Five Appointments with God Taming the Beast James’ theme throughout his book calls us to a demonstration of our faith, we often think of this in terms of actions, works and service but what does our tongue say about us? What do our words reveal about our heart? - Lance Baldwin
March 8 - 12, 2010
James is not discouraging those who are called and gifted as teachers from exercising their gifts. He is directly speaking to the misuse of the tongue. Many in the New Testament church sought the position and authority of the teacher for their own benefit (1 Tim 1:7). Not many want to be teachers anymore but many do have something to say about everything, always needs to be heard, and are full of opinions on everything. Is this misuse of the tongue?
Tuesday - James 3:2-3 Controlling the Tongue
What you say and what you don't say are both important. To use proper speech you must not only say the right words at the right time but also not say what you shouldn't. Examples of an untamed tongue include gossiping, putting others down, bragging, manipulating, false teaching, exaggerating, complaining, flattering, and lying. Before you speak, ask, Is what I want to say true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? ~Life Application Study Bible.
Wednesday - James 1:19-25 Slow to Speak
Read James 3:5-8 James describes the tongue as a fire, a world of evil, a corruption, untamable, a restless evil, full of deadly poison. What better reason to be slow to speak? Can you think of times you have been too quick to speak? Spend some time in prayer asking the Lord to help you avoid hastiness in your speech.
Thursday - James 1:26 Real Religion
Read James 3:9-11 The Greek word for religion is thrēskeía, it means outward expression of worship. What are the similarities between what James says in these two passages? Does an outward expression of our worship mean anything if the heat and attitude is corrupt?
Friday - James 3:5-12 Traitorous Tongue
Our outward expression of worship means nothing if our heart and attitude are corrupt, we can say the right things in church, sing the right songs, put on a happy face but when our tongue runs out of control, when we fail to show compassion, grace and mercy to one another our tongue betrays the realities of our hearts and attitudes. What we may see as a tongue problem may truly be a heart issue.
Five Appointments with God
March 1 - 5, 2010
Talk is Cheap!
The story goes like this: a famous tightrope walker went back and forth over Niagara Falls wheeling a wheel barrow. Then he asks, “Do you believe I can cross this water with a wheel barrow?” The crowd shouted in reply, “Yes!” He then asks, “Who’s first to climb in?” The crowd was silent. Claiming to have faith is one thing. Putting faith in action is another. Many believers claim to have faith in God but in reality, their talk is cheap. This passage in James does not teach that faith is unimportant. Rather, it teaches that faith in action gives evidence of a real faith! - Pastor Barry
Read James 2:14-17. What phrase is repeated twice in this passage? What is James saying by repeating this? How does James’ simple illustration ring true to how some people live out their “faith”? What does verse 17 mean to you? What does a ‘dead’ faith look like in a typical church? Do you have a faith that is alive or one that is dead? Why?
Tuesday - Demonology!
Read James 2:18-19. How do some churches, without actually saying it, demonstrate vs. 18a by their actions? How do demons fit in this analogy? What do demons believe about God? Who do they believe Jesus is? (See Mark 1:24; 5:7) What makes them different than angels who follow God? How does this illustration help the case that James is making with faith and works?
Wednesday - Wheelbarrow of Faith!
Read James 2:20-24; Genesis 22:1-19. Why was Abraham such a man of faith? What was he willing to sacrifice in order to obey God? What does this passage say about his faith? What do you normally do when God asks you to risk or sacrifice something? What kind of attitude do you display? What kind of difficult thing has God asked of you that required risk of reputation, finances, etc?
Thursday - Risk!
Read James 2:25; Joshua 2. How does Rahabs’ illustration fit with what James is trying to get across? What kind of risk did Rahab take in demonstrating her new faith in the God of Israel? Why did action need to be combined with her faith? What risk have you taken in regards to your faith? Have you ever risked ridicule, rejection, embarrassment, etc. for speaking up or acting on your faith? What happened when you did?
Friday - Evidence!
Read Ephesians 2:8-10. How does this passage fit with the passage we are studying in James? Why is works without faith useless? Why is saving faith without works essential? Why is faith, after salvation, combined with works imperative? What kind of action is associated with your faith in Christ? If you were on trial, accused of being a Christian, what kind of evidence would there be to convict you?
