Free Methodist Church Of Santa Barbara

"If you could change one thing in the world, what would that be and why?" How often have we heard this question in certain competitions? And the answer (drum roll) . . . world peace! Over the last three weeks, we have discovered more about our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Everlasting Father. Join us this Sunday as we spend time with the Author of Peace, the Prince of Peace. We will answer a much better question, "How can we have peace in the midst of a troubled world?"

As we continue the kingly names found in Isaiah for Advent, we come to the third one: Everlasting Father. In our modern day democracy, it is hard for us to understand using the name father for a monarch. Yet, there is often a sense that a king or queen serves in a parental role for the nation. Because the ascend to the throne in a familial fashion, they can be seen as a parent, especially if they are beloved. They are seen as a protector and provider; the head of the country. It makes sense that people see them as Father or Mother. Sunday, we will explore what it means that Jesus comes to fulfill this role by studying the well-known passage of The Prodigal Son. This is a story which so often focuses on the offspring, yet we see living characteristics of the Everlasting Father in this story Jesus told. I encourage you to read it and ponder anew how Jesus' narrative teaches us about the role He came to fill for us.

On this second Sunday of Advent, we will continue with the names Isaiah says belong to the King sent by God. Last week, we explored the truth that Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor. This week, we will affirm Christ as Mighty God, taking as our text a story in Matthew where Jesus walks on the water. There are multiple scriptures we could explore and I encourage you to think about which one you would choose for this topic. Jesus demonstrates over and over again that He is our Mighty God. As we come to worship this Sunday, we want to prayerfully seek the Lord for what this truly means. Do we live as though we have a Savior who is mighty? Do we affirm His power by trusting Him and by proclaiming His truth?

Advent is upon us! How joyous and expectant is this season of the church when we celebrate the coming of Christ into our world. In advent, we rejoice in how Jesus came as God to die for us, in how He comes to meet us now in our everyday life, and as we wait in expectation for Him to come again. In the four Sundays of Advent, we are going to be centered in on the names of our Messiah from Isaiah 9:6 where we read these familiar words: "For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Each week, we will be studying a scripture which shows the truth of how Jesus exemplified what each name signifies. This Sunday, we will study what it means that Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor, taking our cue from Hebrews 4. This is a passage about Jesus being our high priest who goes before us. He was in every way like us, yet without sin. This has eternal ramifications for us, which we w

On this last Sunday of the Christian year, we will rejoice in our great God. It is a good thing to recount our blessings which are unique to us in this life. However, it is important in our giving thanks that we continue to honor the Lord, who is the Giver over all. In these words of David, there are beautiful truths about God, as well as His action in history. This is a beautiful reminder of the the great I AM we know and serve. Because these words are incredibly breathtaking to the soul, it has been called the Mount Everest of psalms. The influential English Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon said of this work, "There is too much in the Psalm, for a thousand pens to write, it is one of those all-comprehending Scriptures which is a Bible in itself, and it might alone almost suffice for the hymn-book of the church." In a season where we give thanks, we must always keep our great God at the center of our praise.

We have come to the end of James! I had some of you tell me when we began this book over the summer that you couldn't believe we were going through November with only five chapters. Yet, here we are. What an amazing time we have had. We have explored so much richness through the ideas in this letter. It has been a gift from the Lord for us. Sunday, we will talk about the last two verses. What does it mean to bring back someone who wandered from the faith? As usual, there is a depth of wisdom in just a few words from James. To prepare, I want you to think about the times you have been part of restoring someone to God. . . or maybe about when you have been brought back to full faith in Him. The story of God throughout the Bible is about how He makes a way for people to return to Him. Let us pray about what that means for us in this season of life. We will also do a short recap of what we have learned through James in this study. So many important lessons! The Lord is near to His people. He teaches us what it

Our scripture this week is close to the end of the book and one of my favorites. In it, James is reminding the church about a gift they have been given: to seek the Lord for healing and hope. No matter how you find yourself, James is exhorting you to pray. If you are sick, suffering, or cheerful, the Lord is near and will hear your prayer. He will not only hear it, He will answer. In the middle of it, we get a lesson an Elijah, a faithful servant of God. This is a powerful passage, full of reminders of how the body of Christ is supposed to operate. Let's come to worship Sunday and be encouraged by the word of the Lord, given for us. I am praying for all of us to know God more in this season of our lives. As we know Him more, may He lead us in what it means to live for Him outside the walls of the church.

This Sunday we are looking at only one, verse but oh, does it "pack a punch." James 5:12 starts with the words, "Above all . . ." Needless to say, after all James has said to us over this series and all he has yet to say he is making it clear to take a deep breath and listen a little more intently. Our focus will be on the power and challenge of integrity in our daily living. If you want to prepare yourself well for these words and worship then take the next few days to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses in living a life of honesty before the Lord and others. I know I will be tested! Join the family of God and we will learn together . . . and that's the truth!

In James 5: 7-11, we will focus on how delayed gratification and self-control lead to a more patient lifestyle and overall healthy person. I define patience in this context as the "ability to ask for help when you realize you may not have all the answers." Also, I define spiritual patience as the "ability to ask God for help despite circumstances, to be confident in Christ in times of uncertainty, and comfortable in Christ despite any situation." This week let's think about how prophets and pastors lead with anticipation for the second coming of Jesus Christ and what that means for us.

As we begin chapter 5, James is giving a strong warning to those who not only rely on their wealth but who also use that wealth as a tool of oppression. Reading this in anticipation of worship, how do these words hit you? Do they bring up strong feels or can you easily pass them by? What could you get out of this scripture that would encourage or strengthen your understanding of who God is and what He wants from you? These are powerful words and it seems that James is confronting the church on their actions in order to help save them, and others. How could these words galvanize us as a church?

