Admonish One Another with God’s Wisdom
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God Will Give You the Wisdom You Need
The Taming of the Shrewd Tongue – James 3:1-13
Words have power. Whoever first said, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” did not consider the horribly destructive force our words can unleash. The tongue is so small and yet so big in it’s potential for harm . . . and for good.
James describes this concept using words with powerful imagery. Comparing the tongue to a bit in a horse’s mouth, a rudder on a ship, and a spark that ignites a forest fire, he makes it very clear that the tongue is something that must be controlled.
However, he then gives us one of the most frightening statements in the Bible. This tongue – this beast – cannot be controlled by humans. But Praise God, it can be controlled by God’s Spirit within us. The mouth is only saying what overflows from the heart and God is in the heart transplant business. In fact, He gives us a DNA transplant – in Him we are new creations. (2 Cor. 5:7)
But the regeneration of the heart is not the end but rather the beginning of the process of sanctification that continues throughout the remainder of our lives here on this earth. We must continually be transformed through the renewing of our minds. (Rom. 12:1-2)
Only then can our tongues be tamed. Only then can our speech reflect the Godliness that we want to see revealed in our lives. Only then can we know that what we say will “give grace to those who hear.” (Eph. 4:29)
This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, September 24, 2023. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is The Making of Authentic Faith. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at:
gc2press.org/the-making-of-authentic-faith-james-study-guide/ .
Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .
Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com
Playing Favorites in the Church
Playing Favorites – James 2:1-13
Playing favorites is a human trait that affects every area of our lives. We make judgments about people on a daily basis. Those that we perceive to be favorable to our lives we approve of and those we perceive to be unfavorable we push aside or ignore. When we choose a plumber to work at our house we practice a process of discrimination in order to choose the plumber we favor. However, James decries this practice in the church saying that we make such judgments on our own “evil thoughts.” (James 2:4) “Ism’s” such as racism, ageism, sexism, ableism, antisemitism, sizeism, elitism, tokenism, and religionism have no place in the church. All are equal at the foot of the cross.
And all are equal at the foot of the cross no matter their social or economic status. “God has chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom?” (James 2:5) “Ism’s” have no place in our treatment of people in the church and money (or lack thereof) is no measure of a person’s status in the church.
Rather that practicing favoritism we must practice the “Royal Law” that James describes as loving your neighbor as yourself. (James 2:8; also see Mark 12:29-31) The Royal Law includes loving others and showing grace and mercy to others in the name of Christ. Your loving and giving mercy and grace to others – especially those who you may not like, those who are different from you, those who have nothing to give you – is a measure of your love for and your relationship with your heavenly Father.
This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, September 10, 2023. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is The Making of Authentic Faith. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at:
gc2press.org/the-making-of-authentic-faith-james-study-guide/ .
Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .
Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com
Just Do It! – James 1:19-27 – Part 3
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. (James 1:19) Excellent advice, but difficult at times to put into practice. And quite often we are quick to anger because we have been slow to listen and quick to speak. When we do so we think we doing the right thing – correcting a wrong, bringing justice. Unfortunately, such anger, birthed of our human desires, cannot accomplish what God desires.
Our focus must always be on God and our actions must reflect His presence in our daily lives. There is a difference between Biblical awareness and Biblical action. We can know what God wants us to do, but not do it. James says, “Just Do It.” Actually, he says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22) That’s right – just do it.
The word “religion” carries with it many connotations – some good, some bad, and some in between. In James 1:26-27 we see an indication of what “good religion” is. It is not an all-inclusive checklist of how to be a “good” Christian, but it is rather one of several New Testament check-up lists which give us an indication of how we are honoring God with our lives. James gives us 3 items in particular that we need to examine in our own lives: 1. Control your tongue; 2. Care for those with no voice or personal power; & 3. Live pure lives unstained by the world.
3 Easy Steps – Ha!! The fact is that this is only the beginning of the check-up list(s) that God gives us in His Word. We are not saved by doing the things God asks us to do, but we want to do them because we’re saved. And God doesn’t want us to be saved and then never grow so He is constantly challenging us with ways to glorify His name. We continually find ourselves being doers or the Word and not hearers only.
This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, September 3, 2023. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is The Making of Authentic Faith. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at:
gc2press.org/the-making-of-authentic-faith-james-study-guide/ .
Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .
Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com
Just Do It – James 1:19-27 – Part 2
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. (James 1:19) Excellent advice, but difficult at times to put into practice. And quite often we are quick to anger because we have been slow to listen and quick to speak. When we do so we think we doing the right thing – correcting a wrong, bringing justice. Unfortunately, such anger, birthed of our human desires, cannot accomplish what God desires.
