How often do we make plans for next year, next month, or even tomorrow as if we have a guarantee of those days? James 4:13-17 provides a necessary corrective to our pride. This sermon explores the biblical doctrine of the brevity of life and the necessity of submitting all our earthly ambitions to the sovereign will of God. Listen in as we discuss why "knowing the right thing to do" and failing to do it is considered sin, and how to live with eternity in view.

"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?" James begins chapter 4 with a piercing question that targets the human heart. In this sermon, we discuss the "internal Civil War" that every believer faces—the conflict between the spirit and the flesh. We explore why "phantom limb" pains of our old nature still itch for sin and how we can find victory through the grace God gives to the humble.

Learn why true peace with others begins with submission to God and a heart of genuine repentance.

"Who is wise and understanding among you?". James asks a question that hits closer to home than we might like to admit. This week, we dig into the difference between simply possessing information and walking in true, godly discernment.

In this episode:

• Why we equate wisdom with being "the smartest person in the room".

• The warning against "unspiritual and demonic" wisdom.

• The essential starting point: The Fear of the Lord.

• Practical ways to create a "harvest of righteousness" in your home and workplace.

Join us as we learn to let the Word of God shape our conduct and our hearts.

We often underestimate the power of a single sentence. This week, we dive into James 3 to discuss the "wildfire" in our mouths. We explore the strict judgment facing teachers, the inherent hypocrisy of praising God while slandering neighbors, and the ultimate hope found in Christ—the one who forgives our sins of the tongue and fills us with the "water of life" so we may speak truth in love.

What good is a lion if it’s made of stone? In this episode, we dive into the second chapter of James to tackle one of the most provocative questions in the New Testament: Can a faith without works actually save you?

We explore:

• Why "faith minus works" isn't faith at all.

• The difference between intellectual belief (which even demons have) and saving trust.

• How the "breath of Christ" turns a sedentary, "taxidermied" faith into a living mission.

• Practical ways to be ambassadors of the Gospel in our local communities.

Are you "kissing the hand that is slapping you"? This week, we examine James 2:1–13 and the tendency to faunt over the rich while marginalizing the poor. James argues that partiality isn’t just being rude—it’s a violation of the "royal law" to love your neighbor as yourself.

Join us as we discuss:

• Why "minor" sins of favoritism shatter the whole law like a pane of glass.

• How Jesus fulfilled the law to give us a new "law of liberty".

• Why mercy must have the final word in our church community.

Challenge yourself to move beyond loving neighbors in the abstract and begin truly knowing the brothers and sisters sitting right next to you.

Do you ever look in the mirror and immediately forget what you saw? James suggests that many Christians do the exact same thing with the Word of God.

In this week’s episode from First Reformed Church in Edgerton, MN, we dive into the second half of James chapter 1. We discuss why our anger doesn't produce the righteousness of God, how the "noise" of our own hearts can drown out the Gospel, and why the most blessed life is one of active obedience rather than mere intellectual assent. Listen in as we explore how to move from being a casual hearer to a faithful doer of the Word.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of many kinds." How is this possible? In this week's sermon from First Reformed Church in Edgerton, MN, we look at the internal work of the Holy Spirit during times of pressure. Using the biological reality of "stress wood," we learn how God uses the very things we want to escape to make us "perfect and complete, lacking in nothing".

Key takeaway: Your trial is not a sign of God’s absence, but a tool of His grace to anchor you in Christ.