Reflect
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James 1:19-27
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not produce the righteous life that God desires. 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.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But 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.
If anyone considers himself religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on his tongue deceive himself and his religion is worthless. 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.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Read Scripture:
Spend at least four days this next week, reading and practicing the O.I.A. method with James 2:1-13.
If you missed getting a Scripture journal for the book of James and bookmark, you can download them here.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Complete the O.I.A. framework for this passage from James.
Questions:
1) What key words did you find in this week’s study?
2) Make accurate observations of the passage by answering ‘who, what, where, when, why, and how’.
3) What do these observations show you about God? What do these observations show you about yourself? Journal your thoughts and share them with someone else or your group.
4) How you are going to apply this passage to your daily life? Journal your thoughts and share them with someone else or your group.
Prayer:
God, Help me to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry… remind me to literally do these things this next week… not just read about or talk about doing them. Discipline my tongue so that I can develop a faith that is pure and faultless.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
