Bulletins - Spring City Fellowship

- - Psalm 150:3NIV2011
How Good It Is
King Of My Heart
King Of Kings
More Than Amazing
I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)
The King Is Coming
King Of Kings (Chorus)
Our theme for 2026 is “Embrace Transformation”
And our New Testament book study for this theme is in the book of James.
I am calling this series on the Book of James, “Faith that works.”
Faith has to work.
It’s not enough to believe it, you have to do it.
It has to change you in fundamental ways so that you embrace transformation.
First, we talked about how faith is a process.
We know it is a positive spiral of turning our tests into endurance.
Maintaining a good attitude-
Keeping God at the center of our spiral keeps us headed in the right direction.
Secondly, we need to become observant listeners and responsive followers.
Understand your identity in Christ.
And learn how to operate from that identity.
This turns our whole understanding of faith or religion around.
Instead of doing what we do to try to become something.
We internalize what God says about us, and that becomes the source of both our thoughts and our actions.
Last week we had an amazing report from the team that went to Honduras about their experiences of putting faith into action.
Dennis Fillman covered the first half of James chapter 2 about honoring and caring for the poor.
And I loved his illustration of how he explained to the people they were serving the reason why they were there - We are Family!
We are brothers and sisters in Christ - that is why we care,
because we are bound together as people that God loves.
Society would try to separate us into categories but Christ brings us together.
Whereas false religion is primarily exclusive.
False religion judges people
You are either in or out according to what you do or don’t do.
“Oh, you’re one of THOSE people - well we don’t do that here!”
Or according to you particular creed or confession.
“ Oh so you use grape juice and unleavened bread for communion - I’m sorry but unless it is leavened bread and a common cup served by an ordained deacon - it’s just not biblical!”
People confuse what is biblical with what is traditional - it’s easy to do!
To this problem James makes a profound statement:
James 2:13 ESV
13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Mercy is greater than judgement!
The word James uses literally describes mercy as boasting over having defeated judgement.
Judgement is a powerful force, but mercy wins in the end.
Kind of like the meek inheriting the earth.
In today’s passage, James is going to expound on how mercy is better than judgement and how true religion is distinguished from false.
Real Christianity is not faith versus works - it’s faith and works.
Throughout the history of the church, there have been divisions between orthodoxy and orthopraxis - those who emphasized right belief and those who prioritize right practice. It started in the early church and has reemerged in the last centuries.
Believe it or not, the early church what primarily characterized by their practices - their Rule of Life which was heir daily and weekly routines of spiritual disciplines. Yes, they also had some foundational documents and basic creeds, but they were known for their gatherings and for their charity. It wasn’t until persecution subsided and the church became mainstream that doctrinal issues come to the forefront of conversation. And doctrine continued to guide the church through the centuries.
However, in the last few centuries, since the late 1800s, as higher criticism (an educational system based primarily on Western logic) began to question the authority of scripture and undermined so many doctrinal beliefs with supposed science, the church divided over their response.
Christian fundamentalism was born - the idea that certain doctrines are absolutely essential and cannot be questioned. The only problem is that different groups defined their core beliefs differently. Like whether or not the scripture can ever have manuscript errors or if it is always to be interpreted literally.
Then there were others who said, who cares about whether or not there are errors - we can still figure out what God is saying. And who cares if it actually happened or if parts of it are made up! Its all about spiritual principles. The principles are true even if there are problem with the text. It’s all about doing the right things regardless of how you get there.
You can see the problem with both of those views.
One is so rigid that it doesn’t allow flexibility.
It claims to know every thing including the unknown.
And it sometimes falls apart under the weight of its own arguments.
The other is so flexible that it lacks consistency.
It’s this kind of wishy-washy Christianity that leaves us grasping for something to hold on to.
Part of the problem is that it didn’t stop with prioritizing spiritual actions and spiritual principles over biblical revelation.
The goal posts have been constantly moving so that now people imagine the kind of Christianity they want to have and make the Bible say whatever they want it to say
by cherry picking only the scriptures that support their view
or by generalizing - making broad sweeping statements like “God loves everybody”