Our focus must always be on God and our actions must reflect His presence in our daily lives. There is a difference between Biblical awareness and Biblical action. We can know what God wants us to do, but not do it. James says, “Just Do It.” Actually, he says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22) That’s right – just do it.
Today’s Bible Study was cut short because we had some class business to discuss. Next week we will finish the 1st Chapter of James by looking at verses 26-27.
This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, August 27, 2023. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is The Making of Authentic Faith. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at:
gc2press.org/the-making-of-authentic-faith-james-study-guide/ .
Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .
Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com
Overcoming Temptation
Overcoming Temptation – James 1:13-18
We know what is right and we know what is wrong. We want to do what is right but we are constantly tempted to do what is wrong. Paul describes this dilemma in Romans 7 and it is all too familiar a struggle in our daily lives. James begins his letter by emphasizing our response to the trials we face. In verse 13 James pivots to explore the nature of temptation.
God tests us, but He does not tempt us. We need to have a clear concept of how we are tempted so that we don’t fall into the traps set by Satan and so that we don’t lightly pass over our sin as just part of the human experience. Satan may set the trap, but we are too easily fooled because we fail to see how he is using our own desires to bait the trap.
On the other hand, God – the Creator of all that is and the One Who created us as His prized possession – offers us truth and light to counteract Satan’s darkness and lies. And so we pray as Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, August 13, 2023. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is The Making of Authentic Faith. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at: gc2press.org/the-making-of-authentic-faith-james-study-guide/ . Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .
Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .
Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com
Learning to Endure Pain – James 1:1-12
Pain management is big business around the world. In America we spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year on pain management. The book of James addresses the issue of pain, but the pain he focuses on is found in the trials and tribulations of life – the stuff that settles deep in the dark corners of the human psyche and, at times, immobilizes us with fear, dread, discomfort, and anxiety.
Right from the start he gives us a perspective of trials that seem counter-intuitive and counter-cultural at the same time. Be happy about it! He goes on to explain that only by seeing our lives with the wisdom of God can we hope to be joyful in our present condition and thereby endure the pain of living in this fallen world.
We must learn to run the race of life fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Who, for the joy set before Him, endured the pain of the world even to the point of dying on the cross. We spend our lives avoiding pain, but our Example – Jesus – joyfully chose pain because He knew the outcome of His pain. May we see with the eyes and wisdom of Christ in every situation that brings the specter of pain into our world. And may we respond joyfully, counting ourselves worthy to suffer pain in His name.
This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, August 6, 2023. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is The Making of Authentic Faith. You can find printed and digital versions of this series online at: gc2press.org/the-making-of-authentic-faith-james-study-guide/ .
Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .
Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com
Back to the Future: From 30 AD to 2023 AD and Beyond – Part 2
The history of the church began on the Day of Pentecost when the church was born and continues on up until today. God has been at work through His church and He has used His servants to proclaim His Gospel message and preserve His Word. Last week we began with the first 400 years of the church and moved through the Great Schism in 1054 to the Reformation of the 1500’s.
Beginning in the early 1600’s the Baptists took their place in the development of the church. Even though they were often shunned, cast out, and persecuted they persevered with the Truth of God’s Word as their guiding light. In today’s lesson we will meet heroes of the faith such as John Smyth, Roger Williams, and Obadiah Holmes. We will see how Baptists were not only breaking new theological ground with adult baptism, but we will also see Baptists at work in the Colonies and in the early years of our nation.
Bold is a word which describes Baptists from the early 1600’s as they sought to proclaim the Bible as the Word of God and as the only source for our faith. They were bold when they promoted religious liberty. They were bold when they stood up against established religions. They were bold bold when they were mocked for “re-baptizing” adults. And next week we will see how the boldness of Baptists has spread around the world.
This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, July 16, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .
Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .
Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com
Back to the Future: From 30 AD to 2023 AD and Beyond
It is incumbent on Christians to know where they are, from whence they have come, and where they are going. To do so we must know our history. It seems that history is important in the mind of God since 22 of the 66 books in the Bible are historical in nature. Furthermore, historical cues are found throughout all of the Bible. The work of God in the world is described in the stories of His servants. While the Biblical canon is set, God is not finished in His work through those who choose to honor Him. In other words, the history of the church did not end with the resurrection of Jesus nor does it end with the book of Revelation.
From the Day of Pentecost when the church was born up until today, God has been at work through His church. He has used His servants to proclaim His Gospel message and preserve His Word. In this study we are going to look at some of those who have faithfully kept the faith down through the ages. We will also explore some key moments in the life of the church and how they affect us today.
This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, July 9, 2023. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions entitled Living the Agape Life – a Bible study curriculum developed by Bob Young with input from the members of the Agape Life Class. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .
Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .
Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com
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