El Beth El Temple Church

El Beth El Temple Church A Place of Love, Acceptance, and Forgiveness! Pastors Henry & Casandria Sims and the EBE Family Invite You to Worship With Us!

09/08/2026

Lessons from James (3)

Tuesday, September 8

“James…to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.” Jas 1:1 NKJV
James addressed “the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad,” those early Christians who had fled Jerusalem. The Greek word James used to describe this is “diaspora,” from which we get the word “dispersed.” The picture is of someone scattering seeds. After the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts chapter seven, the Christians in Jerusalem came under increasing persecution from the Roman Empire. They refused the Romans’ demand to confess “Caesar is Lord.” Instead, they insisted that there was only one Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the Bible informs us, “They were all scattered…except the apostles” (Ac 8:1 NKJV). James wrote to believers who had to leave their homes, their jobs, their properties—everything. Talk about stress! Yet God permitted them to experience the scattering and the resulting stress for a purpose. Had these believers stayed in Jerusalem, chances are the gospel would not have spread so completely through the known world. Everywhere these early followers of Jesus were scattered, they shared the Good News of Christ’s redemptive work, and in just one generation, the gospel had spread throughout the Roman Empire. That’s why James wrote to the church that was “scattered abroad”: “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (Jas 1:2 NKJV). Their uprooting from Jerusalem resulted in the planting of the church throughout the known world. “Our God turned the curse into a blessing” (Neh 13:2 NKJV). With God, short-term pain can lead to long-term gain. He uses setbacks we sometimes don’t understand to fulfill His purposes. Is that what’s happening in your life right now? Trust God; He knows what He’s doing!

09/08/2026

Lessons from James (2)

Monday, September 7

“A doer…will be blessed in what he does.” Jas 1:25 NKJV
North of Israel and teeming with aquatic life of many kinds, the Sea of Galilee is a beautiful blue. South of Israel is the Dead Sea, and it’s called “Dead” for a good reason: There’s no life in its stagnant water. What makes these two bodies of water so different? First, the Sea of Galilee has an inlet: the Jordan River flows into it. On its southern shore, the Sea of Galilee also has an outlet: water flows through the Great Rift Valley. Like the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea has an inlet: the Jordan flows into it. But the Dead Sea has no outlet; it takes in but does not give out. This is the theme of the book of James. Vibrant believers not only take in, but they also give out. They put the word they receive (input) into action (output): “If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (Jas 1:23-25 NKJV). James warns us not to become so heavenly-minded that we are no earthly good; that it’s not enough to read the Scriptures, but we must also look for practical ways to put them into practice each day. His message could be summed up in the famous Nike slogan: “Just do it!”

09/07/2026

Lessons from James (1)
Sunday, September 6

“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Jas 1:22 NKJV
The book of James has 108 verses, and it outlines how we can put our faith into action. It was written by Jesus’ half-brother, the natural-born son of Mary and Joseph. Apparently, James became a believer as a result of the resurrection. Paul said that after Jesus rose from the grave, “he appeared to James, then to all the apostles” (1Co 15:7 NIV). Somewhere, privately and personally, the risen Lord met with James, and His little brother’s life was never the same. After his encounter with his older brother, who was the victorious-over-death Godman, James grew in faith and became the undisputed leader of the Jerusalem church. The apostle Paul referred to him as a pillar of the church (see Gal 2:9), and tradition tells us that James was so devoted to prayer that he was given the nickname “camel knees” because of the calluses resulting from the hours he spent on his knees. Today we are 2,000 years removed from James’ writing, yet his letter remains as relevant to us as the Internet’s morning news. The central message of his book is contained in these words: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James addresses our biggest challenge: practicing with our lives what we proclaim with our lips. In every paragraph, he reminds us that when we are walking in step with the Holy Spirit, we will not be wearing out the seat of our pants, but the soles of our shoes. We will put shoe leather to what we say we believe and be “doers of the word.”

09/06/2026

Fulfill your obligation to the Lord
Saturday, September 5

“We have an obligation.” Ro 8:12 NIV
Paul wrote: “We have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (vv. 12-13 NIV). Obligation: it isn’t your favorite word, is it? That’s because we interpret it in a negative light. Don’t think of it as something you have to do but as something you get to do. Our greatest obligation doubles as our greatest opportunity—surrendering our lives to the lordship of Christ. Can you think of any greater privilege than being used by God to help fulfill His eternal purposes? The word “obligation” means to be legally or morally bound, and the best picture might be marriage. When you say, “I do,” at the altar, you are obligating yourself “for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.” And when we enter into a covenant relationship with God through the new birth, two things happen. We are legally and morally bound to Him, and He is legally and morally bound to us. The gospel demands that we give all of ourselves to God. But when we do, God gives all of Himself to us. Think of the benefits of such a trade-off! You’ll never get a better deal. The trade-off also gives full veto power to the Holy Spirit. But once again, that’s a good obligation. Why? Because He will take you places you can’t go and do things in and through you that are otherwise impossible.

