20th Sept Morning Service Speaker Rev Lorin Bergen

Rev. Lorin Bergen opens a new series in the Book of James at LCC, beginning with James 1:1–8. He starts with the fable of the ugly duckling to explain how Martin Luther dismissed James as "the epistle of straw" — the odd one out in the family of the Bible — and argues instead that James is a beautiful swan whose practical wisdom the church badly needs. Along the way he introduces the author: James the Just, the half-brother of Jesus, who didn't believe during Jesus' earthly ministry but was transformed after the resurrection, became known as "Old Camel Knees" for the callouses he earned in prayer, and died a martyr in Jerusalem praying for the people who killed him. Notably, James wanted only one title attached to his name — servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ — a phrase that places the Father and the Son on equal footing and affirms the full deity of Christ. From there the message turns to two hard and hopeful truths. First, "consider it pure joy... whenever you face trials of many kinds" — not if, but when, because trials are inevitable on a fallen planet. Trials don't produce faith; they expose and test it, developing the kind of endurance that finishes the marathon in spite of the pain. That joy isn't a forced smile but a calm confidence that God is in charge and will never leave us. Second, when trials come we need wisdom more than anything else — and rather than turning first to friends, self-help books, podcasts, Google or AI, James says to ask God, who gives generously without finding fault, chiefly through His Word and His Spirit. The message closes with a call to ask in faith rather than double-mindedness, echoing the father in Mark 9: "I believe; help my unbelief." Choose to believe, whether you feel it or not. 0:00 Lead In 00:21 Welcome 01:05 Prayer 02:24 1st Hymn 08:58 Mary's Misssion Trip 28:42 Teaching Time 31:29 Introduction 33:44 James 1:1 37:25 Verse 2-4 40:26 When Trials Come 41:03 Faith is Tested 43:59 Patience 46:17 verse 5-8 47:14 Ask God for Wisdom 50:36 Faith 56:07 Closing Hymn 01:00:30 Closing Prayer 01:01:50 Lead Out