Month: January 2023

James – pt. 21

Prayer is powerful. It is our direct line of communication through Christ and the Spirit to our almighty God. We should pray for ourselves. Pray for each other. Pray when things are good, and pray when things are bad. Pray to thank and honor God. Pray to ask Him for help. Pray to ask for… Continue reading James – pt. 21

James – pt. 20

Patience. Courage. In the previous verses, James has rebuked the oppressive rich. Now he turns to the oppressed to give encouragement. He reminds them of the returning of the Lord, and that if they will be patient and have courage, the rewarding harvest will come. Just as Jesus’s parable of the rich man and Lazarus… Continue reading James – pt. 20

James – pt. 19

James is issuing a warning. Keeping with the theme of the rest of the letter, he isn’t calling them out for being wealthy – he’s calling them out for for they are using their wealth and treating others. They used their money for fine clothes. They hoarded their wealth. They cheated their workers to line… Continue reading James – pt. 19

Idols

What do you think of when you think of an idol? A statue representing some deity that people use to remind them who they are worshipping? A representation of a god to bow to and bring offering to? Did you know an idol doesn’t have to be a statue, a false god, or anything tangible?… Continue reading Idols

Camping Rap

After I posted the camping poem this morning, I remembered that I had recorded it. So here it is for your entertainment (and possibly my embarrassment – but what’s a little embarrassment when it comes to making the people smile? 🤷🏼‍♀️)

Camping

Here’s a fun little poem I wrote camping a couple of years ago. Sitting at the campground Birds and squirrels all on the ground Not many people to be found Everyone’s still sleeping sound Sipping on my coffee Breeze blowing through the trees Birds singing a melody The lake view right in front of me… Continue reading Camping

James – pt. 18

Looking at vs. 13-16: These verses aren’t telling us not to make plans and preparation for the future. It’s reminding us that we don’t know what the future holds, God does. That we should listen to Him and work to keep our plans in line with His will. We don’t know what He has in… Continue reading James – pt. 18

James – pt. 17

“Don’t speak evil against each other.” What is it God wants us to do for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ? Edify. Encourage. Lift up. In Ephesians 4:12, Paul says use our gifts to build each other up.In Hebrews 10:25, the Christians are told to come together to encourage one another.Romans 12:10 says… Continue reading James – pt. 17

James – pt. 16

I just realized I skipped posting these verses, so forgive me for having this part out of order! In James 4:1-3, it talked about them being uncontent with what God had given them. They weren’t pleased with God, and had quit asking Him to provide for and take care of them. Just as an adulterous… Continue reading James – pt. 16

A New Life Has Begun!

We rang in the new year with a question about new life. January 1st’s communion thought question was “In light of the New Year, how has God made us new?” with a scripture reference of 2 Corinthians 5:17. Going back up to verse 14, it says Christs’s love controls us. Because He loves us, He… Continue reading A New Life Has Begun!

From House to Home

Way down the road There’s a house on a hill It stands proudly and majestically. With its shingles and brick And a wrap around porch It looks so inviting to me. I drive past it often To just take a look, And time after time I have tried To convince myself To work up the… Continue reading From House to Home

Words

Sitting here working on my Bible study/blog post, I was praying that God would give me words. Then I thought, what makes me think my words will be better than the inspired scripture? And I don’t. I don’t think it’s better. But maybe someone is sitting out there thinking, as the Ethiopian eunuch did in… Continue reading Words

James – pt. 14

James tells us that the people were quarreling and fighting, waging war with one another. Why were they doing that? They wanted things they didn’t have. Notice it doesn’t say they didn’t have what they needed. They were jealous of what others had. They wanted things they thought would bring them pleasure, not necessarily the… Continue reading James – pt. 14

James – pt. 13

This passage is not the easiest. Just listen. “Wisdom from above is pure.” Will we always listen to and act with that wisdom? No. But if it’s from God, it’s pure. “It is also peace loving.” How many people do you know who like to keep things stirred up? Is it ever wise? “Gentle at… Continue reading James – pt. 13

2022 Recap

I thought it would be fun to list the top 10 blog posts I had with the most views over my first year at fearlessandjoyful.com. Maybe you’d like to revisit them, or if you are new, read them for a first time. Hope you enjoy!