Day 12: Review and Integration
Reviewing the Notes of the Previous 11 Days
Context: Looking back over James’ letter, how do the various themes work together to address the needs of early Christians facing persecution and social pressures?
The twelve tribes scattered across the Empire are at risk of succumbing to the pressures outside and within. Persecution and social pressures are forces that can challenge loyalty and question faith. James writes to establish that the response is to check the difference between enduring trials and indulging in the flesh and world. The response is to check where our loyalty lies. The response is to check and, in that process, humble ourselves, return to full loyalty and exercise the faith that acts in line with the royal law.
Content: What are the most significant insights you’ve gained about authentic Christian living from your study of James?
The chain link between perseverance, wisdom, faith, and prayer. Applying all four together in a cycle is something done in a relationship with others. Seeing that these are characteristics that have marked the faithful from Job to Abraham to Rahab to Elijah, and summed up in Jesus Christ, our example, whom we submit to and follow in example.
Concept: How has James deepened your understanding of the relationship between faith, wisdom, and practical discipleship?
The way James teaches throughout the letter is an excellent example to me of how to join threads in different areas to deliver a whole message to people in different locations, but enduring similar situations. I love how the themes he addresses are delivered strongly with examples to reinforce the instructions. The value of the book of James in my development as a follower of Jesus has increased in this reading of it, and I hope to come back and check myself according to the teachings.
Conclusion: What specific commitments will you make to apply James’ teaching in your daily life, relationships, and service to God and others?
Daily checks at the start and end of the day to see the state of my heart in line with the will to operate by God’s wisdom to carry out what He’s called me to do by faith, and ensure that these are all about developing the character he looks for.
Next Up – Mark – Day 1: Introduction and Overview
Skim through Mark’s Gospel Account
Context: What do you know about the author Mark and the circumstances surrounding this Gospel’s composition?
Content: As you skim through Mark, what patterns do you notice in how Jesus is portrayed compared to other people in the narrative?
Concept: Mark opens by calling this “the beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (1:1). What does this title reveal about Mark’s purpose?
Conclusion: How might reading Mark’s fast-paced, action-oriented account impact your understanding of following Jesus today?
James presents an outstanding understanding of the need for faith and wisdom to count it all joy in the midst of various trials and to trust in Jesus to enable us to treat others properly in all aspects of life. This is a crucial reason why we must get the Word In so we can get the Word Out!
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
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