Bible Challenge – James 2

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that faith save anyone?” James 2:14

Don’t talk about IT, BE about IT! This has been a phrase that has been piercing my heart all summer.  Let’s face it, it’s easy to say that we are Christians, but it a whole different thing when we try to live out the things we say we believe.

Growing up as a kid, I was taught this phrase, “Actions speak louder than words.” If we were to pause for a moment and think about what our actions are saying, it might scare us. Many times, good or bad, we are labeled by our actions. When our words and actions align these labels tend to be positive. However, if our words and our actions conflict, these labels tend to be negative.

I’m wrestling with this thought but I think there is a lot of truth to it, many times our words reveal the intentions of our heart, but our actions reveal the meditation of our heart! It’s a powerful thing when our words and our actions actions align with our Faith in Christ Jesus. Don’t be fooled, people are watching! They are comparing the things we say with the way we live and they are more likely to listen to us when they see our words and actions don’t conflict.

So here is the challenge for today, let’s put our faith in action.  Let’s show the people around us what it means to have a relationship with Christ not just by the things we say, but by things we do. Don’t just talk about IT, BE about IT!

Father today, help us to live out the things we say we believe. When the temptation comes to do something that is in opposition of what we believe, empower us to resist that temptation. Let our actions speak louder than our words so that you can receive all the glory and others can see the difference you are making in our lives.

“Preach the gospel always, If necessary use words.” ~ St. Francis of Assisi.

Mark 6:7-13

“And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil^[a] spirits.” v. 7 (NLT)

The Disciples were sent out in pairs.  Individually they could have reached more areas of the country, but this was not Christ’s plan.  The advantages in going out by twos include:

1. They could strengthen each other.
2. They could provide comfort in rejection.
3. They could give each other discernment, and fewer mistakes would be made.
4. They could stir each other to action as a counter to idleness or indifference.

Our strength comes from God, but He meets many of our needs through teamwork with others.  As you serve Christ, don;t try it alone.  – NLT Life Application Study Bible

Today: Who are you teaming with to share Christ with others?  Do you have someone that you can stack hands with so these 4 things can happen in your life?

Prayer: Father, you have called us to be light in dark places, to share the hope of the Gospel with love and compassion.  But for some reason fear gets the best of us.  We fear what they might say, or what they might ask that we can’t answer.  Help us not to fear, but to trust that you will guide us and give us the power we need at the appropriate time,  whether it’s sharing with someone who is open to you and we are received with love, or sharing with someone who is closed to you and rejects you and persecutes us with words or action.  Regardless of the outcome, let us go with Boldness and Power that comes from you through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Mark 6:1-6

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” v.4 (NLT)

Jesus understands rejection, ridicule, and disappointment.  Sometimes the hardest people to share the Truth of the Gospel with are the people that are closest to us.  I find it interesting that the people were amazed by His teaching and the power He had to perform miracles, but when they started talking about who He was and where He came from they started to scoff, discredit, and reject the things He was saying.

Here is the lesson for us.  The Gospel is powerful, it can change the hardest heart, but sometimes people will reject it and the messenger that brings it.  If Jesus experienced this, why should we think that it can’t happen to us.  Here are four reasons I think this happens

• People are afraid of the things they cant explain! (fear)
• People are comfortable in the here and now! (complacency)
• People think they are ok! (pride)
• People don’t want to deal with their stuff (guilt)

I am sure there are way more reasons that people have to not accepting the the Gospel, but these are ones that I hear more than others.  Remember, our job is not to change them, our job is to share Christ with them.  The way that they respond, is up to them.

Today: Are you sharing the Gospel with the people that are closest to you?  Have you experienced some rejection?  If so, it’s ok, even Jesus was rejected by those that knew Him the most!

Prayer: Father help rest in the Good News, knowing that it has the power to transform the softest and hardest heart.  Help us to share your truth with the people that are closest to us.  Help us to love them unconditionally regardless of how they respond to the Gospel.  Let us not seek their approval or their applause but, let us seek to please you, for you have done great things for us.  Let us experience your power and your peace as we boldly proclaim your truth and your love for us!  Advance your Kingdom through us!

Mark 5:21-42

“Don’t be afraid. Just have faith!” v. 36 (NLT)

In this passage we see fear expressed in two similar but different ways.  Both however reveal that Jesus has the power over life and death.

