Fallbrook Vineyard Church

The third piece in the Armor of God is the Shoes of Peace. The shoes worn by Roman soldiers, known as "caligae," were an essential part of their armor, serving both practical and tactical purposes. The caligae were designed to withstand long marches and rough terrain. They were made from thick leather with open toes and strong soles to provide protection and durability in various conditions. The thick soles protected soldiers' feet from sharp objects, rough ground, and the elements, while the open design helped prevent blisters and infections by allowing air circulation. The soles were reinforced with iron hobnails, which provided excellent traction. These nails allowed Roman soldiers to maintain their footing during combat and on different terrains, whether marching on muddy roads, rocky landscapes, or the battlefield. In your life, when you lack peace, you know it. It produces anxiety and fear, and you may feel like there is chaos and uncertainty around you. This is not what God wants for you. When you accept Him, and put on the Shoes of Peace, your life becomes anchored to something solid. Much like the nails in the soles of Roman shoes helped a soldier grip the ground. God’s peace is durable and will help you navigate the difficulties of life. It makes you ready to do God’s will and march through anything that would stop you.

The second piece in the Armor of God is the Breastplate of Righteousness. The breastplate in Roman armor, commonly referred to as the "lorica segmentata" (if made of segmented metal strips) or "lorica hamata" (if made of chainmail), served several key functions. It protected the wearer’s vital organs and could deflect the blows of weapons. It’s construction allowed for flexible movement which made a soldier more effective in combat. It stood up to the wear and tear of battle. Remember that no single piece of armor is effective by itself. We started with the Belt of Truth as our foundation. Without truth, there is no meter to determine what is right and what is not. The Breastplate of Righteousness is supported by Truth. Righteousness is acting in accordance with God’s will. When you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are beginning to act in accordance to God’s will. Now, you have a measuring stick to determine what is according to God’s will and what is not. Through God’s truth and righteousness, you will be able to deflect that attacks that will come, because the Enemy will do everything he can to get you away from the will of God.

The first piece of the Armor of God is the Belt of Truth. But this is no modern day belt. In Roman armor, the belt, known as the "cingulum" or "balteus," served both practical and symbolic purposes. The belt was used to secure and support the soldier’s armor, particularly the "lorica" (the body armor). It also provided a way to carry essential gear, such as the soldier's sword (gladius) or dagger (pugio). The belt often had metal fittings and attachments to hold these weapons securely. The belt also sometimes featured decorative and functional metal plates or studs that could offer additional protection to the lower abdomen and hips. The belt was a key symbol of a Roman soldier’s status. It signified that the wearer was a soldier, not a civilian. The specific design and decoration of the belt could indicate the rank and unit of the soldier. The belt also symbolized the discipline and readiness of the soldier. To be "belted" was to be ready for action, and it was worn at all times as a mark of a soldier's duty. How does this apply in a spiritual sense? Paul calls it the Belt of Truth. Truth literally holds everything else together. Without truth as a starting point, everything else falls apart and has no support. It also protects us. Without truth, we wouldn’t be able to determine what is false. As Christians, when we speak and live the truth, it doesn’t go unnoticed by other people. It takes discipline to keep ourselves in the truth of God’s Word and live a life reflective of that. Just like a Roman soldier, we must keep Truth with us at all times. Truth is found in Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

0:00 - Intro 0:09 - Joke 0:47 - Pledge of Allegiance 3:27 - Worship 17:06 - Message 1:02:54 - Closing Worship If you’re a fisherman, you know you need the right kind of bait to catch certain kinds of fish. The Devil uses the same tactics to catch us. He knows how to use your current situation together with your strengths, weaknesses, needs and wants to create the best temptation to draw you away from God. In order to defend yourself against these attacks, you need to know who the Enemy is, his tactics. He wants to destroy the strongest aspect of your life, because that will do the most damage and defame God. But, he isn’t satisfied with that. He goes after your weaknesses because those things often keep us distracted from serving God. The armor of God gives you the tools through the power of Jesus Christ to counteract his schemes. We must be strong in the Lord, not strong in ourselves.

