Tina The Storyteller

We finish up our study on James with some encouraging words about prayer and standing in the gap. Study Questions Week 10 When you don't feel like yourself, what is generally your first response? Do you start with prayer, rest, food, lashing out at others?  When you encounter others that are not acting like themselves what is your initial thought? How do you think your relationships would be different if you began those interactions with prayers? Prayers for understanding for yourself and peace for the other person? When you are happy, do you ever try to keep it to yourself because you don't want to celebrate while others around you are struggling? Can focusing our happiness towards God with praise and worship change how we view sharing those moments?  God is the source of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). How can this verse help shape your worship and praise?  Take some time this week to praise God for some good gifts, which are presen...

In the first part of chapter 5 James talks about money and some relationship pitfalls we have with it. We’ll also be talking about patience in suffering. Study Questions Week 9 Do you ever consider yourself wealthy? Even poverty in the United States is a higher quality of life that many other areas of the world (You can check out this article from Forbes for some information on that.) Are you using your wealth to please yourself or to please God?  What is one change in your buying habits that you can make to ensure that those that helped create it are getting a fair wage? There are buzz words for products such as "Fair Trade" but ones that I've found even more useful are "Locally grown" or "I know a guy who does that."  Patience is not an easy gift to receive. Do you practice active waiting? Active waiting is when you ask God for an answer to a solution and you continue to praise Him and serve where and how you are. Try active waitin...

We look at judgement and boasting this week. Study Questions for Week 8: In verse 11, James tells us not to slander one another. Do you struggle with gossip? What is one change you can make to your day that help reduce your access to gossip? When you are tempted to judge is it to tear the person down or to help lift them up? What does judgment to lift someone up look like? Take some time and think about how you can use your knowledge of someone to help them. Do you like making plans? Are you one of those people that enjoy organizing and getting things ready for tomorrow? How can you invite God into those plans? Are you a worrier? Do you worry about what tomorrow will hold? What steps can you take to give that worry back to God? Verse 17 says if we know what to do and don't do it, then it's sin. What's something that you've been putting off doing for awhile? What can you do today to stop procrastinating? Weekly Challenge: Take some time and write ...

This Thursday, I've heard a lot of sad news but I want to remember some of the good stuff going on. I'm thankful that Joel and I will be celebrating sixteen years of marriage tomorrow! That's unbelievable in so many ways. I'm excited to see what the next sixteen hold. I'm thankful that my daughter is a logical thinker and tends to act after thinking. I'm thankful that we're starting a new business venture. I can't wait to see what type of treats we come up with! I'm thankful for a mostly clean house and the ability to help it get even cleaner today. I'm thankful for birthdays, especially when they're the birthdays of people I love. What are you thankful for today?

Week 7! This week, James takes another look at why we don't get what we want. Study Questions for Week 7: James says in verse 2 that we desire but don't have so we kill. Do you see others as competition? Does jealousy mark your relationship with those that have things that you desire for yourself? How can you start to see the relationship differently if you were to see others as fellow travelers instead of competition? James calls us adulterous people. Have you ever thought of your relationship with God to be like a marriage? If so, are you being faithful to Him or are you walking out every now and then? What small things do you seek from the world instead of God? Can God provide you with those small things? What is one area of your life that you can give up looking for answers in the world and turn to God instead? In verse 7 we are called to submit ourselves to God. We talked about Godly wisdom being submissive last week. Is submission something that yo...

Welcome to Week 6!! This week we take a look at different types of wisdom and what types of fruit they produce. Study Questions for Week 6: Where is your work rooted? Is it rooted in Godly wisdom or worldly wisdom? Take a moment to take an inventory of the fruit that your work is producing lately. What areas are going well and which areas could use some work?  Have you ever struggled with selfish ambition or a bitter envy? James says that those are related to the type of wisdom we are pursuing. Proverbs 4: 20-27 gives us some ways to combat those struggles.   What areas from the Proverbs 4 passage stick out to you and how can you put them into practice? James has a list of attributes of Godly wisdom in verse 17.  Are any of them things that you want more of in your life? Which ones and why? Are any of them things that you struggle with? Take some time to explore which ones you wrinkle your nose at and ask God to show you why. Verse 18 says Peacem...