Welcome to your last week of Bible study. .
I hope you have learned a ton. .
and grown in your relationship with the Lord, as well as your knowledge of His Word and how He wants it applied to your life. .
Don’t be tempted to give up early. .
I hope you have learned a ton. .
and grown in your relationship with the Lord, as well as your knowledge of His Word and how He wants it applied to your life. .
Don’t be tempted to give up early. .
In my studies over the last month. .
I had noted many places to talk about how the epistle of James echoes the teaching of Jesus in his first public ministry teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. .
found in Matthew chapters 5-7. I finally made some time to read through those chapters in Matthew. I also, was able to observe some of the correlations. .
I found a listing of them online, taken from an ESV study bible. .
and thought that, if you didn’t have time to read in Matthew this week for yourself. .
that I would share those here. I missed some of the correlations myself. .
and encourage you. .
that if you intend on reading the Sermon on the Mount. .
you hesitate before you read the following information. .
and see how your memory is!
Plus, it will be interesting for you to come back and see the scripture verses from Matthew and James put side by side!!
I had noted many places to talk about how the epistle of James echoes the teaching of Jesus in his first public ministry teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. .
found in Matthew chapters 5-7. I finally made some time to read through those chapters in Matthew. I also, was able to observe some of the correlations. .
I found a listing of them online, taken from an ESV study bible. .
and thought that, if you didn’t have time to read in Matthew this week for yourself. .
that I would share those here. I missed some of the correlations myself. .
and encourage you. .
that if you intend on reading the Sermon on the Mount. .
you hesitate before you read the following information. .
and see how your memory is!
Plus, it will be interesting for you to come back and see the scripture verses from Matthew and James put side by side!!
SO. .I’ll go ahead and post the assignment for the week here
so you know what’s up. .
1.)
Read the book of James in a version that you
haven’t read it in be prepared to share what version you used for the last 4
months of your study. .and which version you chose this week to look at!
2.)
How will the book of James CHANGE who you are??
Not just. .what SHOULD I change. .
but rather. .
what WILL I DO. .to be in accordance with the will of God. .
Not just. .what SHOULD I change. .
but rather. .
what WILL I DO. .to be in accordance with the will of God. .
3.)
Do I see the value in becoming a doer of God’s
word rather than just a hearer??
4.)
Am I ACTIVELY making steps to changing my
behavior (this is different than just ACKNOWLEDGING what I need to change)
5.)
FINALLY. .
The new year is a time for MAKING resolutions. .
and BREAKING resolutions. .
What do I resolve to do in my personal time to grow in Christ in 2014
(stay in an active study, join a different study, subscribe to a podcast teacher, read so many chapters or time per week, etc)??
And what steps will I take to be sure that I don’t BREAK that resolution
(stay in an active study, solicit a friend in Christ to be accountable to WEEKLY in church or a study or via email etc)
The new year is a time for MAKING resolutions. .
and BREAKING resolutions. .
What do I resolve to do in my personal time to grow in Christ in 2014
(stay in an active study, join a different study, subscribe to a podcast teacher, read so many chapters or time per week, etc)??
And what steps will I take to be sure that I don’t BREAK that resolution
(stay in an active study, solicit a friend in Christ to be accountable to WEEKLY in church or a study or via email etc)
I’ll probably say this again Friday. .
but I’m sure it will bear repeating. .
I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed the last 4 months. .
It has been INCREDIBLY time consuming for me. .
to research. .and reword. .and comment. .and facilitate. .
but I have grown EXPONENTIALLY for it. .
and I probably benefitted 100 times more than you did from that!
This study has forced me to walk my talk more than once. .
and I look back and see God’s hand in my life through it all. I hope that you can look back on the last four months, and see where God has been working in your life too. .
I appreciate that you have all stuck with me, even during times that you would have GLADLY found something else to do with your spare time!!
My prayer for each of you. .
is that you will use this study to establish a FIRM foundation in God’s word. .
because when we are grounded in that. .
there won’t be anything that we can’t do or handle. .
God promises!!
but I’m sure it will bear repeating. .
I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed the last 4 months. .
It has been INCREDIBLY time consuming for me. .
to research. .and reword. .and comment. .and facilitate. .
but I have grown EXPONENTIALLY for it. .
and I probably benefitted 100 times more than you did from that!
This study has forced me to walk my talk more than once. .
and I look back and see God’s hand in my life through it all. I hope that you can look back on the last four months, and see where God has been working in your life too. .
I appreciate that you have all stuck with me, even during times that you would have GLADLY found something else to do with your spare time!!
My prayer for each of you. .
is that you will use this study to establish a FIRM foundation in God’s word. .
because when we are grounded in that. .
there won’t be anything that we can’t do or handle. .
God promises!!
Rejoice and be glad in your trials.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and
persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12)
Be perfect and complete.
“And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:4)
Ask your good and wise God who loves to give good things.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the
one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one
of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for
a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven
give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-11)
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives
generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. . . . Every good
gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of
lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:5, 17)
Avoid sinful anger before a righteous God.
“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the
council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matt. 5:22)
Be doers, not just hearers, of the word.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will
be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the
floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall,
because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of
mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the
sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat
against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matt. 7:24-27)
God’s heart for the poor in the kingdom.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. . . . Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:3, 5)
“Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are
poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has
promised to those who love him?” (James 2:5)
The necessity of righteousness.
“. . . I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the
scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)
“. . . whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has
become accountable for all of it.” (James 2:10)
Mercy to the merciful.
“. . . judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy.
Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13)
Recognize them by their fruits.
“You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered
from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16)
“Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine
produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.” (James 3:12)
Blessed are the peacemakers.
Ask and receive.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the
one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)
“You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot
obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You
ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
(James 4:2-3)
You cannot serve God and be friends with the world.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and money.” (Matt. 6:24)
“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the
world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world
makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)
Blessed are the mourners.
“Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to
mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will
exalt you.” (James 4:9-10)
Be slow to judge.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you
pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured
to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not
notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother,
‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)
“Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who
speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and
judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a
judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to
destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11-12)
God’s provision for tomorrow.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34)
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such
and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’—yet you do
not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that
appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (James 4:13-14)
Do not lay up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19)
“Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your
gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you
and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.
Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by
fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached
the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in
self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.” (James 5:2-5)
The example of the prophets.
“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so
they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:12)
“As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the
prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” (James 5:10)
Do not swear oaths.
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You
shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’
But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the
throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for
it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you
cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;
anything more than this comes from evil.” (Matthew 5:33-37)
“But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth
or by any other oath, but let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no, so that
you may not fall under condemnation.” (James 5:12
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