As we close out our series on James, we’re embarking on a recap to keep in mind the key points of this book. We learned that we are to consider it joy when we encounter trials. they are opportunities sent by God so that we can demonstrate our spiritual maturity. We need a strong body of believers around us to keep us accountable and to help us develop that maturity. In James 2, we learned that we shouldn’t show favoritism based on someone’s status. We are to view one another the way God sees us. Then, we moved right into “faith without works is dead”, one of the more misunderstood concepts in the Bible. It doesn’t mean that salvation is based on works, rather, the works show that faith is in action. In James 3, we learned about guarding our speech. What we say makes an impression on the people around us. Our speech ought to match the faith we claim to have. In James 4, we learned about edifying each other and not placing ourselves above others. This keeps us in a place of humbleness, which God will favor. When we are humble we are less likely to slander other people, which James also warns against doing in chapter 4. James 4 also reminds us that our life is short-lived like a vapor or mist. That thought is very humbling. In chapter 5, James addresses the rich and corrupt rulers of that time. He warns them that God sees what they are doing and unless they change, there will be severe consequences for their actions. Then James switches his focus back to believers and finishes with exhortations on how to live in the world until the Lord returns. As we close out this series, we hope it has been a blessing to you.

Memorial Day, initially referred to as Decoration Day, was observed by many communities after the Civil War, when the nation suffered more than620,000 military deaths, roughly 2percent of the total population at the time. John A. Logan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of Republic, chose May 30, 1868, as a day to decorate the graves of Union troops across the nation. From this beginning, Memorial Day is now designated as an annual day of remembrance to honor all those who have died in service to the United States during peace and war. It is a chance for us as Americans to reflect on our history. That is why Douglas V. Gibbs aka Mr. Constitution is with us today. He is a renowned constitutionalist who serves as President of the Constitution Association, as a fellow of the American Freedom Alliance, has been an AM Radio host since 2011, and has been an instructor of the U.S. Constitution since 2008. He is going to take us back to the beginnings of America starting with the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims fled England under the persecution of Queen Mary also known as Bloody Mary. Some of them settled in Geneva, Switzerland and were instrumental in producing the Geneva Bible. This bible was brought to America by these Pilgrims. The Geneva Bible provided commentary alongside the scripture which included the controversial idea that the divine right of the monarchy was not biblical. This incited King James to create the King James Version, which removed that commentary. Even before they left Europe, the pilgrims had a profound impact on history and on Christianity. Watch to learn more!

We have come to the final part of James chapter 5. Here, James gives an exhortation to believers. First, he tells the believer to be patient in the midst of suffering. In the previous verses, James just finished going on a rant against the rich corrupt rulers. It is hard to be patient in the midst of that. But, Jesus modeled that behavior for us when He was silent before His accusers. When we are patient in oppressive times, it shows the world that we trust our Heavenly Father to work things out. It also shows the world the true difference between justice and revenge. Next, James warns the believers not to grumble and complain about each other. When you are putting up with everything going on in your life, It is hard not to complain. Everyone reading this has probably done it. But this issue has to do with a spirit of bitterness we can develop when we are just beat down by the world and we feel like everything is against us. However as we previously read, we can trust God to work things out. We can choose to trust Him and not be bitter and have a more effective testimony about how God helped us through a tough time. As we reach the conclusion of James, there have been many things that James has said not to do. So, James ends with some things we can do including prayer, singing songs and confessing sins. As we read in James previously, we are to live our faith out in actions like these. It’s a perfect ending to this powerful book in God’s Word.

