Hi, I’m Pastor Chris. I’m glad you’re here. My prayer is that these devotionals encourage you, challenge you, and draw you closer to Jesus in everyday life. Subscribe so you never miss a post, and consider a paid subscription for our digging-deeper section with reflection questions, a daily prayer, and discussion access.
Today’s Big Idea
Genuine faith always moves into action.
The Scene in the Early Church
It’s a quiet gathering in a first-century home. Oil lamps flicker against stone walls. Believers are sharing psalms and breaking bread. Then the door opens. A man steps in wearing fine robes, gold rings catching the lamplight. He smells faintly of imported oils. The kind only the wealthy can afford. The leader of the gathering greets him warmly, guiding him to the best seat.
Moments later, another man enters. His clothes are worn thin. His hands are calloused from long days of manual labor. Without much thought, someone gestures for him to stand in the back.
James had seen this kind of thing happen, and he couldn’t stay silent.
The Trigger
Favoritism was creeping into the church, and it was a direct contradiction of the gospel. Jesus never made seating charts based on social status. He went out of His way to elevate the overlooked.
The God-Moment
James confronts the believers with the truth: if you claim to have faith but do not act in love, your faith is dead. Faith is not a private belief tucked away in your heart. It’s a living force that moves toward others, especially those who cannot repay you.
The Response and the Challenge
It’s one thing to nod in agreement; it’s another to change behavior. James calls them (and us) to examine where our faith has stalled into empty words.
For Us Today
We might not assign literal “seats of honor,” but we can still favor those who are easy to love. The invitation is simple but challenging: let your faith be visible in how you treat people, especially the ones the world overlooks.
Digging Deeper
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Faith Unplugged to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.