Daddy's Daughter: A Short Summary of My Dad's Sermon

Religion:Useful or Useless?

(James 1:26-27)

I don't know if you know what Facebook is, but basically it's a "glorified email" (according to my dad). You can post comments and play games. You can even have a profile where you can put your status. My dad, on his Facebook profile, under 'Religion' he put "I'm not the religious type." That caused someone to comment on his page. They saw that my dad had gone to seminary and pastored a church, yet he "wasn't the religious type." My dad then took the time to explain that he was not bogged down with "religion," he was a Christ follower first and foremost.

Today we learn some things from James that religion is and some things that religion is not. James tells us that there is a bad type of religion:

1. People who think they are religious, yet don't follow through on their commitment are not religious.
   
2. People that can't control their tongue have a lack of self-control. To be part of the "good religion" people need to be able to think before they speak.

There are three things, though, that good religion is:

1. Being carers of the most needy. Helping those that need the most help.
2. Being compassionate.
   
3. Being unstained by the world. If I have a shirt with one tiny stain on it, your eyes are instantly drawn to the stain, right? If the world leaves us a stain, others will notice.

There's two religions-

• One religion before men
• One religion before God

Which will you choose?