Dead or Alive

This powerful message arrives at a providential moment, as it explores James 2:14-26 against the backdrop of a devastating ice storm that tested our community's faith. The central question pierces through our comfortable religiosity: Is our faith dead or alive? James doesn't give us the luxury of separating belief from action—he insists they're inseparable. Through the contrasting examples of Abraham, the patriarch of faith, and Rahab, a prostitute who risked everything, we see that genuine faith always produces tangible works. The ice storm became a living parable: those with power opened their homes, those with chainsaws cleared roads, those with food fed neighbors. This wasn't earning salvation—we're saved by grace alone—but it was faith breathing, moving, living. The demons believe in God intellectually and tremble, yet they're not saved. Mental agreement isn't faith; trust that transforms behavior is. When we see someone cold and hungry and merely say 'be warm and fed' without acting, our faith flatlines. The challenge confronts us: Are we people who believe right but live wrong, or are we allowing God's grace to ignite works of love? Real faith doesn't eliminate effort; it energizes it. Our response to crisis reveals whether our faith has a pulse.