Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
July 10 James 5: 7 – 20 Apply the Principles of Patience
I. Be Patient as You Wait on God – James 5: 7 - 8
Verse 7 instructs us to Be patient...until the Lord's coming. While the Second Coming is an obvious interpretation/ application for these verses it could also mean 'Be patient until the Lord comes to you...until He shows up in your circumstances.'
A farmer can be patient waiting on the crop; if he put the seed in the ground, he knows the crop will come. Furthermore, he knows that there is nothing he can do to the crop itself to make it mature any faster. If the farmer gave up on the crop because it didn't mature as quickly as he wanted, he'd walk away from the field and miss the harvest.
Don't give up before God shows up!
II. Be Patient with Each Other – James 5:9 - 12
James then lists some specific ways we are to be patient with each other, beginning with 'Don't grumble against each other.' Grumbling is blaming someone else for circumstances. Think about the Israelites in the desert; over and over again they blamed Moses for unpleasant situations. And over and over again, they suffered judgment for what they did. But, when they grumbled against Moses after Aaron died, and the snakes came into the camp, the Israelites went to Moses and said, 'We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you.' (Numbers 21:7). Moses interceded for the people, God healed them through the bronze snake, and they were able to enter the promised land. That was the last time they were recorded as grumbling! They finally confessed that it was a sin, gave it up, and were able to go into what God had for them.
James refers his readers to the example of the prophets, who were patient even in suffering. Specifically, he mentions Job, noting that, despite his losses and dire situations, God did deliver him and restore him in the end.
One other thing James instructs us to do in exercising patience with each other is to maintain one's integrity. Don't swear oaths ('by heaven or by earth or anything else'); plain 'yes' and 'no' should be sufficient.
Oath – A formal declaration or promise to fulfill a pledge, often calling upon God or some other sacred object as witness; The words or formula of such a declaration or promise; That which is promised or declared; An irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God or anything held sacred (New American Heritage Dictionary).
An oath is an attempt to add authority to your words; unwilling to allow your words to prove themselves over time. Our character should be such that yes and no is sufficient to those who know us.
III. Put Prayer to Work (13 – 20)
Finally, James says that the true work of patience is prayer. We are to pray
When in trouble
When someone who is sick has asked for prayer
When you have sinned
After confessing sin to one another
(I posted the portion of teaching dealing with 'How to pray' already...it's Here)
Prayer brings help (implied v. 13),healing and forgiveness. James provides the example of Elijah, who was someone just as human and fallible as any of us, yet his prayers were powerful enough to control the weather.
Prayer produces changed lives; leading someone who has strayed back to the truth.
Prayer is the weapon of patience.
Things to think about:
In what situations of my life am I considering giving up on God’s way and doing something else?
Who in my life am I blaming for unpleasant circumstances? In what situations am I adding oaths to bolster my authority? Why isn’t my character sufficient to uphold my word?
How many circumstances/issues of my everyday life do I honestly pray through on a regular basis? What keeps me from praying ‘fervently’?
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3: 1 - 12 Discipline the Tongue
June 26: James 3:13 - 18 Recognize True Wisdom
June 29 James 4:1 – 10 Check Your Sources
July 3 James 4:11 – 5:6 Lose Selfish Desires
Showing posts with label Blogging Bible Study: James. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogging Bible Study: James. Show all posts
Friday, July 10, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
James Lesson 9: Lose Selfish Desires
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
July 3 James 4:11 – 5:6 Lose Selfish Desires
So, after an exhortation to check the sources for our desires, James gives some examples of selfish desires; desires that arise when our 'self' or the world system is the source of our desires.
I) Desire to be Morally/Intellectually Superior to Others (4:11 – 12)
Brothers, do not slander one another (v. 11, NIV)
'Slander' - the utterance of a defamatory statement injurious to the reputation or well-being of a person (New American Heritage)
This is non-constructive criticism; using words as weapons against another person with intent to do them harm in some fashion, thus winning a sort of battle and being shown to be superior to the opponent. It's putting others down in an attempt to make oneself seem better.
Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it– The Greek word used is krino, which means judging, divide, separate, made a distinction, come to a decision, to adjudge to punishment, condemn
Now, a word about judgment. Judgment is not something that determines the rightness or wrongness of someone's actions. That's what laws do. If the law says the speed limit is 45 miles per hour, and I drive 60, I have broken the law. That's not a judgment, that's a fact. Now, I may have been driving faster than the speed limit because I had a bleeding child in the back seat and I was trying to get to the ER as quickly as possible. 'You exceeded the speed limit' is a fact. 'You are a selfish impatient person and a bad driver to boot' is a judgment.
Judgment is what happens when we make a determination about the content of someone's heart or their worth to God based on what we can observe about them. This is why we are so strictly instructed not to judge; what is observable is not the whole story. Only God knows true motives; only God can judge rightly.
There may be times when individuals require discipline from those in authority in the local body. Even then, such discipline should be issued in love and without judgment. That's tough and painful for all involved, but in God's grace it is possible.
II) Desire to be Fully in Control of One’s Own Destiny (4:13-17)
Bragging and/or boasting about one's future, one's plans and the expected outcome shows a lack of submissionto God’s leadership. The truth is, none of us know what will happen tomorrow.
We must recognize the Lord’s hand in all things – that His hand IS in all things. Anything else is pride. Specifically, if we know to do something good (like submit every day to God’s leadership) and we don’t do it, it is sin (Origin of the concept of 'sins of omission')
The plain truth is that we do not have final authority over our own lives, and trying to be our own ultimate authority leads only to trouble.
III) Desire to Hoard Wealth and Live in Pleasure (5:1-6)
Treasures rotted; clothes moth-eaten; money rusted – all that happens to goods that are stored, tucked away, unused...hoarded. Things that not only do no good for needy folk, but even do no good for those that posess them.
Two witnesses are recorded against folks who hoard – the wages that had not been paid to their workers, and the workers themselves. This desire for comfort, pleasure and personal wealth keeps folks oblivious to God's ultimate authority, condemning innocent people as unworthy of the 'lifestyle of the rich and famous'...passing judgment.
Wealth is given to us to use for God, not to stow away for our own comfort or pleasure...and should never be obtained at the personal cost of others.
Things to think about:Who have I slandered – to others, to God, or to myself? How have I usurped God’s authority to judge? What plans am I making right now that do not take into account God’s will for my life? What resources has God given to me to use in the kingdom? How am I using them? What am I keeping back for myself?
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3: 1 - 12 Discipline the Tongue
June 26: James 3:13 - 18 Recognize True Wisdom
June 29 James 4:1 – 10 Check Your Sources
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
July 3 James 4:11 – 5:6 Lose Selfish Desires
So, after an exhortation to check the sources for our desires, James gives some examples of selfish desires; desires that arise when our 'self' or the world system is the source of our desires.
I) Desire to be Morally/Intellectually Superior to Others (4:11 – 12)
Brothers, do not slander one another (v. 11, NIV)
'Slander' - the utterance of a defamatory statement injurious to the reputation or well-being of a person (New American Heritage)
This is non-constructive criticism; using words as weapons against another person with intent to do them harm in some fashion, thus winning a sort of battle and being shown to be superior to the opponent. It's putting others down in an attempt to make oneself seem better.
Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it– The Greek word used is krino, which means judging, divide, separate, made a distinction, come to a decision, to adjudge to punishment, condemn
Now, a word about judgment. Judgment is not something that determines the rightness or wrongness of someone's actions. That's what laws do. If the law says the speed limit is 45 miles per hour, and I drive 60, I have broken the law. That's not a judgment, that's a fact. Now, I may have been driving faster than the speed limit because I had a bleeding child in the back seat and I was trying to get to the ER as quickly as possible. 'You exceeded the speed limit' is a fact. 'You are a selfish impatient person and a bad driver to boot' is a judgment.
Judgment is what happens when we make a determination about the content of someone's heart or their worth to God based on what we can observe about them. This is why we are so strictly instructed not to judge; what is observable is not the whole story. Only God knows true motives; only God can judge rightly.
There may be times when individuals require discipline from those in authority in the local body. Even then, such discipline should be issued in love and without judgment. That's tough and painful for all involved, but in God's grace it is possible.
II) Desire to be Fully in Control of One’s Own Destiny (4:13-17)
Bragging and/or boasting about one's future, one's plans and the expected outcome shows a lack of submissionto God’s leadership. The truth is, none of us know what will happen tomorrow.
We must recognize the Lord’s hand in all things – that His hand IS in all things. Anything else is pride. Specifically, if we know to do something good (like submit every day to God’s leadership) and we don’t do it, it is sin (Origin of the concept of 'sins of omission')
The plain truth is that we do not have final authority over our own lives, and trying to be our own ultimate authority leads only to trouble.
III) Desire to Hoard Wealth and Live in Pleasure (5:1-6)
Treasures rotted; clothes moth-eaten; money rusted – all that happens to goods that are stored, tucked away, unused...hoarded. Things that not only do no good for needy folk, but even do no good for those that posess them.
Two witnesses are recorded against folks who hoard – the wages that had not been paid to their workers, and the workers themselves. This desire for comfort, pleasure and personal wealth keeps folks oblivious to God's ultimate authority, condemning innocent people as unworthy of the 'lifestyle of the rich and famous'...passing judgment.
Wealth is given to us to use for God, not to stow away for our own comfort or pleasure...and should never be obtained at the personal cost of others.
Things to think about:Who have I slandered – to others, to God, or to myself? How have I usurped God’s authority to judge? What plans am I making right now that do not take into account God’s will for my life? What resources has God given to me to use in the kingdom? How am I using them? What am I keeping back for myself?
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3: 1 - 12 Discipline the Tongue
June 26: James 3:13 - 18 Recognize True Wisdom
June 29 James 4:1 – 10 Check Your Sources
Monday, June 29, 2009
James Lesson 8: Check Your Source (Jubilee Monday # 43)
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Ok, I know this isn't Friday. But, since I skipped a day on the Retreat/Lock-in Weekend, I need to squeeze in an extra post to finish the study before my Regularly Scheduled Blogging Break on the third week of July. And, since tying up loose ends is sort of a Jubilee thing, I decided to make it my Jubilee post for this week, too. ;)
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3: 1 - 12 Discipline the Tongue
June 26: James 3:13 - 18 Recognize True Wisdom
June 29 James 4:1 – 10 Check Your Sources
I. Desires can come from the wrong source (4:1 – 3)
James segues from his discussion of true wisdom into some very practical teaching about relating to one another. It's interesting that he follows his statement that peacemakers harvest righteousness by observing that there are fights and arguments between the believers. This, he points out, is due to selfish desires that fight to control the body. This can be a double reference...not only do individuals struggle with selfish desires, but when an individual gives into those personal selfish desires, the corporate body suffers as an individual or group of individuals attempts to control the assembly.
Desires that fight within individuals are those desires which are mutually exclusive... trying to please God while satisfying one's selfish agenda... and are symptomatic of double-mindedness (see 1:7-8). Desires of the natural man are those that the individual will do anything to satisfy, considering that the end justifies the means. Someone who is maneuvering and manipulating to satisfy personal agendas does not acknowledge God as the Source; there is no humbling oneself to admit the inability to truly satisfy oneself and asking God to fulfill the desire (by the way, such a reluctance to ask God for something usually indicates that we know deep down that what we desire is not God’s will for us). Or, an individual does acknowledge God, but what is desired is not for God’s service, but for his/her own pleasure or to satisfy personal ambition, still not recognizing God's plan and authority.
