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Christian Devotional – October 1, 2015
Read James chapter 1 VERSE: James 1:19–My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry TRUTH: In this fast-paced society, we try to be quick about everything. Unfortunately, that often means that we are quick to get angry as well. When we are faced with a situation, do we seem to have a short fuse that results in us saying or doing things out of anger? We must realize that if we are to be quick to do anything, it should be quick to listen. Which will we be quick to do today? RESPONSE: Father, I…
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Christian Devotional – September 30, 2015
Read James chapter 1 VERSE: James 1:18–He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created. TRUTH: God made a decision to offer us a way of salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus. He did not have to do this and He made the choice based solely on His grace and mercy. As we accept His gift of salvation through Jesus, we become an example to others of what the power of Christ in our lives can do. Will we be a witness to others so that others might choose to accept…
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Christian Devotional – September 29, 2015
Read James chapter 1 VERSE: James 1:16-17–Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. TRUTH: We should never get confused about where the good things in our life come from. God is good and He is the author of all good things. He doesn’t change and so the good things that He is able to bring about in others lives, He is able to bring about in our lives. We can often get deceived into thinking that we “worked” to provide these good things. Or, sometimes…
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Christian Devotional – September 28, 2015
Read James chapter 1 VERSE: James 1:15–Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. TRUTH: Yesterday, we learned that we have evil desires and that is where our temptations come from. When those desires have a chance to take hold and grow and influence us, we act on those desires and that is what is sin. When we sin, the result and consequence is death (Rom 6:23). Our sins start in our mind and with what we will allow ourselves to think on and to consider. Are we giving room in our mind for our evil desires to…
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Christian Devotional – September 27, 2015
Read James chapter 1 VERSE: James 1:14–But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. TRUTH: As we learned yesterday, God doesn’t tempt us. So what does tempt us? Our own evil desires are what leads us into temptation. We have a sinful nature and we crave the things that satisfy our own desires instead of God’s desires. As we give in to those temptations, we are sinning. Satan loves to use our own desires against us and present us with opportunities to give in. We must be focused on God and on obeying and pleasing Him. Only by placing our faith…
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Christian Devotional – September 26, 2015
Read James chapter 1 VERSE: James 1:13–When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. TRUTH: This is important to remember as we are facing temptations that seek to pull us away from God. God is not the author of the temptations. He is not trying to make us slip up and fall. God does occasionally allow us to be tested so we have an opportunity to learn and grow, but as we will see in tomorrow’s verse, those temptations often come as a result of our own selfish desires. Today, when we face temptations, we can…
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Christian Devotional – September 25, 2015
Read James chapter 1 VERSE: James 1:12–Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. TRUTH: We are going to go through trials; this verse all but promises us that. However, the importance is not to push our way through the trial or try to muscle our way in the circumstances. We are to stand. We are to simply stand up under the weight of the difficulties so that we can experience the blessings of the Lord. As we stand firm, we will receive the crown of life…
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Christian Devotional – September 24, 2015
Read James chapter 1 VERSE: James 1:11–For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plan; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. TRUTH: Why should the rich take pride in their position as children of God and not in their riches? The answer is right here in this verse. Riches are here one moment and gone the next! Just as investment brokers for Wall Street and they can tell you how the make and then lose money in an instant, circumstances happen and change in an instant that results in a quick…
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Christian Devotional – September 23, 2015
Read James chapter 1 VERSE: James 1:10–But the rich should take pride in their humiliation–since they will pass away like a wild flower. TRUTH: Yesterday I shared about how the poor should take pride in being a Child of God. Today, in contrast, the rich should take pride, not in their riches, but in the fact that they realize what is important in life. The rich who are believers in Christ recognize that their riches are simply a tool that God has allowed them to have to bless others. Their money will pass away and is not eternal. They are to take pride in the fact that they’ve not become…
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Christian Devotional – September 22, 2015
Read James chapter 1 VERSE: James 1:9–Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. TRUTH: In this verse, humble circumstances is referring to a lack of material possessions. As believers, we need to be much less concerned about the quantity of our material possessions here on earth and much more concerned about our relationship with the Creator of the Universe. We are a child of the King and as such, we have a very high position, regardless of the physical things that we have on this earth. We must come to the place where we recognize our value and measure of success is based on our…