Difficult, even perilous days often come upon us early on in life. Sometimes they become extraordinarily difficult nearer the end of life in this world. Through them all, the Lord brings forth and preserves in us a steadfast faith which receives from Christ the Crown of Life…
Hear the full audio of “A Faith Steadfast and the Crown of Life“
A sermon on James 1:1-12 for the funeral of Faye Man / St. Paul Lutheran Church, Winside, NE / 28 June 2019
James 1:1-12 English Standard Version (ESV)
1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
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.
Isaiah 50:4 Blues 