• The woman was fearful that her condition disqualified her from meeting Jesus.  She desperately wanted Jesus to heal her, but she knew that her bleeding would cause Him to be unclean under Jewish law if she touched him.  Therefore she tried the sneak attack!  She believed if she could just touch Him, she would be healed … and she was.  Sometimes we feel that our problems will keep us from God.  Our shame, our situation, or what others might think, say, or do, keeps us trapped from experiencing the Life Changing Power of Jesus. The good news is that He is always ready to help, no matter how impossible the problem seems to us.  We should never allow our fear to keep us from approaching Him!

• Jairus was fearful that it was too late.  He had sought Jesus, but now he’s just gotten word that his daughter is dead.  In the midst of confusion, anger,  mourning and serious crisis, Jesus says these powerful words, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith!“ These words speak to us today.  These words bring both hope and promise. The next time we feel hopeless and afraid, we need to remember these words and let them go deep into our heart. The situation we are facing may be intense, but Jesus can calm our fears and help us through any situation.

Today, where do you need to experience Jesus? Is there something that you are holding back in fear?  Maybe its fear or maybe its shame, whatever it is, Jesus can bring healing to that situation if you will seek Him.

Prayer: Father, we need you in every situation.  Help us not to hide in the crowd!  When things get intense, help us to not be afraid but to trust you completely.  Increase our faith, so we can experience the miracle! In our darkest hour let us remember that you never let go!

Mark 5:1-20

“When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7 With a shriek, he screamed, ‘Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!’ 8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, ‘Come out of the man, you evil spirit.‘” v. 6-8 (NLT)

There is a powerful and interesting thing that happens when people meet Jesus.  This particular encounter is one of my favorites because it shows the Radical Life Changing power of Jesus.  This man, a social outcast, who cannot be restrained by chains any longer, walks around the burial caves and hills howling and cutting himself.  This guy was scary, I don’t see him being invited to many social gatherings.

However, this man has an encounter with Jesus!  Jesus looks beyond the physical and see the spiritual and transforms this man from the inside out.  The people didn’t know how to respond to this.  In, fact:

“the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.”  v. 17 (NLT)

It’s interesting to me that people respond to Jesus in such different ways.  Many times people, hear about Jesus, see how He changes others from the inside out, but still want nothing to do with Him.  While others respond to what they have heard and seen and are willing to allow Him to change them from the inside out.

Today, how do you respond to Jesus? Are you letting Him transform you from the inside out?

Prayer: Father, help us see the spiritual not only the physical.  Help us to see our need for you first, so we can see how much others need you also.  Let us respond in faith, instead of fear so we can experience the radical life changing power of Jesus. Let our story and life be a testimony so others can see the power of Jesus and be open to what He could do in theirs also!

Mark 4:35-41

“Then he asked them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?‘” v. 40 (NLT)

The Storm!  Probably one of the most intense experiences the Disciples had with Jesus.  They were fearful for their life! They had done all they could, the boat was taking on water and Jesus was sleeping as if they were on a peaceful boat ride.  In a panic they woke Him!  Calmly Jesus stands up and say’s, “Silence! Be Still!” Suddenly the wind stopped and the waves calmed.  Then he asked “The Question.”

Fear is a real thing.  It can challenge our beliefs, sideline us from trying something new, or paralyze us from stepping out in Faith.  In Fact, Fear is the total opposite of Faith.

Storms will come and go.  Some will be more intense than others.  But how we respond to these storms is important.  Fear will be our natural response.  It causes us to internalize the situation, causing us to look for immediate answers, or a quick fixes.  Faith however, causes us to focus on Jesus instead of the storm.  It allows us to look outside ourselves, develops our character, opens our life to experience a miracle and the peace of God. Jesus can make a difference no matter how weak or fierce the storm you are facing is! The question is, are you stepping back in fear or stepping out in faith?

Today, what storm do you need to put faith in Jesus?

Prayer: Father, I admit, sometimes I step back in fear, instead of stepping out in faith.  I know that you have the power to handle any storm that comes my way.  Even if I don’t understand why things happen the way they do, let me trust you with each situation, the good and the bad.  Grow my Faith and develop my character, so the storms become smaller and smaller now matter how intense they are.

Mark 4:13-20

Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? ¹⁴ The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. ¹⁵ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. ¹⁶ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.¹⁸ The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, ¹⁹ but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. ²⁰ And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”  v. 13-20 (NLT)

We all respond to Truth differently.  In this passage Jesus uses a word picture of a farmer planting seed to help explain what takes place in peoples heart when they hear the Gospel.  The way we respond is an indication of what type of heart we have when we hear that truth.

• The footpath = a HARD HEART
  Sometimes we hear truth and before it can penetrate our heart we move on to something else. However, sometimes we hear the truth and reject it completely.  Either way, we have made a choice to not respond to the truth and allow it to begin it to take root in our heart.

