James 1:5-8

January 18, 2008

As you read today's passage, look for these words or phrases: wisdom, faith, doubting, and double-minded.

Passage for the day: James 1:5-8 (NASB)

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,

8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Questions for thought: Take a few moments to answer these questions before you go on to the next section.
What should our response be when we need wisdom in the midst of a trial?

How should we ask for wisdom?

Do you believe that God will give you wisdom? Why or why not?

After reading this passage, how would you describe your faith – confident in God, or doubting God?

Chew on this:

I think it is interesting that we are encouraged to go to God and ask Him to give us wisdom in the midst of trials. Why, you may ask? Wisdom is needed because we need to know how to persevere in the midst of trials. We need God’s perspective – not only to help us keep the right focus during trials, but also to strengthen us against temptation. We must turn to God, not to man’s wisdom, to endure the diverse trials of faith.

So, what happens when cry out to God for His perspective? Wisdom is given out of God’s generosity and gentleness. To request wisdom in the midst of trial is precisely what God intends for us. Wisdom is always God’s gift to His children, and is necessary to endure the testing of faith. God’s genuine generosity is emphasized and is central to Jesus’ own teaching (Matt 7:7-11). God does not criticize or seek to find fault in us as we ask. This promise of wisdom from God belongs only to those who have a faith that does not doubt. In other words, it is an active trust or confidence in God, not a wavering hope that does not truly believe that God is able. Here James inserts the analogy of a wave of the sea that is blown this way and that by the wind. True faith is grounded in who God is and does not doubt God’s character and ability; instead, true faith trusts God without hesitation. We must be loyal to God, who is faithful to keep His promises!

James also cautions us against being double-minded. This person claims to trust in God, when they really do not. They may pray the prayer, but they do not pray the prayers of surrender to God’s will. This person is unstable in everything he does. Why should such a person expect anything from God through prayer, when he really does not believe that God will give wisdom? There is no middle ground or fence-straddling here. James makes it clear that you either have a genuine faith or not. Although the doubter cannot expect to receive anything from the Lord, the wholehearted believer should expect to receive wisdom for the journey of faith—this is the divine promise. With simple and undivided faith in God, wisdom is freely given by God!

Don’t buy the lie that God is not able to keep His promises. God is the sovereign Creator of the universe and loves you more than you’ll ever know! He delights in His children coming to Him, placing their full trust in His ability to do “exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20)!

For His Name,
Pastor Stephen

James 1:2-4

January 16, 2008

As you read today's passage, look for these words or phrases: joy, trials, testing, and endurance.
Passage for the day: James 1:2-4 (NASB)

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Questions for thought: Take a few moments to answer these questions before you go on to the next section.

According to verse 2, what should our response be to trials? What is your first response to the trials you face in your life (no Sunday School answers – be honest!)?

How is it possible to have joy in the midst of pain or difficulty?

When God tests your faith through trials, what is the result? How is God testing your faith right now?

Read Romans 5:2–5, 1 Peter 1:6–7, and James 1:4. If God continues to build endurance into your life as you submit to God by faith, what will happen?

Chew on this:

It is clear from these verses that God uses the trials in our lives to accomplish His purpose. And, we are told that our response to these trials should be joy! I don’t know about you, but this did not make sense when I first read this. In fact, I wondered how it could be possible, since joy is not my usual first response when tough times come. What I often fail to see is that my focus is on the wrong thing! Joy is not the product of good circumstances but rather, joy is the most basic and essential expression of faith. You and I can consider a horrible situation to be a reason to rejoice because of our faith in an all-powerful God who is in control and who is always good.

James is writing this to encourage us! Remember, the believers who first read this were going through incredible pain and suffering – and God was not going to be silent. God told them then and tells us now to embrace our trials – not for what they are, but for what God can accomplish through them. As in the passages of Romans 5:2–5 and 1 Peter 1:6–7, James here teaches that trials serve as a test for genuine faith. This is clearly seen in the story of Abraham and his son Isaac (Genesis 22). God tested the genuineness of Abraham’s faith by asking him to do the unthinkable – kill his own son. That would blow me away if I was in Abraham’s shoes (or sandals in this case)! But, Abraham had such a great trust in His God that he obeyed Him completely, even when he could not understand – and God blessed him for it. Trials form an essential part of God’s plan for us and it will prove whether we have a faith that is real or not. We can have joy because God is maturing us in our faith and preparing us for the trials that come.