Which is true in one sense but it doesn’t mean that God approves of everyone’s behavior.
So where did we go wrong? And which side is right?
The problem is that we even have to ask that question?
It’s like asking the question, “Which is more important, you heart or you lungs?” Both are vital organs. You need them both - even if one of those functions is a machine.
Which can you do without, your brains or your kidneys? If either fails to function, it is an indication you are actively dying.
I think you know the answer - neither!
In the same way, if you separate faith and works, saying one is more vitally important than the other, you lose the integrity of both!
Let’s rejoin James’ argument as he drills down on just how integral faith and works are to one another.
Real faith is more than just words.
Any one who tries to separate faith and works is just splitting hairs.
And then he gives some defining examples of faith as loyalty which is also proven by works.
So lets get our hearts and our lungs in sync; our bodies and our minds engaged, working in harmony as we dive in to what it all really means, no matter which way we choose describe it.
More than words.
James 2:14–17 ESV
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Have you ever noticed that words can mean different things to different people?
Remember the term "sick"? In the ’80s, it meant cool or awesome to some, while to others, it simply meant unwell. Faith can be just as diverse! One person might view faith as a strict obligation, while another sees it as a joyful adventure. What we hear can depend on our context and experiences!
Consider how the word "friend" can range from a casual acquaintance on social media to a loyal companion in life. Faith operates similarly; one person might express their faith through community, while another finds it in solitude. Each perspective holds value, just like every definition of friendship!
The word faith is like that - it holds many different meanings simultaneously.
When some people hear the word faith, they think of a doctrinal statement.
Other people would describe heir faith as church membership.
Most of us would probably say it is a personal relationship with God.
For Jewish believers in the time that James is writing, faith is primarily an expression of being in covenant with God.
And that covenant is as much (or more) about God’s faithfulness to his people as it is our faithfulness to Him.
We often think of faith as a description of belief or personal conviction.
I have said it before, as you may recall, that it is also belonging - personal and community identity.
And it is also characterized by action - the way that we live our lives differently.
If you do a study in scripture you will find that faith is most often described in terms of trust - which involves both belief and action.
A classic illustration of faith is to set a chair up on stage and say, I believe that this char will hold me. That is a statement of faith. But real faith is actually putting yourself in the chair.
It is believing that what God says is true.
But it includes following Christ by acting on that belief.
One without the other is incomplete.
Our actions either authenticate our words;
Words are powerful - we know that.
This church has roots in the Charismatic movement
There is a segment of this movement with has been labeled - Word of Faith
Some people call it “name it and claim it”
Granted, there has been some excessive teachings out there - but there is also a key principle which is true.
Our words are powerful!
Not everything you say is speaking something into existence -
For example - I think there is a time and a place for being able to express negative thoughts and feelings without worrying that you are making a “negative confession.”
But the basic idea is still true - we would all do well to pay closer attention to our words and the power that they contain.
Hebrews 11:1–3 NLT
1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. 3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
That is faith - not just speaking words from a heart of conviction.
But it is speaking words that come from God.
It includes the whole package - the whole definition of faith.
Not just belief, but relationship, trust and action.
Not just declaring the chair to exist but actually sitting in the chair.
I think that where the Word of Faith movement lost it’s way is that most of these teachings were propagated over radio and television.
The people who were teaching became celebrities.
And then we began to learn that some of these celebrities were living lavish lifestyles that are more consistent with Hollywood that they are with the gospel.
You see the first problem is that we hear these teachings, but we don’t really know the people who are doing the teaching.
We hear them talk about sitting in the chair, but the magic of television makes us believe they are sitting in the chair when it may just be smoke and mirrors.
We don't actually know anything about their personal lives except what the media tells us and they would lead us to believe that it’s all fake.
Enough about “them”, lets talk about you and me.
Do our actions authenticate our words?
Most of you know me.
A few of you know me pretty well.
Well enough to know that I’m not perfect.
