One of James’ primary themes is centered on temptation and testing. He firmly places responsibility in our hands, urging us to keep our desires in check and not let them go too far. Instead of focusing on those desires, he urges us to turn our attention to the good things and gifts the Lord has given us. We hear also from Apostles John and Paul in step with James’ lesson on maintaining a healthy focus.

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We begin a journey through the Book of James today. The oldest of Mary and Joseph's other sons, James eventually becomes the leader of the "mother church" in Jerusalem in spite of not believing in his older brother at first. James writes with a voice of practical authority, with themes of (1) facing trials in the Christian life, (2) the need for godly wisdom, and (3) issues surrounding wealth and poverty; all themes we need to visit two millennia later.

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There are plenty of times when we go through our day - whether it’s a complicated, challenging kind of day or a whistle while you walk kind of day - and forget to check in with the One who’s always with us. Sometimes until we are in over our head and finally cry out for help. As we enter a new season (a little tardy but based on the Jewish calendar), we remind ourselves of the basics of connecting with God in prayer in good times and in bad, for better for worse, for richer for poorer…. Luke 11:1-13

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On the heels of our special 50th Anniversary Jubilee celebration last week at Oakhaven, we revisit the concepts of perspective, priorities, stewardship, and freedom that God prescribes for His people at Jubilee. Key among those concepts is God’s call upon us to bear that message of freedom to those around us, to think practically about what it looks like to come alongside people as God shows us through Emmanuel, God with us. We are called to think and act intentionally about the world around us and be the church not of the past but of the present, and even the future!

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As we celebrate 50 years of service to the Lord and His people in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, we hear words of encouragement and commission from founding leaders Don Truitt, Vic King and Deb Cleveland.

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Jesus accomplishes so many things in His mission, and there are layers to our salvation that the Apostle Paul delights to mix together in his descriptions of what the Lord has done for us, especially in the Book of Romans.

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This week we summarize the Arc of Redemption in Scripture, starting with having been created in God's image, walking side by side with Him in the Garden of Eden, then separated by sin, with the rest of time devoted to repairing that rupture. In the end, we are left with a Father who is nuts about every single one of us and has done literally everything He can to rescue and redeem us. Primary texts are John 3 and Acts 2.

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We turn to the dramatic story of the fiery furnace in the Book of Daniel today to discern important takeaways for our own walk through trying times. Read the story in Daniel 3.

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