Week 7 Preview - Doin' Fool: Evidence of Faith

Faith without works—“it’s about as useless as a screen door on a submarine.” So the song goes and so many of our lives go. James addresses his brothers and sisters in the Lord, those who have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and reminds them that the fruit of their lives is the evidence of their faith. Likewise, Ed Young takes this difficult passage in James 2:14-26 and calls us to a deeper faith in Christ, one that is made perfect through the outworking of the Holy Spirit toward love and good deeds.

We'll also cover James 3:1-12. Ed Young imparts God’s desire to tame the tongue by transforming the heart. The tongue, that slab of mucous membrane incarcerated within our teeth, has great power to hurt and curse; but under the right control it has even greater power to heal and bless.

James 2:14-26
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

James 3:1-12
1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

I hope to see everyone on Thursday!

Brian

Week 5 Recap - FLAVORitism: Favoritism in Relationships

This week we explored why we hang-out with certain people and maybe avoid others. When it comes to the Church though we do not need to exhibit this favoritism; in fact it is a sin! I think it was another tough lesson. Last time it was love your enemies and this week it is love your neighbor's as yourself. Why does God command us to do such hard things? Maybe some neighbor's don't deserve our love? We found out that once again God knows man's nature and answers this very question. We must show mercy instead of judging, mercy triumphs over judgment. Why? Because He showed us mercy in saving us! If He can show mercy to us by forgiving our sins against Him, then how can we not be merciful to those that owe us nothing?

Finally we covered three things that we need to do as Christians:
1. Use Scripture as our standard (our mirror)
2. Love is our law (Love others as ourselves)
3. Mercy must be our message

Thanks for a wonderful class! And keep the questions coming!
Remember, no Bible Study this Thursday the 22nd, so I will see everyone on the 29th when we will cover James 2:14-3:12.

Have a fun week!

Brian

Week 5 Preview - FLAVORitism: Favoritism in Relationships

The Royal Law demands it. Christ modeled it. The church can’t survive without it. The admonition to “love your neighbor as yourself” is no less appropriate today than it was 2000 years ago when Christ said it. In this message from James 2:1-13, Ed Young speaks out against the common sin of favoritism and presents God’s inside-out, upside-down, right side up guide to relationships. Bible verses are below.

1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If 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," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5Listen, my dear brothers: 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? 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?

8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

Have a good week everyone!

Brian

Week 4 Recap - The Mirror: Authentic Faith

The lesson last week was very simplistic. No formulas or dance steps. In fact you may have wondered why I kept emphasizing the same thing over and over. That's because though the message was simple it was also the hardest. No matter what we go over in this study or in future studies, none of it matters if we don't "JUST DO IT!"

In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus points out that the only difference in a strong house built on a rock foundation and a weak one built on sand is not in hearing what Jesus was saying but whether you put what you hear into practice. In other words, JUST DO IT!

I hope everyone had a good time. I know that I look forward to our time each week.
Thanks to everyone.

Brian



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Week 4 Preview: The Mirror Authentic Faith

Why do we say one thing and do another? If we all take a long, hard, honest look in the mirror, we all say and believe things that we don't carry through with when the rubber hits the road. The beauty of being a Christ-follower is that, while we're not perfect yet, we have a Savior who is remaking us into His perfect image. In this powerful message about authentic faith, Ed Young uncovers “The Mirror” that reveals all. Once you take an honest look at your reflection in the looking glass of God's Word, you will never be the same again. This week's verses,James 1:21-27, are below.

James 1:21-27
21Therefore, 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.

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion 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.

I'll see everyone Thursday!

Brian Borden

Week 3 Recap

Another great session. Thanks for everyone for being patient with the noise from the coffee grinders. Hopefully we'll be back to our old spot this week.

Remember the Dance:
Quick, slow, slow
Quick, slow, slow

Quick to Listen, Slow to speak, Slow to anger

Quick to Listen means to actively listen. Put yourself in the person's place, empathize, and ask yourself, "what is this person telling me?" Listening is a time for the other person and not a time for you to be thinking of something else.

Be strategic in your speech. Talk discerningly. Be affirming.

If we are truly quick to listen and slow to speak, we should naturally be slow to anger.
Is anger a sin? The Bible says that God is slow to anger.

Try applying the x-trials formula Eic2=M to our conversations whether with other Christians, non-Christians, or even in our conversations with God.

Have a good week everyone and I'll see you this Thursday.

Brian