Reality Check--Tomorrow!

It’s crazy how fast things are moving. Seems Al and I just talked yesterday about doing a series called Reality Check and now I’m finishing up week #5. Thanks to all the people who have emailed or stopped me in the hall to say the series has been helpful. That’s sure an answer to my prayers. It’s not often that all of us are on the same page at any stage in life but in terms of this weeks Reality Check…we are all on the exact same page. We all face the mystery of tomorrow. As James shifts his letter to the topic of tomorrow in chapter 4, he uses his strongest language thus far. “Now listen…” The original language indicates he is asking for the reader to stop everything and pay attention. The only other place in the NT this expression is used is 5 sentences later when calling attention to the misuse of wealth. James is speaking to a very young Christianity. The church has only been in existence for roughly 15-20 years. His general letter to Christians indicates that young believers were struggling to be Christ like in the areas of facing trials—communicating properly—showing favoritism and demonstrating weak faith. This can’t be and the only way to change things is to refocus them on living properly today and honoring God in the future. This is what we will be discussing in our sermon time over the weekend. The audio will be posted on our website at some point next week. To listen simply click here. I deeply thank you for the privilege of sharing from the scriptures here at Grace Church.

To escape the distress caused by regret for the past or fear about the future, this is the rule to follow: leave the past to the infinite mercy of God, the future to his good providence; give the present wholly to his love by being faithful to his grace. ~Jean-Pierre de Caussade