We are so glad you are checking out our Study of James online. We had a GREAT first time together this morning and are so excited about what the Lord has in store. We sure wish you could have tasted the special polka dot cupcakes made just for us by Cake Girl Bake Shop! DELISH.
Weekly Details
Please be sure to see the tabs on the menu bar above so you can print out each week's homework for your own personal binder (if you wish) and I will post my study notes here each week. We would love for you to chime in via the comment section because we can all benefit from what the Lord is revealing to you personally.
Today's Notes
The notes today are based upon this printable.
Before you get started reading today's notes, sit down and read James 1. Write down what you see that stand out to you or things you would like to understand more.
James was written by James, the brother of Jesus. He is writing to Jewish Christians scattered thoughout the country. It is not an evangelistic letter or. In other words, it is not calling people into a relationship with Christ. Rather, it speaks to those that have already made a personal commitment to Christ.
If you have never made a commitment to Christ you can do that right now by praying this prayer:
"Lord, I come to you and ask that you forgive my sins and come into my heart and life and make it what you want it to be. Thank you that my sins were covered by your blood from the cross."
If you have already prayed that prayer, listen to what God wants to say to you as you study the book of James.
Read James 1:1-12
James is encouraging us to count it all joy when we encounter trails. Now, look at verse two because I want to show you something. My translation says:
"Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trails."
Allow me to paraphrase:
"Calmly think about your life being polka dotted with but not engulfed by trials."
That is right! It is a guarantee that your life will be "polka dotted" with trials, but you can still have joy without being smiley and bubbly 24/7 AND God will not allow you to be engulfed by those trials.
I am old enough to know without a shadow of a doubt that this is true! To represent, I wore a polka dot belt to our study today. :)
When you get to the end of this life, your life will be a beautiful picture of polka dots, and you will be able to look at each dot, and say, "God taught me this in the midst of that dot," or "He got me through that dot," or "I see why that dot is there now!" Please see the tab above to add your own polka dots(s) to our banner via the comments. This banner is hung in our Bible study room and will become one big beautiful picture made up of our individual trials. Praise His Name!
James tells us what to do when a trial comes upon us and we need to pay attention to the following.
1. Pray for wisdom and knowledge. Do not panic or retreat! Come to God almighty and pray that He give wisdom and knowledge about what He wants you to see, do or say.
Read Psalm 111:10
Proverbs 2:1-8
2. Go to God FIRST. Paul says in scripture that he prayed the eyes of his heart would be opened by God so he could understand the mysteries of heaven. We are to do the same thing. It is easy to go to friends, counselors, etc. first but we must go straight to God. Don't we often go there last when nothing else has worked? He will answer us when we call to Him alone.
3. Go to God in faith. James uses the word "faith" twice in this passage. When we look at it, we see we have to be a person of faith. We must believe that He will hear us and accomplish His purposes in our lives. Faith means that we do not come to Him in doubt. A doubting person is a man with "two minds" or "two souls". We are to love God with our one heart, soul and mind. When we do come to God, we see that He is generous to hear us and give us all we need to get through any thing this life has to offer.
Remember
Your life has power because of the Resurrection!
Read Philppians 3:10.
James 1:2 says the man that perseveres under trial is blessed.
- Blessed=happy
Until next week, it is my prayer for you that you love the Lord God with all your heart, soul and mind!
Homework
Here is the printable to do ahead of time so you will be all ready for next week's time together!
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