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Our desires need to be brought into alignment with the wisdom from above. As we do so, we'll recognize how two very common, and very presumptuous behaviors have no place in the life of a Christ-follower. What are these behaviors? That's what we'll explore as we conclude James 4 this week.

Don't be deceived, out of the overflow of our heart, our mouth speaks. The words (content and tone) that proceed from our mouth simply reveal the desires inside our hearts. So if we find our words are hurtful, untruthful, or unwholesome, we know our desires are disordered. And how do we address disordered desires? Can we alter these desires to align them with God's desires? And if so, how? Join us as we explore what James has to say about this!

With so many voices claiming they know the best way to live, how can we recognize the path that actually leads to life? Join in as we continue seeking True Wisdom.

Recall that one of the hallmarks of pure and undefiled religion in the Father's sight is to "bridle one's tongue." Practically, James has already called his hearers to be quick to hear and slow to speak. Now James really steps on toes as he calls his hearers to examine the use of their tongues. Jesus said that it is out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks, and James fleshes out some practical implications of this. We'll consider our own use of our tongues and, where necessary, practice openhanded confession and repentance.

If we're saved through faith alone (as we saw in Galatians), why does James say "a person is justified by works and not by faith alone"? Join in as we explore perhaps the best-known challenge in the book of James and continue seeking to develop True Wisdom for living out our faith every day.

After our first two weeks of having introduced the topics James will cover in his letter, we'll turn our attention to a practice that is absolutely incompatible with faith in Jesus Christ. It's incredibly natural for us to act this way and it actually reveals our own self-interested hearts. It makes us judges with evil motives and just cannot fit with true faith. What is it? Join in as we learn about it and diagnose our own hearts!

James concludes chapter 1 by again getting in the business of his hearers and challenging them to turn from "double mindedness" and instead be whole people of integrity (the same throughout their lives). In responses, reflection of God, and religion, James will again introduce the topics he'll be expanding on in chapters 2-5. We'll have another opportunity to examine our own hearts and minds and practice repentance where needed.

Our dream is that everyone showing up at North Platte Berean would be growing in relationship with Jesus Christ through His word and prayer in community. As each of us consider what this looks like for us this school year, we'll take a look at Paul's words to the church in Colossae, as he calls them to make Christ central in every aspect of life, including their relationships (or community). With this, we'll consider some tangible steps and opportunities for everyone to consider as we pursue this mission together.

To wrap up our Water from the Rock series, we're revisiting the Psalms we've studied together over these eight weeks. Join in as we slow down and drink deeply from the Lord together, meditating on these beautiful words he's given to us.

Proverbs 4:23 confidently asserts: "Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life." At the beginning of this summer, we studied Jesus' parable of the soils, which represented four types of hearts in people. This week, we'll have the opportunity to practice continual assessment of our own hearts as we explore Psalm 95 – a psalm of exhortation to seek a soft heart toward the Lord.

When life is hard, when all the “haves” around us make us feel like “have nots,” how can we keep our heads and not lose sight of what matters most? Join in as we consider how to both recognize and take hold of the life that is truly life.

You may have heard that the phrase "Fear not" (or some variation) appears in the Bible 365 times - one for every day of the year. Sorry to bust this urban legend, but the number doesn't quite reach 200 times. While we lose our pithy little statement, the reality is that it would only take ONE time of God calling us to "fear not" to establish this truth. But how can we "fear not" when life seems to be imploding and the future looks so uncertain? We'll explore a concept that is woven throughout the Psalms and is a practical posture in response to the temptation to succumb to fear.

What do we own? It's very natural to immediately think of money and possessions. What about our bodies or how we use our time? Do we own those? Psalm 24 actually reminds us that God owns the earth and everything in it (which encompasses every part of everything - including every part of us). What are the implications that we don't actually own anything, but instead are designed to steward it for God's glory and fame? This and more will be unpacked as we study Psalm 24!