James – Grace Evangelical Society

What Can Eternally Secure Believers Lose? Their Physical Lives

July 2, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - consequences, Death, James, physical death, Sin, Thieme

What can believers lose by sinning? People wrongly charge Free Grace of holding to eternal security at the expense of ignoring the warning passages of Scripture. Not true. On the contrary, we acknowledge those warnings and take them seriously. But more importantly, we take them in context. For example, as James says, sin brings forth

Confess Your Sins to One Another (James 5:16)

May 21, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - church life, Confession, Discipleship, ecclesiology, James, one another commands, spiritual theology

“Honestly, I didn’t want to join a Bible study,” the young mother admitted to the group. “I didn’t want to be around perfect people with perfect lives…Then I found you weirdos!” I think it is comforting to know you’re in a “hospital for the sick, not a social club for saints.” A “thick” Christian community

Don’t Put Your Brother Down (James 4:11)

April 22, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - church life, Discipleship, James, one another commands, tongue, wisdom

George Harrison once passed a church billboard that read, “Gossip: The Devil’s Radio… Don’t Be a Broadcaster.” That message hit home. Because he was a Beatle, the press gossiped about him constantly, and it hurt. It inspired Harrison to write the song “Devil’s Radio.” Isn’t it interesting that even a non-Christian can understand and be

Four Common-Sense Reasons Why Your Prayer Life is Weak

April 13, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Christian Life, James, Prayer, spirituality, wisdom

Being able to pray to the Living God is a fantastic privilege. But having a healthy prayer life can be hard to develop, maintain, and keep fresh over time. Prayer takes discipline. It also takes wisdom. And if you want wisdom for living the Christian life, read the Book of James. It is like the

Coronavirus Disciplines: Apologies (James 5:16)

April 23, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - apologies, James, spiritual disciplines

Of all the cooking tools we have at home, our Instant Pot is the one I like the best. I didn’t at first—all the meat turned out tough. But then I learned which recipes work best for an Instant Pot, and now I use it all the time. The Instant Pot is an electric pressure

Evidence for the Resurrection: James, the Brother of Jesus

April 17, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Easter, James, Jesus, Resurrection

Christians around the world celebrated the day when Jesus rose from the dead. Truthfully, we do that every Sunday, but, by tradition and convention, it’s especially celebrated once a year—Easter Sunday. Why do I believe that Jesus was resurrected? Admittedly, the resurrection is an extraordinary claim. Yes, there are many documented cases of people dying

Fake Converse All-Stars and James 2:17

March 30, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Death, James

When I was in elementary school, Chuck Taylor’s Converse All-Stars were the shoes to wear. So I begged my mom for some, and to my surprise, she agreed. I couldn’t wait to get my own pair of the canvas high tops with the coveted star on the ankle. I would finally fit in! When Mom

In Times of Crisis, Don’t Forget Your Neighbor

March 26, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - coronavirus, crisis, James, love

When the plague struck Wittenberg, Germany, in 1527, people wrote to Martin Luther, asking his advice about what to do. In particular, he was asked whether it was right to run away from the plague. Luther said it depended. On what? On who you are. What role do you have in life? Whether or not

What Is the Law of Liberty? (James 1:25; 2:12)

September 12, 2019 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - Holy Spirit, James, liberty

Question What is the law of liberty? Answer Thanks so much for your question. As you know, the phrase “law of liberty” is found in James 1:25 and 2:12. The key to understanding what it means is found in the context immediately before its first occurrence (1:25). James has just spoken of the new

Murdering…the Poor? (James 4:2)

September 24, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - charity, James, murder, poverty

Did you know that James accused his readers of murder? Yes—murder! “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder” (James 4:2, emphasis added). Was he being literal or metaphorical? You might think he must be using “murder” metaphorically because believers cannot possibly commit murder. Actually, they can! King David is the prime example