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What does it really mean to be a doer of God’s Word?
In the very first episode of Practice the Word, hosts Bryan, Veneta, and Brian Jarman explore one of the most convicting verses in Scripture: James 1:22.
Together they discuss why so many people identify as Christians but struggle to live out their faith, how James himself went from doubting Jesus to leading the early church, and what practical obedience looks like for believers today. They also talk about the role of the Holy Spirit, overcoming fear, spiritual disciplines like prayer and fasting, sharing your testimony, and why Christianity is meant to be practiced—not simply believed.
If you’ve ever wondered why your faith feels stagnant, or you’re looking for practical encouragement to walk more closely with Christ, this conversation is for you.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Practice the Word
00:00:26 Why We Started This Podcast
00:01:20 Opening Prayer
00:02:10 Meet Bryan, Veneta & Bryan Jarman
00:02:35 James 1:22 — Be Doers of the Word
00:02:50 Barna Research: The Disconnect in Christianity
00:03:46 James, the Brother of Jesus
00:05:00 Why James’ Story Matters Today
00:08:20 From Hearing to Obedience
00:10:40 The Danger of Self-Deception
00:12:05 Why Christians Struggle to Live Their Faith
00:13:40 Fear, Comfort & Spiritual Growth
00:16:20 The Importance of Daily Prayer
00:17:45 What Does “Be a Doer” Actually Mean?
00:20:25 Applying Scripture Beyond Sunday
00:22:00 Humility Before God
00:23:30 Prayer, Fasting & Spiritual Disciplines
00:24:55 The Holy Spirit Is Your Helper
00:30:35 Practical Ways to Practice the Word
00:32:40 Learning from Abraham, Moses & David
00:34:10 Why Your Testimony Matters
00:35:40 Prison Ministry & Real Transformation
00:38:20 Are You a Doer of the Word or the World?
00:42:00 Jacob Slavin’s Powerful Christian Witness
00:44:40 Ministering to the Homeless
00:50:20 Practical Ways to Become a Doer of the Word
00:52:10 Knowledge vs. Obedience
00:53:30 God’s Word Is Meant to Transform You
If this conversation encouraged you, consider subscribing and sharing this episode with someone who wants to grow deeper in their walk with Christ.
#PracticeTheWord #James122 #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #FaithInAction
In the very first episode of Practice the Word, hosts Bryan, Veneta, and Brian Jarman explore one of the most convicting verses in Scripture: James 1:22.
Together they discuss why so many people identify as Christians but struggle to live out their faith, how James himself went from doubting Jesus to leading the early church, and what practical obedience looks like for believers today. They also talk about the role of the Holy Spirit, overcoming fear, spiritual disciplines like prayer and fasting, sharing your testimony, and why Christianity is meant to be practiced—not simply believed.
If you’ve ever wondered why your faith feels stagnant, or you’re looking for practical encouragement to walk more closely with Christ, this conversation is for you.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Practice the Word
00:00:26 Why We Started This Podcast
00:01:20 Opening Prayer
00:02:10 Meet Bryan, Veneta & Bryan Jarman
00:02:35 James 1:22 — Be Doers of the Word
00:02:50 Barna Research: The Disconnect in Christianity
00:03:46 James, the Brother of Jesus
00:05:00 Why James’ Story Matters Today
00:08:20 From Hearing to Obedience
00:10:40 The Danger of Self-Deception
00:12:05 Why Christians Struggle to Live Their Faith
00:13:40 Fear, Comfort & Spiritual Growth
00:16:20 The Importance of Daily Prayer
00:17:45 What Does “Be a Doer” Actually Mean?
00:20:25 Applying Scripture Beyond Sunday
00:22:00 Humility Before God
00:23:30 Prayer, Fasting & Spiritual Disciplines
00:24:55 The Holy Spirit Is Your Helper
00:30:35 Practical Ways to Practice the Word
00:32:40 Learning from Abraham, Moses & David
00:34:10 Why Your Testimony Matters
00:35:40 Prison Ministry & Real Transformation
00:38:20 Are You a Doer of the Word or the World?
