Hempfield UMC

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.” Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance.…

Don’t criticize one another, brothers and sisters. Anyone who defames or judges a fellow believer defames and judges the law. If you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:11-12) Pastor John’s Notes When we criticize others, we set ourselves up as the judge of their actions. We forget that…

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:10) Pastor John’s Notes: To humble yourself is to present yourself before God as you truly are. There is a deep impulse within all of us to hide ourselves and cover our imperfections. We want to present ourselves differently than we truly are. Even in our choice of clothing, we are continually thinking of how others perceive us and try to manipulate their perception. But God knows us perfectly…

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:8-10) Pastor John’s Notes: One of the first works we must do is within ourselves. Before we accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, our mind was filled with worldly inclinations.…