Mothers play an indispensable role in society. That’s true today and that was true during biblical times. Their God given role is to protect and nurture their children and teach them life skills. In the Bible, there is a story out of Matthew about a gentile mother who comes to Jesus because her daughter is demon possessed. Surprisingly, Jesus ignores her at first. But she persists, showing her faith. She was a mama bear in every sense of the phrase, stopping at nothing to rid her daughter of the demon that was tormenting her. She knew the only way to get rid of it was to rely on Jesus Christ. Today, it is all too easy to rely on other things to solve life’s problems. Some of those things can help, like doctors and medications. Or they can be destructive, like drugs and alcohol. If all you are doing is masking the issue and it seems like you’re not getting anywhere, maybe it is time to try a different approach. Follow the example of the mother in Matthew. She came with tears, respect and humility. She didn’t feel entitled to anything, but she persisted until she got an answer. Come to the Lord with your problems. It’s worth it.

This first section of James 5 continues the warning we saw at the end of James 4. In it, James goes on a rant against rich people who are corrupt and abuse the people in their employ. At the end of chapter 4, we saw James speaking against the worldly behaviors of rich people in the church. Now, James is speaking to those outside the church. Why the sudden shift? It has to do with how James knew the letter would be delivered. Back in those days a courier would hand deliver the message to the gates of a city. The city's gates were where the elders and leaders would gather to conduct official business. When James’ letter arrived believers would have come to collect the letter and very likely would have started reading it out loud. James likely had this in mind writing this section of his letter. James wanted to make it very clear to the corrupt rulers who were listening that their actions had not escaped God’s notice. He wanted to warn them that there would be severe consequences because they were oppressing their people and acting corruptly. Interestingly there is no message of hope like there are in other areas of James. James perhaps recognized that such people were utterly corrupt and could not be convinced to change their ways. Unfortunately, we still see this happening today.

As we continue our series on James, this section could be summed up in two points: don’t slander and don’t brag. Both of these come from a human sense of pride which James warns against over and over again. He continues to address matters of the inner person, which is the person that God sees. First, what is slander? In short, it is making a false statement about another person. That is something that is rampant in our culture today. James says when you slander someone, you are judging them and putting yourself above that person. Judging from a place of superiority is never good. Then there is boasting or bragging about things you are going to do in the future. Here, James is speaking to the wealthy class in the church. Those people could afford to pick up and move to another city to get a business advantage. James warns against boasting about this, because life is short, like a mist that evaporates. He encourages the reader to be humble by allowing God’s will in future plans.

In this section, James is warning believers against worldly behaviors, mainly quarreling and fighting. Believers in Jesus Christ are called to display the characteristics of Christ. However, when we fight among ourselves, we can send the wrong message to people around us. James says, that if we choose to be friends of the world, we become enemies of God. That feels like James is hitting us across the head with a two-by-four. It’s a lot of heavy stuff! What does it mean to be a friend of the world? How are we supposed to handle this? Join us as we walk through this passage.

Spiritual maturity is the central theme for the entire book of James. There are many aspects of spiritual maturity. In this part of our James series, we dive into where to get wisdom. You can get this by either following an earthly worldview or a biblical worldview. In a biblical worldview, true wisdom comes directly from God. The more we know the word of God the better we will be at gaining this wisdom and applying it directly to every bit of our everyday lives. Without it, we fall for lies and deception.

What we say influences what happens around us. The tongue is small but controls everything. If we allow the Holy Spirit to direct it, it can do great things. It can bring great blessings to your life and the lives of others. Taming the tongue can become easier the more spiritually mature we are. Spending time in the Word of God and listening to His teaching deepens that relationship. We can’t tame the tongue merely by our will. We have to allow God to work on us.

When you think of the word “Atheism”, what does that mean? By definition, it means without God. Some might think it means without faith in anything. But, everyone believes in something, the difference is what that something is. As Christians, we believe in God, who redeemed us through the blood of Jesus Christ. At the founding of our country, nearly everyone accepted that as the foundation on which everything was built. Today, that foundation has been nearly lost. We see increased racism and other evil ideologies popping up everywhere because our moral foundation has shifted. If we live out our faith in every sphere of life, as described in James, even though the world may hate us, we can shift back to living on the true foundation, the Word of God. Truth should never be sacrificed on the altar of kindness.

