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Christian Devotional – November 17, 2015
Before we jump into our devotional today, I just want you to be aware that something new and exciting is coming! More information will be available next week, but I wanted everyone here to be the first to know. Stay tuned!!! Read James chapter 4 VERSE: James 4:5–Or, do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? TRUTH: James is asking a question of his readers. Basically, he’s asking, “Do you think God is a liar?” You see, scripture indicates that God is a jealous God who longs for His own people and desires to have our love…
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Christian Devotional – November 16, 2015
Read James chapter 4 VERSE: James 4:4–You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. TRUTH: No matter what we think or what we try to tell ourselves, it really is one or the other. We cannot have love for both the world and for God. We are either for one or for the other. So many people try to walk a line of loving God and following Him, but still flirting with the world and trying to love those things as well. It’s simply not possible. They…
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Christian Devotional – November 15, 2015
Read James chapter 4 VERSE: James 4:3–When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. TRUTH: Yesterday we were talking about how our desires can lead to quarreling and fighting. Today, it’s a reminder about our motives for asking. When we come to God and ask for things, why do we want them? Here James indicates that the people have not been receiving what they’ve asked God for because they are asking for things selfishly, only wanting them so they can spend it on their own pleasures. Are we only focused on ourselves or are we…
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Christian Devotional – November 14, 2015
Read James chapter 4 VERSE: James 4:2–You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. TRUTH: James just finished talking about the fact that our quarrels and fights come from our desires that battle within us, now he says that the way these desires lead to that is because we get angry when we don’t get what we want. We set our mind on the fact that we deserve something or are entitled to something and if we don’t get it, we get mad and start…
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Christian Devotional – November 13, 2015
Read James chapter 4 VERSE: James 4:1–What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? TRUTH: When we are all following God’s desires, we will all have unity. However, when we break away and start to look after our own personal desires, we start to see the fighting and the quarreling among people. As our personal desires battle against our desire to please God, we will feel the battle within us and it will come out as fighting and quarreling with ourselves and each other. Are we at peace with others? If not, we need to go back and review if we…
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Christian Devotional – November 12, 2015
Read James chapter 3 VERSE: James 3:18–Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. TRUTH: There is a difference between a peacemaker and a peacekeeper. Peacekeepers are typically willing to do anything or say anything just to avoid a conflict or a confrontation. They will compromise their beliefs in order to maintain the status quo in a situation. On the other hand, a peacemaker is someone who is actively looking for ways to bring peace to situations of chaos. They find ways to bring in the Prince of Peace to situations knowing that without Him there can’t be true peace. Peacemakers are the ones who will reap the…
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Christian Devotional – November 11, 2015
Read James chapter 3 VERSE: James 3:17–But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. TRUTH: The difference between Godly wisdom and earthly wisdom is very easy to see. Earthly wisdom often says that you must take care of yourself, seek to put yourself first, step over others to get what you need. In stark contrast to that Godly wisdom seeks to put others first, be full of mercy, submit to others. As we choose our actions today, which path of wisdom are we choosing? Do our actions reflect the world’s wisdom or God’s…
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Christian Devotional – November 10, 2015
Read James chapter 3 VERSE: James 3:15-16–Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. TRUTH: So many things can be corrupted by envy and selfish ambition. That question for power that feeds our pride will drive people to do things that originally would never have considered doing. As we are going through our day, what motivates us? Are we seeking to be better than someone or something? Do we want to show someone up? These motivations, which are often praised as wisdom in the world today, are the key…
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Christian Devotional – November 9, 2015
Read James chapter 3 VERSE: James 3:14–But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. TRUTH: This verse, just following one about the importance of humility and wisdom, goes even further. People are to have the good deeds and do them with humility. However, we must be honest with ourselves about our motives. If we do not have pure motives but instead have bitterness or pride in our hearts, we should be seeking God’s repentance, not boasting about our deeds. Are we honest with ourselves about the motives that we have for the things that we do. If…
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Christian Devotional – November 8, 2015
Read James chapter 3 VERSE: James 3:13–Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. TRUTH: Wisdom is seen in two places. First, our actions display wisdom or our lack of it. What we do matters and is a perfect opportunity to display to those around us what we are thinking about. Second, our attitude displays our level of wisdom. It’s not enough to just do the right things, the way we do them matters as well. Do we have the right motives and are we acting out of humility or pride? RESPONSE: Father,…