Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson 2026

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. James gives the antidote to anger, which leads to damaging and hurtful words. He says be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to become angry. Why is "quick to listen" first? Because usually anger is reactive and we rarely take the time to go from our emotional reaction to staying in our head. As we are quick to listen, it gives us time to let anger subside and not act in a harsh a way. When we listen we can at least try to understand where the person is coming from and ask clarifying questions. Often major arguments and fights are over a miscommunication. This can especially happen from emails and Facebook. When we are not in fa...

James 1:16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. Contrary to the previous verse where James warns against making the statement that God tempts us, or entices us to evil, he tells the believers to not be deceived. In fact, it is quite the opposite. God never wills evil. Instead God is the source of every perfect and good gift from above. It is perfect in the sense of fitting for what we really need. It is good because it comes from God who is good. He cannot not but give good gifts. God's gifts will always be good and perfect because his nature and character never change. When we take time to think about the really good and perfect gifts in our lives, it is easy to see why they come from God. Like our birth, our paren...

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James has already said something about trials earlier in this chapter. He tells the early church to not be surprised by them, and ultimately they will shape them and mold them to maturity. Today he talks more positively about trials and their ultimate reward. He calls a man "blessed" if he can endure through the trial. And the promise is when he withstands the test, he will receive the crown of life. If we study the word "crown", we see it in five different usages, such as "crow...

James 1:9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. The theme of contrasting the rich and the poor is a common theme in the book of James. Since James is such a practical letter, one of the most practical things we can focus on is what are we to do with our material resources. A lot of people like to divorce the material from the spiritual. This leads to the conclusion that being materially wealthy is sinful, and being poor is automatically spiritual. We all know that there are rich people who are totally devoted servants of God, who use the resources they have been given to advance the kingdom. The last time I checked almost every kingdom advancing mission ne...

The Book of James 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. Trials and Temptations 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James, the half brother of Jesus, is writing to his Jewish brothers and sisters who have been scattered due to persecution. This is not the apostle James, who was martyred in 45 ...

Luke 21:25-28 25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” This is one of the many passages in the New Testament that describes our Lord's return. There are a couple of places where we mention this in our services. When we recite the Creed, what we believe we say about Jesus, "He will come back to judge the living and the dead." Then in Holy Communion we say, "He will come again in great and promised glory." But what DOES the passage say today? 1. There will be major turbulence in the Creation. All the things God has made the sun, m...

1 Samuel 17:55-18:5 55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?” Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.” 56 The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.” 57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head. 58 “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him. David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.” Saul’s Growing Fear of David 18 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. 5 Whatev...