Five Appointments with God
February 22 - 26, 2010
Playing Favorites James 1:19-27
Our journey through the book of James continues as our author continues to challenge our walk to match our talk. This week he gets after the temptation to treat some people differently than others, simply because of superficial things like money, dress or appearance. It seems to me that this topic is perfect for a Christian living in America. Our culture seems to shout, everywhere you look, that what really matters is measured in what you can buy at the mall, your local car dealer or on a T.V. commercial about diet or exercise. The message is…”what really matters is on the outside, not the inside.” Well, God’s Word says different! Take some time with God this week to walk through James, taking a look on the inside. I pray that God’s Word will be powerful in your life as you seek God’s opinion on what really matters! Pastor Paul
Monday - Faith & Works – James 2:14-26When is the last time you were able to help meet the need of someone? Our writer, in this stretch of scripture, challenges us to take some real steps to exercise our faith. This is the “practice what you preach” passage. As you study this section, pray for God to give you some real opportunities to live out your faith this week by reaching out and serving other people.
Tuesday - Talk Isn’t Cheap – James 3:1-12
The old playground saying…”sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”…is really not true! Words do matter. What we say is powerful. I would imagine you can still remember hurtful words spoken to you. Perhaps this passage needs to be a caution message for you…or…perhaps it is a reminder to allow God’s healing for past hurts. Either way, God’s Word is a powerful tool to help with careless words. Enjoy this time to experience healing and help.
Wednesday - Wisdom – James 3:13-18
When given the choice, the great King Soloman asked God for the gift of wisdom over everything else. James, in this scripture, reminds us that true wisdom comes from God. If you are like me, wisdom is one thing I always need. This passage not only encourages us to ask God for wisdom, James also contrasts Godly wisdom with worldly wisdom. Take time to evaluate if your wisdom and the source from which you receive it, resembles what James talks about.
Thursday - Humble Pie – James 4:1-12
Sometimes, verse six (6) of this passage is really challenging for me…”God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Do you really desire God’s work in your life to bring about humility? Do you look forward to that work or do you pray with trembling, fearing that this lesson might hurt a bit? Well, if you are like me, I desire God’s daily grace, that comes through humility, but sometimes I fear the process to get there. I encourage you to spend time in this passage, courageously asking God to bring His grace to your life through humbling you.
Friday - Vapor - James 4:13-17; Matthew 6:19-21
The older I get, the faster time goes. James calls our life a vapor and then challenges us to use our lives for God’s purposes. What are you living for? Is it something that you can buy? What are you working for this year? Take some time to match those goals against what James and Matthew say in these passages.
Five Appointments with God
February 15 - 19, 2010
Uncle! - James 1:19-27
I remember, as a kid, wrestling with my older cousin and being forced to give in to his overpowering strength by saying…”Uncle!” That was the sign that I had settled in my mind that I was not going to win that wrestling match and was willing to give up. In order to say those dreaded words…uncle…I had to come to the place of setting my pride aside and seeing that I could not win, no matter what. Sometimes it seems that life can be like that wrestling match where we face challenges in our life that, after some struggling, we realize we aren’t capable of winning. We need help. We need power that we don’t naturally posses. This passage in James offers the answer to overcoming our challenges. This answer goes against our natural nature of handling things ourselves. James points us to the source of our power…God’s Word. Take a deeper look this week at the five areas James addresses and see who is in charge of them. I pray that the truth of this scripture will give you great freedom to submit these things to God. Enjoy! Pastor Paul
Monday - Be…Quick to Listen…Slow to Refute…Slow to Resist – James 1:19-20Are you like me? …someone who tends to think that they are right about everything which in turn, makes it hard to really listen to others? Take some time to test the receptiveness of your heart to the Words of God, found in scripture. Are you eager to listen to God’s Word? Do you come to Him expectantly, hoping to find strength in His Word?
Tuesday - Protect Your Mind …Deal With Sin – James 1: 21
Our world would have us believe that “small sins” are not really that big of a deal. God’s Word says different. Is your natural desire to stay as far away from the “iffy” things or do you tend to tell yourself that it’s “no big deal?” How serious are you with the small stuff? Are you playing close to the fire? Maybe you are not burned yet, but do you always smell like smoke?
Wednesday - Be Careful What You Say – James 1:26
James tells us that a natural indicator of what we are on the inside is reflected in how we talk. Do you have a natural desire to honor God in how you talk? What does your speech reflect? Would someone know that you are a follower of Christ by what comes out of your mouth or are they confused by how you talk?
Thursday - Have Compassion For Others – James 1: 27
Are you naturally compassionate for other people, especially those in need? When is the last time you gave money to someone that really needed it, without concern for your own finances? God’s Word tells us that He will take care of all our needs (Matthew 6:25-34) and then here in James, follows that up with telling us that a great way to illustrate our faith is to meet the needs of those in distress, specifically, orphans and widows. How are you doing with this?
