James closes his letter by stressing to the believer the importance of prayer
Loving God, Loving Others, Making Disciples
Loving God, Loving Others, Making Disciples
James
We live in a time and culture where we believe that we have far more control than we actually do. James is writing to scattered Jewish Christians and is concerned that their lives are more in line with the people around them rather than being marked by Christ. They are concerned about money, prosperity, travel,…
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? James 4:11 When we are in conflict with others, we must examine our own lives and admit there’s a war going on within us. It’s our passions and the pursuit of pleasure that put…
This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. James 3:15 In this passage, James is setting up a comparison between two kinds of wisdom – earthly and Godly. True Wisdom is from above and is characterized by humility and meekness. It is selfless and serving False Wisdom is…
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring…
What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?James 2:14
We live in a time and culture where the “pecking order’ has great importance. Status, race, wealth… all seem to play a part in how we judge or are judged. One of the reasons God sent Jesus was to dismantle this idea of a pecking order – to level the playing field. Jesus crossed lines…
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. James…
Be quick! Quick to retaliate? To prove a point? No, be quick to listen. The word listen is a verb. It means to “give one’s attention to a sound” or “to make an effort to hear something”. This verse urges us to be quick to give our attention to what is being said. This doesn’t…
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:14-15 We live in a time and culture where we often shift the blame for our failures and struggles onto someone or…