In the story we see the hopelessness of seeking salvation through the law and the beauty of salvation found in Jesus Christ. He is the merciful king who seeks, saves, and loves us.

James compares two forms of God’s law, the royal law that condemns us for just one sin and the law of liberty by which God shows us mercy. We who are under the latter law must speak and act mercifully.

Psalm 61 provides the believer a wonderful roadmap for prayer, bringing us back into the way of trusting God when we cry out for guidance, remember his faithfulness, and long for his presence.

God is working all things for our salvation, but the path that gets us there is rarely that of least resistance. In Exodus 2, we find the crooked roadmap that prepares Moses to be the savior of Israel–prefiguring the cruciform itinerary that leads Christ to be the Savior of the world.

James teaches how hearing God’s word and responding to it ought never be separated and how seeing and remembering who we are as sinners and objects of God’s grace draws the two together.

At the halfway point of my ministry career, Lord willing, I will reflect on a few hard lessons learned about ministry and myself as I relate to Simon P in the gospel of Luke.

The wisdom we need is the wisdom God gives.

Cultural values and the pride of our hearts influence our attitudes toward ministry and our actions in ministry. God’s Word provides the corrective paradigm that shapes how we should see ourselves and how we should pastor, lead and live with God’s people.