James week 2 / day 1

Read James 1:19-27 and watch video #3 at RightNowMedia

The book of James emphasizes the active side of our faith, so let’s consider several ways we might put its teaching into practice.

Memorization: Learn James 1:22. Perhaps you could write it out on a card, which you put (appropriately) on your mirror.

Conversation: Do you need to develop the ability to be “quick to hear, slow to speak”? Is there a particular person in your life with whom you should do more listening? Work on this. You might even think of some questions to ask in your next conversation. Focus on them, not on your own responses.

Journaling: If you have a Bible study journal, add this component. If not, try journaling this week. Take the next six pages and put four headings on each page. Read. Think. Pray. Do! Then select Scriptures to read each day. As you do, record your thoughts on the text, write out key words of a prayer, and then—because of James—figure out something God would like you to do in response to that text. Oh, yeah—and then do it.

Prayer: Pray specifically about two things this week.

(1) Your anger. (Even if you’re not hot-tempered, do you “stuff” your anger and let it turn into bitterness?)

(2) Soul pollution. Ask God to show you ways you might be getting “polluted” by the world. “Widows and Orphans.” In many parts of Scripture—and here in James—we are urged to care for the neediest members of society. In your area, who are these people, and how can you help? It’s possible they are, literally, widows and orphans, having suffered the loss of a family member. But also consider the homeless, the hospitalized, retirees, special-needs children and adults, the unemployed, immigrants, prisoners, etc. See if your church has a ministry you could support and become involved with, but also consider parachurch ministries and other charities.