This week, our middle school Bible class shared some of the names of Jesus they have been studying recently. In Philippians 2, Paul describes what makes Jesus a man that we want to emulate and how important his name will be to every person.

As we struggle with sin, there is a temptation to downplay our own sin and magnify the sins of others. Instead, God wants us to be realistic about our own sin problem and work daily to overcome it.

Many of us know a lot of facts, but the truly wise are able to put that knowledge into practice. The Christian life should be one where the knowledge of scripture influences our daily walk.

If we believe something, it should change our behavior. In James 2, we are reminded that faith and works are both important parts of the Christian walk.

People tend to make judgments about the worth of others based on appearance, social status, wealth, ethnicity and other outward differences. James cautions against that kind of favoritism and encourages us to value others the way God does.

As we spend this time of year giving thanks and remembering family, let's remember how God tells us in Deuteronomy 6 to remember Him and share about him with our families.

This week we begin a new series on the book of James. Trials come our way frequently. Have you ever taken the time to consider that our attitudes about those trials are under our control? In James 1, we learn that God can use those trials to develop our perseverance.

After learning about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, we see what the fruit is like at work. As we do life together as a church, a big part of our job is to do good.

In Galatians 5, Paul writes about the freedom we have in Christ. Even though we have been set free, we often return to the things that made us slaves. In the case of the church at Galatia, it was traditions that they tried to bind on each other. What keeps us from truly being free?

Between his resurrection and ascension, Jesus made several appearances to individuals and groups. As we close our series on the life of Jesus this week, we will talk about some of those appearances, the reasons they may have happened and the job he left for us to do.

Twelve apostles would follow Jesus for three years of ministry. Near the end, one would betray him and another would deny him. In those watershed moments, they each had to decide what to do next. The paths Judas and Peter chose could not be more different. In the aftermath of our greatest mistakes, we have the opportunity to choose the direction our stories will turn.

In John 13, Jesus and his disciples are at a table preparing for a meal, when he begins to make his way around the table and washes each of their feet. He gives them and us an incredible example of what it means to be a servant.