Thurs 25th June – Read James 3:13-14 V13: Addressing his readers – and us – directly, James asks who regards themselves as wise, as having good understanding ? (we should remember James 1:5 here.) Let them show it by their Christian lives, by walking in obedience and faith, by God’s grace – this would be…

Wed 24th June – Read James 3:9-12 V9: And how inconsistent our use of our tongue can be – we “bless God” – in praise and prayer and thanksgiving and worship – yet in the next breath we may ” curse people” – not necessarily literally, but to speak ill of them in so many…

Tues 23rd June  –  James 3:5-8 V5:  Applying James 3:3-4, James says the tongue is such a small thing compared with our whole body, yet it can do such harm! First, he specifies misuse of the tongue to boast and assert ourselves (Of course, the tongue is not “independent”, sins of speech come from within…

Mon 22nd June – James 3:1-4 V1:  James warns against seeking to be teachers of God’s Word thoughtlessly – perhaps to be thought well of, or to gain more prominence in the church. This is not something to be desired like an earthly profession, it is for those called and gifted by God. His main emphasis is…

Sat 20th June        –      Read James 2:21-26 V21-22:  He takes the great example of Abraham, looking at the test of his faith in Genesis:22. The verse does not mean that Abraham’s works justified him in making him right with God, but that his obedience was the outcome of the living…

Fri 19th June – Read James 2:18-20 V18: Again, he imagines someone saying ” You have faith, but I have works”, as if these were two different ways of being saved. But when he says “show me your faith without (apart from ) your works” he means this can not be done – there is…

Thurs 18th June  –  Read James 2:14-17 V14:  James is not saying, as Luther thought, that someone can be saved by their works, but that true faith will always show itself by works – by a life of obedience and service, the evidence that we are indeed Christ’s. James is saying that professed faith which…

Wed 17th June   –   Read James 2:10-13 V10:  Of course no-one can actually claim to have kept the Law (except Jesus Himself ) for ” all have sinned” (Romans 3:23.) To break even a single commandment is to stand in breach of the whole Law. V11:  It is no good priding ourselves that we have not…

Tues 16th June  –  Read James 2:5-9 V5:  Though James is at times stern in rebuke, they are still ” my beloved brothers” ( see Ephesians 4:15.) He points out that God’s sovereign choice often fixes on those who are poor and needy in the terms of this world and makes them ” rich in…

Mon 15th June  –  Read James 2:1-4 V1: Christians should not treat anyone differently because of appearance, status or wealth. James believed this was happening, and says it dishonours the name we bear as believers, the name of Jesus, who is indeed the Lord of glory. V2:  He offers a ” test case ” –…