Would you consider yourself a good listener? James 1:19 calls not just pastors, counsellors, and church leaders, but every believer to be a good listener. Good listening is an antidote to angry responses or unbridled speeches. But what is good listening? It is not just keeping quiet. That is often helpful though. It is also…
Last week, James reminded us that because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, it is arrogant to make plans of our own as though our future is certain (Jas. 4:14-16). But that isn’t to say that we don’t know anything about the future. There is one future event that we can be absolutely certain…
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his mercy endures forever (Ps. 136:1). As the choir leads the congregation in worship this morning, my heart is filled with thankfulness as I reflected on the music ministry these past two years. Early in the pandemic, when singing was identified as a high-risk activity in…
One of the glorious things about God’s people is that we are made up of people of many different backgrounds, people who think in many different ways, people who have radically dissimilar personalities, people who are interested and passionate about a plethora of different things. At her best, the church looks like a beautiful mosaic…
I have been a Christian now for 40 plus years, with 34 of those spent in full-time Christian ministry. I have witnessed many tragedies and heartbreaks among fellow believers of Jesus Christ. And I have experienced many trials and hardships in my own life. So, I often wonder why I am still Christian today in…
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “If it weren’t for Christians, I’d be a Christian.” Gandhi said that because he had been disgusted by the unchristian attitudes and behaviours of many Christians. It is easy for us to respond simply with “Don’t look to man but to Christ.” However, how can non-Christians see Christ whom they cannot…
Due to the current cap of five unique visitors per household per day, my immediate extended family found ourselves unable to meet up together at the same time. No matter how we arrange our visits, there is no way we can fit the entire family together. I’m sure many faced the same predicament and painful…
James saw himself as the servant of God. His letter is addressed to the new Israel of God, the twelve tribes scattered abroad, the church of Jesus Christ. Instead of being ensnared by the world, James 4:8 calls the church to draw near to God. Who then is this God? He is revealed in James’…
The past few weeks have been deeply challenging for me. The more time I spend reflecting on James, the more acutely I’m aware of how far I fall short of God’s standards. I struggle to find joy in my trials. I’m slow to hear, quick to speak, quick to anger. I know what God’s word…
When I was in Junior High, my school had an annual school cleaning campaign day. Instead of school bags, we were asked to bring cleaning cloths. Our teacher explained the task of the day—every class is responsible for cleaning their own classrooms and we need to complete the task before the end of the day.…