What We Should Be Doing in 2025 – James 4:12-15

Pastor Chris Parker

Jesus had been traveling and performing miracles, which gained him widespread attention. This passage is set in Capernaum, a city on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, which became something of a home base for Jesus’ ministry. After performing miracles and teaching in other towns, he returns to Capernaum, possibly to rest or spend time with his close followers. However, word spreads quickly that he is back, and people gather in large numbers, filling the house and even blocking the doorway, all eager to hear him teach.

Psalm 100 is a powerful call to joyful worship and thanksgiving to the Lord. This psalm reminds us of God’s sovereignty, goodness, and everlasting mercy, encouraging believers to serve Him with glad hearts and enter His presence with praise.

Pastor Chris Parker

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in Daniel 3 reveals their courageous refusal to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. Despite the threat of death, they boldly declared that God could deliver them, but even if He didn’t, they would not bow (Daniel 3:16-18, KJV). Furious, Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into a furnace heated seven times hotter, but as he looked, he saw not three but four men unharmed, with the fourth “like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25, KJV). God’s miraculous deliverance not only preserved them but also led the king to honor their God.

This account highlights unwavering faith, showing that God is present even in life’s fiercest trials, protecting His own and bearing witness to His power.