_Beyond Belief_ Why Faith Needs Works_

_Beyond Belief_ Why Faith Needs Works_

What can we learn from those who have battled addiction, poverty, and hardship about how faith really works day to day? This session of *Resilient Truths* with Dr. Theresa M. Bell zooms in on James 2 and keeps circling back to one hard-hitting theme: **“faith without works is dead.”** Rather than a polished sermon, the episode feels like a relaxed, honest Bible study. People read the passage aloud, swap stories, laugh, and ask where James is in the Bible. Dr.

Bell breaks it down in plain language: saying you trust God while staying stuck on the spiritual “sofa” doesn’t show belief. As she puts it, *“Waiting is a disease.”* If you’re praying for a job, she says, then faith looks like walking out to fill in applications, even when you’re tired, broke, and unsure how you’ll get home. There’s a strong focus on practical compassion too. Dr.

Bell challenges the habit of telling hungry or unhoused people, “Be warm and filled,” without offering food, clothes, or help. She reminds everyone that *“He works through these hands”* and that **“the blessing is in your giving, not what they do with it,”** even if they might spend the money on drink. The talk calls out judgement and selfishness while staying down-to-earth and often funny.

She uses Abraham, Rahab, and everyday examples—improving your credit for a house, budgeting, raising kids to be independent—to show that real faith moves, applies what’s learned, and “participates in its own program.” The tone is warm, straight-talking, and ideal for people of faith who want their beliefs to show up in action, especially in serving those dealing with homelessness, unemployment, or substance use.

If you’ve ever said “I’m just giving it to God” while secretly staying stuck, this conversation might make you ask: what would my faith look like if my feet joined in?