Living Faith: Action, Authenticity, and Compassion

Devotional

Day 1: Faith in Action

Description:
James teaches us that faith without works is dead. It's not enough to profess our beliefs; we must live them out through actions that reflect God's love and truth. This means addressing the needs of those around us and being willing to take tangible steps to help others. James challenges us to reflect a faith that produces good works, demonstrating to a hurting world that the church is worth a second look. By living out our faith authentically, we can show a hurting world that the church is a place of love, acceptance, and action. [48:07]

Bible Passage:
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror." (James 1:22-23, ESV)

Reflection:
Think of a specific need in your community that you can address this week. What is one tangible action you can take today to begin meeting that need?

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Day 2: Identify Your Cause

Description:
Everyone has a cause or concern that deeply affects them. Identifying this "thing" is the first step towards making a meaningful impact. Whether it's domestic hunger, homelessness, or another issue, recognizing what tugs at your heart can guide your actions and focus your efforts. By identifying your cause, you can channel your energy and resources into something that aligns with your passions and God's calling for your life. [01:04:42]

Bible Passage:
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." (James 1:27, ESV)

Reflection:
What is one cause or issue that deeply affects you? How can you begin to take steps to address this issue in your community or personal life?

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Day 3: Take Small Steps

Description:
Addressing big issues can be overwhelming, but taking small, meaningful steps can make a significant difference. This could be as simple as signing up for a newsletter, reading an in-depth article, or volunteering. Small actions, rooted in faith, can lead to substantial change. By breaking down larger goals into manageable tasks, you can maintain momentum and make a lasting impact. [01:06:31]

Bible Passage:
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Reflection:
What is one small step you can take today towards addressing a larger issue you care about? How can you make this step a regular part of your routine?

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Day 4: Sustain Your Momentum

Description:
It's essential to find resources and support to sustain your efforts. This could be through friends, family, or church ministries. Staying informed and encouraged helps prevent burnout and keeps your faith active and alive. By surrounding yourself with a supportive community and utilizing available resources, you can maintain your passion and continue making a difference. [01:07:58]

Bible Passage:
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)

Reflection:
Who are the people or resources in your life that can help sustain your efforts in making a difference? How can you reach out to them for support and encouragement today?

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Day 5: Authentic Faith

Description:
Our faith should be transparent and genuine, matching our words with our actions. By living out our faith authentically, we can show a hurting world that the church is a place of love, acceptance, and action. This authenticity can draw people back to the church and demonstrate that it is worth a second look. Authentic faith is about being real and consistent in our walk with God, allowing others to see His love through our actions. [01:09:28]

Bible Passage:
"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18, ESV)

Reflection:
In what ways can you ensure that your actions align with your words and beliefs? How can you demonstrate authentic faith in your daily interactions with others?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

In today's gathering, we focused on the importance of living out our faith through actions that reflect the teachings of Jesus. We began by lifting up our community, our nation, and the world in prayer, asking for comfort, peace, and unity. We also prayed for our local community, especially those in need, and for the new school year, expressing gratitude for the support and encouragement we receive.

I shared my personal journey and experiences, including my time serving a small country church and the lessons I learned there. We discussed the necessity of being apprentices of Jesus, emphasizing a faith that is open to critical thinking, loves radically, and aligns our words with our actions. This series has challenged us to think, love, and serve authentically, and today we explored how to take these lessons out into the world.

We examined the teachings of James, who warns against a faith that is all talk and no action. He challenges us to reflect a faith that produces good works, demonstrating to a hurting world that the church is worth a second look. We discussed the importance of identifying a cause or concern that tugs at our hearts and taking small, meaningful steps to address it.

I shared my own struggles with social media and how it can be both a distraction and a source of inspiration. We looked at an example from Cory Booker, who shared a humbling moment with an unhoused gentleman, reminding us of the importance of genuine, compassionate action.

We concluded by emphasizing the need for a faith that is alive and active, not just in words but in deeds. We are called to identify our "thing," take one small step towards addressing it, and find resources and support to sustain our momentum. By doing so, we can show the world that the church is authentic and worth a second look.

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Key Takeaways

1. depth article, or volunteering. Small actions, rooted in faith, can lead to substantial change. [01:06:31]
4. Sustain Your Momentum: It's essential to find resources and support to sustain your efforts. This could be through friends, family, or church ministries. Staying informed and encouraged helps prevent burnout and keeps your faith active and alive.

5. Authentic Faith: Our faith should be transparent and genuine, matching our words with our actions. By living out our faith authentically, we can show a hurting world that the church is a place of love, acceptance, and action. This authenticity can draw people back to the church and demonstrate that it is worth a second look.

### [66:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[35:42] - Community Prayer
[36:31] - Prayers for the Nation and Local Community
[38:14] - Prayers for the Church and School Year
[39:39] - Scripture Reading and Opening Prayer
[43:07] - Personal Journey and Experiences
[44:41] - Series on Restoring Faith
[46:25] - Faith That Speaks to a Hurting World
[48:07] - James' Teachings on Faith and Works
[49:23] - Social Media and Inspiration
[50:15] - Example from Cory Booker
[53:22] - Genuine Compassionate Action
[54:14] - Statistics on Church Attendance
[55:53] - Vision for an Authentic Church
[57:00] - Welcoming All
[57:52] - Faith Without Works is Dead
[58:41] - Living Out God's Truth
[59:43] - Right Thinking vs. Right Acting
[60:37] - Faith Produces Action
[61:32] - Social Holiness and Togetherness
[62:26] - Abraham's Example
[63:23] - Simple Steps to Authentic Faith
[64:42] - Identify Your Cause
[66:31] - Take Small Steps
[67:58] - Sustain Your Momentum
[69:28] - Authentic Faith in Action
[70:00] - Closing Blessing and Sending Forth

