Westside Bible Studies

Prayer works. So does working to bring people back to the Lord. But it does make for an interesting ending to the Letter of James. The Letter of James | James 5:13-20 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint him with

How does James encourage Christians to exhibit patience? And what's all this about oaths and swearing? We consider what James has to say in James 5:7-12. The Letter of James | James 5:7-12 So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and la

James has words for the wealthy they won't want to hear. Many of us should also find them uncomfortable as well. The Letter of James | James 5:1-6 Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming on you. Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will

James has warnings for Christians who judge one another and merchants who focus on profit. Join us as we explore what we can gain from these warnings and exhortations. The Letter of James | James 4:11-17 Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. He who speaks against a fellow believer or judges a fellow believer speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you j

James has concerns about the mentality and behavior of the Jewish Christians of the Diaspora. Join us as we consider his critique and the way forward he provided in James 4:1-10. The Letter of James | James 4:1-10 Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you? You desire and you do not have; you

Is "worldly wisdom" really wise? Why would James want to make contrasts between the wisdom from below and the wisdom from above? Join us as we consider James' meditations on wisdom in James 3:13-18. The Letter of James | James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. But

Why should not many be teachers? What do we do with that instruction? Why is James so negative about our speech? The Letter of James | James 3:1-12 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly. For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to

Faith without works is dead. Christians are justified by faith working through love. There's a lot of doctrinal drama at stake with James 2:14-26. But we should not neglect James' concern to provide for the poor. James 2:14-26 | The Letter of James What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him?

Showing partiality means a lot more to God than we would care to admit. We need to remember how Jesus will be judging us - and He is paying attention to how we judge others. The Letter of James | James 2:8-13 But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show prejudice, you are commi

Join us as we discuss what James has to say for Jewish Christians, and for all of us, in terms of showing prejudice and resisting God's preferential concern for the poor in James 2:1-9! My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if someone comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor pers