Week 2 Day 1

Daily Take 10
Epistle of James
Week 2 Day 1

Introduction…Jesus taught in parables, or stories that give us insight about God and ourselves. In one of these lessons, Jesus taught His disciples about God’s Word and the condition of our hearts as it relates to the trials of life. Jesus taught that His Word and truth is disseminated in the world like living seeds. The seeds come in contact with people’s hearts which are like soil. The effectiveness and impact of God’s seed depends upon the condition of the soil, our hearts, or our receptivity to His Word. There are 4 types of soil Jesus talks about. Hard packed soil where the seed of God’s Word does not penetrate. Thorny soil that is filled with weeds, or the cares of this world that choke out the seed that starts to grow, but then is overtaken and dies. There is rocky soil that is shallow. The seed of God’s Word falls into this soil and the seed grows but the roots cannot grow deep because of the rocks and when trials come, like the hot sun, the young plant dies. But if our hearts are good soil, when the seed of God’s Word, His truth and love, penetrates our hearts, the roots will go down deep and our lives will flourish. The weeds or cares of this world will not choke us, nor the heat of trials will kill the good seed of God’s Word planted in the good soil of our heart. See Matthew 8:14-27

Read James 1:12 “Blessed is the person who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.”

Bible Study
• As we have learned in these first 11 verses, when trials come our way, remember God’s Word and be joyful. Why?
o Know that God is with you through the trial
o Know that faith, which is essential to your Christian life is being exercised and is developing within you. Patient faith and steadfastness, which is the ability to remain faithful to God is developing.
o Know that you are pleasing God and He will declare you ‘perfect’…meaning a mature Christian.
o Know that you will be rewarded by God on earth and in heaven to come.
• Are you having trouble understanding God’s ways or how to think and what to do during these trying times? Pray for wisdom and God will give it to you.
• Know that the fear and trust in God, which is why you pray to God, is the beginning point of gaining knowledge of God and resulting in God’s wisdom for living abundantly.
• Remember that both poverty and riches are trials in life that test us as well. Are we living a life that acknowledges and trusts in God?
• Here in verse 11, God promises us that there is reward for enduring trials and temptation on earth and in the life hereafter for those that love Him.
• On earth, God says you are blessed. The Bible teaches us “The blessing of the Lord makes us rich and adds no sorrow with it.” Proverbs 10:22
• In heaven, God will also reward us with the crown of life. This means we will be crowned as victors and honored by God.

Application
• Have you ever been a champion or rewarded for something you won or were awarded? Wait until you see what God has for us! It’s worth the fight and wait.
• The Apostle Paul near the end of his life evaluated His journey as very worthwhile as he endured many hardships. He said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, therefore there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness in Heaven.”

Any questions or comments?

Tags: Take 10

Week 2 Day 2

The Daily Take 10
The Epistle of James
Week 2 Day 2

Introduction…There are many testings that come our way in life. Some tests are more external in that they involve life trials, difficulties, problems we face or trying situations that come our way. Then there are internal tests which are temptations that test our character, present choices between good and evil, and test our love for God.

Read James 1:13-15 “Let no person say when tempted, I am tempted of God. For God incapable of being tempted by evil and He tempts no one. But every person is tempted when drawn away by our own evil desire. Then when the evil desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and sin when fully matured, brings forth death.”

