The Epistle of James, Part 2
Welcome to Week Two of our journey through the Epistle of James!
Giondomenico Tiepolo, “The Expulsion of the Money Changers from the Temple”
During our study of the book of James over the next several months we won’t be able to cover every passage in each sermon, so we will “study” part together in our worship service and I”ll give you some “homework” to meditate on another part during the week. Get ready!
This week we’ll be studying the first part of the passage James 1:19-25. The rest of this week’s passage" (James 1:26-2:7) I encourage you to read through and meditate on at home.
Anchor Texts:
Questions to Ponder:
It’s a little surprising that anger shows up on a list of sins, yet the Bible assumes we’ll get angry but not necessarily sin (EPh 4:26). What kind of anger is okay for a Christian? When does it “cross a line?”
How well do you cope with stress and anger? How often do you feel it in your body and mind?
Does being a “doer” mean that it doesn’t matter what you think, just as long as you obey? What’s really important to God here?
What do you think it means when James says “he will be blessed in his doing” in 1:25? How should Christians understand “rewards” for good works in contrast to good works “earning us credit” with God for salvation?
The Theme in Song:
Ultimately, being slow to anger is rooted in not just in a random ideal, but in the character of God himself who shows us that he is “slow to anger, rich in love”. This simple song is a reminder of the reason why we seek to live this way, because we want to imitate Jesus, our God and king who has revealed himself in kindness to us.
The Theme for Kids:
This video is all about learning to control anger, and learning how to prepare a different response in our hearts, so that we can be quick to listen and slow to anger instead!