1. Be Quick to , Slow to , Slow to (James 1:19-20)
19 My dear brothers and sisters, understand this:
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak,
1 Thessalonians 2:13 CSB
This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the word of God, which also works effectively in you who believe.
and slow to anger, 20 for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.
Galatians 4:16 CSB
So then, have I become your enemy because I told you the truth?
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2. Receive the Word with (James 1:21)
21 Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
James 1:21 KJV
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Ephesians 4:20-23
20 But that is not how you came to know Christ, 21 assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
Colossians 3:8-10 CSB
8 But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 CSB
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
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3. Don’t Just Hear the Word but Do It. (James 1:22-25)
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
1 John 3:17-18 CSB
17 If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him — how does God’s love reside in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.
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4. Faith in Action (James 1:26-27)
Psalm 141:3 CSB 3 LORD, set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.
“Don’t let the Word of God just pass through your ears;
let it pass through your heart and hands, this is a faith that is not only heard, but lived out in light.”
Community Life Group Questions
TAKE YOUR PICK
1.(v. 19-20)
James suggests that being “slow to speak” includes not “talking back” to God when His Word challenges us. When have you felt the urge to “argue” with a biblical truth because it was difficult or uncomfortable?
Why do we often feel that our anger is “justified” when life gets hard, and how does that anger block us from being teachable?
2.(v. 21-25)
The “implanted word” means nurturing and watering it. What are some practical ways we can “tend the soil” of our hearts throughout the week so the Word can grow?
James says the Word is able to “save your souls.” In the context of a believer’s life, what does it look like to be “saved” from an unfruitful or wasted Christian life?
3.(v. 22, 26)
We all look in the mirror to fix our hair or face, then walk away. Why is it so easy to read the Bible on Sunday and “forget” what kind of person we are by Monday afternoon?
Is it possible to confuse “knowing” the Bible with “obeying” the Bible? How can we hold ourselves accountable to move beyond just learning facts?
4.(v. 27)
If our “religion is useless” when we can’t control our tongues, what does our recent speech (at home, work, or on social media) reveal about the state of our hearts?
Have you ever seen a “mismatch” between a person’s religious activity and their actual character? How does that affect the message of the Gospel to outsiders?
5.How can we pray for you?