II. Satisfaction will never come from the wrong source (4:4 – 6)
James identifies such folks as people who are unfaithful to God (lit. ‘adulterous’, as in a woman who cheats on her husband) by seeking a relationship with ‘The World.’
Here's a definition of 'The World': The system that places value on human achievement, favor, power, and wealth while devaluing godly principles and priorities. Spiritual things are valued only as a means to personal power.
Compare. Ex. 20:5 You shall not bow down to [idols]or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.... with James 4:5 , which literally says that ‘to envy yearns the spirit which dwelt in you.’ It's an awkwardly worded passage, yes, but not a difficult concept. God will not – can not – bless anyone who tries to earn esteem from the system that is opposed to Him. One who is seeking anything from the world has his back turned to God. Yet God longs to bless us. So, if we refuse to humble ourselves, God, in His grace, will humiliate us in order to put us in the place of humility where we are blessable.
III. Blessing comes from looking only to God as Source (4:7 – 10)
As a solution to the 'desires that war within us', James gives us seven practical instructions in order to become the kind of people that God can bless and use:
1) Submit to God - recognize His authority and quit pursuing a personal agenda
2) Resist the Devil -his plan is to prevent you from submitting to God; we must actively work against allowing the enemy's influence in our lives.
3)Come near to God - just as we actively work against listening to the enemy, we need to actively pursue a relationship with God..because the very pursuit of God draws Him to us.
4) Wash your hands: Clean up your lives and get rid of ungodly activities
5) Purify your hearts: eliminate self-centered motives.
6) Grieve (be sad, be sorry, weep, stop laughing, be gloomy) for your sin; don't fool yourself into thinking it's not a big deal. Sin is either forgiven through repentance and faith, or it brings about death. 'Excused' is not an option.
7)Be humble before God. Recognize what He does in and for us and always remember that It is He that has made us, and not we ourselves (Ps. 100:3)
And then - notice the last half of verse 10: He will lift you up. He will see to it that we each walk in our destiny and calling; it is not something for us to manipulate. If we do those seven things, we will be aligned and positioned in heart and life to do what God has called each of us to do.
Things to think about 'bow down' means 'submit to' ; 'worship' means to esteem, honor, serve.
What is in my life, other than God, that I submit myself to, or that I give esteem, honor and service, that I see as a source for meeting my needs? What do I need to do to turn towards God and away from that source?
Ok, I know this isn't Friday. But, since I skipped a day on the Retreat/Lock-in Weekend, I need to squeeze in an extra post to finish the study before my Regularly Scheduled Blogging Break on the third week of July. And, since tying up loose ends is sort of a Jubilee thing, I decided to make it my Jubilee post for this week, too. ;)
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3: 1 - 12 Discipline the Tongue
June 26: James 3:13 - 18 Recognize True Wisdom
June 29 James 4:1 – 10 Check Your Sources
I. Desires can come from the wrong source (4:1 – 3)
James segues from his discussion of true wisdom into some very practical teaching about relating to one another. It's interesting that he follows his statement that peacemakers harvest righteousness by observing that there are fights and arguments between the believers. This, he points out, is due to selfish desires that fight to control the body. This can be a double reference...not only do individuals struggle with selfish desires, but when an individual gives into those personal selfish desires, the corporate body suffers as an individual or group of individuals attempts to control the assembly.
Desires that fight within individuals are those desires which are mutually exclusive... trying to please God while satisfying one's selfish agenda... and are symptomatic of double-mindedness (see 1:7-8). Desires of the natural man are those that the individual will do anything to satisfy, considering that the end justifies the means. Someone who is maneuvering and manipulating to satisfy personal agendas does not acknowledge God as the Source; there is no humbling oneself to admit the inability to truly satisfy oneself and asking God to fulfill the desire (by the way, such a reluctance to ask God for something usually indicates that we know deep down that what we desire is not God’s will for us). Or, an individual does acknowledge God, but what is desired is not for God’s service, but for his/her own pleasure or to satisfy personal ambition, still not recognizing God's plan and authority.
II. Satisfaction will never come from the wrong source (4:4 – 6)
James identifies such folks as people who are unfaithful to God (lit. ‘adulterous’, as in a woman who cheats on her husband) by seeking a relationship with ‘The World.’
Here's a definition of 'The World': The system that places value on human achievement, favor, power, and wealth while devaluing godly principles and priorities. Spiritual things are valued only as a means to personal power.
Compare. Ex. 20:5 You shall not bow down to [idols]or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.... with James 4:5 , which literally says that ‘to envy yearns the spirit which dwelt in you.’ It's an awkwardly worded passage, yes, but not a difficult concept. God will not – can not – bless anyone who tries to earn esteem from the system that is opposed to Him. One who is seeking anything from the world has his back turned to God. Yet God longs to bless us. So, if we refuse to humble ourselves, God, in His grace, will humiliate us in order to put us in the place of humility where we are blessable.
III. Blessing comes from looking only to God as Source (4:7 – 10)
As a solution to the 'desires that war within us', James gives us seven practical instructions in order to become the kind of people that God can bless and use:
1) Submit to God - recognize His authority and quit pursuing a personal agenda
2) Resist the Devil -his plan is to prevent you from submitting to God; we must actively work against allowing the enemy's influence in our lives.
3)Come near to God - just as we actively work against listening to the enemy, we need to actively pursue a relationship with God..because the very pursuit of God draws Him to us.
4) Wash your hands: Clean up your lives and get rid of ungodly activities
5) Purify your hearts: eliminate self-centered motives.
6) Grieve (be sad, be sorry, weep, stop laughing, be gloomy) for your sin; don't fool yourself into thinking it's not a big deal. Sin is either forgiven through repentance and faith, or it brings about death. 'Excused' is not an option.
7)Be humble before God. Recognize what He does in and for us and always remember that It is He that has made us, and not we ourselves (Ps. 100:3)
And then - notice the last half of verse 10: He will lift you up. He will see to it that we each walk in our destiny and calling; it is not something for us to manipulate. If we do those seven things, we will be aligned and positioned in heart and life to do what God has called each of us to do.
Things to think about 'bow down' means 'submit to' ; 'worship' means to esteem, honor, serve.
What is in my life, other than God, that I submit myself to, or that I give esteem, honor and service, that I see as a source for meeting my needs? What do I need to do to turn towards God and away from that source?
Friday, June 26, 2009
James Lesson 7: Recognize True Wisdom
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3: 1 - 12 Discipline the Tongue
June 26: James 3:13 - 18 Recognize True Wisdom
I've got to do a bit of a disclaimer for this particular lesson; it's a compare/contrast deal and I always taught it by making two columns on a dry erase board and talking my way through the comparisons. The notes in my file are simply the two columns of contrasted points. So, um, this lesson is going to be different than the way I taught it in the past. But, hey, I could use a good look at what constitutes real wisdom anyway....
I. Call for Wisdom - 3:13
After his discussion of words and the use of them, James issues a challenge for those who are 'wise and understanding': to show that wisdom by conducting themselves rightly, doing all things from the humility that proceeds from true wisdom.
II. Beware Earthly Wisdom - 3:14- 16
The next word is 'But'...so you know there's a contrast coming, a warning to be heeded. Contrasted with the challenge to the wise is a description of what is not a basis for wise action: bitter envy and selfish ambition harbored in the heart.
James actually is instructing folks to check the basis for action, and if they find that there is envy and selfishness at the core of their being, he issues a stern warning: Don't boast about it or deny the truth. Now, there are two ways we can consider that warning:
- don't be proud of your selfish motives. "Looking out for Number One!" implies that God is not trustworthy. Making decisions based on personal happiness without regard to personal responsibility destroys relationships and does not reflect the way God has dealt with His people; it misrepresents the One that gave us the example of how to live.
- don't deny the heart content, covering up the true motives and refusing to deal with the issues. Don't be a manipulator
That self-focus, James says, is the foundation for earthly, natural wisdom. But he doesn't stop there; he actually says the devil himself is the source of such 'wisdom'. Think for a minute about the Garden of Eden and the lies the serpent told Eve. He managed to get her to question that God had her best interests in His heart, which lead her to desire something for herself outside of God's intentions for her, and to act on that desire. That has been the lie of the world ever since: put yourself first. James lays social disorder and evil deeds right at that root cause: envy and selfish ambition.
III. Cultivate Heavenly Wisdom.
Once again the word 'But' introduces the contrast. Now, though, the earthly wisdom that is the cause of strife and evil practices is contrasted with the wisdom that comes from heaven, which is, first of all, pure in the motive for all actions. No taint of selfishness or jealousy in any of its actions. Next, the wisdom from God is peace-loving. Not 'peace at any price' loving, but one that loves the peace of God that passes all understanding and seeks to spread that peace. Heavenly wisdom is considerate, which means it causes folks to think of the needs of others. It is submissive, recognizing and respecting true authority. It is full of mercy and good fruit. It is impartial, not showing favoritism to any one above another. Finally, it is sincere, since it flows from a heart that has been cleansed of selfish motives.
And, just as the false wisdom has the result of disorder and evil, heavenly wisdom is a peacemaking practice, which results in righteousness.
Things to think about: Think about the last time a decision was made to spend a chunk of money, the last time a decision was made to spend uncommitted time, and the last time a relationship issue was dealt with. What was revealed about heart motives in each of those decisions? How did - or didn't - the input you had in those decisions reveal a heart attitude of trust in God and the application of heavenly wisdom?
STUDY NOTE: Since I was pretty much out of pocket last Friday and missed posting, I'm going to post the next study on Monday as part of my 'Jubilee' posts...since part of Jubilee is fulfilling obligations, it sort of works! I want to finish the study before the next Regularly Scheduled Blogging Break, so I'll have to do an extra sometime anyway. Thought I'd pass along a heads up as to when it will be.
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3: 1 - 12 Discipline the Tongue
June 26: James 3:13 - 18 Recognize True Wisdom
I've got to do a bit of a disclaimer for this particular lesson; it's a compare/contrast deal and I always taught it by making two columns on a dry erase board and talking my way through the comparisons. The notes in my file are simply the two columns of contrasted points. So, um, this lesson is going to be different than the way I taught it in the past. But, hey, I could use a good look at what constitutes real wisdom anyway....
I. Call for Wisdom - 3:13
After his discussion of words and the use of them, James issues a challenge for those who are 'wise and understanding': to show that wisdom by conducting themselves rightly, doing all things from the humility that proceeds from true wisdom.
II. Beware Earthly Wisdom - 3:14- 16
The next word is 'But'...so you know there's a contrast coming, a warning to be heeded. Contrasted with the challenge to the wise is a description of what is not a basis for wise action: bitter envy and selfish ambition harbored in the heart.
James actually is instructing folks to check the basis for action, and if they find that there is envy and selfishness at the core of their being, he issues a stern warning: Don't boast about it or deny the truth. Now, there are two ways we can consider that warning:
- don't be proud of your selfish motives. "Looking out for Number One!" implies that God is not trustworthy. Making decisions based on personal happiness without regard to personal responsibility destroys relationships and does not reflect the way God has dealt with His people; it misrepresents the One that gave us the example of how to live.
- don't deny the heart content, covering up the true motives and refusing to deal with the issues. Don't be a manipulator
That self-focus, James says, is the foundation for earthly, natural wisdom. But he doesn't stop there; he actually says the devil himself is the source of such 'wisdom'. Think for a minute about the Garden of Eden and the lies the serpent told Eve. He managed to get her to question that God had her best interests in His heart, which lead her to desire something for herself outside of God's intentions for her, and to act on that desire. That has been the lie of the world ever since: put yourself first. James lays social disorder and evil deeds right at that root cause: envy and selfish ambition.
