– Today’s Community Scripture – 8/18/2025
Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.” Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That’s just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands? Wasn’t our ancestor Abraham “made right with God by works” when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn’t it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are “works of faith”? The full meaning of “believe” in the Scripture sentence, “Abraham believed God and was set right with God,” includes his action. It’s that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named “God’s friend.” Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works? The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn’t her action in hiding God’s spies and helping them escape—that seamless unity of believing and doing—what counted with God? The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works, and you get the same thing: a corpse.
James 2:14–26 (MSG)
– Reflection:
Faith isn’t just something we say in the open air to get respect; it’s something we show. James reminds us that believing in God means acting like it. If we see someone in need and only offer kind words without helping, our faith is empty. Real faith moves us to do something. It’s not about earning salvation, but about proving that our trust in God is alive and working. Just like a body without breath is dead, faith without action is lifeless. James challenges us to live out what we believe—because faith that doesn’t move us to act isn’t faith at all.
– Where do we go from here?
Now that we know faith must be active, the next step is simple: start moving. Look around—there’s always someone who needs help, a situation that calls for kindness, or a moment where truth needs to be spoken with love. Putting our faith in action doesn’t mean doing something huge; it means doing something real. Whether it’s checking in on a neighbor, giving to someone in need, or standing up for what’s right, these are the steps that show our faith is alive. God gave us faith not just to believe, but to build, serve, and love. So let’s walk it out—one step, one act, one day at a time.
– Our Prayer for Today
Father God, thank You for the gift of faith. Help us not to keep it quiet or hidden, but to live it out loud. Show us where we can serve, who we can help, and how we can love like You. Give us courage to act, even when it’s uncomfortable, and wisdom to see the needs around us. Let our faith be more than words—let it be movement, compassion, and truth. Teach us to walk in Your ways, step by step, with hearts full of purpose. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.” Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That’s just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands? Wasn’t our ancestor Abraham “made right with God by works” when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn’t it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are “works of faith”? The full meaning of “believe” in the Scripture sentence, “Abraham believed God and was set right with God,” includes his action. It’s that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named “God’s friend.” Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works? The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn’t her action in hiding God’s spies and helping them escape—that seamless unity of believing and doing—what counted with God? The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works, and you get the same thing: a corpse.
James 2:14–26 (MSG)
– Reflection:
Faith isn’t just something we say in the open air to get respect; it’s something we show. James reminds us that believing in God means acting like it. If we see someone in need and only offer kind words without helping, our faith is empty. Real faith moves us to do something. It’s not about earning salvation, but about proving that our trust in God is alive and working. Just like a body without breath is dead, faith without action is lifeless. James challenges us to live out what we believe—because faith that doesn’t move us to act isn’t faith at all.
– Where do we go from here?
Now that we know faith must be active, the next step is simple: start moving. Look around—there’s always someone who needs help, a situation that calls for kindness, or a moment where truth needs to be spoken with love. Putting our faith in action doesn’t mean doing something huge; it means doing something real. Whether it’s checking in on a neighbor, giving to someone in need, or standing up for what’s right, these are the steps that show our faith is alive. God gave us faith not just to believe, but to build, serve, and love. So let’s walk it out—one step, one act, one day at a time.
– Our Prayer for Today
Father God, thank You for the gift of faith. Help us not to keep it quiet or hidden, but to live it out loud. Show us where we can serve, who we can help, and how we can love like You. Give us courage to act, even when it’s uncomfortable, and wisdom to see the needs around us. Let our faith be more than words—let it be movement, compassion, and truth. Teach us to walk in Your ways, step by step, with hearts full of purpose. In Jesus’ name, Amen.