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

According to James 2:14-17, what is the relationship between faith and deeds?
In Matthew 25:35-40, what actions are highlighted as examples of serving others?
What personal experience did the pastor share about serving a small country church, and what lessons were learned from it? [43:07]
How did Cory Booker's interaction with an unhoused gentleman illustrate the importance of genuine, compassionate action? [50:15]

Interpretation Questions

Why does James emphasize that faith without works is dead? How does this challenge common perceptions of faith? [48:07]
How does the passage from Matthew 25:35-40 expand our understanding of serving others in the context of faith?
What does the pastor mean by a faith that is "open to critical thinking, loves radically, and aligns our words with our actions"? How can this be applied in our daily lives? [44:41]
How can social media be both a distraction and a source of inspiration for living out our faith, according to the pastor's personal struggles? [49:23]

Application Questions

Reflect on James 2:14-17. Can you identify a recent situation where you had the opportunity to help someone in need but didn't? What held you back, and how can you respond differently next time?
The pastor mentioned the importance of identifying a cause that tugs at your heart. What is one cause or concern that deeply affects you, and what small step can you take this week to address it? [01:04:42]
Considering the example from Matthew 25:35-40, how can you incorporate acts of service into your daily routine? Think of one specific action you can take this week to help someone in need.
The sermon emphasized the need for sustaining momentum in our faith actions. What resources or support systems can you tap into to keep your efforts consistent and prevent burnout? [01:07:58]
How can you use social media positively to inspire and encourage others in their faith journey, as suggested by the pastor's experience with Cory Booker's posts? [50:15]
The pastor spoke about the importance of an authentic faith that matches words with actions. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where your actions do not align with your professed beliefs? How can you work on this? [01:09:28]
How can you engage with your local church or community to support ongoing ministries that align with your identified cause? What specific steps will you take to get involved? [01:06:31]

Sermon Clips

1. "As we come to the end of our series on restoring faith and how to offer a compelling faith that might draw back any of the 40 million folks who've left the church in the last 25 years, we conclude by looking at the kind of faith that speaks to a hurting world. Anybody else find this series or just today's theme a little timely? Wonder if you've seen examples in your own life this week of a hurting world." [44:41] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "This whole series has asked us to think, to love, and to serve authentically. And today, friends, we take the entire series out the doors and into the world. What does love look like? St. Augustine wrote, is the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor. It has the eyes to see misery. The eyes to see, and be, and want." [46:25] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "So I want to offer us today tools to help us dream for a minute about what cause or concern tugs at your heart, what keeps you up at night when you see it on the news or in person, how to bear witness to that just very simply in one small way this week, and how to sustain your momentum with a faith that produces good works, and how doing all three of those can demonstrate to a hurting world, to some of those 40 million, that the church is really worth a second look." [48:07] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Tim reminded us, you measure a church by, by its love. So may we in the corner of test and show a hurting world. That church is authentic and lips and lifestyle. And once again, we are worth a second look in our scripture passage today. We're confronted by a familiar phrase. Faith without works is dead." [57:52] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "James is writing to the early church to believers. Roughly 40 years after Jesus died, his has ascended. They're faced with trials that we've read about in the epistles. Persecution, temptations to conform lay low to that Greco Roman culture. In fighting. in our chapter today, James is addressing how to live out God's truth. I read. He's challenging these early Christians to reflect. Okay, a faith in God that results in genuinely changed lives. It's a tall order. But it speaks, I think, directly to us today." [58:41] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "So it comes down to, words plus action for James. It's his formula to describe a faith that's alive, not dead. He's careful here though, and friends, we should be too. James is not suggesting works lead to salvation. It is faith in Christ alone that does that. He echoes the Apostle Paul in other parts of the New Testament on that fundamental truth. But what James is saying, is that faith produces action. That good works naturally come forth as a byproduct of our faith in God. They ooze out when your faith is alive." [01:00:37] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "We know our Wesleyan tradition teaches both personal holiness and social holiness. Wesley, of course, taught that social action is part of our faith, but he also meant social as in togetherness. To spur one another on to perfection. One of the ways we do that is in good works, like we do here, done together." [01:01:32] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "How do we live and reflect an authentic faith to a hurting world? How do we not check our brains at the door, love radically, and seek to follow Jesus as an apprentice? It's hard, but I firmly believe it can start with a few simple steps. You see, I think everyone has a thing, that one social issue, that one injustice that really chaps your hide, as we say in Texas, that thing that keeps you up at night or makes you want to yell at the TV when you see it unfold." [01:03:23] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "Friends everyone has a thing. So what's your thing? Might be the environment, access to clean water, education, making sure economically disadvantaged kids have all the school supplies they need on day one. Might be zoe empowers or sunday showers. Maybe like my husband Kyle you got a co-worker with family members trapped in Gaza. We all have something that gnaws at us." [01:04:42] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "Cling to the resources that'll keep you nourished and inspired so we don't become the church that just says, stay warm. Friends, in what way will you say this week, my Christianity is not just lip service. You're welcome where I go to church. You can ask tough questions, disagree over the donut. Where I go, we match our words with our actions. Come taste and see the That the Lord is good and that the church is too." [01:09:28] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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