III. Cultivate Heavenly Wisdom.
Once again the word 'But' introduces the contrast. Now, though, the earthly wisdom that is the cause of strife and evil practices is contrasted with the wisdom that comes from heaven, which is, first of all, pure in the motive for all actions. No taint of selfishness or jealousy in any of its actions. Next, the wisdom from God is peace-loving. Not 'peace at any price' loving, but one that loves the peace of God that passes all understanding and seeks to spread that peace. Heavenly wisdom is considerate, which means it causes folks to think of the needs of others. It is submissive, recognizing and respecting true authority. It is full of mercy and good fruit. It is impartial, not showing favoritism to any one above another. Finally, it is sincere, since it flows from a heart that has been cleansed of selfish motives.
And, just as the false wisdom has the result of disorder and evil, heavenly wisdom is a peacemaking practice, which results in righteousness.
Things to think about: Think about the last time a decision was made to spend a chunk of money, the last time a decision was made to spend uncommitted time, and the last time a relationship issue was dealt with. What was revealed about heart motives in each of those decisions? How did - or didn't - the input you had in those decisions reveal a heart attitude of trust in God and the application of heavenly wisdom?
STUDY NOTE: Since I was pretty much out of pocket last Friday and missed posting, I'm going to post the next study on Monday as part of my 'Jubilee' posts...since part of Jubilee is fulfilling obligations, it sort of works! I want to finish the study before the next Regularly Scheduled Blogging Break, so I'll have to do an extra sometime anyway. Thought I'd pass along a heads up as to when it will be.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Oops
I just realized I missed the scheduled post for the James Bible study on Friday...
I was at state retreat with my Friends club girls Thursday - Friday, and we had a three hour turn around before going to church for the junior high ministry's girls' lock-in.
So I was home on Friday long enough to take a shower, repack things for the lock in and fix supper. Then I stayed up all night Friday night, came home about 9:45 on Saturday morning and pretty much went straight to bed for the rest of the day.
So...I didn't get the next lesson posted! I'm feeling rather sheepish about that.
Mayhap I will post two lessons this week....
I was at state retreat with my Friends club girls Thursday - Friday, and we had a three hour turn around before going to church for the junior high ministry's girls' lock-in.
So I was home on Friday long enough to take a shower, repack things for the lock in and fix supper. Then I stayed up all night Friday night, came home about 9:45 on Saturday morning and pretty much went straight to bed for the rest of the day.
So...I didn't get the next lesson posted! I'm feeling rather sheepish about that.
Mayhap I will post two lessons this week....
Friday, June 12, 2009
James Lesson 6: Discipline the Tongue
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3: 1 - 12 Discipline the Tongue
Spotted on a T-shirt: 'Lord, please keep your arm around my shoulders and Your hand over my mouth'
By way of intro, remember James 1:26 -- Controlling the tongue is essential to the practice of one’s faith. As promised, James again takes up the topic of the words we use. This passage is often studied in context of negative things that are said, but it applies equally to good things that are not said, to sloppy speech patterns and poor judgment of when things should - and should not - be said.
I – Influence of the tongue (1 – 2)
At first, this looks like James will be instructing teachers, but in fact he uses the example of teacher to lead into a discussion of the tongue; a discussion of the words that come out of our mouths. Teachers are people who use their words specifically and intentionally to shape the thoughts and actions of other people, therefore they are judged more strictly in what they say because of the influence they wield. But all of us influence others to some degree by what we say, so we should all take the message to heart. What we say and how we say it has power beyond what we imagine.
The plain fact is that the level of discipline required to use the tongue in a proper manner is so great that the discipline required to control other aspects of life is easy in comparison. Because the tongue is a seemingly minor two-ounce muscle, we do not realize that it requires such a serious effort...or that it is so critical. It has the power to literally shapes lives, and disciplining it to be productive rather than destructive is critical. Once that discipline is achieved, James indicates that that individual is then completely mature.
II – Power of the tongue (verses 3-8)
Lest any of James' readers question the importance he give to the matter, he gives examples from common life...the bit in a horse's mouth, the rudder of a ship, a tiny spark...that, although they are very small, almost insignificant things, they can control something large or initiate catastrophic events.
Words can set into motion events that have unbelievable results. Words can cause wounds that go deep and cripple. The right word at the right time can sometimes turn the tide in a crisis, restore a broken relationship, or give enough hope to a hopeless one for them to begin making positive life choices. However, the tongue’s power is more often used by humans for evil than for good, and that evil is deeper, darker, and more destructive than we acknowledge.
How many things do you wish you could go back and not do versus how many things do you wish you could go back and not say? There have been times in my life...some of which I've discussed here in the way-too recent past...that I have had to use Desenex as toothpaste because I’ve had my foot in my mouth! James points out that men have tamed all kinds of creatures, but no man can tame the tongue (In the Greek, verse 8 reads, 'But the tongue no one to tame is able of men'). Once an animal is truly tamed (as opposed to merely trained), its nature is changed. The tongue, however, is not tamable...only constant discipline will keep our speech from degenerating into self-serving patterns once again.
That is an important reminder of how much we need the grace of God! Pure human effort ultimately fails...only grace can give us the ability to mature in this area; as Col 4:6 exhorts us to Let your conversation be always full of grace. The great effort of discipline is not to exert self-control over our conversation; self-control is woefully inadequate. No, it is to constantly remain submitted to God in the area of speech.
III – Fickleness of the tongue (verses 9 – 12)
It goes against nature for any one source to give rise to contradicting products. A well does not produce good and bad water, neither do trees bear diverse kinds of fruit. Yet it is ridiculously easy for contradictory, hypocritical words to come out of our mouths. James plainly says that we should not bless God, then curse people.
Note that ‘curse’ doesn’t just mean to use bad language – it can also mean to speak negatively of or to complain about. Many Christians who would never, ever give voice to obscene or profane language do not have any reluctance in declaring negative proclamations over those who have crossed them. My Brothers, James says, This should not be. (v. 10)
Controlling the tongue is a matter of submitting to the discipline of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to guide what you say, to whom you say it, when you say it, how you say it. It is honestly assessing your true motives – WHY do you feel a need to say it? Ultimately, it is saying the right things when they should be said and how they should be said as well as not saying the wrong things at any time.
In Luke 6:45, Jesus tells us that, 'Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts. Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart.' (CEV -- emphasis mine)
Things to think about: We may not all be teachers, but we do all teach someone, even if we’re not necessarily aware of it. To whom is your life an example, and what are you teaching? How does your daily conversation truly reflect your faith?
Assignment: Pay attention this week to what comes out of your mouth. How much do you complain, voice negative expectations, gossip, express judgment...or hold back on paying a compliment, speaking an encouraging word, or expressing thanks? Do you resist the urge to 'put someone in their place', 'give a piece of your mind' or 'stand up for your rights'? Do you exaggerate or fudge the truth?
What does your observation reveal about the way you use your words?
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3: 1 - 12 Discipline the Tongue
Spotted on a T-shirt: 'Lord, please keep your arm around my shoulders and Your hand over my mouth'
By way of intro, remember James 1:26 -- Controlling the tongue is essential to the practice of one’s faith. As promised, James again takes up the topic of the words we use. This passage is often studied in context of negative things that are said, but it applies equally to good things that are not said, to sloppy speech patterns and poor judgment of when things should - and should not - be said.
I – Influence of the tongue (1 – 2)
At first, this looks like James will be instructing teachers, but in fact he uses the example of teacher to lead into a discussion of the tongue; a discussion of the words that come out of our mouths. Teachers are people who use their words specifically and intentionally to shape the thoughts and actions of other people, therefore they are judged more strictly in what they say because of the influence they wield. But all of us influence others to some degree by what we say, so we should all take the message to heart. What we say and how we say it has power beyond what we imagine.
The plain fact is that the level of discipline required to use the tongue in a proper manner is so great that the discipline required to control other aspects of life is easy in comparison. Because the tongue is a seemingly minor two-ounce muscle, we do not realize that it requires such a serious effort...or that it is so critical. It has the power to literally shapes lives, and disciplining it to be productive rather than destructive is critical. Once that discipline is achieved, James indicates that that individual is then completely mature.
II – Power of the tongue (verses 3-8)
Lest any of James' readers question the importance he give to the matter, he gives examples from common life...the bit in a horse's mouth, the rudder of a ship, a tiny spark...that, although they are very small, almost insignificant things, they can control something large or initiate catastrophic events.
Words can set into motion events that have unbelievable results. Words can cause wounds that go deep and cripple. The right word at the right time can sometimes turn the tide in a crisis, restore a broken relationship, or give enough hope to a hopeless one for them to begin making positive life choices. However, the tongue’s power is more often used by humans for evil than for good, and that evil is deeper, darker, and more destructive than we acknowledge.
How many things do you wish you could go back and not do versus how many things do you wish you could go back and not say? There have been times in my life...some of which I've discussed here in the way-too recent past...that I have had to use Desenex as toothpaste because I’ve had my foot in my mouth! James points out that men have tamed all kinds of creatures, but no man can tame the tongue (In the Greek, verse 8 reads, 'But the tongue no one to tame is able of men'). Once an animal is truly tamed (as opposed to merely trained), its nature is changed. The tongue, however, is not tamable...only constant discipline will keep our speech from degenerating into self-serving patterns once again.
That is an important reminder of how much we need the grace of God! Pure human effort ultimately fails...only grace can give us the ability to mature in this area; as Col 4:6 exhorts us to Let your conversation be always full of grace. The great effort of discipline is not to exert self-control over our conversation; self-control is woefully inadequate. No, it is to constantly remain submitted to God in the area of speech.
III – Fickleness of the tongue (verses 9 – 12)
It goes against nature for any one source to give rise to contradicting products. A well does not produce good and bad water, neither do trees bear diverse kinds of fruit. Yet it is ridiculously easy for contradictory, hypocritical words to come out of our mouths. James plainly says that we should not bless God, then curse people.
Note that ‘curse’ doesn’t just mean to use bad language – it can also mean to speak negatively of or to complain about. Many Christians who would never, ever give voice to obscene or profane language do not have any reluctance in declaring negative proclamations over those who have crossed them. My Brothers, James says, This should not be. (v. 10)
Controlling the tongue is a matter of submitting to the discipline of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to guide what you say, to whom you say it, when you say it, how you say it. It is honestly assessing your true motives – WHY do you feel a need to say it? Ultimately, it is saying the right things when they should be said and how they should be said as well as not saying the wrong things at any time.
In Luke 6:45, Jesus tells us that, 'Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts. Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart.' (CEV -- emphasis mine)
Things to think about: We may not all be teachers, but we do all teach someone, even if we’re not necessarily aware of it. To whom is your life an example, and what are you teaching? How does your daily conversation truly reflect your faith?
Assignment: Pay attention this week to what comes out of your mouth. How much do you complain, voice negative expectations, gossip, express judgment...or hold back on paying a compliment, speaking an encouraging word, or expressing thanks? Do you resist the urge to 'put someone in their place', 'give a piece of your mind' or 'stand up for your rights'? Do you exaggerate or fudge the truth?
What does your observation reveal about the way you use your words?
