on Mount Moriah. Our considerations turn to what it takes to have mature faith, how to live love out loud.

Go and Serve

Today we're looking at James 2:14-17. James pushes believers to take their faith from simply dwelling in our minds to prompting the action of our hands.