00:42:00 Jacob Slavin’s Powerful Christian Witness
00:44:40 Ministering to the Homeless
00:50:20 Practical Ways to Become a Doer of the Word
00:52:10 Knowledge vs. Obedience
00:53:30 God’s Word Is Meant to Transform You
If this conversation encouraged you, consider subscribing and sharing this episode with someone who wants to grow deeper in their walk with Christ.
#PracticeTheWord #James122 #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #FaithInAction
Creators and Guests
What is Practice The Word?
Practice the Word is a Christ-centered podcast for people who are ready to stop sitting on the sidelines of faith and start living the Word of God in everyday life.
Hosted by believers who love Jesus, serve people, and understand the real-world trials of business, family, ministry, hardship, and obedience, this show is for anyone who feels called to step out of the boat and walk with Christ more deeply.
Each episode encourages listeners to read Scripture for themselves, trust the Holy Spirit, serve others with sincerity, and become doers of the Word — not hearers only.
Through biblical conversations, personal stories, interviews with Christian leaders, and practical encouragement, Practice the Word exists to point people back to Jesus, remind them that every day is a gift from the Lord, and challenge them to live fully surrendered to Him.
Whether you are new to faith, returning to God, wrestling through a difficult season, or ready to go deeper, this podcast is an invitation to get off the fence, open the Bible, and practice the Word.
00:00:02:00 - 00:00:20:12
Unknown
Welcome to Practice the Word, a podcast helping everyday believers become everyday doers of the word. Through scripture stories and honest conversations, we'll talk about what it means to follow Jesus with courage, sincerity, and obedience in real life. Let's get started.
00:00:20:14 - 00:00:25:05
00:00:25:05 - 00:00:26:19
00:00:26:23 - 00:00:50:13
Unknown
Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining us today. This is practice the word. And this is our first first time doing this. So you're going to see a lot of mistakes and you're going to laugh a lot because we're just good southern people trying to proclaim God's word. So we're going we name this practice the word because God has been dealing with our heart,
00:00:50:18 - 00:01:19:22
Unknown
On James 122, when it says, be doors of the word and not just hearers only, deceiving yourselves. And it just it hit us hard. And so we're here today just to encourage you and just speak to your heart, prayerfully convict your heart through the Holy Spirit. And so let's pray before we get started, if you don't mind, because we just want to make sure the Holy Spirit rules in this thing and our flesh doesn't rule.
00:01:19:22 - 00:01:44:00
Unknown
So heavenly father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for your goodness, your mercy, and your grace. Holy spirit, we need you in this. We need you to speak through us. We need you to give us wisdom to speak only the Word of God. Don't let our flesh intervene, but let the true Spirit of God stand true to the Word of God, because that's exactly what we live by.
00:01:44:00 - 00:02:09:16
Unknown
And we know that through Your Word, God, we are transformed. So, Lord, today, as we break down and go through James 122, being doers of the word, not just hearers, because if we're just hearers, we're deceiving ourselves. In so many people today, we believe are being deceived because they're just hearing and they're not doing. Holy spirit, we plead with, you now have your way in this in Jesus name.
00:02:09:16 - 00:02:16:23
Unknown
We pray on the show today we have with us my husband, Brian Ford, and his best friend
00:02:16:23 - 00:02:17:16
Unknown
Brian Jarman.
00:02:17:16 - 00:02:29:19
Unknown
So we're going to just share with you today what's on our hearts, and we hope that it will somehow encourage you and maybe speak to your heart, and maybe you can just hear the word of the Lord today.