Friday, June 5, 2009
James Lesson 5: Demonstrate Real Faith
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
In the last two lessons we contrasted "Hearing" and "Obeying"; today we contrast "Saying" and "Doing." This is not a treatise on requirements for salvation or instruction for evaluating the faith of another person but a call to inspect one’s own faith for validity. In many countries around the world, as in most of the world when James wrote his epistle, calling oneself a follower of Christ is a very risky thing to do; in the United States, calling oneself a Christian is almost a cultural norm, although that is less true today than it was fifty years ago. But even in the first century, there were those who, for whatever reason, did not make the connection between what they said they believed and how that belief should impact their daily living. That disconnect is much more evident in today's United States, and James' instruction should cause each of us who claims to be a follower of Jesus to look hard at our lives as lived on a daily basis to see if our faith really does influence our actions.
I. Real Faith is not Just words (2:14-17)
Look at verse 14 and circle “claims to have faith” and “such faith” and draw an arrow connecting them. "Such faith" is faith that is claimed only in words. To illustrate his point, James gives an example of simply wishing a needy person well instead of actually giving them what they need. The words did nothing; providing food and clothing demonstrates the heart attitude of wishing the person well, even if the words are not spoken. Note that James is still talking about 'such faith'...that is, faith that is claimed in words only... when he makes the statement that 'faith... not accompanied by action, is dead.' As was mentioned in the introduction to the study, James' point is that true faith will provoke right action. Faith that is only given lip service is described in Isaiah 29:13 -- The LORD says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
II. Real Faith Manifests Itself in Actions (2:18-19)
Here's a truth worth noting: It is impossible to separate what you believe from how you behave. Or, as Henry Blackaby states in Experiencing God, "What you do shows what you believe." James points out that even demons acknowledge the existence of God, but they never submit to Him as their Lord. Yes, they believe that God exists, but every action shows that they are opposed to Him. They do not obey Him; His authority over them is such that what He speaks becomes their reality, so they are afraid of Him.
In Matt 7:21, Jesus also demonstrates the uselessness of saying one believes without letting that belief affect one's behavior – "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." When this passage is put with John 6:28 - 29, we see something interesting: Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
Compare Romans 10:9-10, which clearly demonstrates that saying one believes is only half of the salvation requirement. One must not only confess (or admit) that Jesus is Lord, but one must believe in the core of who they are that He IS Lord, and that He's living today. Belief like THAT,true belief, will affect every aspect of one's life.
III. Real Faith can be Observed (2:20-26)
James then offers two examples from the Old Testament in which belief affected someone's actions. The first example is Abraham. God promised Abraham that He would make an everlasting promise to Isaac and his descendants forever in Gen. 17: 19. Then in Gen. 22:3 God tells Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice...kill him. Abraham didn't flinch or hesitate; he immediately set about doing just that. He trusted God enough to obey Him, even when it made absolutely no sense and seemed to contradict everything he believed. But God proved Himself trustworthy...Abraham did not have to actually kill his son, although he did go right to that point. What Abraham did showed that he trusted God completely, even with his promise.
But we all know Abraham was a friend of God, who heard and spoke with God much clearer than most of us. So, James provides another example, this time, one who never had the opportunity to hear God for herself: Rahab (Joshua 2). Rahab was a pagan prostitute...someone about as far from the voice of God as anyone could be. But she heard of God, she saw how all the people of Jericho reacted and she made up her mind what she believed about this God that she did not know. When the Israelite spies were pursued by the king of Jericho, Rahab hid them and sent the soldiers off on a wild goose chase to give the spies time to get away. Just before they left, she made an amazing declaration, 'I know that the LORD has given this land to you...the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below' (Josh. 2:9,11). Then, she asked the spies to save her and her family when they conquered the city. She helped them escape the city, and then followed their instructions to the letter. She could've gained great favor with the king of Jericho by handing the men over, but instead she risked her life to aid the people of God. What she did showed that she trusted God above all the idols of her people and knew that He would conquer both her people and their gods. Her life was spared, the God of Israel became her God and she was included in the lineage of Christ...because she acted in accordance to her belief.
Our faith is demonstrated as genuine to the people around us by what we do. A key phrase is in James 2:24 -- 'You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith [that is claimed in words...that's still James' topic] alone.' A faith that does not result in right actions is, as James so bluntly puts it, a dead faith.
This is not legalism, trying to be saved by what you do; this is not putting on a show for recognition from people or even trying to earn God's favor by following forms and rituals; this is living out the convictions of a transformed heart on a daily basis.
Things to think about: What do my actions reveal about my beliefs? Are they consistent with the Royal Law of love – loving God, loving others? How do (or don't) my actions display trust in God?
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
In the last two lessons we contrasted "Hearing" and "Obeying"; today we contrast "Saying" and "Doing." This is not a treatise on requirements for salvation or instruction for evaluating the faith of another person but a call to inspect one’s own faith for validity. In many countries around the world, as in most of the world when James wrote his epistle, calling oneself a follower of Christ is a very risky thing to do; in the United States, calling oneself a Christian is almost a cultural norm, although that is less true today than it was fifty years ago. But even in the first century, there were those who, for whatever reason, did not make the connection between what they said they believed and how that belief should impact their daily living. That disconnect is much more evident in today's United States, and James' instruction should cause each of us who claims to be a follower of Jesus to look hard at our lives as lived on a daily basis to see if our faith really does influence our actions.
I. Real Faith is not Just words (2:14-17)
Look at verse 14 and circle “claims to have faith” and “such faith” and draw an arrow connecting them. "Such faith" is faith that is claimed only in words. To illustrate his point, James gives an example of simply wishing a needy person well instead of actually giving them what they need. The words did nothing; providing food and clothing demonstrates the heart attitude of wishing the person well, even if the words are not spoken. Note that James is still talking about 'such faith'...that is, faith that is claimed in words only... when he makes the statement that 'faith... not accompanied by action, is dead.' As was mentioned in the introduction to the study, James' point is that true faith will provoke right action. Faith that is only given lip service is described in Isaiah 29:13 -- The LORD says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
II. Real Faith Manifests Itself in Actions (2:18-19)
Here's a truth worth noting: It is impossible to separate what you believe from how you behave. Or, as Henry Blackaby states in Experiencing God, "What you do shows what you believe." James points out that even demons acknowledge the existence of God, but they never submit to Him as their Lord. Yes, they believe that God exists, but every action shows that they are opposed to Him. They do not obey Him; His authority over them is such that what He speaks becomes their reality, so they are afraid of Him.
In Matt 7:21, Jesus also demonstrates the uselessness of saying one believes without letting that belief affect one's behavior – "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." When this passage is put with John 6:28 - 29, we see something interesting: Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
Compare Romans 10:9-10, which clearly demonstrates that saying one believes is only half of the salvation requirement. One must not only confess (or admit) that Jesus is Lord, but one must believe in the core of who they are that He IS Lord, and that He's living today. Belief like THAT,true belief, will affect every aspect of one's life.
III. Real Faith can be Observed (2:20-26)
James then offers two examples from the Old Testament in which belief affected someone's actions. The first example is Abraham. God promised Abraham that He would make an everlasting promise to Isaac and his descendants forever in Gen. 17: 19. Then in Gen. 22:3 God tells Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice...kill him. Abraham didn't flinch or hesitate; he immediately set about doing just that. He trusted God enough to obey Him, even when it made absolutely no sense and seemed to contradict everything he believed. But God proved Himself trustworthy...Abraham did not have to actually kill his son, although he did go right to that point. What Abraham did showed that he trusted God completely, even with his promise.
But we all know Abraham was a friend of God, who heard and spoke with God much clearer than most of us. So, James provides another example, this time, one who never had the opportunity to hear God for herself: Rahab (Joshua 2). Rahab was a pagan prostitute...someone about as far from the voice of God as anyone could be. But she heard of God, she saw how all the people of Jericho reacted and she made up her mind what she believed about this God that she did not know. When the Israelite spies were pursued by the king of Jericho, Rahab hid them and sent the soldiers off on a wild goose chase to give the spies time to get away. Just before they left, she made an amazing declaration, 'I know that the LORD has given this land to you...the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below' (Josh. 2:9,11). Then, she asked the spies to save her and her family when they conquered the city. She helped them escape the city, and then followed their instructions to the letter. She could've gained great favor with the king of Jericho by handing the men over, but instead she risked her life to aid the people of God. What she did showed that she trusted God above all the idols of her people and knew that He would conquer both her people and their gods. Her life was spared, the God of Israel became her God and she was included in the lineage of Christ...because she acted in accordance to her belief.
Our faith is demonstrated as genuine to the people around us by what we do. A key phrase is in James 2:24 -- 'You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith [that is claimed in words...that's still James' topic] alone.' A faith that does not result in right actions is, as James so bluntly puts it, a dead faith.
This is not legalism, trying to be saved by what you do; this is not putting on a show for recognition from people or even trying to earn God's favor by following forms and rituals; this is living out the convictions of a transformed heart on a daily basis.
Things to think about: What do my actions reveal about my beliefs? Are they consistent with the Royal Law of love – loving God, loving others? How do (or don't) my actions display trust in God?
Friday, May 29, 2009
James Lesson 4: Live the Law of Freedom
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
Last week, I noted that James indicates that we're to continually look at and adjust our lives to the 'perfect law that gives freedom' (1:25). Today, we get a little closer look at what he's referring to.
I. Examples of Error: James 2: 1-9
James is still discussing ‘listening and obeying vs. hearing and forgetting’, so this lesson begins with illustrations of some errors in behavior that result from 'forgetting'.
The first error he mentions is judging someone’s personal worth by his/her appearance. The illustration is a church service, in which someone who looks wealthy and important is greeted warmly and honored, while someone who obviously is not wealthy is more or less dismissed.
I'll freely admit it's fighting our nature to resist judging other folks by their appearances. Some time ago, I had to spend some time in a hospital waiting room before some tests and there were a number of people in the room representing a wide variety of dress and mannerisms. And, despite my better knowledge, I found myself making judgments about what kind of people these folks were based on their dress and manner of speaking and how they interacted with their companions. It was almost as if my spiritual self was watching my natural self react in the very thing which James states is having 'discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts.' (v.4)
Now, I was in a corner with a book waiting my turn and so I didn't have any opportunity to interact with any of them, but I could see how easy it would be to treat the folks differently based on how they presented themselves, which is the second error James notes: giving preferential treatment to the one you deem more valuable.
Why do we do this? I really think it's because our desire is to gain favor with the rich and powerful in order that they might ‘return the favor’ to us in some fashion. This is a subtle action of actually trusting man over God; it's basically idolatry.
James indicates that this is crazy: poor people have a greater reliance on and faith in God, while the rich people tend to be the ones who exploit those beneath them and make a mockery of God.
But, if we heed and obey the ‘Royal Law’ to love each other, we will not fall into this error. James quotes Leviticus 19:18, 'Love your neighbor as yourself', which Jesus also quoted in Matthew 22:35 - 40:
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' this is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." This is the 'perfect law that gives freedom' James refers to...the law of love, because if we truly act with love towards God and towards others, the rest of the law falls into place.
Treating some better than others is wrong: it violates the royal Law of love. It is sin.
II. Essence of Sin – James 2: 10 - 11
So, James continues, if you break one law, you are guilty of breaking the whole Law. We tend to think of the Law as being a set of small laws, like a set of china, and so believe that if one is broken the rest are ok. And if it's a minor piece...say, a salt cellar...then the value of the set really isn't harmed *that* much. But the truth is, The Law is a integrated unit, like a chain, and if one link...no matter which one...is broken the whole thing is broken. The example he gives is murder vs. adultery, but he could have selected any example...lying vs. stealing, etc. The truth is, any time I assert my will over God's will I have broken God's law. I've sinned.
