As a group of gathered disciples, we often talk about faith. The “Lutheran question” from the Small Catechism is “what does this mean?” So we engage with God’s word to learn what it means and to consider who God is and what he has done for us. We can learn all sorts of things about God, creation, Jesus, salvation, and so much more. But when we scatter – following our times of gathering when we go back to where we live or work or go to school – how does what we’ve learned impact our daily lives? That’s at least as important as learning data and information we can know about God, if not more so.
So what does faith look like in “real life”? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus in our homes, among our friends? How do we deal with those times life doesn’t go the way we planned or hoped or dreamed? How do we respond to challenges we face? How does faith lead us to action? How do we make everyday decisions about what might seem disconnected details of our lives – does faith make a difference there?
The book of James is full of practical wisdom for daily life. Even though it was written two thousand years ago, it speaks into the challenges that we still face. It encourages us to be doers of the word, not just hearers (James 1:22). It stresses the importance of making every effort we can to live according to the faith that we have. James meets us at the intersection of faith and life.
Intersection is the message series that we will follow from late August through September (2021). Our Sunday messages will draw from the wisdom of James to consider faith in our everyday lives. Let’s learn and grow together so that we can live lives that reflect our faith. Hope to see you in the service, whether that’s in-person or online.