It is God who makes us strong and prepares us to serve Him. God will always be faithful and promises to take us through the trials we face (1 Corinthians 10:13)! It is my prayer today that we would all possess a real, genuine faith that is fully resting on God’s grace.

For His Name,
Pastor Stephen

James 1:1

January 14, 2008

Greetings to everyone! Welcome to the James edition of “Chew On It.” I truly hope that it will be an encouragement to your daily walk with God. Some of you might be new to this, so let me explain. The “Chew On It” series is a way for us (teens and parents alike) to walk through a book of the Bible together as a youth group family. As Christians, we need to see God’s Word as a necessary part of our life, not just an add-on to our busy day. It must be something we hunger for, instead of merely an item on our spiritual checklist.

So, my challenge to you and myself is to take a journey through the book of James together. My desire in all of this is to get us to go beyond just reading Scripture by spending quality time meditating on the Word and then seeking to apply it to our lives in obedience to Christ. In other words, I want you “chew on it” and think about what the Scriptures are really saying.

Here is how it’s going to work. I will be e-mailing all of you Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with the Scripture reading for the day, some questions to answer, and some thoughts to chew on that will hopefully cause us to dig into the Scriptures. I encourage you to begin each time in prayer, asking God to open your eyes and mind to what He has to teach you through His Word and to supply you with the courage and grace to live out the truth. I do also encourage that you keep a journal of what God is teaching you and what you are learning. Your journal will be an INCREDIBLE resource for you as you will be able to see in days to come how God has been leading you and growing you in His grace. Also, please feel free to e-mail me and let me know what you are learning or any questions you might have so we can encourage one other in this study. I truly hope that you will come to treasure the Word of God and learn to find your ultimate joy in Him.

As you read today's passage, look for these words or phrases: James, bond-servant, and dispersed.

Passage for the day: James 1:1 (NASB)

1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

Questions for thought: Take a few moments to answer these questions before you go on to the next section.
Which James of the Bible wrote this letter and when was it written?

Who was this letter written to? Why do you think that these people were scattered (Hint: Acts 8:1-4; Acts 11:19).

James could have opened this letter with any kind of greeting, but he chose to identify himself as a “bond-servant” or slave. What comes to your mind when you think of a slave?

Do you see yourself as a servant of God like James? Why or why not?

Chew on this:

The James of this letter is none other than the half-brother of Jesus Christ, and it is the first book of the New Testament (written between A.D. 44-49). These are God’s first words to the New Testament church. He is writing this letter to those Jewish Christians who had gotten out of town due to the intense persecution. He is not writing to people who were sipping lemonade in a hammock somewhere. Many of them were facing loss of employment, loss of family support, and even the loss of their very lives! These were people who were going through incredible pressure. If you find yourself going through a similar situation or difficulty, take heart! This letter was written for you!

James begins by identifying himself as a servant or slave. In our day and age, slavery is not a positive thing, but James sees it as the very essence of who he is. He was a slave of God! Only, this kind of slavery is the ultimate freedom. We are given new life in Christ so that we may gladly and eagerly serve the God who redeemed us. It is the picture of the slave that is loved and given his freedom, but willingly gives himself back to a lifetime of serving the one who purchased his freedom.

When I read this passage for the first time, I saw this idea of being a bond-servant as something to dread or fear, and not something to take pleasure and comfort in. Service to God is not a brutal, overbearing, inflicted slavery. Instead, it is a privilege and something that we were created to do. We have been bought with the blood of Christ and have been adopted into God’s family. We are now freed to serve God and bring glory to His name!

In all of this, let us be careful to not think of this service as paying God back for what He has done for us. In fact, every time we serve God, it does just the opposite of paying Him back. It puts us ever deeper in debt to His grace that He so freely gives us. We can never repay God – and He does not need us to pay Him back! God is not looking for our assistance; instead, He desires our devotion. So, what is our motive then? God commands us to obey Him, not out of duty to pay back a debt, but by giving us everything we need to bring glory to Him and by giving us divine rewards in Heaven. Human energy alone could never accomplish the work of God, yet God has chosen to accomplish His work by working through us! What a privilege to be called God's servant!

For His Name,
Pastor Stephen