Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Opening Scripture

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 1 Corinthians 15:1-7

Opening Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for your love and mercy, your protection and provision, your comfort and healing. Help me to trust you in all things and orient my life toward you today. May my mind’s attention and heart’s affection be on you. Guide my choices and direct my decisions for your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

James 1

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation – since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Reflection  

As we conclude our summer theme of “Making a Difference” – with a special emphasis this week on self-control – we will explore the Book of James. This powerful letter offers profoundly practical instruction in applied theology.

Martin Luther famously called the Book of James “a right strawy epistle” in his 1522 German translation of the New Testament. He felt it lacked a clear focus on the Gospel of grace, fearing that it came close to contradicting Paul’s teaching on salvation by faith alone.

In fact, James complements Paul’s emphasis on justification by faith with the declaration that true salvation is proven by a godly life. Doctrine, ethics, theology, and discipleship are brought together in this letter. It is entirely consistent with the moral teaching of Jesus found in the gospels. In fact, two main influences in James’ letter appear to be the Book of Proverbs and Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount.”

That is not surprising since the author is believed to be the half-brother of the Lord Jesus himself and a leader of the “Mother Church” in Jerusalem. As such, this letter represents a very early, conservative, Aramaic-speaking, Jewish-Christian perspective.

Like the writer of Hebrews, James was well-acquainted with the Septuagint, the pre-Christian Greek translation of the Old Testament. Without some familiarity with certain “semitisms” from the Septuagint, it would have been difficult to understand much of James’ intended meaning. A Jewish Christian audience – “the 12 tribes” – would certainly grasp it.

The Book of James is as much a lecture as a letter. Its authoritative tone with frequent calls to action was clearly intended for public reading. Whereas Paul emphasized inner saving faith from God’s perspective, James emphasized outward serving faith from man’s perspective.

“James” – literally Iakōbos or Jacob – begins with a conventional opening. He identifies himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” then immediately begins his energetic and pointed instruction.

Followers of Jesus have a redeemed perspective that allows them to rejoice in trials (not for trials). The Greek word translated “trials” (peirasmois) can mean temptation or testing. Context determines if it refers to an enticement to sin, an occasion to demonstrate faith, or both. In this case, James is talking about the pressures of testing.

A “test” or examination is intended to demonstrate knowledge and show what a person has learned. When viewed correctly, “trials” provide an opportunity to exhibit faith, develop endurance (hupomoné), and grow spiritually. The goal is to be mature and complete; not just smart in facts, but wise in living.

James says, if you want wisdom (sophia), ask God for it! Of course, wisdom comes through experience, so don’t be surprised if God answers your prayer with more “trials” that He can guide you through. As we’ll see on Thursday, godly wisdom “is pure, peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.”

When we ask God for wisdom, we must ask in faith, with hope and love. We must be committed in faith to God’s plan and purpose. We must believe with hope that God is able to accomplish His will in us, regardless of our social or economic condition. We must genuinely love God and embrace His love for us. The reward for those who persevere is the “crown of life.”

James then shifts to the other meaning of “trials” (peirasmois), which refers to the pleasures of temptation. James offers a sharp rebuke to those who excuse their sin by blaming God.

“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

James ends today’s passage with some very practical instructions. First, as an overarching principle, everything obscene, evil, and wicked is from “below” (Satan). Everything holy, good, and perfect is from “above” (God).

Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Get rid of all moral filth from your life. Humbly accept the Word of God. Don’t merely listen to the Word. Do what it says! Watch what you say. Assist those in need.

That is a lot of practical truth crammed into one chapter!

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

The world is full of people who want to be popular influencers… shaping the opinions and purchases of others through social media. Their impact is typically fad-driven and short-term, with no accountability.

What the world desperately needs are godly leaders… shaping the attitudes and behaviors of others through personal contact and positive example. Their impact is typically growth-driven and long-term, with high accountability.

Every day, you and I have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people around us. We can and should actively contribute to the common good by helping others flourish.

The book of James offers a wealth of insight for those who aspire to be Flourishing Leaders. There are several key insights in today’s passage:

Keep a positive attitude. God uses difficulty to strengthen us… if we let Him.

Mature through hardship. Struggles can be good exercises for your character.

Pray for wisdom. Ask God to give you His perspective on each situation.

You only truly believe what you live. Act according to your convictions.

Lead by example. Demonstrate your faith by what you do.

Watch what you say (and post). Your words matter and reflect your faith.

Take care of the less fortunate. Defend those who are mistreated.

Treat everyone well. Notice and be nice to everybody.

How is your “good fruit” helping others to flourish?

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!