Calvary Albuquerque with Skip Heitzig Audio Podcast

According to a recent Netflix documentary, there are more forgeries of famous paintings hanging in museums than most people suspect. From time to time, these cases come to light. But what about faith in God? The easiest thing to do is to simply say that one is a believer. But where’s the proof? James addressed this, giving four telltale signs to help us spot the genuine from the fake.I. Words without Works (v. 14)II. Sight without Sympathy (vv. 15-16)III. Profession without Proof (vv. 17-18)IV. Commotion without Conversion (vv. 19-20)Talk with God: Ask the Lord to give you a servant’s heart, then seek opportunities to serve or encourage someone this week.Talk with others: Ask a mentor or trusted believer if your faith is obvious in your daily habits, attitudes, and relationships.Talk with kids: How can people see the power of God in our lives?

Faith and favoritism are incompatible. We have been saved by a loving Redeemer and we must be willing to accept all different kinds of people. That’s not to say that people don’t need to repent of known sin. Of course they do! But one of the glaring sins of the Christian church is discriminating on the basis of outward appearance—actually, this is a flaw endemic to the whole human race.I. People Are Prejudiced Naturally (vv. 1-13)II. Favoritism Is Foolish Logically (vv. 5-7)III. Christians Are Corrected Biblically (vv. 8-9)IV. Life Should Be Lived Consistently (vv. 10-13)Talk with God: Ask the Lord to reveal an area where you haven’t been living as one “who will be judged by the law of liberty” (v. 12).Talk with others: Say hello and introduce yourself to someone sitting alone at service.Talk with kids: How are we changed by the Holy Spirit?

Mirrors are honest! Under well-lit conditions, mirrors reveal the truthful condition of the observer. The Bible is the Word of God. Like a mirror, it reveals the truth about our world, our character, and our God. But then we must act accordingly; doing must follow reading and hearing. James mentions five areas in our lives—five categories—the Word of God should govern.I. Submission (vv. 22-24)II. Study (v. 25)III. Speech (v. 26)IV. Service (v. 27a)V. Separation (v. 27b)Talk with God: Assess your spiritual growth in the mirror of God’s Word and pray for wisdom and clarity in confronting your blind spots.Talk with others: Ask a mentor or trusted believer if they’ve observed areas of your life where you have not continued in “the perfect law of liberty” (v. 25).Talk with kids: How has God shown us generosity through Jesus?

The Word of God is “full of living power,” wrote the author of Hebrews (4:12, TLB). It has the power to change a life completely and for eternity. James has been telling us that God gives good gifts and the first is the gift of salvation! But that is just the beginning. After birth comes growth, and the theme of this book is spiritual maturity. The primary agent for spiritual maturity is God’s Word. But unless we listen to it and allow it to work in us, it will never have its intended impact.

It’s one thing to be tested on the outside (trials); it’s another thing to be tested on the inside (temptation). God may allow temptations in order to strengthen our faith. But Satan desires to tempt us to weaken our faith. In C. S. Lewis’s classic book The Screwtape Letters, a senior demon wrote to a trainee, saying, “All the habits of the [Christian], both mental and bodily, are still in our favor.” Today, we consider how temptation works and find workable solutions to overcome it.I. The Source of Temptation (vv. 13-14)II. The Course of Temptation (vv. 14-15)III. Our Resource in Temptation (vv. 16-18)Talk with God: Ask the Holy Spirit which areas of your faith need to be shored up and strengthened.Talk with others: With your Connect Group, discuss some practical things you can implement in your daily life to avoid common temptations.Talk with kids: Who is the Holy Spirit?

An old English children’s game followed the poem “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief.” In the game, kids would try to determine what they would become later in life. Whether we become rich or poor, one thing is common to all—hardship. Trials are the great equalizer, bringing all of God’s children to depend on Him. James, with barefaced practicality, looked at the advantages of suffering for both the poor man and the rich man.I. Our World Is Divided (vv. 9-12)II. Our Outlook Is Delightful (vv. 9-10)III. Our Materialism Is Doomed (vv. 10-11)IV. Our Future Is Dependent (v. 12)Talk with God: Reflect on your typical reaction to trials. Ask the Lord to change your perspective so depending on Him becomes your instinctual reaction.Talk with others: Ask an unbelieving friend or family member how you can help them through a tough situation in their life.Talk with kids: How do we make disciples? Why is it important to make disciples?

Growing up has its advantages. Adults face life’s struggles differently than children do. Both children and adults feel strong emotions about the trials they face, but they display their emotions differently. A mature Christian can even dare to experience joy during such times. Whatever you may be facing in life, there are four realities about hardship you should know.I. Trials Are Normal (v. 2)II. Trials Can Be Joyful (v. 2)III. Trials Could Be Transformational (vv. 3-4)IV. Trials Should Be Educational (vv. 5-8)Talk with God: Ask the Lord to show you how you can prepare your heart for the struggles ahead.Talk with others: Ask someone close to you how you can help them walk through a current struggle.Talk with kids: How does God forgive our sins?

You’ve probably been in a situation where there was confusion, even pandemonium, and most people were acting like immature children. What was needed was just one person to act like an adult and bring decorum and civility back. In such situations, one might say, “Where is the adult in the room?” It refers to someone who will behave responsibly in a mature manner. The book of James is about spiritual maturity. It is a call to grow up and not just grow old. James was the adult in the room.I. The Author “James”II. The Autobiography “a bondservant of God and of…Jesus Christ”III. The Audience “To the twelve tribes…scattered abroad”IV. The Address “Greetings”Talk with God: Reflect on your spiritual growth journey and ask the Lord to show you where He wants to grow you.Talk with others: Ask a trusted believer or mentor to hold you accountable in working toward growth in a specific area of your walk.Talk with kids: What do you believe to be true about God, even though you haven’t seen Him?