This week in chapel, Alexiana Fry taught from James 5:13-18. Alexiana reminds us that James is a letter to Jews by Jews, and as James writes, he is expressing what it means to live as kingdom people, a people group who are holy and set apart. In this Scripture, James is inviting us into confession and intercession, two things that distinctly distinguish members of the body of Christ. Alexiana emphasizes, “If repentance and belief are things that mark those who follow Jesus, then these ‘one another’ statements remind us of what words should be on the lips of the faithful.” Those who are suffering and those have taken heart are called upon to pray.
In his book “Prayer,” John Onwuchekwa states, “Prayer is not about our expertise, it is about our experiencing the power of the one to whom we pray. It’s about the great expectations that grow in us when we have a genuine experience of the God who hears and answers. Great results come from our gracious ruler, the great rewarder and reward of his people who cry out to him.” Believers are called to pray and to confess our sins to one another. Alexiana stresses that true vulnerability has power behind it, and a true, genuine confession births repentance.
Listen to the full sermon below.
https://soundcloud.com/grand-rapids-theological-seminary/chapel-alexiana-fry-12518
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Alexiana Fry is one of our own M.Div. graduates, now furthering her education as she is a Ph.D. candidate at Stellenbosch University in South Africa in Old Testament. She has spent time not only working in Women’s Ministries within the church but also working to create better content for people through writing studies as well as on her own personal blog at mygivingofthanks.com. She is wife to James, her best friend and support, and a sister and daughter.