But if you know me well enough to know that I sometimes fail - then I hope you also seem me get back up again.
You know that I am genuinely pursuing God in my walk with Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:2 CEV
2 We don’t do shameful things that must be kept secret. And we don’t try to fool anyone or twist God’s message around. God is our witness that we speak only the truth, so others will be sure that we can be trusted.
Our word and our actions have to match.
Even in our inconsistency, we are consistent when we admit it and takes steps to correct it.
Our actions will either prove our words to be true...
Or they negate them.
Matthew 7:21–23 ESV
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
If you ask me, this is one of the most frightening texts in all of scripture.
These are people who confess Jesus as Lord and yet Jesus says, “I never knew you.”
What’s up with that? - Is Jesus denying ever having known who these people are?
Remember I said that James follows the same hemes as Jesus’ teaching on the mount.
So when James asks, “can a faith that is not substantiated by works truly save?”
He’s expounding on an idea that Jesus already introduced.
There will be people who profess faith that aren’t going to make it.
Why? - because it isn’t real.
Remember a few weeks ago, I mentioned that here are different Greek words for knowing.
This is he other one - not factual knowledge, but experiential knowledge.
Genesis 4:1 ESV
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”
That’s knowing in the Biblical sense -
it’s more than just knowing facts about someone.
It’s knowing them intimately.
When Jesus says, “I never knew you”
It doesn’t mean “I don’t know who you are.”
It means, “we don’t have a relationship!”
One of my professors in Bible school paraphrased this verse to say, “you never let me know you”
It takes words combined with action to make a relationship.
You can say you know someone just by knowing heir name.
But you don’t really know them unless you hang out together.
Spend time together - do things together.
Just as your acts of charity don’t have any real meaning unless you actually do what you say; our faith has to be more than words.
James presses the matter even further.
Splitting hairs.
James 2:18–22 ESV
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
This is the problem of orthodoxy versus orthopraxis.
It is right belief versus right practice.
As soon as you separate the two; you have a problem regardless of which you think is right.
It’s Solomon splitting the baby to find our who the mother is - the mother is the one who says, “don’t split the baby!”
Faith and works cannot be separated.
I have literally heard sermons where people use this passage to justify their position for one versus the other.
The Protestant doctrine is salvation by Grace Alone and by Faith alone.
Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
It is reported that the reformer Martin Luther called the book of James, “an epistle of straw.”
He felt that while James makes some good points, he contradicts Paul’s emphasis on salvation by grace alone.
You have to understand that Luther opposed the catholic church teaching at a person could, not just earn their way to heaven, but practically buy it if they wished.
Ever since then Protestant Evangelicals have resisted any idea that promotes faith having anything to do with merit.
I don’t disagree with that and I don’t James would either.
This passage is not talking about salvation by works.
It is talking about faith in action.
We don't do what we do to get saved, we do it because we are saved!
Or more precisely, we do what we do because we live in relationship with God.
It’s not works-based faith - it’s faith that works.
True faith cannot be passive.
Why does faith have to produce works?
Isn’t it enough to just believe?
Theoretically yes, someone making a deathbed confession goes right to heaven.
But anyone else should exhibit some sort of change.
The gospel is not passive - it is transformative!
Ephesians 3:20 ESV
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
Faith has real power so it must produce change.
If it doesn’t, you have to wonder if it was ever there at all.
The example that James uses is Abraham sacrificing Isaac.
We don’t have time to do it now, but sometime read that story and count how many miraculous details you find.
The fact that Abraham even did it.
The fact that Isaac went along with it.
That Isaac prophetically carried the wood up the hill.
Of course, the ram caught in the thicket - I could go on.
This is an example of a faith story.
People trusted God and did things that only God could enable them to do.
That is how faith works: Do you have any faith stories?
God does his part - we do our part.
And even what we do is empowered by God.
This is just the opposite of following a religious formula - it is a dynamic life of faith lived out of relationship with and obedience to God.
It’s far more than doctrine.
It’s even more than practicing a religious tradition.
It’s much closer to the Jewish idea of being in covenant relationship with God.
But even in covenant, as with Israel, we can take it for granted
and be passive rather than active in that relationship.
that is why God looks for proof of our faith.
Proven loyalty.