Bible Study
• Temptation to do evil, enticement, or provocation to do wrong does not come from God.
• God does test us, challenge us to live on a higher level with Him, do good, to prove us, increase our faith, develop and reward us.
• God also promises that there is no temptation that will ever come our way that we will not able to handle properly. We will never be so overwhelmed by temptation that it is beyond our ability to overcome. See I Corinthians 10:13
• To be accurate, we are responsible for our sin. We cannot blame God, the devil or others for our sin. Sin results from decisions we make that take us away from God
• Sin comes from acting on our evil desire or when we submit to an evil inclination or way to satisfy an otherwise natural need.
• If we encourage or deliberately nourish evil desires, the thoughts can become evil actions and we can become consumed by them.
• Sin leads to death. Following our sin nature takes us away from God and life.
“The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
• We can control our evil desires by the grace (that is strength and mercy) of God. Instead of being led by our flesh or evil desires, we can choose to be led by the Spirit of God that is within us from salvation.
• “Walk the Spirit and we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 Living life while filled with His Spirit will so satisfy us with His peace and presence that we will not want to stray from God’s ways…they are best.
• We should pray for God’s grace (His strength and favor) to cleanse us and help us live rightly for Him, since it is the way to abundant life.
• There is a pleasure to sin for a time…that is the temptation. Hebrews 11:25 tells us that Moses, “choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season.”
• I believe that the anecdote for sin is to realize that in God’s presence is joy and pleasure forever more. It trumps the selfishness and insanity of sin. That is why it is true what Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God’ Matthew 5:8. When we press on and see God…it is worth the striving for pure living.
• “The love of Christ constrains us…” 2 Corinthians 5:14. God’s love for us and toward us is so amazing that it draws us to Him and is the fuel for us to live for and serve God.

Application
• As a Christian you should be able to discern whether the situation you are facing is directing you towards God and His good or evil
• “Hate or abhor that which is evil and cling to that which is good.” Romans 12:9

Comments or questions?

Tags: Take 10

Week 2 Day 3

The Daily Take 10
The Epistle of James
Week 2 Day 3

Introduction…Simply stated, but so true…God is a good and the devil is evil. A key sign of Christian maturity in a believer is a spirit of discernment, that is to know what spirit is at work, right from wrong, good from evil and to be led in life by the Holy Spirit that dwells in us.

Read James 1:16-18 “Do not err my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begot he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.”

Bible Study
• God is love, totally good and gives nothing but good and perfect gifts to His world and to us His children.
• Sometimes we are good, even great, but sometimes not so good…right?
• We change. Sometimes we’re up and sometimes we’re down. Even moody maybe?
• But not God. You can depend upon Him to be consistently who He is. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”
• The names of God in Scripture, describe and declare the multiple facets of who God is. Do you know Him? His names are:
o God my Righteousness…who forgives us and declares us holy and without sin
o God my Sanctifier…who sets us apart for His honor and glory as light and salt in this world
o God my Prince of Peace…who silences the accuser and rebukes the devourer for our sake
o God my Healer…who heals all my diseases
o God my Great Provider…who supplies all my needs
o God my Banner of Victory…who destroyed the works of the devil and triumphed over powers and principalities
o God my Shepherd…who guards, guides and cares for me
o God who is there…the True and Living God who is in us
• Get to know Him. Who to know is life eternal.
• The Word of Truth is the Gospel…the Good News…God loves us.

Application
• What a life long journey and what a worthy goal to seek to know God. Proverbs 25:2
• Yet understand that God is beyond our ability to know all there is to know about Him. Isaiah 55: 8-9

Comments or questions?

Tags: Take 10

Week 2 Day 4

The Daily Take 10

Epistle of James

Week 2 Day 4

Introduction…It was God’s purpose before Creation that we would be His children and choose Him. Ephesians 1:4 says, “Even as He chose us as His own in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy, set apart and blameless before Him in love.” In response to God’s plan and purpose for us, 1 John 4:19  says, “we love Him because He first loved us.” God created us, loves us and knows how we should live the abundant life. So let’s learn from His Word today.

Read James 1:19-20 “Understand this my beloved brethren. Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry. For a person’s anger does not promote the righteousness God requires.”

