Week 4. Saturday: Prepare for Sunday REVIEW: Take a few minutes to make a list of what you’ve learned this week. PRAY: Ask God to use this time to help you get familiar with Sunday’s scripture passage. READ: James 2:14-26 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your

Week 4. Friday: Mercy Triumphs Over Judgement PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 2:12-13 12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Speak and Act - Going to be judged. Live your life in a way that reflects the fact that you will be judged for the things you say and do. Law that gives freedom. Boundaries bring freedom. There is great danger outside of God’s protection. Obeying God’s laws provides the freedom to enjoy life and to become the person God wants you

Thursday: The Opposite of Favoritism PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 2:8-11 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Really Keep. Fulfill. To perform over time. The solution to favoritism is

Wednesday: Rich in Faith PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 2:5-7 5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Chosen. To be called out, recognized or selected by someone. Not based on actions or deserving to be selected. God does not choose us based on anything

Week 4. Tuesday: Special Attention PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 2:2-4 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Suppose. Favoritism is difficult to see in the mirror. So James give us a story to show what it looks like to treat people differently based on outwa

Week 4. Monday: No Favorites PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 2:1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words My brothers and sisters. This is a family matter. James is including himself and communicating that what he is about to discuss comes out of love and concern for the people in his spiritual family. Believers. It is important to note that James speaks to the followers of Christ. Favoritism was part of the culture but the church, the believers, were called to be different. Must not show. There is no wiggle room here. James gets straight to the point. Must

Week 3. Saturday: Prepare for Sunday REVIEW: Take a few minutes to make a list of what you’ve learned this week. PRAY: Ask God to use this time to help you get familiar with Sunday’s scripture passage. READ: James 1:13-18 1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with e

Week 3. Friday: True Religion PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 1:26-27 26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Consider themselves religious: Almost everyone considers themselves a Christian, or at least a good person. Because we’re not as bad as someone else we think we are better than what we really are. This is an issue of pride a

Week 3. Thursday: The Freedom to Be Blessed PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 1:25 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Whoever looks intently: James uses the word “intently” to stress his point. The Greek phrase here is parakyptō which means: to look carefully into, or to inspect with intense curiosity. When we read God’s word we should do so with an intense desire to let it reveal in us everything that needs to change. The perfect law that gives freedom: When we think a

Week 3. Friday: True Religion PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 1:26-27 26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Consider themselves religious: Almost everyone considers themselves a Christian, or at least a good person. Because we’re not as bad as someone else we think we are better than what we really are. This is an issue of pride a

Week 3. Wednesday: Mirror, Mirror PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 1:22-24 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Merely listen to the word: It’s easy to listen to God’s word. It’s another thing to try to live it out. Too often we listen and think that is enough because it makes us feel somewhat better at the time. Deceive yourselves: When we don’t apply the word, we will

Week 3. Tuesday: Repent and Replace PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 1:21 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Get rid of: To put aside, put away, or have nothing to do with. This Greek phrase apotithēmi is also used to refer to stripping off filthy clothes. Moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent: As followers of Christ we are called away from immorality and evil. Prevalent: Because our lives are filled with temptation, we must work hard to rid ourselves of anything sinful. Humbly accept: to receive with

Week 3. Monday: Loud and Angry PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 1:19-20 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Take note of this: pay close attention to this, be skilled in this Quick to listen, slow to speak: When we don’t listen we run the risk of misunderstandings and conflict. We simply cannot understand without listening. Listen first, ask questions, and try to understand before you speak. This is wise and therefore works in every area of life

Week 2. Saturday: Prepare for Sunday REVIEW: Take a few minutes to make a list of what you’ve learned this week. PRAY: Ask God to use this time to help you get familiar with Sunday’s scripture passage. READ: James 1:19-27 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do wh

Week 2. Friday: Birth Through the Word PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 1:18 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Chose. Of His own will. It was God’s choice to save us. We had not part in it. Without God offering us a way, through Jesus, we would be lost forever. Birth through the word. Through Jesus God gave us a second birth. A birth into his kingdom, into His family. Firstfruits. To set apart the first and best portion for God. To be separated from other creations. As believers we are set apart for God’s glory. APPLY: What is this

Week 2. Thursday: Every Good and Perfect Gift PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 1:16-17 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Deceived. Don’t be fooled, tricked, lured, duped. Don’t make the fatal mistake. Good & Perfect. Beneficial. That which satisfies. Complete. Whole. Gift. Unearned. Favor. Given to you by someone else with no strings attached. God passes down many gifts to us --food, clothing, happiness, family, friends. Ultimately, this gift is given to

Week 2. Wednesday: The Process PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 1:15 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Then, after. Following. This term shows us that sin is not a one time act. It is a process. Desire. Emotion. Not a sin. Out of your control. See (Gen. 3:5) → Deception. Mind. Rationalize, blame. Out from under protection (See Gen. 2:17) → Disobedience. Sin, death. Looks good but ends up bad. (See Gen. 3:6 Conceived - Gives Birth. Seize. Take over. Once desire has taken over, fully deceived, the inevitable next step of the process

Week 2. Tuesday: Don’t Take The Bait PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 1:14 14 but each person is lured and enticed by their own desire. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Each/own. Everyone is tempted in a different way. Something that is a temptation for others may not be a temptation for you. Each of us have our own temptations to battle. Lured. A fishing term. It means to be drawn out of cover or protection. To be lured by something that looks appealing. Enticed. Means to bait or to be caught by a bait. Fishermen use a lure to draw fish out of the safety and protection of cover and entice them to take the bait. Lures always have a hook. Once

Week 2. Monday: The Blame Game PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: James 1:13 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Tempted. The same word is used here for trials (v.1-12) and temptation. Trials are external. Temptations are internal. Both require faith --trusting that God’s way is the best way. To tempt is to entice to do something wrong, unwise or immoral by promise of pleasure or gain. When tempted. Temptations will come. They are unavoidable. Temptations are not sin, even Jesus was tempted. It is how we choose to handle temptations that

Week 1. Saturday: Prepare for Sunday REVIEW: Take a few minutes to make a list of what you’ve learned this week. PRAY: Ask God to use this time to help you get familiar with Sunday’s scripture passage. READ: James 1:13-18 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,