The God who answers Prayer (3)
When Heaven Hears
1 Kings 18:30-46

Introduction
We are devoting five weeks to learning about prayer. But we are doing something rather unusual. Instead of studying one of the amazing prayers in the New Testament, we are in the OT and Elijah is our teacher.

The God who Answers Prayer (2)
When there is No Answer
1 Kings 18:1,2 and 17-29
Introduction
We are in a short series on prayer, which is one of the great privileges of being a Christian. When we start to follow Christ, God makes us a member of his family, and one of the first things we are encouraged to do is to pray. But at that point, many of us get stuck. What is prayer? How are we supposed to do it?  Where do we begin?

The God who answers Prayer (1)
1 Kings 17:1-24
Do you trust God’s Word?
Introduction
There is a story about three men in a boat. This is not the famous three on their trip down the river Thames, but a different group. And as they went along, their boat began to sink. The first man couldn’t pray because he was an atheist. The second man couldn’t pray because he couldn’t think of any prayers suitable for sinking boats. So, the third man prayed and he said, “Lord we are in a terrible mess. Please help us, and we’ll never trouble you again.”

Faith at Work (12)
A Call to Christian Community
James 5:12-20
Introduction
I wonder if you have considered how private our lives in South Africa have become. Many of us get in the car in the morning, press a button to open the garage door, go to work or wherever it is we go and come back in the evening with the garage door closing behind us without even having to get out of the car.

Faith at Work (11)
The Challenge of Patience
James 5:7-11
Introduction
What is a Christian? With the Easter celebrations still fresh in our minds, most of us probably feel we have a sharper, more focussed understanding of what it means to be a Christian than at other times of the year. I hope that is the case for you. And of course there are many different ways we can talk about what it means to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Faith at Work (10)
James 5:1-6
Misuse of Wealth
Introduction

Faith at Work (9)
James 4:11-17
Pride Exposed and Healed
Introduction
The theme of this letter is spiritual reality. Last week we saw that James has a message of real encouragement to Christians who are serious about personal spiritual transformation. He says that God gives grace to humble people. He gives them the capacity to live as they ought in our anti-God culture.

Faith at Work (8)
James 4:1-10
The Way back to God
Introduction
Throughout this letter, James is asking his readers one basic question.  “Are you a Christian in practice as well as profession? You say you believe the gospel, but are you really living it out?” And to help us, he has given us various areas in which we can examine ourselves, so that we can see where we really stand.

Faith at Work (7)
James 3:13-18
Wisdom for Life
Introduction

Faith at Work (6)
James 3:1-12
The Barometer of the Heart
Introduction
By nature we are impressed by results and tangible accomplishments. That has been a norm in the corporate world for years and it is gradually seeping into all other areas of our lives as well, not just sport. As the father of two teenage children I am becoming increasingly aware that this ideal is constantly being re-enforced in our schools by output-based education. That’s just one example.