Bible Study

• God speaks to us through the inspired Word of God. We are being taught in love. It is as if God is saying to us, “please my children understand my counsel here”.
• When God speaks, we should listen! His first admonition to us is “be swift or eager to listen and learn. Be a ‘ready listener’.
• Next a bit of wisdom, “be slow to speak”. Be careful about your words, what you say and what you communicate. Proverbs 13:3 says, “He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he that opens wide his lips comes to ruin”.
• The next teaching lesson is be “slow to take offense”. Much of what offends us is a matter of misinterpretation, is based upon our sensitivity and is destructive. Instead of build up yourself in His truth and live on a higher plane. God says instead of being offended…
  • Cast vain imaginations down. 1 Corinthians 10:5 speaks of casting down the strongholds of our imagination. Focus on knowing truth that is the knowledge of God that is what God says.
  • Do not look at others critically, or judge them, leave that to God. Matthew 7:1-5
  • Think on pure and right things, focus on the good in others and life. See Philippians 4:8-9
• The final Word of Life God teaches us is to be “slow to get angry”
• Elsewhere the Bible says in Ephesians 4:25-26, “speak truth with and about others since we are members one of another. Be angry and sin not, don’t let the sun go down on your anger.”
• Why? God has a great purpose and message for the world. He is not condemning, but sent Jesus came to seek and to save whoever will come to Him (Luke 19:10).
• We are in ‘sales.’ God entrusted this Good News to us to communicate and he has no other plan B. Anger does not promote the righteousness of God.
• We are to be God’s light in this world. Anger in us does not promote God or His love.

Application

• There is a great prayer in Psalms 19:14 that says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”

Any comments or questions?

Tags: Take 10

Week 2 Day 5

The Daily Take 10
The Epistle of James
Week 2 Day 5

Introduction…I don’t know of any farmer or gardener that intends to grow weeds. If you do nothing, the weeds, exactly what you don’t want, spring up and grow. It takes good intentions and hard work to keep the weeds from growing. Only if and when you are successful in removing the weeds, will you have a much desired and valuable crop that bears fruit.

Read James 1:21 “So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness and in a humble spirit receive and welcome the Word of God, which implanted and rooted in your hearts contains the power to save your souls.”

Bible Study
• First of all, know that all Scripture, the Bible, is given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God that worked in and upon the writers of the Word of God. The Bible is authored by God. It was through the His Spirit, that holy men wrote what was said and inspired to them. See 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:19-21.
• The word pictures used in this verse by James, is that of stripping off filthy, smelly garments…depicting that part of our life and sinful living before we knew God and accepted Christ as our Savior.
• The point of this verse is for us to get rid of the despicable and damaging filth, sinful acts and wrong worldly thinking that can still be with us as believers. How? Some may be old habits that God has not cleaned up yet, or areas of sinfulness that may creep back into our lives or just the soils from living in this wicked world.
• Understand that for the believer, this world is not our home. Yet God wants us in the world that we might be His light, a lifegiver of His hope and an ambassador of His love to a sin sick world.
• While on earth, Jesus prayed for us saying, Father, “I do not pray that you would take them (the believers) out of this world, but that you would keep them from the evil of this world.” John 17:15. Note God has a purpose for our lives while on earth. Yes, heaven will be someday, but until then, let’s reflect His light to this world.
• Salvation is like being rescued from drowning in an ocean of sinfulness. The life giving resuscitation we were given is, out with the old (sin) and in with the new (righteousness of God). 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “if any person be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away behold all things are become new.
• Getting rid of the weeds of sin is not enough. The Law of Thermodynamics says, things left to themselves tend to randomize. For example, Hybrid corn or cattle that is not given continued attention and work, becomes lowbrid if left alone.
• A good defense is great offense. Serving God is not about what you don’t do, it is more what you do. So now that we are forgiven and cleaned from the filth of this world, we have to then be filled with His Spirit and Word. That is why we go to church, hear the Word and read the Bible and pray. To be filled with His life. Our minds are to be renewed:
o “I beseech you therefore brethren/believers…that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God…and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:1-2
o “…put off the former manner of life, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness…” Ephesians 4:22-24
Application
• The Lord’s Prayer, which more accurately should be called the Disciples Prayer, since it is a model for how and what we should pray, says we should pray to the Father, “Deliver me from evil”. Meaning, “God, keep me from being influenced, involved or interested in the evil that I know is in the world.”
• I pray for God to protect and cover me and my family by putting a hedge of protection about us.

Any questions or comments?

Tags: Take 10