Friday - Avoid Bad Influences – James 1:27
Show me your friends and I will show you your future! I still remember this quote from my youth pastor. Who are the people that really influence your life? Do you have someone that encourages your faith? What do your closest friends think about your faith? Is that a regular topic with those closest to you?
Five Appointments with God
February 8 - 12, 2010
I’m Supposed to Do What?
Like jumping into freezing water, the book of James starts off with a bang! There is no easing into things. He gets right to his point of having a “prove it” kind of faith by telling us to be joyful when tough things come our way. Huh!? That’s right. What better way to test our faith than to see how we respond when something difficult or frustrating comes across our path? When under pressure the “real us” comes out; our real faith is on full display! Dive in with gusto and examine how you react when something unexpected or difficult comes up.
- Pastor Barry
Read James 1:2-4. From this passage, how do you know James is talking to believers? Why are these two verses a paradox? What does perseverance or endurance mean? What have you ever done in life that needed or required this? Was it easy or hard to obtain? What was the result when you achieved endurance? What is the destination God has for our endurance?
Tuesday - What is the Wise Thing to do?
Read James 1:5-8. When you face trials, where do you turn to for help? Where should we turn to? Why? Why should we ask for wisdom? How does this fit with facing trials of various kinds? How does struggling with doubt play into this passage? Read verses 9-11. How does this passage fit with verses 2-4? What does it mean?
Wednesday - Parallel Progression!
Read James 1:13-15; Romans 5:3-4. How do these passages parallel each other? What is the four step progression in the passage in James? What is the four step progression in the passage in Romans? Why does James need to differentiate between trials and temptation? Why do people often think that God is tempting them?
Thursday - The Tester!
Read James 1: 12. This verse gives us an indication of the originator of the trial. Who is it? What is the reward for passing a test of our faith? Why does God test our faith in the first place? What benefits are there for our faith being tested? What are you going through right now where your faith in God is being tested? What in your past has really tested your faith?
Friday - Refined by Fire!
Read I Peter 1:6-9. In what ways are Peter and James saying the same thing? How can our trials result in praise, glory, and honor to God? What does joy in the midst of trials look like? How would you explain, to someone who does not believe in Jesus as their Savior, this whole concept of rejoicing in trials? How would you advise a new believer when trials hit them? Do you take your own advice?
Five Appointments with God
February 1 - 5, 2010
Is Information Key?
Most people agree that having the right information is the key to making the right decisions. While this is often true, we time and again don’t apply it to our lives whether it is exercising, driving too fast, spending more than we make, forgiving others, etc. When it comes to life’s decisions, information is not the key. Submission is. Submission precedes direction. Unpack this truth further this week. Then apply it to your life.
- Pastor Barry
Read I Kings 3:5-12; 4:29-34. What is wisdom? Why was this the best request to make? Read I Kings 11:1-6. Why is submission (to God), not information, the key to making the right decisions? Do you agree with the statement: “submission precedes direction”? Why or why not? When we are not submissive to God, what does that do to our direction and ultimately our destination? When we are submissive, how does this help our direction…and our destination?
Tuesday - Trust Fall!
Read Proverbs 3:5. This is one of the most famous of all proverbs in the Bible. Many of us have it memorized. But do we apply it? Why is this so hard to do? What keeps us from trusting and leaning on God instead of ourselves? Why is it that we trust God for the things we have no control of (eternity, safety of our kids) but often ignore Him in our everyday life?
Wednesday - Proper Acknowledgment!
Read Proverbs 3:6. What does “all” mean? In what ways or paths do you struggle acknowledging God? When do you go to God seeking help, wisdom, or direction? When do you not? Describe how you acknowledge God in your marriage. In your education ways? In your entertainment ways? In whether or not you should move or stay? How have you acknowledged God and found His answer was exactly what you needed?
Thursday - Wise Alec!
Read Proverbs 3:7a. Why are we so often wise in our own eyes? Why is this dangerous? How does pride eventually override wisdom? How does arrogance eventually override common sense? Which one do you struggle with the most? Why? How does applying verses 5-6 help us apply verse 7a? Who makes the call in most of your important decisions: you or God? Why?
Friday - Peace?
Read Philippians 4:6-7. How does this passage parallel with Proverbs 3:5-6? What are you currently anxious about? Have you given it to God? Why or why not? Describe the “peace of God”. As you look back in life, is there a time you remember making a decision when the peace of God was so evident and real? If yes, describe? Have you made decisions when you didn’t have the peace of God? What happened?