III. Essence of Obedience – James 2: 12 - 13
But, James points out, we are to be living under the Law that gives freedom, the Law of Love that frees us from bondage to the written laws. The perfect law of love is not based on a list of dos and don'ts, it's based on the heart attitude of love.
It's God's mercy operating in our lives that will defeat the natural tendency to judge.
Things to think about: In what ways do I allow the old nature and its self-centered judgment to express itself? How can I bring that part of me under submission to the Law of Love...the mercy of God?
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
Last week, I noted that James indicates that we're to continually look at and adjust our lives to the 'perfect law that gives freedom' (1:25). Today, we get a little closer look at what he's referring to.
I. Examples of Error: James 2: 1-9
James is still discussing ‘listening and obeying vs. hearing and forgetting’, so this lesson begins with illustrations of some errors in behavior that result from 'forgetting'.
The first error he mentions is judging someone’s personal worth by his/her appearance. The illustration is a church service, in which someone who looks wealthy and important is greeted warmly and honored, while someone who obviously is not wealthy is more or less dismissed.
I'll freely admit it's fighting our nature to resist judging other folks by their appearances. Some time ago, I had to spend some time in a hospital waiting room before some tests and there were a number of people in the room representing a wide variety of dress and mannerisms. And, despite my better knowledge, I found myself making judgments about what kind of people these folks were based on their dress and manner of speaking and how they interacted with their companions. It was almost as if my spiritual self was watching my natural self react in the very thing which James states is having 'discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts.' (v.4)
Now, I was in a corner with a book waiting my turn and so I didn't have any opportunity to interact with any of them, but I could see how easy it would be to treat the folks differently based on how they presented themselves, which is the second error James notes: giving preferential treatment to the one you deem more valuable.
Why do we do this? I really think it's because our desire is to gain favor with the rich and powerful in order that they might ‘return the favor’ to us in some fashion. This is a subtle action of actually trusting man over God; it's basically idolatry.
James indicates that this is crazy: poor people have a greater reliance on and faith in God, while the rich people tend to be the ones who exploit those beneath them and make a mockery of God.
But, if we heed and obey the ‘Royal Law’ to love each other, we will not fall into this error. James quotes Leviticus 19:18, 'Love your neighbor as yourself', which Jesus also quoted in Matthew 22:35 - 40:
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' this is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." This is the 'perfect law that gives freedom' James refers to...the law of love, because if we truly act with love towards God and towards others, the rest of the law falls into place.
Treating some better than others is wrong: it violates the royal Law of love. It is sin.
II. Essence of Sin – James 2: 10 - 11
So, James continues, if you break one law, you are guilty of breaking the whole Law. We tend to think of the Law as being a set of small laws, like a set of china, and so believe that if one is broken the rest are ok. And if it's a minor piece...say, a salt cellar...then the value of the set really isn't harmed *that* much. But the truth is, The Law is a integrated unit, like a chain, and if one link...no matter which one...is broken the whole thing is broken. The example he gives is murder vs. adultery, but he could have selected any example...lying vs. stealing, etc. The truth is, any time I assert my will over God's will I have broken God's law. I've sinned.
III. Essence of Obedience – James 2: 12 - 13
But, James points out, we are to be living under the Law that gives freedom, the Law of Love that frees us from bondage to the written laws. The perfect law of love is not based on a list of dos and don'ts, it's based on the heart attitude of love.
It's God's mercy operating in our lives that will defeat the natural tendency to judge.
Things to think about: In what ways do I allow the old nature and its self-centered judgment to express itself? How can I bring that part of me under submission to the Law of Love...the mercy of God?
Friday, May 22, 2009
James Lesson 3: Make Real Changes
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
Ouch again. One thing I've learned from the Jubilee Posts (on the sidebar, if you're new here) is that it's pretty easy to identify changes that need to take place but it's really not so easy to make those changes. Today's lesson is for me. I've *got* to get with the implementation.
James identifies three steps in the change-making process, beginning with listening (Jams 1:19-20). Now, there are a number of sources that the 'listening' could be applied to...Bible reading, teachers, parents, friends...but ultimately what each of us should be listening to is the Holy Spirit, who can speak through all those voices.
There are three things that hinder listening:
Lack of interest
Planning your own response
Having an emotional (especially angry) response
This specifically applies to hearing God’s message – that’s what James is speaking of here. (Reference James 1:18)
His instructions are specific –
be quick to listen (be interested);
be slow to speak (don’t be forming a response while you should be listening)
don’t get angry with what is being said, then tune the rest out
A number of years ago, I taught Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God study to high school students. One young lady in the class took exception to Blackaby's use of the word 'invites' in the point 'God invites us to join Him in His work'. She was insistent that God doesn't 'invite', He 'commands' and we either obey or disobey. She was so offended at that concept that she dropped out of the study and got nothing from it. Offense and anger stopped her from listening.
If you get angry and defensive about what the message reveals in you, you will not allow God to deal with those issues. Now, it's true that we need to test all things and hold only to that which is good, but when an angry or offended response arises we need to be very careful to make sure that it's not just a reaction from the flesh to avoid conviction.
But, James 1:21-23 tells us that listening well is just the beginning...the message must be accepted. Accepting the message doesn’t just mean agreeing; it means putting it to work, as it says in the tail end of verse 22, 'Do what it says.'
Circle ‘accept’ in vs. 21 and ‘merely listen’ in verse 22. Note that this is the contrast -- ‘accept’ vs. ‘merely listen.’ James says that if you consider yourself okay just because you listen to the message, you are fooling yourself.
When The Actor was about 7 years old, he was learning the basics for the Royal Rangers. One of the verses he had to learn was The Golden Rule, and one day I walked by the kitchen table where he was having a snack and repeating, "Do to others what you would have them do to you. Do to others what you would have them do to you..."
I stopped and looked at him. "That's great! Do you know what it means?" He looked up at me kind of blankly, so I continued, "Do you know what it means to do to other people as you would like them to do to you?"
He sighed, "Mom, I don't have to do it, I just have to say it!"
Well, that was the start of a longer conversation, let me tell you! However, there are a surprising number of folks who seem to agree with that sentiment...the idea that as long as someone is 'in church', they're doing ok.
James says you deceive yourself if you think all you have to do is hear. Like looking into a mirror and seeing broccoli in your teeth, then turning away and forgetting about it.
Listening without putting what one hears into practice is useless.
We are to keep looking at the ‘perfect law that gives freedom’ -- the instructions for living that God has given us -- and consistently making adjustments to life to stay in harmony with that law. Then everything we do will be in obedience to God, so He has to bless it!
James then gives an example of folks who think they're 'religious', but who don't keep a tight rein on what they say (He'll talk more about that in chapter three).
An 'uncontrolled tongue' is characterized by cursing, lying, gossip, bad-mouthing, catty speech, off-color humor, even just ‘saying what you think’ without regard to whether or not it hurts someone. Now, one doesn't have to have all those traits to be uncontrolled...even one is a result of uncontrolled speech.
He contrasts that with religion that God considers pure and spotless: one that takes care of widows and orphans and resists the influence of the ungodly.
Things to think about: How have I 'not listened' to the voice of the Spirit? Why have I closed my ears -- was it because I wasn't interested, too busy thinking of how to respond, or because it made me angry so I avoided it?
What am I hearing from God but not implementing in my life? How can I begin to put those things to work?
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
Ouch again. One thing I've learned from the Jubilee Posts (on the sidebar, if you're new here) is that it's pretty easy to identify changes that need to take place but it's really not so easy to make those changes. Today's lesson is for me. I've *got* to get with the implementation.
James identifies three steps in the change-making process, beginning with listening (Jams 1:19-20). Now, there are a number of sources that the 'listening' could be applied to...Bible reading, teachers, parents, friends...but ultimately what each of us should be listening to is the Holy Spirit, who can speak through all those voices.
There are three things that hinder listening:
Lack of interest
Planning your own response
Having an emotional (especially angry) response
This specifically applies to hearing God’s message – that’s what James is speaking of here. (Reference James 1:18)
His instructions are specific –
be quick to listen (be interested);
be slow to speak (don’t be forming a response while you should be listening)
don’t get angry with what is being said, then tune the rest out
A number of years ago, I taught Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God study to high school students. One young lady in the class took exception to Blackaby's use of the word 'invites' in the point 'God invites us to join Him in His work'. She was insistent that God doesn't 'invite', He 'commands' and we either obey or disobey. She was so offended at that concept that she dropped out of the study and got nothing from it. Offense and anger stopped her from listening.
If you get angry and defensive about what the message reveals in you, you will not allow God to deal with those issues. Now, it's true that we need to test all things and hold only to that which is good, but when an angry or offended response arises we need to be very careful to make sure that it's not just a reaction from the flesh to avoid conviction.
But, James 1:21-23 tells us that listening well is just the beginning...the message must be accepted. Accepting the message doesn’t just mean agreeing; it means putting it to work, as it says in the tail end of verse 22, 'Do what it says.'
Circle ‘accept’ in vs. 21 and ‘merely listen’ in verse 22. Note that this is the contrast -- ‘accept’ vs. ‘merely listen.’ James says that if you consider yourself okay just because you listen to the message, you are fooling yourself.
When The Actor was about 7 years old, he was learning the basics for the Royal Rangers. One of the verses he had to learn was The Golden Rule, and one day I walked by the kitchen table where he was having a snack and repeating, "Do to others what you would have them do to you. Do to others what you would have them do to you..."
I stopped and looked at him. "That's great! Do you know what it means?" He looked up at me kind of blankly, so I continued, "Do you know what it means to do to other people as you would like them to do to you?"
He sighed, "Mom, I don't have to do it, I just have to say it!"
Well, that was the start of a longer conversation, let me tell you! However, there are a surprising number of folks who seem to agree with that sentiment...the idea that as long as someone is 'in church', they're doing ok.
James says you deceive yourself if you think all you have to do is hear. Like looking into a mirror and seeing broccoli in your teeth, then turning away and forgetting about it.
Listening without putting what one hears into practice is useless.
We are to keep looking at the ‘perfect law that gives freedom’ -- the instructions for living that God has given us -- and consistently making adjustments to life to stay in harmony with that law. Then everything we do will be in obedience to God, so He has to bless it!
James then gives an example of folks who think they're 'religious', but who don't keep a tight rein on what they say (He'll talk more about that in chapter three).
An 'uncontrolled tongue' is characterized by cursing, lying, gossip, bad-mouthing, catty speech, off-color humor, even just ‘saying what you think’ without regard to whether or not it hurts someone. Now, one doesn't have to have all those traits to be uncontrolled...even one is a result of uncontrolled speech.
He contrasts that with religion that God considers pure and spotless: one that takes care of widows and orphans and resists the influence of the ungodly.
Things to think about: How have I 'not listened' to the voice of the Spirit? Why have I closed my ears -- was it because I wasn't interested, too busy thinking of how to respond, or because it made me angry so I avoided it?
What am I hearing from God but not implementing in my life? How can I begin to put those things to work?
Friday, May 15, 2009
James Lesson 2: Make Quality Decisions
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
The Epistle of James
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
In C.S. Lewis’s book, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the characters encounter a dilemma in which they must decide whether, having sailed to the easternmost island in their world, they will turn the ship around and head for home or continue on to the unknown utter east in order to leave at least one of their company at that point, then return to the island to break an enchantment over four former lords of Narnia. They have been a long time at sea, and most of the crew initially grumbles at the thought of journeying still farther before turning for home. Reepicheep the Talking Mouse, who has often quoted a prophecy that he should see the utter east and whose penchant for honor and adventure knows no bounds, is uncharacteristically silent during the debate. Finally, Lucy asks Reepicheep if he will not speak.
