Day 12 - September 1, 2014

Today's Reading: James 4:1-10 (NIV)

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? ⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”  ⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Dan's Thoughts:
There's a battle inside each of us.  Recognize that, and accept it.  Have you been on the losing side lately?  Or is Christ bringing your death to life and making your old self into something new?  I'm reminded of the For All Seasons song, "Something New,"  that says in the bridge, "Take me, break me, mold me, make me into something new. Wake me, shake me, pull me, change me I will live for you."  Maybe today is a good day to humble yourself by asking God to make you something new, anew.  Let this first day of September be the first day of the rest of your new life.

Questions For Reflection:

1.  Which verse stuck out to me the most?  Why?

2.  What is God telling me through this passage?

3.  What transformation in my heart needs to take place because of what this passage means?

Day 12 - August 31, 2014

Today's Reading: James 3:13-18 (NIV)

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.  ¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Dan's Thoughts:
Nobody ever said they didn't want to be wise.  Nobody tries to be foolish.  Yet somehow, its easy to find ourselves not letting our life reflect the wisdom of the Bible.  Do you believe this book is real?  Do you believe it gives you a clear path (Proverbs 3:5-6) if you trust it?  Do you believe it is the instruction manual for how to overcome sin (Psalm 119:9-11) and temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13)?  If the answer is yes, why don't we live like it more often?

Questions For Reflection:

1.  Which verse stuck out to me the most?  Why?

2.  What is God telling me through this passage?

3.  What transformation in my heart needs to take place because of what this passage means?

Day 11 - August 30, 2014

Today's Reading: James 3:7-12-26 (NIV)

⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹² My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.


Dan's Thoughts:
Our mouth was a gift from God to bring praise and worship to him.  That doesn't just mean songs.  Everything about your life is worshiping something.  What does your mouth worship?  Does it worship a relationship?  An assignment at school?  Practicing an instrument?  Yourself?  Or is it worshiping God?  An apple tree doesn't produce oranges.  A Christ follower shouldn't produce non-Christian stuff either.

Questions For Reflection:

1.  Which verse stuck out to me the most?  Why?

2.  What is God telling me through this passage?

3.  What transformation in my heart needs to take place because of what this passage means?

Day 10 - August 29, 2014

Today's Reading: James 3:1- (NIV)

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.  ³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
Dan's Thoughts:
If you think the Bible is an easy book to read, check out this passage again.  If there's one thing that always reminds me I'm not perfect, it's my mouth.  Not just language, but being cynical, gossip, manipulating, or speaking over people.  Plain and simple: my mouth doesn't always show people I'm a Christ follower.  I wonder if I'm not alone?

Questions For Reflection:

1.  Which verse stuck out to me the most?  Why?

2.  What is God telling me through this passage?

3.  What transformation in my heart needs to take place because of what this passage means?

Day 9 - August 28, 2014

Today's Reading: James 2:20-26 (NIV)

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? ²¹ Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴ You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. ²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Dan's Thoughts:
If you don't know the story of Abraham (Genesis 12) or of Rahab (Joshua 2), go read them.  Their faith influenced their actions on a HUGE level.  I've found that it's really hard to have your faith dictate your actions, but it is always worth it.  Have the spirit live in your body (verse 26), and prove it by having your outer actions reflect an inner transformation.

Questions For Reflection:

1.  Which verse stuck out to me the most?  Why?

2.  What is God telling me through this passage?

3.  What transformation in my heart needs to take place because of what this passage means?

Day 8 - August 27, 2014

Today's Reading: James 2:14-19 (NIV)

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Dan's Thoughts:
This is one of the toughest, and yet most instructive passages in the whole Bible in my opinion.  James' point?  Faith without actions actually backing it up is useless.  In fact, it may not be actual faith; but instead you may be deceiving yourself into calling yourself a Christian, when in fact, your actions don't reflect that claim.  How do I know if water is hot without touching the inside?  I need to see steam.  The same is true of Christians: how can the world know our belief is legit without actually peering into our hearts? By having our actions say that we are the real deal.  We are transformed people.

Questions For Reflection:

1.  Which verse stuck out to me the most?  Why?

2.  What is God telling me through this passage?

3.  What transformation in my heart needs to take place because of what this passage means?

Day 7 - August 26, 2014

Today's Reading: James 2:8-13 (NIV)

⁸ If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. ⁹ But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. ¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹ For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.  ¹² Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, ¹³ because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Dan's Thoughts:
Did you know that loving your neighbor (or, everybody in your path as the parable teaches!) is only a good thing if you show the same love to every person?  Do you play favorites with who you show love to?  Don't try and find short cuts around how to be godly.  Give of yourself equally and completely to everybody in your path.  That's what Jesus did for you!

Questions For Reflection:

1.  Which verse stuck out to me the most?  Why?

2.  What is God telling me through this passage?

3.  What transformation in my heart needs to take place because of what this passage means?