• The rocky soil = a SHALLOW HEART
  Sometimes we respond to the truth with much excitement, but then lose that excitement when things get difficult or the newness begins to wear off.  We lack the discipline of taking care of that truth that has been planted in our heart.

• The thorny soil = a CROWDED HEART
  Sometimes we respond to the truth excitement, develop some disciplines to take care of the truth, but when it comes time for others to see the truth that we have, we let their opinions or our fear keep that truth trapped inside us.  When we do this, we let other things crowd out the truth and keeps that truth from producing fruit and naturally planting more seed around us.

• The good soil = a SOFT HEART
  Sometimes we respond to the truth with excitement, develop some disciplines to take care of the truth, share that truth with others around us, and then we get to see that truth begin to take root in another persons life. When we do this, we allow God to use us in a powerful way!

Notice that all of these soils/hearts had the same seed/truth given to them.  The difference was how they responded to that truth.

Today, how do you respond to truth? I don’t know about you, but I want to have a soft heart that allows others to see the truth and then experience it themselves.  Will you join me?

Prayer: Father, I want to have a soft heart and receive the truth in away that it changes me and has the opportunity to change the lives of the people around me.  Help me to have a disciplined life that protects and allows that that truth to be deeply rooted in my heart.  Help me to not let fear, or the crowd around me keep me from sharing the truth that I have received.

Mark 4:1-9

“Then Jesus said, ‘Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.'” v. 9 (NLT)

Do you hear me now?  Let’s face it, we hear the things we pay attention to.  When you are sitting in a restaurant and hear a popular song in the background, you begin to listen closer to the background music, maybe even sing along.  The reality is that the background music was always being played, you just didn’t hear it until it caught your attention and you focused on what you were hearing.

In this passage Jesus is saying that people will hear what He has to say but not focus on what they are hearing.  For some people, His words will come across loud and clear, while others will be to consumed with the busyness of life that His words will just be playing in the back ground.

To truly hear Jesus’ words it means that I have to listen to Him, I have to believe what He says, I have to use what He says immediately in my decisions, attitudes, and every aspect of life.  His words have life changing power.  When I begin to have ears that hear, I begin to understand the things of God, my hearts begin to break for the things that break His, and He begins to transform me from the inside out.

Today, will you hear Him, will you focus on His Word, or will His words continue to play as background music in your busy life?

Prayer: Father, helps to have ears to hear, eyes that are open and hearts that are responsive to the things you are saying.  Help us to focus on your word so we can experience it in powerful ways.  Change us by it, so we begin to influence others with the things we have heard, believed, and applied.

Love is Forgiving

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)

I have to be honest I am a score keeper.  If someone hurts me, I want to hurt them … or I wish that they would get what they deserve by something bad happening to them.  I know, I am sick and need help, but thankfully, I am learning about how important forgiveness is and how it affects me.

Today we’re talking about the fact that Love is Forgiving.  If we are going to have the face of love, we are going to have to understand why forgiveness is important.  Today, I want to give you 3 big reasons.

WHY IS FORGIVENESS IMPORTANT?

• It makes me right with GOD!

Sometimes we look at our life and we say, “I am not that bad.” I haven’t stolen anything, killed anyone, or been arrested.  The worst thing I may have done is told a white lie or cheated on a test.  I’m not that bad. however, regardless of how good we are the Bible says,

“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

You see all of us have the same problem, we can never be good enough on our own to meet God’s standard.  But the good news is that Jesus steps on the scene and changes everything.

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8 (NLT)

When we understand that Jesus would come and die a painful death, so we could experience forgiveness and have a relationship with God, it helps us realize how important forgiveness is and allows us to see how much we need a Savior.  God offers forgiveness to anyone that asks.  The Bible says,

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 John 1:9 (NLT)

No matter what we have done, God can and will forgive us when we confess our sins to Him and repent from them.  Why is forgiveness important … because it makes us right with God.

• It makes me right with MYSELF!

Many times I am my own worst enemy.  I’ll lay in bed at night and replay over and over the things that I despise about myself.  I’ll ask God to forgive me, but for some reason, I can’t seem to forgive myself.

But here is what I am learning, when I ask God to forgive me … He does.  He forgives me no matter what I have done.  But not only does he forgive … the Bible says that he forgets that thing I have asked forgiveness of.  Look what it says,

“And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” Hebrews 8:12 (NLT)

You see God is much different than we are.  Once we ask for forgiveness, He forgets about it. But for some sick reason, we like to play it over and over and over in our heads and we never experience the true freedom that forgiveness offers.