“No. Why should your Majesty expect it?” answered Reepicheep in a voice that most people heard. “My own plans are made. While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan’s country, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise and Peepiceek will be head of the talking mice in Narnia.”
Reepicheep understood the implications of making a quality decision.
Definition of a quality decision: a decision that changes some aspect of one’s life and is only made once. It is setting one’s face toward a goal and not giving up, even if the goal is not reached.
Now, this doesn’t mean there won’t be difficulties or that temptations to quit won’t present themselves. Actually, a decision that is not challenged in some way is really not a necessary decision at all. A quality decision is the thing that must be walked out when everything in you and around you appears to agree that you should quit. In the course of walking out a quality decision, you may:
-- slip and fall
-- get knocked backwards
-- get disgusted and sit down and throw a fit about how hard and how unfair the road is... nobody told you it would be like that!
-- even wander slightly off the path.
BUT, you NEVER give up, turn around and go back to where you came from. Eventually, you shake it off, get up, correct your course, and keep going...always heading toward the goal, even if you never quite make it.
James properly places early in his letter an exhortation to make a quality decision to trust God, no matter what happens. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (James 1: 6-8)
James is describing the kind of people Jesus talked about in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13): those that hear the word and get excited about it but don’t let it change their lives, so they fall away from believing when trials come (the ‘rocky soil’ folks). There are three aspects of this decision to trust God no matter what that James looks at in particular.
1. Decide to rejoice when tested-- James 1:2-4
Everyone has troubles. James instructs us to be joyful in our troubles because we know that, by enduring them with the right attitude, we will grow and mature in the faith. He gives us a progression:
Testing -- Produces --> Endurance –-Produces-- > Maturity
From this progression, you can see that Maturity does not come until one has learned Endurance...and Endurance cannot be learned unless there is something to endure – a Test. We tend to think that if God really loved us, we would not have to suffer anything. But, the truth is God does not want to leave us as babies but for all of us to come into the maturity of Christ. That can’t happen without tests (otherwise known as trouble). So, James says, rejoice in your trouble: it’s your opportunity to grow.
2. Decide to believe God will give you what you need – James 1:5-8
The first thing we need to develop under trials is wisdom. But, it's not a thing we struggle to develop; God will give that when we ask Him. But, no matter what you ask God for, if you don’t really believe He will give it to you, He can’t give it to you. Hence the necessary quality decision to trust God no matter what. We must have Wisdom in order to make decisions in life, but if you don’t really believe God will give you wisdom you’ll be stuck in perpetual indecision.
My oldest daughter was in the local drama magnet program when she was in high school, and her sophomore year the students were asked to make a video for the Army Corps of Engineers regarding unexploded ordnance in former military installations that were being converted to civilian recreational use (BTW, this video is still being shown around the country, so far as I know, to those who are going to be spending time on former military facilities). The location where the video was filmed covered pastures and wooded hillsides and involved shots of people doing what folks do on recreational property...hunting, camping, hiking, picnicking, etc. In one scene, a number of the teens were playing Frisbee in a mowed meadow, running through above-ankle grass and stubble. After the scene was filmed, one of the kids discovered he’d lost his dad’s car keys somewhere in the field. He reported it to the producers/directors, and they picked about half a dozen people for the next scene, to be filmed in the woods, and instructed the rest of us to look for his car keys. Oh, and we were to be quiet while we were doing it since they were, of course, filming just over the hill. The kids spread out, helter-skelter across the field, resisting any efforts for a systematic search. The grass from the last mowing was still lying over the stubble and new growth; I didn’t think we had any chance at all of finding one set of keys in the field. Nonetheless, I began walking in a straight line, eyes on the ground, praying as I went that we would find them. Straight line...straight line.... When I’d gone about 40 yards, I suddenly, for no real reason, turned to my right, took about three steps and was looking at the keys lying right at my feet. Now, I basically had to trust that God would guide us (I didn’t expect to be the one to find them, but I knew no one would without His help). If my conscious mind had tried to logically find the keys, I would’ve constantly been trying to remember where he’d gone and where the keys were likely to be, changing directions and definitely not going straight to them. I felt like I’d just seen a miracle, but the rest were just happy the keys were found. Now, I didn’t feel any kind of goose bumps or hear any whispered instructions, I was just trusting that God would guide us to the keys and sort of let my feet go where they wanted. No common sense to it – but the keys were found. I really think that that’s how God works most of the time; it’s not an obvious voice speaking, but just that gut inclination to go a certain way. Once you ask God for wisdom, you’ve got to believe He’s given it to you, even if it doesn’t come with carpet time and visions.
We need Wisdom to know differences between Trials (difficulty or waiting that must be endured), Temptation (opportunity to sin – see below), and Consequences (natural results of actions taken/not taken)
3. Decide to trust God, not wealth – James 1:9-11
This is hard for Americans because we are so materially blessed; we put our security in what we can see and touch and hold and count; but the truth is that what we can see and touch and hold and count is all temporary stuff and is less real than God who upholds us when we don’t see him or touch him. When God humbles the rich, all he does is shake down the fragile riches to reveal what was solid all along – God’s love for the individual.
4. Decide to recognize the difference between temptation and God’s testing – James 1:12 – 18
God will bless you if you don’t give up! Quality decision! But – when temptation comes, don’t blame God. James shows us another progression:
Lust—conceives and births --> Sin – matures into --> Death
I heard this definition years ago in a message from a Promise Keepers stadium event, but I can't remember who the speaker was. But it's good.
Temptation: The opportunity to achieve a legitimate goal through illegitimate means (usually a ‘shortcut’). Original Greek (epithumias) implies conception of a living creature (Note: Here, ‘desire’ actually is lust – consuming, obsessive desire, not a honest desire for blessings of life. This is a reference to the ‘Desires of the flesh’ – see Gal. 5:16, not the ‘desires of the heart’ – see Ps. 37:4)
Consuming desire mated with opportunity to fulfill that desire in an illegitimate fashion results in sin; which always leads to death.
A quality decision will deal with desire and refuse to answer the door when the opportunity to take a shortcut to fulfill that desire knocks.
Things to think about: In what areas of my life am I feeding the desires of the flesh instead of the desires of the spirit? How am I trying to second-guess the wisdom that God is freely given me so that I can feed the flesh instead of the spirit? How would making a quality decision to pursue Him...regardless...impact my daily living?
Ouch. I said I needed to revisit this book...
The Epistle of James
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
In C.S. Lewis’s book, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the characters encounter a dilemma in which they must decide whether, having sailed to the easternmost island in their world, they will turn the ship around and head for home or continue on to the unknown utter east in order to leave at least one of their company at that point, then return to the island to break an enchantment over four former lords of Narnia. They have been a long time at sea, and most of the crew initially grumbles at the thought of journeying still farther before turning for home. Reepicheep the Talking Mouse, who has often quoted a prophecy that he should see the utter east and whose penchant for honor and adventure knows no bounds, is uncharacteristically silent during the debate. Finally, Lucy asks Reepicheep if he will not speak.
“No. Why should your Majesty expect it?” answered Reepicheep in a voice that most people heard. “My own plans are made. While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan’s country, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise and Peepiceek will be head of the talking mice in Narnia.”
Reepicheep understood the implications of making a quality decision.
Definition of a quality decision: a decision that changes some aspect of one’s life and is only made once. It is setting one’s face toward a goal and not giving up, even if the goal is not reached.
Now, this doesn’t mean there won’t be difficulties or that temptations to quit won’t present themselves. Actually, a decision that is not challenged in some way is really not a necessary decision at all. A quality decision is the thing that must be walked out when everything in you and around you appears to agree that you should quit. In the course of walking out a quality decision, you may:
-- slip and fall
-- get knocked backwards
-- get disgusted and sit down and throw a fit about how hard and how unfair the road is... nobody told you it would be like that!
-- even wander slightly off the path.
BUT, you NEVER give up, turn around and go back to where you came from. Eventually, you shake it off, get up, correct your course, and keep going...always heading toward the goal, even if you never quite make it.
James properly places early in his letter an exhortation to make a quality decision to trust God, no matter what happens. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (James 1: 6-8)
James is describing the kind of people Jesus talked about in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13): those that hear the word and get excited about it but don’t let it change their lives, so they fall away from believing when trials come (the ‘rocky soil’ folks). There are three aspects of this decision to trust God no matter what that James looks at in particular.
1. Decide to rejoice when tested-- James 1:2-4
Everyone has troubles. James instructs us to be joyful in our troubles because we know that, by enduring them with the right attitude, we will grow and mature in the faith. He gives us a progression:
Testing -- Produces --> Endurance –-Produces-- > Maturity
From this progression, you can see that Maturity does not come until one has learned Endurance...and Endurance cannot be learned unless there is something to endure – a Test. We tend to think that if God really loved us, we would not have to suffer anything. But, the truth is God does not want to leave us as babies but for all of us to come into the maturity of Christ. That can’t happen without tests (otherwise known as trouble). So, James says, rejoice in your trouble: it’s your opportunity to grow.
2. Decide to believe God will give you what you need – James 1:5-8
The first thing we need to develop under trials is wisdom. But, it's not a thing we struggle to develop; God will give that when we ask Him. But, no matter what you ask God for, if you don’t really believe He will give it to you, He can’t give it to you. Hence the necessary quality decision to trust God no matter what. We must have Wisdom in order to make decisions in life, but if you don’t really believe God will give you wisdom you’ll be stuck in perpetual indecision.
My oldest daughter was in the local drama magnet program when she was in high school, and her sophomore year the students were asked to make a video for the Army Corps of Engineers regarding unexploded ordnance in former military installations that were being converted to civilian recreational use (BTW, this video is still being shown around the country, so far as I know, to those who are going to be spending time on former military facilities). The location where the video was filmed covered pastures and wooded hillsides and involved shots of people doing what folks do on recreational property...hunting, camping, hiking, picnicking, etc. In one scene, a number of the teens were playing Frisbee in a mowed meadow, running through above-ankle grass and stubble. After the scene was filmed, one of the kids discovered he’d lost his dad’s car keys somewhere in the field. He reported it to the producers/directors, and they picked about half a dozen people for the next scene, to be filmed in the woods, and instructed the rest of us to look for his car keys. Oh, and we were to be quiet while we were doing it since they were, of course, filming just over the hill. The kids spread out, helter-skelter across the field, resisting any efforts for a systematic search. The grass from the last mowing was still lying over the stubble and new growth; I didn’t think we had any chance at all of finding one set of keys in the field. Nonetheless, I began walking in a straight line, eyes on the ground, praying as I went that we would find them. Straight line...straight line.... When I’d gone about 40 yards, I suddenly, for no real reason, turned to my right, took about three steps and was looking at the keys lying right at my feet. Now, I basically had to trust that God would guide us (I didn’t expect to be the one to find them, but I knew no one would without His help). If my conscious mind had tried to logically find the keys, I would’ve constantly been trying to remember where he’d gone and where the keys were likely to be, changing directions and definitely not going straight to them. I felt like I’d just seen a miracle, but the rest were just happy the keys were found. Now, I didn’t feel any kind of goose bumps or hear any whispered instructions, I was just trusting that God would guide us to the keys and sort of let my feet go where they wanted. No common sense to it – but the keys were found. I really think that that’s how God works most of the time; it’s not an obvious voice speaking, but just that gut inclination to go a certain way. Once you ask God for wisdom, you’ve got to believe He’s given it to you, even if it doesn’t come with carpet time and visions.
