Our Bible verse for today: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such a faith save him?” James 2:14 (CSB)
Our thought for today: “Faith without works is dead.”
At Oak Hill Baptist Church we are an “Acts 1:8 church”. Acts 1:8 is our model for ministry. In that verse Jesus gave us the Great Commission and He told us we are to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. In other words, we are to take our faith outside the walls of the church buildings and make a meaningful difference for His sake out in the world.
In order to accomplish that, we have regularly scheduled church-wide service projects and humanitarian relief work that takes us, as a group, out of the church buildings and into our local community. We also have ministry projects further out in the states of Tennessee and Kentucky, as well as overseas locations. At any given time our entire congregation is always in the process of preparing for one or more of those activities. This helps to keep our focus off of ourselves, and to instead always be thinking about how we can be a blessing to others in the name of the Lord and for the sake of His kingdom.
In James chapter two we learn that faith without works is dead. He means that talk is cheap. It’s easy to claim to be a Christian and it’s not too tough to show-up for services on a semi-regular basis; but it’s another thing altogether to be actively and regularly involved in acts of service to others.
In Isaiah chapter fifty-eight God was speaking through the prophet to the Jews about the kinds of religious activities that were most important and most meaningful to Him. The people were very good at going through the motions and rituals of worship, but many of them were not so good at genuinely living-out their faith. Here’s what God said to them:
“Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and to not ignore your own flesh and blood?” “And if you offer yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness and your night will be like noonday.” 58:6-7; 10
Faith without works is dead. A life well spent is a life of service to others in the name of Jesus.
Oak Hill Baptist Church