Five Ways God’s Word Is a Gift

[Five Ways God’s Word Is a Gift](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) Current Teaching Series [A Faith That Works When Life Doesn't: The James Series](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) [Listen to Today's Broadcast](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) [Five Ways God’s Word Is a Gift](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) By Rick Warren — June 23, 2020 [Facebook](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) [Twitter](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) [Pinterest](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) [Email](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) [Devotional image from Rick Warren](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word.” James 1:17-18 (NLT) If you're going to anchor your soul to something that never changes, then you need to treat God's Word as a gift. The Bible says, "Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession" (James 1:17-18 NLT). James says five important things about God’s Word in this passage. 1. God's Word is good. It’s for your benefit. If you're not reading the Bible, you're missing all the promises, instruction, and benefits God wants to give you. 2. God's Word is perfect. It's a “perfect gift." If it's perfect, it means it's infallible. There's no error in it. You can count on it. And, if it’s perfect, that means it's exactly what you need. 3. God's Word is true. It says, "his true word." Scripture will always tell you the right thing to do. It will never lead you in the wrong direction. It's always correct. Its truth will set you free! 4. God's Word is unchanging. The Bible says God never changes, and so his Word never changes. Some of the gifts you get in life wear out—they fade, rust, and break down. You can't always depend on them, but you can always depend on God’s Word. 5. God's Word is life-giving. James says, "God chose to give life to us by giving us his Word." You were made in God's image, which means you have the ability to love God and be loved by him. God created you and gave you his Word so you can know him. This is the only way to true life. "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the encouragement taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope" (Romans 15:4 NIV). Everything in the Bible was written to give you hope, even the parts you may not understand. The one thing you may need most right now—encouragement—is in this book. Have you been feeling discouraged? There is great hope, and it’s at your fingertips. Just open up your Bible! [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) Talk About It - Do you have a hard time believing the Bible is for your benefit? What can you do to deepen your understanding of how the story of God’s Word applies to your life? - In what ways are you treating God’s Word as a gift? What priority does it have in your life? - How can you encourage someone with God’s Word today? 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[LEARN MORE](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) Includes 8 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series The Invisible War. [LEARN MORE](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r [Series Summary](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) Message 1: Real Faith Versus Fake Faith Message 2: A Faith That Loves My Neighbor as Myself Message 3: A Faith That Shows Respect to Everyone Message 4: A Faith That Leads to Emotional Health Message 5: A Faith That Stays Calm in a Crisis Message 6: A Faith That Anchors Me in a Storm Message 7: A Faith That Walks Through the Valley of the Virus Message 8: A Faith That Plants Seeds of Peace Message 9: A Faith That Isn't Troubled by Troubles Message 10: A Faith That Makes Tough Choices Easier Message 11: A Faith That Counters My Bad Habits [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r)[Twitter](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) [Instagram](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) [Linkedin](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r) to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](JCrjB-bN5:m:1:2618166767:41D7E01A136F827BF162DF9F5C8398A6:r). © 2020 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. This message was intended for: {EMAIL} You were added to the system December 23, 2016. For more information [click here](. [Unsubscribe](