We need Wisdom to know differences between Trials (difficulty or waiting that must be endured), Temptation (opportunity to sin – see below), and Consequences (natural results of actions taken/not taken)
3. Decide to trust God, not wealth – James 1:9-11
This is hard for Americans because we are so materially blessed; we put our security in what we can see and touch and hold and count; but the truth is that what we can see and touch and hold and count is all temporary stuff and is less real than God who upholds us when we don’t see him or touch him. When God humbles the rich, all he does is shake down the fragile riches to reveal what was solid all along – God’s love for the individual.
4. Decide to recognize the difference between temptation and God’s testing – James 1:12 – 18
God will bless you if you don’t give up! Quality decision! But – when temptation comes, don’t blame God. James shows us another progression:
Lust—conceives and births --> Sin – matures into --> Death
I heard this definition years ago in a message from a Promise Keepers stadium event, but I can't remember who the speaker was. But it's good.
Temptation: The opportunity to achieve a legitimate goal through illegitimate means (usually a ‘shortcut’). Original Greek (epithumias) implies conception of a living creature (Note: Here, ‘desire’ actually is lust – consuming, obsessive desire, not a honest desire for blessings of life. This is a reference to the ‘Desires of the flesh’ – see Gal. 5:16, not the ‘desires of the heart’ – see Ps. 37:4)
Consuming desire mated with opportunity to fulfill that desire in an illegitimate fashion results in sin; which always leads to death.
A quality decision will deal with desire and refuse to answer the door when the opportunity to take a shortcut to fulfill that desire knocks.
Things to think about: In what areas of my life am I feeding the desires of the flesh instead of the desires of the spirit? How am I trying to second-guess the wisdom that God is freely given me so that I can feed the flesh instead of the spirit? How would making a quality decision to pursue Him...regardless...impact my daily living?
Ouch. I said I needed to revisit this book...
Friday, May 8, 2009
James: Lesson 1 - James and His Audience
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Here we go! All scripture references are taken from the New International Version. (I hope...the original study was written for the CEV; I *think* I got everything edited!)
The Epistle of James
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
I) Who Wrote the Epistle of James?
So, who was “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” anyway? I know for years I just sort of assumed that he was John’s brother, the son of Zebedee, the third member of Jesus’ ‘ inner circle’. Then, studying the book of Acts for the umpteenth time, it finally hit me as I read chapter 12 that John’s brother could not have been the James that wrote the Epistle; he had been killed by Herod (Acts 12:2). Yet Peter, miraculously released from prison later in that same chapter, instructed the amazed believers who had been praying for him to ‘tell James…about this,” before he left them (Acts 12:17). Obviously, James was a leader in the church even at that time.
It is the Apostle Paul who gives us a clue as to the identity of this brother. In Galatians 1:18-19, Paul writes of his first trip to Jerusalem after his conversion, when the believers were understandably wary of his intentions. Paul spent fifteen days with Peter and states that, “I saw none of the other apostles -- only James, the Lord’s brother.” (Italics mine). In the next chapter, Paul writes of a return trip to Jerusalem fourteen years later for a consultation with the other church leaders (recorded in Acts 15). Speaking of that meeting in Galatians 2:9, Paul refers to James, Peter and John as “those reputed to be pillars.” The book of James was written by the same James who stood up before that gathering of early church leaders and declared, “We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God” (Acts 15:19) and was most likely the same James who is listed in Matthew 13:55 as a brother of Jesus. Since the Hebrew convention was to list the oldest first, James was also most likely the second son of the family – Jesus would’ve been James’ only older brother.
Wow! Jesus’ own younger brother! Can you imagine growing up with Jesus as your big brother? His parents didn’t just think He was perfect...He was perfect! What kind of impact would that have on James? Believe it or not, we can kind of trace the development of James’ faith through the New Testament and see how he became the ‘servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ’.
The first time we meet James is indirectly early in Jesus’ ministry. In Mark chapter 3:21 and 31-35, he is implied to be with his mother, Mary, and several younger brothers. They had heard reports of Jesus appointing ‘apostles’ and being so overwhelmed by seekers that he didn’t have time to eat. Misunderstanding what Jesus’ ministry really was about, they decided he was “out of his mind” and went to “take charge of him.” When they got to the house where Jesus was teaching, there were so many people that they could only send in a message to Jesus that they were there. But Jesus refused them, saying that, “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother,” and they apparently were turned away, without Jesus.
At this point in his life, James was a skeptic...probably an offended skeptic! He didn’t understand who Jesus really was or what He was really trying to do. James was still trying to deal with Him as if He were a regular person with dreams of grandeur. James may even have been somewhat embarrassed by the fuss his big brother was creating in the region. That Jesus could really have an impact on his life beyond that was probably incomprehensible to him.
But, sooner or later, James came around to the idea that Jesus might do him some good after all. Jesus became the new darling of the crowd, the hottest topic for discussion and gossip. People were saying nice things about Him, calling Him 'Rabbi,'which was an honor for any Jewish family. There are indications that James and his brothers began to think it might be kind of cool to have a prophet and a miracle worker in the family, because the next time we hear from them is John 7:4–5, when they are all encouraging Jesus to head for the big time in Jerusalem. They tell Him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that you disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” However, John adds, “Even his own brothers did not believe in him.”
They didn’t have to really believe Him to benefit from His popularity, though. It appears that James and his brothers had become opportunists looking for personal benefits from Jesus’ ministry, hoping a little of His fame and glory might come their way. They seem to have had expectations of returns from their ‘encouraging’ remarks to their older brother.
However, as it happens so many times, the humanly desired outcome is not what unfolded. Jesus did not go to Jerusalem to become the great leader of the country, or even the great healer and prophet who had been so long gone from Israel...he was tried as a criminal and publicly executed in the most humiliating and shameful fashion. No longer the wonder boy of the crowd, He became an acute embarrassment to James and his siblings. James' attitude is revealed in Scripture at the crucifixion...by his rather conspicuous absence. With the death of Jesus, James would become the leader in the family. Yet he is nowhere to be found at the cross, and Jesus gives his mother into the care of John (John 19:25-27). Shamed and disillusioned, James and his brothers apparently have even abandoned family duty to avoid association with their now scandalous older brother. Jesus did not do what they expected, and they distanced themselves from Him.
But the most unexpected event was yet to come. Jesus did not stay dead. None of the Gospels record this, Acts does not mention it, and James himself doesn’t hint at it. But Paul, in citing eyewitness evidence for the resurrection of Jesus, states in 1 Corinthians 15:7 that Jesus appeared to James after His resurrection. In other words, James had a personal encounter with the risen Lord Jesus and it completely changed his life. From that point, Jesus wasn’t his big brother...Jesus was his Lord. Acts 1:14 records that Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers were constantly in prayer with the eleven apostles and the women. James was no doubt present in the upper room on the day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit filled every believer with power.
It appears that James remained in Jerusalem from that point on, and, as was mentioned earlier, became one of the key leaders in the church there. But he remained humble (wouldn’t you love to know what Jesus said to him when He visited after his resurrection!), because in James 1:1, he finally refers to himself, not as ‘The brother of our Lord’ or as ‘an apostle to the Jews’ but merely as ‘a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Church tradition holds that James finally was killed because he refused to recant his belief in Jesus as the Messiah. The generally accepted story is that he was thrown from the top of the wall around Jerusalem, but suffered only broken legs. When he was found to be still alive, some of the crowd began to stone him while others protested, until one man ran up and struck James, who was praying for his tormentors, in the head with a brick and killed him.
In actuality, the life and death of James is one of the most compelling pieces of evidence for the resurrection and deity of Jesus. Of all people who would have had opportunity to know if Jesus was a fake or a crazy man, it would have been James. Obviously, he was ultimately convinced that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God, because he was willing to die rather than to save his life by denying it. Contrast the behavior of James at the Crucifixion with the behavior of James at the end of his life. What could have so utterly convinced James, the disillusioned, disinterested, faithless brother of Jesus that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah other than absolute evidence that Jesus was who he claimed to be?
But there is one more point to be gleaned from this glance at the life of James. Note the progression: First, he was a skeptic; then he became an opportunist who was then disillusioned. However, a personal encounter with the risen Lord changed his life, and he became a part of the body of believers, finally seeing himself as a servant of God and our Lord Jesus. That is the progression of James’ life...and everyone reading these words is also somewhere on that progression.
Maybe you’ve always thought people who believed Jesus was God were just a little crazy or following fairy tales. Consider the evidence of James that shows that those who were closest to him were willing to stake everything on their conviction that Jesus was God. Not only did James stand firm, not one of those men ever recanted his belief. They all chose to endure excruciating pain, torture and death rather than deny what they professed as truth. That’s pretty powerful evidence that they were absolutely convinced, by irrefutable life experience, that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.
Or perhaps you’re in this Christian thing because you believe it will be good for you, that God will solve your problems and give you what you want. Perhaps you think that’s what ‘God is Love’ means. Or maybe you’ve made a decision to act like a Christian, because it will benefit you in some way...give you favor and influence with someone; give you the image you desire in your community. Well, like James and his brothers, you are setting yourself up for a fall. An opportunist now is always disillusioned later.
So, are you disillusioned? Did God ‘let you down’ somehow? Do something you didn’t want? Allow something painful? Or did other people who call themselves Christians treat you badly? Have you made a decision to abandon Christianity, or at least the outward practice of it? Disillusionment is dangerous; James was disillusioned and he basically hid. Judas was disillusioned and he hung himself. The only solution to realizing that things aren’t the way you want them to be is an acknowledgment of the way God really is. This is the personal encounter with the Lord; the moment of Salvation when Jesus meets you where you are and you turn your life over to Him. This is a life-changing encounter, and you cannot go any farther on the progression unless you have done this. To honestly serve Jesus, you must know Him. Identifying with other believers comes after meeting Jesus yourself.
Then, as you grow in Him, you finally reach the place where you realize it really is all about Him. Even misunderstanding and mistreatment by other people who also claim to follow Jesus will not shake your identity with Him. Then you can truly call yourself a servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ.
II - To Whom was the Epistle of James written?
James states that he is writing to “The twelve tribes, scattered among the nations.” What we tend to forget now is that when James was writing, most believers (they did not call themselves ‘Christians’) were Jews. In fact, what we call Christianity was considered to be a sect of Judaism, not a separate religion at all. James, ministering to Jewish believers, was writing to Jews scattered all over the known world who believed Jesus was the Messiah. These folks were oppressed by the Roman government and by traditional Jewish leaders, suffering with regard to civil liberties as well as religious expression.
However, even though James’ primary audience was Jewish believers, his message was not exclusively for Jewish believers. He wrote of the necessity of living consistently with one’s faith. He covers the practical aspects of daily living the life of one who believes Jesus is the Messiah. He discusses topics ranging from such things as suffering to gossip to favoritism, emphasizing that true faith will express itself in right actions...not, as some have claimed, that right actions make true faith. This is a message that is applicable to believers of all backgrounds, and one we will explore as we journey through James.
Things to think about:
Where on the progression of faith (skeptic-opportunist-disillusioned-personal encounter with Christ-Servant of Jesus) do you believe you are?
What do you feel you need to do in order to move toward the goal of this progression – to consider yourself a servant of Jesus Christ?
Here we go! All scripture references are taken from the New International Version. (I hope...the original study was written for the CEV; I *think* I got everything edited!)
