A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:18 (ESV) What is the harvest of righteousness? Why is it only produced in the making of peace? Why is it worth wholehearted pursuit? I was brought up in a small town in England and I had little to no contact […]
Read More A Word Of Wisdom: It’s About The OutcomeBut the wisdom from above is … sincere. James 3:17 Good old Greek has a word for doing something without hypocrisy. That word – which you don’t really need to know as it’s unlikely to change the conversation you’re having over a cup of coffee/tea/orange juice/water – is what other translations have helpfully summarised as to do […]
Read More A Word of Wisdom: It’s About SincerityBut the wisdom from above is … impartial James 3:17 (ESV) This is not the first time that James addressed the issue of impartiality. Earlier, James had to address a serious issue. My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? […]
Read More A Word of Wisdom: It’s About Being ImpartialBut the wisdom from above is full of mercy and good fruits James 3:17 (ESV) Whatever you’re full of tends to come out. You cannot give what you have not got. It is no surprise, then, that when it comes to the wisdom that we operate by there are different products that emerge from what we’re […]
Read More A Word Of Wisdom: It’s About Being Full Of Good FruitsBut the wisdom that comes from heaven is … full of mercy James 3:17 (ESV) Have you noticed that there’s a word recognised as ‘merciful’ and a word ‘merciless’? There’s no word as yet which can help us like, mercisome. That would really help because a lot of us would find that word very fitting. Yet […]
Read More A Word Of Wisdom: It’s About Being MercifulPeople will do well in life if they are wise. Feel free to argue against that if you want. As you do that, however, working on that assumption, this recent series on Above vs Below has contrasted wisdom from below with the wisdom that comes from God. The basis of that has been what James […]
Read More A Word Of Wisdom: It’s About Being CompliantIt’s a tricky business. Life, that is. If you’re too close-minded you run the risk of limiting yourself in the opportunities open to learning, growing and flourishing. If you’re too open-minded you can end up not having any anchor on what’s true, real and of benefit. It’s at this point that some would suggest that […]
Read More Dryden Links: Is There Anything We Can Learn From Them?But the wisdom from above is … gentle at all times James 3:17 (NLT) There is information. There is knowledge. There is understanding. There is discernment. These four factors combined can help navigate the course of life. These four combined give a good indication of what wisdom is. However those four factors are not impartial. […]
Read More A Word of Wisdom: It’s About GentlenessBut the wisdom from above is … peace loving James 3:17 (NLT) What makes for peace? Not what makes for a quiet life. Not what makes for a convenient arrangement that gives minimal hassle. Not what makes for maximum profit no matter the cost. No. The question that underpins godly wisdom is: What makes for […]
Read More A Word of Wisdom: It’s About PeaceBut the wisdom from above is first pure … James 3:17 There is something about purity. If you hear that something is pure then there is something reassuring about that. There is something that sure suggest clean and there’s something about it that also talks about what it’s not. It is not contaminated. It’s not corrupted. […]
Read More A Word of Wisdom: It’s About Purity