James continues to bring it! And so will the Youth this Sunday when they lead us in worship and other parts of the service. I (Jake, the guy behind the guitar), as the "youth-est" one on the pastoral staff, will be preaching on our continued lessons from Pastor James, as we seek guidance from his instruction to the Church. Last week, we looked at a pervasive spirit of judgement in the group of Christ-followers to whom James was writing. This week, we'll look at what he says about boasting; not boasting as synonymous with bragging (how we commonly think of the word), but rather boasting as a deeper level attitude of control over our lives. The alternative to this attitude is one of reliance on God, and the action point is to abide in Christ. It's my prayer that God speaks, and encourages you through our time together this Sunday.

This Sunday, we slow down a bit in the book of James and soak in what he has been saying to us. In these last weeks, James has been giving us strong exhortations about how we use our tongue, what wisdom truly is, how our hearts matter, and where conflict originates in our lives. There is much good inspiration to be found in the scripture we have read. His words have convicted us, yet I hope you have also received assurance for what it means to live as God's people. We will only be looking directly at two verses for our meditation, yet the words from this last month will also play a part. In the passage for Sunday, he gives a warning about not judging one another. James is still teaching us about the impact of our words! As we receive Christ's death for us, may His word be our food. In the busy-ness of the fall season for many, we pray Sunday worship is a time of renewal and strength for you. - Pastor Colleen

Sunday, we continue the study of James as we begin chapter 3. Our pastor gives more counsel about the tongue in this part of his letter and it makes us wonder: what kind of people need to be told to watch what they say? James uses multiple illustrations in this section to help his listeners understand the reality of how our words impact the world in which we live. We have already talked about sins of the tongue and now he goes to the next level as he talks about teachers, blessing and cursing, and the need for self-control. As we study these words, we are also going to look at a teaching of Jesus, which mirrors this passage in illuminating ways. What a gift to seek the Lord. We have the freedom to be able to do so, as well as a beautiful place to worship Him. As the men gather in the mountains, we will congregate in the sanctuary this weekend. We believe our Lord Jesus will meet all those who meet in His name, wherever they are.

James' exhortation to the church has been incredibly foundational. Imagine not having his words to challenge and assure us. . .so glad his letter ended up in the Bible for all of us to learn from. For a second week, we will be in the same passage. Last week, we meditated on what it means to have a dead faith. Praise be to God that all things can be made new in Christ Jesus! Whatever is dead can come back to life again. What a gift His resurrection is to the world. We continue to proclaim that astounding truth. Now, we want to look at this passage to study what these words mean. This teaching has been controversial in the church because people have understood them to mean that James doesn't think faith matters. This, of course, is in direct contradiction to Paul, who says in Ephesians 2 that we are saved by grace alone, THROUGH FAITH. This week we want to think through what James is saying. What problem is he trying to address in his context? How has the church, through the years, lived out this dual understa

At the last supper, Jesus began a sacred tradition which His people have practiced daily since that evening. The Eucharist. Communion. The Lord's Supper. The Table. The Blessed Sacrament. Some of the names connote the different emphasis that is put on the act. Whatever it is called, it is meant to be a remembrance of His death on the cross for our sins. Although churches celebrate it in different ways, it is meant to be done with Christ as the center, as He meets supernaturally with His people. For the next two weeks, we will be talking about words from James and two concepts Christians have grappled with for years: faith and works. While we understand we need both, this has been an important point of discussion, especially since various writers in the New Testament have written about them both. We are going to dive into the conversation in earnest next week. For this week, we will meditate on these words as we ready ourselves to take the elements representing the body and blood of Christ. Please take time

We continue talking about the consequences for favoritism in our lives. The verses we study Sunday are connected to the thoughts we began, but now James goes a bit further, talking about the consequences for breaking the law Jesus set out when He was here. We will be talking about what it means to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We will talk about why James is discussing the law. And, we will examine the role of mercy and judgment in our lives. In worship on Sunday, we will also be taking the opportunity to pray for all those going back to school, an important tradition to begin our school year. Also, Sunday school starts again for our children and youth. We will also be praying specifically for our brothers and sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo. God instructs us to set aside a day of worship once a week as His people. We hope to see you in this time of honoring and seeking our living Lord. - Pastor Colleen

For our sermon text this week, James is highlighting a situation which must have been happening in the church under his watch. Reading through it caused me to wince, thinking of similar experiences I have had and know about from others. James is emphatic that those who follow Christ should refrain from treating only some people well, especially when it heightens the divide between rich and poor. We are going to talk about what this scripture means, how this kind of behavior has hurt the church historically, and talk about why we engage in favoritism at all. James brings it home by reminding us how God treats us. I encourage you to read this scripture before Sunday as a way of allowing the Holy Spirit to affirm His truth in you. May we come into the sanctuary this week, seeing one another with His eyes. We will be singing a special song with the kids, since they will be joining us again for the last week before Sunday school begins.

James continue to calls things like he sees it. On Sunday, we are going to be looking at just two verses. In a wisdom literature kind of move, he gives us these last thoughts before transitioning to talk about partiality. While the text is short, he packs in a lot of ideas about being religious, the use of the tongue, caring for those who have had loss, and being holy. As we read them, we want to consider their importance for us today. We want to examine our beliefs and whether or not they are in alignment with our actions. When asked about your faith, how do you describe it? We also want to think about who we are as a church body living this out. It is a gift to be pastored by a strong leader from the early church. What a joy to have the children and youth with us in these three weeks before Sunday school begins again. This week, there will be a short teaching from the sermon scripture for the kids during the 9:30am worship service. You won't want to miss that! We come into the sanctuary of the Lord on