The Epistle of James
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
I) Who Wrote the Epistle of James?
So, who was “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” anyway? I know for years I just sort of assumed that he was John’s brother, the son of Zebedee, the third member of Jesus’ ‘ inner circle’. Then, studying the book of Acts for the umpteenth time, it finally hit me as I read chapter 12 that John’s brother could not have been the James that wrote the Epistle; he had been killed by Herod (Acts 12:2). Yet Peter, miraculously released from prison later in that same chapter, instructed the amazed believers who had been praying for him to ‘tell James…about this,” before he left them (Acts 12:17). Obviously, James was a leader in the church even at that time.
It is the Apostle Paul who gives us a clue as to the identity of this brother. In Galatians 1:18-19, Paul writes of his first trip to Jerusalem after his conversion, when the believers were understandably wary of his intentions. Paul spent fifteen days with Peter and states that, “I saw none of the other apostles -- only James, the Lord’s brother.” (Italics mine). In the next chapter, Paul writes of a return trip to Jerusalem fourteen years later for a consultation with the other church leaders (recorded in Acts 15). Speaking of that meeting in Galatians 2:9, Paul refers to James, Peter and John as “those reputed to be pillars.” The book of James was written by the same James who stood up before that gathering of early church leaders and declared, “We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God” (Acts 15:19) and was most likely the same James who is listed in Matthew 13:55 as a brother of Jesus. Since the Hebrew convention was to list the oldest first, James was also most likely the second son of the family – Jesus would’ve been James’ only older brother.
Wow! Jesus’ own younger brother! Can you imagine growing up with Jesus as your big brother? His parents didn’t just think He was perfect...He was perfect! What kind of impact would that have on James? Believe it or not, we can kind of trace the development of James’ faith through the New Testament and see how he became the ‘servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ’.
The first time we meet James is indirectly early in Jesus’ ministry. In Mark chapter 3:21 and 31-35, he is implied to be with his mother, Mary, and several younger brothers. They had heard reports of Jesus appointing ‘apostles’ and being so overwhelmed by seekers that he didn’t have time to eat. Misunderstanding what Jesus’ ministry really was about, they decided he was “out of his mind” and went to “take charge of him.” When they got to the house where Jesus was teaching, there were so many people that they could only send in a message to Jesus that they were there. But Jesus refused them, saying that, “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother,” and they apparently were turned away, without Jesus.
At this point in his life, James was a skeptic...probably an offended skeptic! He didn’t understand who Jesus really was or what He was really trying to do. James was still trying to deal with Him as if He were a regular person with dreams of grandeur. James may even have been somewhat embarrassed by the fuss his big brother was creating in the region. That Jesus could really have an impact on his life beyond that was probably incomprehensible to him.
But, sooner or later, James came around to the idea that Jesus might do him some good after all. Jesus became the new darling of the crowd, the hottest topic for discussion and gossip. People were saying nice things about Him, calling Him 'Rabbi,'which was an honor for any Jewish family. There are indications that James and his brothers began to think it might be kind of cool to have a prophet and a miracle worker in the family, because the next time we hear from them is John 7:4–5, when they are all encouraging Jesus to head for the big time in Jerusalem. They tell Him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that you disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” However, John adds, “Even his own brothers did not believe in him.”
They didn’t have to really believe Him to benefit from His popularity, though. It appears that James and his brothers had become opportunists looking for personal benefits from Jesus’ ministry, hoping a little of His fame and glory might come their way. They seem to have had expectations of returns from their ‘encouraging’ remarks to their older brother.
However, as it happens so many times, the humanly desired outcome is not what unfolded. Jesus did not go to Jerusalem to become the great leader of the country, or even the great healer and prophet who had been so long gone from Israel...he was tried as a criminal and publicly executed in the most humiliating and shameful fashion. No longer the wonder boy of the crowd, He became an acute embarrassment to James and his siblings. James' attitude is revealed in Scripture at the crucifixion...by his rather conspicuous absence. With the death of Jesus, James would become the leader in the family. Yet he is nowhere to be found at the cross, and Jesus gives his mother into the care of John (John 19:25-27). Shamed and disillusioned, James and his brothers apparently have even abandoned family duty to avoid association with their now scandalous older brother. Jesus did not do what they expected, and they distanced themselves from Him.
But the most unexpected event was yet to come. Jesus did not stay dead. None of the Gospels record this, Acts does not mention it, and James himself doesn’t hint at it. But Paul, in citing eyewitness evidence for the resurrection of Jesus, states in 1 Corinthians 15:7 that Jesus appeared to James after His resurrection. In other words, James had a personal encounter with the risen Lord Jesus and it completely changed his life. From that point, Jesus wasn’t his big brother...Jesus was his Lord. Acts 1:14 records that Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers were constantly in prayer with the eleven apostles and the women. James was no doubt present in the upper room on the day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit filled every believer with power.
It appears that James remained in Jerusalem from that point on, and, as was mentioned earlier, became one of the key leaders in the church there. But he remained humble (wouldn’t you love to know what Jesus said to him when He visited after his resurrection!), because in James 1:1, he finally refers to himself, not as ‘The brother of our Lord’ or as ‘an apostle to the Jews’ but merely as ‘a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Church tradition holds that James finally was killed because he refused to recant his belief in Jesus as the Messiah. The generally accepted story is that he was thrown from the top of the wall around Jerusalem, but suffered only broken legs. When he was found to be still alive, some of the crowd began to stone him while others protested, until one man ran up and struck James, who was praying for his tormentors, in the head with a brick and killed him.
In actuality, the life and death of James is one of the most compelling pieces of evidence for the resurrection and deity of Jesus. Of all people who would have had opportunity to know if Jesus was a fake or a crazy man, it would have been James. Obviously, he was ultimately convinced that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God, because he was willing to die rather than to save his life by denying it. Contrast the behavior of James at the Crucifixion with the behavior of James at the end of his life. What could have so utterly convinced James, the disillusioned, disinterested, faithless brother of Jesus that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah other than absolute evidence that Jesus was who he claimed to be?
But there is one more point to be gleaned from this glance at the life of James. Note the progression: First, he was a skeptic; then he became an opportunist who was then disillusioned. However, a personal encounter with the risen Lord changed his life, and he became a part of the body of believers, finally seeing himself as a servant of God and our Lord Jesus. That is the progression of James’ life...and everyone reading these words is also somewhere on that progression.
Maybe you’ve always thought people who believed Jesus was God were just a little crazy or following fairy tales. Consider the evidence of James that shows that those who were closest to him were willing to stake everything on their conviction that Jesus was God. Not only did James stand firm, not one of those men ever recanted his belief. They all chose to endure excruciating pain, torture and death rather than deny what they professed as truth. That’s pretty powerful evidence that they were absolutely convinced, by irrefutable life experience, that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.
Or perhaps you’re in this Christian thing because you believe it will be good for you, that God will solve your problems and give you what you want. Perhaps you think that’s what ‘God is Love’ means. Or maybe you’ve made a decision to act like a Christian, because it will benefit you in some way...give you favor and influence with someone; give you the image you desire in your community. Well, like James and his brothers, you are setting yourself up for a fall. An opportunist now is always disillusioned later.
So, are you disillusioned? Did God ‘let you down’ somehow? Do something you didn’t want? Allow something painful? Or did other people who call themselves Christians treat you badly? Have you made a decision to abandon Christianity, or at least the outward practice of it? Disillusionment is dangerous; James was disillusioned and he basically hid. Judas was disillusioned and he hung himself. The only solution to realizing that things aren’t the way you want them to be is an acknowledgment of the way God really is. This is the personal encounter with the Lord; the moment of Salvation when Jesus meets you where you are and you turn your life over to Him. This is a life-changing encounter, and you cannot go any farther on the progression unless you have done this. To honestly serve Jesus, you must know Him. Identifying with other believers comes after meeting Jesus yourself.
Then, as you grow in Him, you finally reach the place where you realize it really is all about Him. Even misunderstanding and mistreatment by other people who also claim to follow Jesus will not shake your identity with Him. Then you can truly call yourself a servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ.
II - To Whom was the Epistle of James written?
James states that he is writing to “The twelve tribes, scattered among the nations.” What we tend to forget now is that when James was writing, most believers (they did not call themselves ‘Christians’) were Jews. In fact, what we call Christianity was considered to be a sect of Judaism, not a separate religion at all. James, ministering to Jewish believers, was writing to Jews scattered all over the known world who believed Jesus was the Messiah. These folks were oppressed by the Roman government and by traditional Jewish leaders, suffering with regard to civil liberties as well as religious expression.
However, even though James’ primary audience was Jewish believers, his message was not exclusively for Jewish believers. He wrote of the necessity of living consistently with one’s faith. He covers the practical aspects of daily living the life of one who believes Jesus is the Messiah. He discusses topics ranging from such things as suffering to gossip to favoritism, emphasizing that true faith will express itself in right actions...not, as some have claimed, that right actions make true faith. This is a message that is applicable to believers of all backgrounds, and one we will explore as we journey through James.
Things to think about:
Where on the progression of faith (skeptic-opportunist-disillusioned-personal encounter with Christ-Servant of Jesus) do you believe you are?
What do you feel you need to do in order to move toward the goal of this progression – to consider yourself a servant of Jesus Christ?
Friday, May 1, 2009
Time for a New Study
Several years ago, I taught one of the Bible study classes for the local Christian Women's Job Corps site. It was a 10 week program and I taught the book of James...sort of taking it a half a chapter a week. It was also the first study I did in a home Bible study I taught for three years through a program at church.
To be honest, I felt like I was probably too familiar with it to do the study again here; I wanted something to be fresh.
But in the last couple of weeks, phrases from that study have come back to me...usually along the lines of 'are you really doing this?' and I feel like it's time to revisit James. I'll use the same syllabus and basic outlines that I've used before, but, well, we'll see how it pans out as I get to it.
So...we'll start next week! Here's the syllabus:
The Epistle of James
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19 – 27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3:1-12 Discipline Your Tongue
June 19: James 3:13-18 Exercise True Wisdom
June 26: James 4:1-10 Check Your Sources
July 3: James 4:11- 5:6 Lose Selfish Desires
July 10: James 5:7 – 20 Apply The Principles of Patience
Wow...that runs right up to my birthday and the next regularly scheduled blogging break! Um, I'll leave the syllabus like that for the moment, since we have no idea when or if we'll be doing any travel this summer. If we end up doing a vacation in June, I'll just adjust the syllabus as necessary.
It's a good study...I'm looking forward to getting into it again!
To be honest, I felt like I was probably too familiar with it to do the study again here; I wanted something to be fresh.
But in the last couple of weeks, phrases from that study have come back to me...usually along the lines of 'are you really doing this?' and I feel like it's time to revisit James. I'll use the same syllabus and basic outlines that I've used before, but, well, we'll see how it pans out as I get to it.
So...we'll start next week! Here's the syllabus:
The Epistle of James
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19 – 27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3:1-12 Discipline Your Tongue
June 19: James 3:13-18 Exercise True Wisdom
June 26: James 4:1-10 Check Your Sources
July 3: James 4:11- 5:6 Lose Selfish Desires
July 10: James 5:7 – 20 Apply The Principles of Patience
Wow...that runs right up to my birthday and the next regularly scheduled blogging break! Um, I'll leave the syllabus like that for the moment, since we have no idea when or if we'll be doing any travel this summer. If we end up doing a vacation in June, I'll just adjust the syllabus as necessary.
It's a good study...I'm looking forward to getting into it again!
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