James 2:23–26 ESV
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Abraham was called a friend of God - where does that happen?
Commentators point to Genesis 18:17
Genesis 18:17 ESV
17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
God is treating Abraham like a friend - sharing his plans and intentions.
The prophet Isaiah picks up on this:
Isaiah 41:8 ESV
8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
Faith in this context isn’t so much about what Abraham did - or at least not a single incident.
It is about a pattern of Abraham trusting God on multiple occasions so that God also shows that He trust Abraham - enough to reveal what He was about to do.
Abraham passed the test of trust.
It wasn’t a single test - it was multiple tests.
Abraham left his homeland.
Abraham makes a covenant with God.
Abraham believes the promise of many descendants.
And Abraham also made some mistakes along the way too.
Abraham demonstrated the pattern of trials that established enough of a pattern of consistency to call endurance.
His life essentially resulted in an overall upward spiral.
Despite a few brief downward spirals along the way.
He had a relationship with God and was consistently transformed by that relationship - that is what makes him the model of faith.
We can all take comfort from his example.
Precisely because he wasn’’t perfect.
But God still calls him ”friend.”
Not because of anything he said, but because of the relationship that was built through responsive interaction.
Abraham was complete in that he learned from his mistakes.
And he could rejoice in his trials.
and then there is Rahab...
Rahab declared her allegiance.
Rahab, a prostitute from Jericho - a model of faith.
Wow! That was unexpected.
But what did Rahab do - she hid the Israelite spies.
She didn’t report them to the king, but sent them on their way safely.
In the process, she declared that her allegiance was with the God of Israel
Joshua 2:9 CEV
9 I know that the Lord has given Israel this land. Everyone shakes with fear because of you.
The spies didn't have to convince her to help them - she was already convinced!
Her actions followed and demonstrated her conviction.
She wasn’t even a member of the covenant community, but she became one because she demonstrated loyalty.
And she became an example to God’s people of what covenant loyalty looks like.
It’s not just something you are born into - it is recognizing and believing the truth and following what you know with action.
Rahab had a faith that no one would have believe were possible.
She didn’t have the right nationality.
She wasn’t raised right.
She wasn’t exactly what we think of as a model of faith.
Except that when her moment came, she recognized what God was doing and did the right thing.
She was one of the Gentiles who Paul says knew God instinctively without special revelation.
Romans 1:19–20 NLT
19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God
Somehow Rahab knew God and demonstrated her faith with action.
And that is far better than the person who professes faith without any evidence.
It challenges the very idea of what faith is - it’s not faith unless it works.
Questions for reflection:
Did you know your words have power? Do you know what gives them even more power? When you do what you say you will do! Do your words and your actions show that you know Jesus?
Have you ever been caught up in the debate of faith versus works? Have you ever taken your faith for granted? What would you say to someone who asks you how you can know if faith is real?
Abraham is an example of someone who persevered through trials. Rahab is an example of someone who made the right choice when it really mattered most. How is your life an example of living by by faith?
- - James 2:13ESV
- - James 2:14–17ESV
- - James 2:14–17ESV
- - Hebrews 11:1–3ESV
- - 2 Corinthians 4:2ESV
- - Matthew 7:21–23ESV
- - Genesis 4:1ESV
- - James 2:18–22ESV
- - James 2:18–22ESV
- - Ephesians 2:8–9ESV
- - Ephesians 3:20ESV
- - James 2:23–26ESV
- - James 2:23–26ESV
- - Genesis 18:17ESV
- - Isaiah 41:8ESV
- - Joshua 2:9ESV
- - Romans 1:19–20ESV
The Jesus Way

Psalm 150:3NIV2011

More than words.

Our actions either authenticate our words;

Or they negate them.

Splitting hairs.

Faith and works cannot be separated.

True faith cannot be passive.

Proven loyalty.

Abraham passed the test of trust.

Rahab declared her allegiance.

Questions for reflection:

Did you know your words have power? Do you know what gives them even more power? When you do what you say you will do! Do your words and your actions show that you know Jesus?

Have you ever been caught up in the debate of faith versus works? Have you ever taken your faith for granted? What would you say to someone who asks you how you can know if faith is real?

Abraham is an example of someone who persevered through trials. Rahab is an example of someone who made the right choice when it really mattered most. How is your life an example of living by by faith?

James 2:13ESV

James 2:14–17ESV

James 2:14–17ESV

Hebrews 11:1–3ESV

2 Corinthians 4:2ESV

Matthew 7:21–23ESV

Genesis 4:1ESV

James 2:18–22ESV

James 2:18–22ESV

Ephesians 2:8–9ESV

Ephesians 3:20ESV

James 2:23–26ESV

James 2:23–26ESV

Genesis 18:17ESV

Isaiah 41:8ESV

Joshua 2:9ESV

Romans 1:19–20ESV