Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7, NRSV). Notice the order of the commands here. If we try to resist the devil in our own strength, what chance of success do we have? When seven Jewish exorcists tried to get a demon out of a possessed … Continue reading –>
Read James 4:2-4. Why does James call his readers adulterers and adulteresses? See Jer. 3:6-10, Jer. 3:20; Isa. 54:5; Jer. 2:2; Luke 16:13. Alluding to the biblical concept of Israel as God’s bride, James likens believers’ going along with worldly customs and being influenced by worldly attitudes as spiritual adultery. In reality, they are choosing a … Continue reading –>
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? (James 4:1, NKJV; compare Gal. 5:17.) What basic conflict do both of these passages describe? The opening verses of James 4 describe believers torn asunder by internal, bitter strife. There is an … Continue reading –>
Read James 3:15-16. What is his description of worldly wisdom? What are the common ways we see this wisdom manifested in the world, or even in the church? The wisdom that we have naturally is earthly, even demonic or devilish, and devoid of the Spirit. This should not be too surprising. Long ago, Solomon spoke … Continue reading –>
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom (James 3:13, ESV). The meekness of wisdom? What might that mean? Some commentators think that the entire third chapter of James has to do with what qualifies (or disqualifies) people to be teachers. Naturally, … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: James 3:13-4:10; Deut. 4:6; Gal. 5:17; Jer. 3:6-10, Jer. 3:20; Acts 19:13-16; Ps. 24:3-6. Memory Text: Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you (James 4:10, NASB 1995). In many midsize and larger companies, a middle-manager mentality exists. This attitude happens when workers feel entitled to … Continue reading –>
Vitaliano Marrero Vitaliano had it made. As an officer in the Cuban military, he had a steady job that carried with it a certain amount of respect. He and his wife, Migdalia, had two small children and lived in a modest home. Things were going well, and he had no interest in God or religion. … Continue reading –>
Further Study: Read about the power of speech in Talents, from the book Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 335-339, by Ellen G. White and share the points that impressed you with your Sabbath School class. “When in the company of those who indulge in foolish talk, it is our duty to change the subject of conversation … Continue reading –>
Read James 3:9-12. What truth does James illustrate using the fountain, the fig tree, and the grapevine? The idea of both blessing and cursing coming out of the mouth of a Christian is disturbing, to say the least. What about watching profanity-laced television programs or movies during the week and attending church on Sabbath to … Continue reading –>
We’ve all experienced it. Something we said gets magnified, perhaps even exaggerated, to the point that we don’t even recognize it anymore. As James says, See how great a forest a little fire kindles (James 3:5, NKJV). Read prayerfully and carefully James 3:6. What is he saying about the power of our tongue, of our … Continue reading –>
