Pure and undefiled religion

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:27

Orphans and widows are people who can't give you anything in return. Serving those who can't repay you is the heart behind this Scripture. Our Lord is teaching our church to serve, to love one another without expecting anything in return. Many people came to Jesus in Biblical times for the miracles and healings. We are learning that we should not come to Jesus for what we can receive, for the bread and fish. We should seek Him for Him, for who He is. For what He has already done. He saved us. He has freed us from sin, from death. "We love Him because He first loved us."

Our brothers and sisters are visiting each other when they are sick. The youth check on each other when someone hasn't been to youth group in a while or if they notice someone slipping away. A group of men from our church have started visiting a local drug and alcohol rehabilitation center and now are giving a weekly Bible study there.

Our core youth group in Discipleship class.

The second part of James 1:27 is very important: "Keep oneself unspotted from the world". If we want to grow as a church, if we want to be effective witnesses, if we want to shine as lights in this dark world, we MUST "lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us" and we MUST seek to be pure, holy, spotless.

This is our prayer for our church body. We trust that as we move forward as a church, as we draw closer to Jesus, He will be faithful to convict, to challenge, to change each one of us. It's not something Jared and I can do. It must be a work of the Holy Spirit. If we want to see a powerful and amazing work of God in our community, we must be close to the Source of Life, our Lord and Savior.

Our sanctuary ready to receive the Church.

We find great comfort in Isaiah 55:11and Hebrews 4:12.

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Johan teaching Sunday school.

As Jared continues to just simply teach God's Word, we can rest in the fact that God's Word is alive and powerful and it will accomplish His purpose.

Please continue to pray for our church body. Pray that the Word will take root in our hearts and that each one of us would be sold out for Jesus, holding nothing back, leaving behind every temptation to sin, serving Him with everything we have.

I know this post is very different from our usual updates, but this is what the Lord is doing in our church and is what He put on our hearts to share with you, the ones who participate with us in the ministry here by continuing to faithfully pray. Thank you! God bless!