Remains to be seen... "it depends" on you

Open Door jumped into James and practical application today with a review of James 1:22-27

What I want you to remember..

• You can't earn your way up to more love, or blessing from God...
• You can earn the respect of your fellow man with your actions. 
• People come to church because of other people. People don't come to church because of other people. God is their for each of us, despite our actions. The big question is whether we will be there for our fellow man "as directed by God" Will we actually be doers, or just listeners? 
• We are the Pharisees in the Gospel story. 

From Lesson Book: 

" When we lead genuine lives of faith, people more readily believe our testimony. Our actions earn us a hearing with those we wish to reach."

From Commentary: on REAL RELIGION by Brett Younger

• Real religion is a Sunday School class mentoring families transitioning out of welfare into self-sufficiency, helping these families plan a budget, look for jobs, and parent their children. 
• Real religion is the growing number of churches who make a place during the coldest months of the year so that homeless people can spend the night in their buildings. 
• Real religion is the many Christians who care for children and the elderly through their time, their presence, and the sharing of their gifts. 
• Real religion is following Christ by defending the oppressed, refusing to stereotype, and building friendships across dividing lines. 
• Real religion is talking about faith to people who snicker, inviting friends to church, and praying for those who are lost. 

Each week at church we can learn how to live our faith. We read the Bible and hear something new. We learn that the best teachers are Christians who serve. We learn that being kind is more important than being right. We learn that those moments of recognizing God's presence in the needy make life spectacular. We learn that love, not time, heals all wounds. We learn that life is tough, but God is always with us. We learn that when we follow Christ, Christ walks beside us. 

Imagine James after Sunday school, shaking hands with a woman who says, "James, that was a fine lesson."

His reply, "That remains to be seen"

Was Open Door worth our time today?  well, you know my answer. ;-)