Do you typically want to win arguments or seek peace? When you are disagreeing with others, do you blame them or reflect what’s going on in your heart? How do those attitudes reflect humility or pride?What kind of person are you –files or piles, clean or clutter, control or chaos? If you are thefiles/clean/control person, how do you feel when things get messy? If you are the piles/clutter/chaos pe...  Read More

Colossians 3:12-17  (HCSB)The Christian Life12 Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. 14 Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of t...  Read More

James 4:13-17  (HCSB)Our Will and His Will13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” 14 You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes. 15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this...  Read More

James 4:7-12  (HCSB)7 Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.11 Don’t criticize on...  Read More

James 4:1-6  (HCSB)Proud or Humble4 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires. 4 Adulteresse...  Read More

James 3:13-18  (HCSB)The Wisdom from Above13 Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and deny the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and...  Read More

Fatih Guides Our WordsA person cannot live for the glory of God and the satisfaction of the flesh simultaneously. Choose God’s priorities.KEY TRUTH: Our Words Are Very Powerful (James 3:1–6)KEY TRUTH: We Need God’s Power and Help to Control Our Words (James 3:7–8)KEY TRUTH: Our Words Should Reflect God’s Character (James 3:9–12)FAMILY CONNECTION:  CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION AFTER CHURCH!What three th...  Read More

 What is the impact of our words on our lives and the lives of others? How can we strive to use words of encouragement vs. words that tear down?How can we deal with the fact that praise and curses can come from the same tongue? How can we effectively tame our tongue and ensure that it is used in a positive rather than destructive manner?How do we balance our convictions with the need to engage wit...  Read More

Matthew 15:17-20  (HCSB)17 “Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. 20 These are the things that defile a man, but eating with unwashed hand...  Read More

2 Timothy 2:22-26  (HCSB)22 Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels. 24 The Lord’s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, 25 instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God w...  Read More

James 3:7-12 (HCSB)7 Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 We praise our Lord and Father with it, and we curse men who are made in God’s likeness with it. 10 Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring p...  Read More

James 3:3-6  (HCSB)3 Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. ...  Read More