TWRAC 044: Study of James 1

This Week’s Recovery Application Challenge

Study of James Chapter One

Please click TWIRL 044 to complete the recovery lesson before continuing.

Having answered the Lesson questions to better understand and appreciate the teaching of James to those professing to be in relationship with God, in the hope of being raised into the new life with Jesus Christ, it is now central to the practical application of these truths that you consider the questions following the text from James Chapter 1. You are living in the age of resurrection grace in Christ. What would others say that they see in you that speaks truth about the person that you are each day? The Spirit of God lives in you to empower you, defend and protect you, and to reveal truth to you (the conviction and direction of the Holy Spirit). As you answer the questions, be asking the Spirit alive in you to reveal specific truth to help you to honestly respond to each question.  

James Chapter One:

 ¹ James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

 ² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ 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. ⁶ 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. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

 ⁹ Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. ¹⁰ But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. ¹¹ 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.

 ¹² 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.

 ¹³ When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

 ¹⁶ Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ¹⁸ He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

 ¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹ 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.

 ²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ 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.

 ²⁶ Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷ 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.

• What are you wrestling with today? What are the difficulties you are trying to work through?
• What is it about who you are in relationship with Christ that you can experience joy in spite of the pain and struggle in your life?
• How do you feel you are being tested with what you are going through?
• What does it reveal about you how you have responded to these questions so far?
• What does it mean to you to endure the weight of the burden you carry?
• Do you feel you are carrying it alone? Please explain.
• How do you pray while hoping to press on through troubled times?
• What does it means to you personally to ask for wisdom? What do you believe about that? 
• What does it mean to you to experience the wisdom of God in how you interpret and manage difficulty in your circumstances?
• Apostle Paul asked God to remove a painful circumstance in his life, that he felt tortured by the devil, and God responded, “My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is evident in your weakness.” How is this truth empowering for you? Or does it sound hollow, if you’re being totally honest? Or is it sort of both, depending on your emotional state of mind? Please explain.
• When you’re feeling overwhelmed, how do you manage? What do you do? What do you turn to? Who do you turn to?
• Would you say that you depend and fully trust in the empowering truth of who you are in Christ? Do you seek alternative choices? Or both?
• Would you admit that your loyalties are divided when the chips are down and you feel overwhelmed? Please explain.
• How would you say you can overcome your doubt?
• What does it mean to you who and what you are in relationship with God?
• How can you translate the truth of who and what you are in relationship with God in how you manage even the most difficult circumstances in your life?
• How can you translate the truth of who and what you are in relationship with God in how you overcome temptation? 
• How does your response to temptation reflect godly integrity in your life?
• How does your response to temptation reveal the holes in the authenticity of your godly character, as well as lack of faith?
• How does your doubt, not about what God can do but about what God will do, reflect the truth about what you truly believe?
• What does it mean to you in your specific circumstances to realize your faith in the midst of your doubt?
• What does it mean to you to remain humble in your circumstances? What’s the difference between humility and self-pity?
• What do you believe about who you are in God even as you hope to endure difficulty and what can amount to severe pain and struggle in your life?
• What (who) do you see when you look in the mirror?
• How would you contrast what might feel like failures to be holy (set apart) in your life, and what you might admit is blatant hypocrisy in your day-to-day behavior?
• How can you ask God for help and wisdom and strength to be someone more consistent regarding godly character and integrity?
• How would you define blessing?
• How would you say God has blessed you? What has it meant to you to experience blessing?
• God has indeed blessed you! What might you say stalls the activation of blessing in your life?
• What would you say needs to change in your life and how you think that would activate God’s blessing in your life?
• Honestly, what are you willing to do to remove the hindrances that seem to limit opportunities for blessing?
• How can you pray for God to empower you to think and live in the truth that will indeed activate the blessing of God in your life?         

Now take the time to pray. Ask God to continue to help you see His truth about His plan and purpose for your life. If you are wrestling with the shame of past failures then you do not see God the way He sees you. He sees resurrected Christ when He sees you. He sees you wearing the robe of Christ’s righteousness when He looks at you. As you come to know who and what you are in relationship with God, you will see in the mirror what He sees in you and be empowered to live in that reality; His reality—the reality of resurrection and glory even in the midst of difficult and painful circumstances. There you will find peace. There you will find joy.

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