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Love
Teaching Text: James 1: 19-27
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness 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 someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their 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.
Themes
Consider these themes and ask your group what else they see in the passage:
The Crown of Life: Meditations on the Book of James
Doers of the Word
Formation
Thoughts and notes you can use for discussion:
Describe someone in your life who has been a source of wisdom to you.
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness 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.”
– James 1: 19-21
The dangers of overconfidence
We can hear and hear and hear and remain unmoved, locked in to what we already think and do what we have always done.
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry for the anger or people does not produce the righteousness of God.
God’s word is like this slow seed that is planted and grows up into fullness and life and nourishment and blessing.
The most direct equivalent picture is from Psalm 1 about the person who meditates on God’s word day and night….
“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.”
– Psalm 1: 3
Watch out for
Closed Ears, Quick Words, and Anger
Thinking Agreement is the Same Thing As Action
Beware of thinking hearing is the same thing as obedience
For the temptation of Ignoring the Fruit of Our Heart
Malcom Gladwell was warning us in 2009 that a person who talks a lot, doesn’t really listen, and uses anger to get things done may be celebrated as a great leader.
But that will not produce the realities of God’s Kingdom and character and love.
Watch out when you are so full of belief but you cannot really listen to anyone except a select few you are already sure you are in complete agreement with
Watch out when you are a zealous for the bread and the cup but you forget Jesus and drag someone out of line
Watch out when you are prepping a sermon on James and swearing in texts to your wife or blowing up on your kids cause they left the sink full of dishes
Be careful if you know the Scriptures but dont live them. If you can quote chapter and verse but dont look anything like the one who is called THE WORD OF GOD.
Watch out when you’ve got a million words to explain yourself but no compassion for anyone else.
Watch out when you try to bend the word back to you being in control which was never the same anyway.
JAMES HAS SOME PROVERBS LEVEL WISDOM FOR US.
James is saying you will be tempted to move that wrench back control and refuse to wait.
Unwillingness to listen - watch out if you are slow to listen
Words disconnected from soul - watch out if you just vomit words to shape your world or protect yourself or control other
Using anger to control - watch out for what your anger actually produces. It feels so right in the moment, but look at what grows
An unavoidable reality of God’s Kingdom is we mature by obedience.
We really struggle with this as Americans.
But obedience to God is trust that God made life and knows how to make life work.
It’s trust that God wants what is best for us.
That God loves us more than we could possibly fully grasp.
When we hear so much that we dont put into action we deceive ourselves.
WE MISTAKE AGREEMENT FOR ACTION
We look in the mirror and then forget what we look like
James says pay attention to what is growing out our you heart….
“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their 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.”
– James 1: 25-27
What do I do when this is my struggle?
James gives us a clue…
“humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
– James 1 v 21
James is pulling from Israel’s prophetic tradition, specifically here drawing from Isaiah 55…
“As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
– Isaiah 55: 10-11
Jesus is the Word of God.
Jesus will accomplish the purpose He was sent for.
Parents:
How do you teach your children the value of wisdom in the sea of information access, which is our current reality?
How can you connect obedience of God to the love God has for you?
Pick one thing from the commands of God that you can DO together as a family(prayer, confession, service, affirmation, etc.)
