James, Day 10 Do we mean what we say? Read James 5:7-12. James is discussing patience here. Patience is what we need when things are not going the way we want them to go. The other piece of patience that is important to recognize, is that our words matter, especially when we are frustrated and need patience. As we are going through life, are we people of our word? Do we still say exactly what we intend to do? Our integrity must be such that when we say yes, people can count on that, and when we say no, it’s the same thing. Are we people of our word?

James, Day 9 Is it wrong to be wealthy? No. Is it wrong to be poor? No. Read James 5:1-6. The quantity of money that an individual has or does not have is never what determines what is in or not sin when it comes to money. The issue is much more about how people use the money they have and why they want more money. In the United States, money is often seen as a means of power, and people who want power typically want more money to be able to exert more power over others. James is reminding the people here that often, the rich people in that…

James, Day 8 Is planning a sin? Read James 4:13-17. God wants us to use the time that he has given us in the best way possible to glorify him. To do that, there will always be a balance between planning, faith, and God’s seemingly spontaneous but perfect timing. God is the ultimate planner and he is the one who knows exactly what is going to happen and when. We, on the other hand, often we’ll try to plan. However, do things go according to our plan? Sometimes we have to recognize that God has different plans, and we need to be flexible to move and flow with what he…

James, Day 7 How do we understand and ask for what we want? Read James 4:1-12. So often, our prayers to God become a laundry list of things that we want. We come to God like we go to the grocery store with our list and expect to be able to pick up everything immediately. However, God is not a grocerystore or buffet line. Humility is the key. When we humble ourselves to God, our requests become in line with what God is asking for. We want what pleases him, not what pleases ourselves. Are we coming to God with humility and putting his desires above our own. His desires…

James, Day 6 What is wisdom? Read James 3:13-18. When we think about wisdom, it can be easy to quickly go to intellectual knowledge. However, James does not define wisdom on the basis of knowledge. Wisdom is, first and foremost, from above. One cannot be wise without God. One cannot be wise apart from God. Wisdom comes from God and it is characterized by a number of attributes including peacefulness, purity, consideration, sincerity. Are we wise today? Do we seek our wisdom from God?

James, Day 5 Integrity, read James 3:1-14. As we read this passage about the tongue and all the damage that the small body part can cause, we see that it is very easy to lose control of the tongue. We can say and do different things which results in integrity issues. Are we in control of our tongue and all that it speaks, or is our tongue in control of us?

James, Day 4 Just do it. Read James 2:14-26. Nike’s slogan from years ago still resonates with many because there comes a point where talk is not enough. You can only say what you believe for so long before you reach the point where you have the back it up with action. James is making the same point here. Words and deeds are flip sides of the same coin. You cannot truly have faith if you aren’t talking about it. But you also can’t have it if you aren’t acting out what you say you believe. How closely do your words and deeds align? Do you talk about what you…

James, Day 3 Treat all people like people. Read James 2:1-13 As followers of Chrust, we know that God made all people in his image. There is no person that is greater than another. God created all of them. The only thing that separates people from other people is whether or not they have accepted Jesus Christ is their Savior or not. We should never be showing partiality or favoritism toward any person. God loves all people and is a result so should we. Are their people that would not be welcome in your church? We are to love all people the way that God loves them, by accepting them…

James, Day 2 How strong do you have to be to control your tongue? Read James 1:19-27. James is speaking here on the importance of listening and responding in a way that reflects God. Do we respond in anger? Do we pause and reflect and understand what has been said before we respond? Are we able to control what we say? This last question, and the verse that I chose for today, are stern reminders that many of us speak before we think. Many times I have found myself in situations where the thoughts that are going through my head are almost simultaneously being vocalized by my mouth, and that…

James, Day 1 We’ve been looking at leaders. Now let’s spend some time in the New Testament with the brother of Jesus and leader of the early church, James. Read James 1:1-18. The early church was experiencing a lot of trials. As a result, that’s what the book of James deals with: how to make it through trials. This was something that they were living everyday. James wanted to make sure that the church understood what God had to say about the fact that they were being persecuted for their faith. How do we manage when we are going through difficult times and trials? What are leaders supposed to say…