00:02:29:19 - 00:02:34:10
Unknown
And you can apply this in your life today. So
00:02:34:10 - 00:02:50:04
Unknown
who wants to get started? First, tell us what's on your heart, dear Brian, I mean, I think this is a great topic to talk about. When we were as I was preparing for this, I actually looked up some facts to back is it even a problem? Are there Christians out here that aren't practicing the word?
00:02:50:04 - 00:03:26:21
Unknown
And I found some interesting facts. I'm Barna, the Barna Research Group. This is December of 2025. They surveyed Christians. We actually surveyed a bunch of Americans. First, 62% of Americans identify as Christian, but only 24% of those people said that they strongly valued their faith and went to church at least once a month. Wow. So there's a disconnect somewhere in our society of professing Christians that don't look like Christians.
00:03:26:21 - 00:03:46:04
Unknown
And that's really odd, right? Because the word Christian means Christ like. And absolutely, for some reason, people don't look Christ like. And so I think that's just kind of what we want to talk about. Why is that? How big of a problem is it. What causes it. You know. So yeah. What do you think, Brian? Well, I think on that point and it's getting a little bit ahead.
00:03:46:04 - 00:03:58:16
Unknown
But James didn't always believe that Jesus was the Messiah. So I think exactly what your you're talking about with Barna
00:03:58:16 - 00:04:04:19
Unknown
that was Jesus's brother. But look back at I think it was James seven 5 or 7 six.
00:04:04:19 - 00:04:08:06
Unknown
and it talks about his brothers didn't even believe him.
00:04:08:11 - 00:04:27:17
Unknown
That's right. So it's a walk. It's a process. And I and I think Vinita said it very well so many times as we've done it through prison ministry. Everything's a process. That's right. And even with the disciples, James was not this. James was not a disciple. He was Jesus's brother. That's right. He was not one of the 12.
00:04:27:18 - 00:04:59:23
Unknown
That's right. So that's a key point to this. And so if we look at it and we see this process that James has got into, into this letter. Right. So James is half brother James Dow to Jesus. James saw the resurrect and changed his perspective. That's right. And the key thing to as we walk this through is we have to remember this.
00:04:59:23 - 00:05:36:06
Unknown
James became one of the leaders of the Church of Jerusalem. That's right. When he wrote this, my understanding is he was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. And that's huge, because what do we know about Jerusalem even today? But at that time we had an occupation of Rome. But we had a huge population of Jews. Yes. So my question and both of you can probably espoused on this is, was James was this letter that James wrote, was this primarily to the Jews?
00:05:36:07 - 00:05:59:22
Unknown
Was this to the assortment of Gentiles and Jews? And today I think we need to see, because I think there's a direct application to today's church, especially the Western church. Are you saying that because there's such a mix of different mindsets and things in the church, just like there was back then? Is that where you're going with that?
00:05:59:23 - 00:06:31:01
Unknown
Oh, I do, yeah, I do, but also that James grew up was taught. Right. Jewish tradition. Right. He knew the law, right? He knew what was facing the mindset of the Jew going from the old law to what Jesus had taught. Now, remember, James knew the old law, right? So he also knew that Jesus is now half brother, didn't really believe him or doubted him, and was trying to wrestle with what was being told.
00:06:31:01 - 00:06:49:04
Unknown
And remember now, if we go back to the Gospels, Jesus goes back to his hometown and what ends up happening. We know they tried to throw him off a cliff. That's right. They tried to throw him. All right. Right. That didn't go very well. Right. And, you know, we need an appendix right there, because I would really love to know what James thought at that point.
00:06:49:05 - 00:07:11:08
Unknown
Like, was he part of that group or was he like, yeah. You know, that's my brother. Calm down. This is my brother. That's my brother. So what are we doing? And we go through fist right there at the cliff. Right. But yeah, I think too I think James was also speaking to himself. I think that he was having a revelation within his own self because he had walked that walk before
00:07:11:10 - 00:07:12:19
Unknown
they didn't believe.