Listen, the next time you’re reminded about something you have asked God to forgive, just remember Hebrews 8:12 and remind yourself that God has forgiven and forgotten that sin.  Then begin to reprogram those thoughts so you can experience  the freedom that forgiveness offers.

• It makes me right with OTHERS!

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.”  Colossians 3:12-14 (NLT)

Sometimes people will do messed up things.  Their selfishness can cause us great pain.  Their words and actions can cut us deeply and I’ve learned that sometimes it’s the people closest to us that hurt us the most. When things like this happen typically our first response is anger.  We hold a grudge and want to lash out at them.  We want to hurt them like they have hurt us.

But Forgiveness does something different.  When we choose to admit that that was messed up, that we have been wronged, then, we can truly forgive them.  Despite our own hurt and pain, we can choose to forgive and experience Gods Supernatural Peace.  Sometimes we never experience this, because we hang on to the hurt and pain caused by someone else instead of forgiving them and allowing God to be glorified in our pain.

I found this video inspired by Mary Karen Read.  Mary was a student killed in the Virginia Tech shooting. This captures her last journal entry before her life was taken expectantly in a powerful way.

“Forgiveness doesn’t change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” – Mary Karen Read

When I was 22 years old, I learned something about forgiveness.  Personal story.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT)

When we choose to forgive someone that has wronged us, it speaks louder than anything we could every say or do to seek revenge.  It frees us from carrying the hurt and pain, but it’s also a testimony of God’s love and forgiveness to those watching.

I want to share another video that captures the importance and testimony to the power of forgiveness by James E. Faust.  When I watch this I think of sitting and listening to my grandfather who was a strong Christian and a very wise man.  James was a politician, and a leader in the Mormon Church.  However, what he shares in this video is truth (it can be backed up with Scripture) and we must remember that all truth comes from God, regardless of where that truth comes from.  Take a look for yourself,

Forgiveness is a powerful thing!  And the questions we have to ask ourselves today are: Have I experienced Gods forgiveness, will I allow myself to move past a sin that I have asked God to forgive, and will I show others forgiveness that I have experienced myself?

Forgiveness is a choice.  You can choose to be bitter, angry, and full of rage, or you can choose to be forgiving, and ask God for His Supernatural Power so you can forgive and experience His Supernatural Peace.  My prayer is that we, together, would choose to be forgiving, first by understanding and experiencing Gods Forgiveness ourselves.

I put in your notes some action steps that will help you begin to have the Face of Love concerning this idea of forgiveness.

ACTION STEPS

• EXPLORE God’s forgiveness!

Everyday I learn something new about God.  It’s ok to ask question and seek answers.  I encourage you to explore the things you don’t understand or know anything about.

• EXPERIENCE God’s forgiveness!

Everyday I mess up, and I need to confess all my stuff to God so I can experience forgiveness.  Once I ask God to forgive me, I need to trust that He has forgiven me and remembers my sin no more.  I need to stop beating myself up over something that God has wiped clean and forgotten about.

• EXPRESS God’s forgiveness!

I need to show forgiveness to others around me even if they don’t ask for it!

“Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

I know its a lot to think about.  But if you want to have the Face of Love, you have to understand that Love is Forgiving and we are never more like Jesus than when we forgive other!  Let these words of Jesus seep deep into our hearts this week.

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 (NLT)

Forgiveness …

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)

On Sunday I am supposed to teach on the fact that love is forgiving. This is something that I have taught several times … however, this time I am wrestling with what to say. As believers this is something we claim and thankful to receive but when it comes to the way we treat others we struggle with it. Can it be as simple as love God and Love others, Experience Forgiveness and Express Forgiveness? Can Truth be found in the midst of this simplicity?  Do we make it harder than it should be?  When we teach it do we try to find something that is hidden, and when we don’t see it, feel like there has to be something we are missing?  Does it always have to be packaged differently for it to be life changing?

I don’t know about all of that, but I know that forgiveness is crucial for me to have a relationship with God, with others, and to even be able to live with myself.  Maybe that’s where we need to focus. When we experience God’s love, it allows us to understand who we are so we can truly love others and express forgiveness to them.  Jesus says it like this

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 (NLT)

Today, have you experienced Gods forgiveness and love?  Have you reflected on the depths of that love and forgiveness and thanked God for it?  Are you expressing that same type of forgiveness and love to others?

Prayer: Father help us experience the forgiveness and love that you offer.  Let us reflect on what that means for us so we can express that same type of forgiveness and love to others.  This is truly what the Gospel is all about.  Let us not just say it with mere words but show it with our actions and lifestyle so that others can see you by our life and the way we treat them!