podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/f5a4f9d5/your-defining-moment-be-ready-james-no11 Titles and subject lines are really not my friend. For 18 years I have chosen a title for the Morning Briefing I was sending, wondering, 'will this title prompt a person to read or listen?'or 'does this heading capture the scripture passage?' Accordingly, while 'Ode to a patriarch and a prostitute' may have been provocative in one sense, in another, folks could easily dismis

Your Defining Moment. We all have them - opportunities when the course of life is altered. podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/1feecab4/ode-to-a-patriarch-and-a-prostitute-james-no10 Enter the patriarch and the prostitute, and their defining moments... James writes of their great faith in God that led both to make big, obedient choices. "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was act

podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/2bf12d6a/this-little-word-undoes-me-james-no9 The other day I contrasted faithand'works' with faithandgrace. Was James saying one thing, and Paul, (arguably the best teacher after Jesus Christ) saying another? No, they were not. But frankly, just the mention of grace stopped me in my tracks. For by grace you have been saved. It is not of your own doing, but it is the gift of God.1 The truth is: Grace makes no sense--it

podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/36a3f24d/contradiction-in-the-biblereally-james-no8 Some people live for this sort of thing...finding a glitch in the Word of God. And while our brother, James, does not come close to the 'street cred' of Paul, his writing has impacted and influenced the lives of countless Christians down through the ages. And as always, when I pick up my Bible and read, I do so, with these words of Paul in mind: All Scripture is breathed

podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/1aa515a8/do-you-have-this-hmmm-james-no7 Turn the page --> James chapter two. But first, why? Why should you care what a simple man from 2000 years ago has to say? Well, he had a front row seat to Jesus' entire life, and was also the leader in the first Christian Church right there in Jerusalem. And in the letter he wrote, just 108 verses, he shows us how we ought live our best life! James was writing to fellow believers tr

podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/1f7af4fc/exercise-these-muscles-first-james-no6 I'm a bit of a gym rat and can make myself at home in almost any gym, anywhere. Because I've been at it for a while, I know what muscles are most important for me to exercise - those for strengthening, and others for building. Further, I also know what sets of muscles have reciprocal effects - such as, when I work my abdominal muscles, I strengthen my lower back. And since

podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/54e1056f/tempted-are-you-ever-james-no5 Tall, dark and handsome . . . he always came into the room and quietly took a seat--whether at Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Sunday Night Live, or anywhere else. A junior and a basketball player, he was the kinda' kid who just tried hard at everything - a great big, genuine smile and liked by all. One night after seeing him, I felt prompted to text and ask him, 'hey, is there some

Memorial Day, 2026. Check out this great short clip: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=FhWV2S8rM88&list=RDFhWV2S8rM88&start_radio=1 podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/350e83b3/why-remembering-matters-memorial-day-2026 'Have plans this weekend? I want to attend the Remembrance Service in Raleigh again. Memorial Day or 'Decoration Day' as my mama used to call it, is a day to remember and honor the thousands of military men and women who died while serving our cou

podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/21a7b700/of-amy-little-birds-and-loving-god-james-no4 My major in college was Communications - specifically in the arena of print, or writing. In our coursework, we spent a good deal of time analyzing others' writing--was it good? What could be more clear? How might it have been better? Did the author bury the lead?1 hmmm... As I have been pouring over James' next thoughts, writing out the verses, considering them carefully