James teaches that God will strictly judge teachers of the word of God. They set the example for the rest of the body of Christ. For this reason, no one should become a pastor simply because of legacy, or just because you can. It must be a true calling with a spiritual gift. Be prepared to face higher scrutiny and rely on the Lord to guide and work on you. No one is flawless, which is why Jesus’ sacrifice is all the more remarkable and important. Many flaws stem from what we say. What we say reflects who we truly are. As James says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Allowing the Holy Spirit to direct our speech can truly change our lives and the lives of others.

We’re going to unpack the concept of faith without works being dead. That part of James 2 is often misunderstood. Yes, we are saved by faith but, our actions should reflect that faith. In the midst of a fallen world, God calls us to live differently. To live according to truth. To walk by faith and show works that prove that faith. The church is called to be salt and light. Without those qualities, the word of God says it is to be thrown out, utterly worthless. But living by the word of God is hope and salvation! Join us as we continue our James series.

Faith without works is dead. That is a heavy statement. What did James mean by this? Does faith count for nothing? James’ own words say it best, “Show me your faith withoutyour works,and I will show you my faith bymy works.” But, we read elsewhere that we are saved by grace through faith. So, which is it? Join us as we wrestle with this topic.

James 2 opens with a warning about partiality in the church. When people visit a church, no one should be treated differently because of their appearance or social status. The church is meant to reflect God’s impartial love for all people. Christ intended his church to be unified and not divided.

Does the Book of James advocate salvation by works? That is an interesting question for the believer to wrestle with. The Book of James is a user's manual for the process after someone becomes a believer. The message of salvation in the Bible is very straightforward. We are saved by grace through faith. But what happens after that? That is the process of sanctification. It is the believer’s response to what Christ has done because we would want to draw closer to Him.

What is the Book of James? If it fits into a genre, it would be the action genre. James is all about faith in action. Faith in Jesus saves us, but our works mark us as a followers of Jesus. A Christian’s life of faith should produce fruit or good works. James is a practical guide for the life of a Christian, tackling how to apply the teachings of Jesus. James raises our awareness of how much we need Jesus because James contains a lot of do’s and don’ts. It makes us painfully aware of our shortcomings and should make us see that we can’t do it on our own.

The story of Joseph. It’s perhaps the most famous story in the Bible. In the story of Joseph we see the beginnings of God’s plan for the redemption of Israel and the rest of the world. Joseph is an archetype or foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. Joseph saved his family, Egypt and the surrounding land from a devastating famine. This foreshadows Christ coming first to save Israel, then the surrounding gentiles, then the entire world. The parallels are quite amazing! Listen and learn more!

The biblical patriarchs. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In Genesis, God establishes the same covenant with all three of these pivotal characters in Genesis. God promised to make Abraham into a great nation and to give him the land of Canaan. The crazy thing is, at the time, Abraham and his wife were well beyond child bearing years. What is impossible for man is indeed possible for God! Today the Israelite people are indeed a great nation. God’s promises never fall. This pattern is repeated again for Isaac and Jacob. Learn the story of the biblical patriarchs and rest assured that God’s promises always come true.

Genesis forms the foundation of the rest of the Bible. It shapes our understanding of the Gospel and answers life’s hardest questions. How did we get here? God created us. We didn’t arrive here by chance. Why do bad things happen? Man’s rebellion against God introduced sin into the world. Is God perfect and just? God judged the world with a global flood, saving Noah and his family. God later sent Jesus Christ to save the world from sin. There are many more questions Genesis answers. Watch and listen to learn more.

Outdoor worship at Fallbrook Vineyard Church

Outdoor worship at Fallbrook Vineyard Church