The Yellow Balloons Podcast

S 4 Ep 11: It's Complicated

We begin this episode by rehashing some of the complicated issues in The Book of James. What seems like a contradiction on the surface can often be untangled with a bit of patience and perspective. We will compare the royal law, the law of liberty and the Acts 15 council. We’ll look at the words of James next to the words of the apostle Paul. how do we balance these complex truths and complex realities in order to live the life God has called us to?

S 4 Ep 12: Mercy and Judgment

In this episode, we explore the balance between mercy and judgment. We begin by jumping out of the Book of James to see what Paul has to say about judgment. We look more closely at the law of liberty and how it sets us free from judging other people. There are similarities between James and Paul’s letter to the Romans that help us discover the depths of truth behind these two significant characteristics of the Kingdom of God.

S 4 Ep 13: The Tongue

The third chapter of James gives us a significant key for how to do life well. In this episode, we discover that key and further explore the connection between believing and doing. There are two power sources inside of us, constantly wrestling for our commitment and attention. One is God and the other is the forces of evil - including Satan, the world, and our own flesh. The tongue is the gear shift between these two, determining the direction and effectiveness of our existence.

S 4 Ep 14: The Problem of Deception

We have a deception problem. We believe too many lies and trust in too many idols. The only way to overcome deception is by being exposed to the truth. The Word and wisdom of God. In this episode, we talk about how to interact with the world constructively and inspect ourselves often. We do this so that deception does not reign in our hearts. In its place, we are called to trust God, to be salt and light in the world.

S 4 Ep 15: Trial by Fire

This episode begins by talking about Gehenna and what it represents. Then we move onto a brief teaching on hell, looking at scenes in the gospels that have key insights and speak to the message of James. The episode wraps up with a look at how we are tested by trials and refined with fire.

S 4 Ep 16: The Two Fires

In this episode, we begin by talking through the metaphor of sacrifices seasoned with salt. We are the salt of the earth and are called to bring out the flavor of reality, to emphasize the truth of God’s created order. The Book of James tells us about two kinds of fire - the fire of judgment and the refining fire. One destroys and the other cleanses.

S 4 Ep 17: A Binary Choice

In this episode, we continue through the fourth chapter of The Book of James. It will show us the impossibility of serving two masters. That it is not in our nature to let in just some of one thing and some of another. We must either choose God’s kingdom or this temporal world with its temporal promises. The choice is binary. Whom will we serve?

S 4 Ep 18: The Dance of Drawing

In this episode, we explore the give and take of pursuing relationship with God. If we submit to God, he engages with us and blesses us. If we resist the devil, he will flee. As we draw near to God, he draws near to us. We will walk through a personal testimony of wisdom and obedience. Our days are limited and it is time to make our decision. Whom will we pursue?

S 4 Ep 19: Missed and Redeemed Opportunities

In this episode, we begin getting into the final chapter of James - chapter 5. It teaches about the way we pervert and misuse our opportunity to steward this one lifetime we have been given. James instructs us how to overcome these distractions and perversions through listening to God and caring for one another. 

S 4 Ep 20: Facing the Finish Line

In this episode, we bring in the words of the apostle Timothy to help us as we close out our study of The Book of James. The final ingredients for how to win at life are revealed. Although wealth can be a burden, it is also an opportunity. And prayer has the power to transform everything. As we wrap up James, we talk about how to apply the lessons we have covered in the daily routine of our lives.