09/06/2026

The whole world must hear God’s Word
Friday, September 4

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mk 16:15 NKJV
In 1993, a group called AD2000 United Prayer Track came up with an innovative idea. To help realize their goal of “a church for every people and the gospel for every person by AD2000,” they established a program called “Praying through the Window.” The “window” referred to an area on the globe from ten degrees to forty degrees north of the Equator, from North Africa and Southern Spain eastward to Japan and the northern Philippines. Almost three billion people live in this area, where the most prominent religions are Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism. For the entire month of October 1993, and again in 1995, millions of Christians prayed for the people in “the 10/40 window.” The goal was that new churches be established, and new missionaries sent to these areas. In 1993 alone, the number of churches in Albania grew from 50 to more than 300, and the number of Christian fellowship groups formed in India rose from an average of three to seventeen each day. If your world consists only of your loved ones, your job, and your church, ask God to open your eyes to the world beyond your world. Begin praying that He will move in those nations. “Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession” (Ps 2:8 NKJV). You say, “Can we realistically believe that the world will turn to Christ?” Read this: “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You” (Ps 22:27 NKJV).

09/03/2026

Stand up to your giant

Wednesday, September 2

“As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran…to meet him.” 1Sa 17:48 NIV
Are you ready to grab your sword of faith and behead the giant in your life? Your best strategy will always be to attack a giant before it has a chance to get the best of you. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” And you can do it! “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2Ti 1:7 NKJV). Whether real or imagined, all threats are perceived as having the potential for loss. It may be the loss of your income, your health, your position, a desired relationship, etc. Freedom begins when you stop and make an honest confession of the loss you really fear. Identifying and acknowledging your real fears will be a giant step toward breaking free from them. To do this, you must go through the process of peeling the “fear onion” to get to the core of your anxiety. And you may have to peel back a lot more layers than expected. David didn’t wait for the giant to come to him. “David ran quickly…to meet him.” Get your problem out into the open, confront it, develop a plan for overcoming it, and remember that God is with you and will enable you to conquer it. Dale Carnegie said, “Do the thing you fear to do, and keep doing it…That is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.” And with God on your side, your victory is guaranteed.

09/02/2026

🚨 URGENT EBE REMINDER: NO IN-PERSON SERVICE THIS SUNDAY! 🚨
Sunday, September 6, 2026 — Enjoy the Holiday Weekend With Family & Friends! ❤️🙏🏾

09/01/2026

Priority giving

Tuesday, September 1

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all…” Pr 3:9 NIV
Of all the items in your monthly budget, giving to God should be your top priority—not just a priority, but your first and highest one. The Israelites were largely an agricultural people. With that in mind, read this wonderful promise that God made to them and claim it: “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (vv. 9-10 NIV). Notice the words “the firstfruits of all.” That means before you pay the mortgage or buy groceries or pay other bills, the very first check you need to write is to God. Here’s why: If you wait until other expenses are met first, it will impact the bottom line of your giving. That’s just the way it works with priorities. Whatever you place first will take precedence over everything that comes after it. Generosity should be the primary impetus behind your giving plan. And your generosity tends to be highest, immediately after receiving provision. Waiting until that provision has dwindled and been reduced by your monthly obligations has a tendency to squash generosity. However, if you prioritize your giving, then everything else will take its proper place in line behind the priority of God’s work. Honor God with the first portion of your income instead of giving Him the leftovers. That means that before you pay the mortgage, buy groceries, or cover any other expenses, the very first thing you should set aside is God’s portion. Then use what is left to meet your own needs, such as paying bills or buying groceries. That’s what we mean when we say, “priority giving.”

09/01/2026

Your words have power
Monday, August 31

“Always be willing to listen and slow to speak.” Jas 1:19 NCV
What comes out of your mouth, and what you might text or tweet, is of such importance that James devotes almost an entire chapter to it (see Jas 3:1-12 NKJV). Why? Because your words have power. They can bless or break, help or hurt. People who have been the target of harsh words can carry wounds for a lifetime. Too many children have heard a frustrated parent saying, “You’re worthless, and you’ll never amount to anything.” And they have believed it, allowing those words to shape their self-image and determine their self-worth. Other children have had parents who affirmed and nurtured them with encouraging words such as, “You’re important, and God has something for you to do that no one else can do quite like you can.” These children believed that message and ultimately grew up to act on it. James made three statements about the use of our tongues, and he gave two illustrations to substantiate each point. First, he reminded us that speech can be controlled and directed, and he illustrated his point with a horse’s bridle and a ship’s rudder. Second, he said that contentious speech can be destructive like fire and poison. Finally, he pointed out that conflicting speech can be deceptive, and he illustrated this with images of a spring of water and a fig tree. The truth is that our words reveal what is in our hearts. And whether we speak them or type them, they have the power to heal or hurt, help or hinder. Knowing that you never have to take back what you don’t say, David prayed, “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord” (Ps 141:3 NIV).

08/30/2026

You can break that bad habit
Sunday, August 30

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Ro 12:21 NKJV
When we started our relationship with Christ, we began a lifelong journey of becoming the people God created us to be. In the process, we learn how to overcome our weaknesses and draw on God’s strength. That often means learning to break bad habits. Some of these habits are obvious, such as alcohol and drugs. Some are not so obvious, such as gossip, jealousy, and being judgmental. God does not want us to be controlled by our emotions and impulses—He wants us to have victory. Breaking a bad habit requires making a series of good choices, one after another. Most of us try to do that on our own without the help of the Holy Spirit, but eventually, we figure out that we can’t do that without God helping us. Jesus said: “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (Jn 14:26 NKJV). But the Holy Spirit won’t just show up uninvited; you must ask for His help. The Bible says that we overcome evil with good. That’s one of the biggest secrets in the Word of God. It’s a lot easier to make the right choice when you’re focused on God and your victory instead of your fear of failure. Jesus told His disciples: “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” (Mt 26:41 NLT). That means if you pray and keep watch, you can break that bad habit.

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13922 Schaefer Highway
Detroit, MI
48227

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(313) 834-0984

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