00:07:12:20 - 00:07:33:14
Unknown
But now he's coming to his the truth of his own self to say, you know, maybe I need to speak to my own self, you know, that I need to do the word not just here. I mean, think about it. He walked with the the written word of God. He walked with the written word of God. And still there was doubt right in the.
00:07:33:14 - 00:07:59:00
Unknown
Add to that, and that is wonderful points. And to add to that, he grew up with the word right. And that is amazing, right? That's right. To even think about. So he to be fair to James, to be fair to James, I mean he saw the adolescent Jesus. He saw the toddler Jesus. Right. And that was the big the big dispute that people had in his hometown.
00:07:59:01 - 00:08:23:13
Unknown
They said, how can he be the Messiah? What is it? This Joseph's son? You know, we saw him grow up. And you're right. James was right there. He grew up with Jesus. And so that that that journey in his own heart, he had to make from. I'm not really sure. Could he be to. I'm I'm 100% convinced is kind of in that he he was just a hearer for a lot of his life.
00:08:23:13 - 00:08:50:14
Unknown
And then at some point he became a doer. Yeah, right. It was almost like he was too casual. Yeah, he was too casual. Too familiar. Right. And then, you know, he has a renewing, a transformation, right. To say, you know, this, I have to do more. I have to do, you know, maybe I have just set binds and whatever or whatever, but now it's come to I got to do something right.
00:08:50:15 - 00:09:13:15
Unknown
Well, that's a good point. When you talk about transformation of it and you're looking at James. 122 James has moved from the familiar to surrendering, right? That's right. And and to me, what spoke to me when you come up like we need to be in really I mean, this is this was your brainchild and and that's a lot of credit.
00:09:13:15 - 00:09:41:10
Unknown
James is hard for me for a lot of reasons, but the more we've studied it, I'm thinking, James is me. I mean, James is the walk of the Gentile Christian, and I know how it's presented to the Jew, and I understand that part. But I see where James walked, doubted, kind of lived the life. Right? That's my brother broke bread with him.
00:09:41:11 - 00:10:12:23
Unknown
And now all of a sudden, Jesus has, you know, the cross and the resurrection. And now he's appeared with James. There's no denying it. Right? Right. Yeah. No. And in, in. So what does he do in, in, in in what Jesus has ask all along. It's like almost the it's like a synoptic of every disciple. Right. There's a point where they realize surrender.
00:10:13:01 - 00:10:41:08
Unknown
Not that he's the Christ, but surrender. Yeah. And James surrendered to the Christ. And and then we go through the whole thing and we talk about context a lot, especially when we're writing Bible studies or we're talking about things and you kind of read three verses before James 122 and then go about 4 or 5 after, and you see the whole context of what the church and Christians are supposed to do, right?
00:10:41:09 - 00:11:02:05
Unknown
And, you know, going back to that verse, it says, if you are if you're only hearers, you're deceiving yourselves. So and that's the worst kind of deception there is, is self-deception. When you deceive yourself, it's one thing for somebody else to deceive you, right? Because that might not be your fault if you deceive yourself. That's right. That's horrible.
00:11:02:06 - 00:11:22:11
Unknown
Right. And it's saying that's what you're doing is deceiving yourself. You're allowing deception to take root in you if you're not doers. And the deception is that I can hear this and it not changed and it not changed. Don't have to do it. That's right. I can hear this and it doesn't. It doesn't faze me to move in it or move on it.
00:11:22:11 - 00:11:45:05
Unknown
And that's what James did. He physically heard Jesus for all of these years. I mean, think about it. When, when, when when Christ went to the temple for the first time. Right? He was a child, and he he's watching this whole thing. And he was physically he was aware. I mean, you imagine how it is with your brothers and sisters, your brothers and sisters.
00:11:45:05 - 00:11:58:12
Unknown
Mine. Right? We hear the stories and, you know, we're kind of thinking, yeah, I don't know about all that. Yeah. But. Right. But then he, he he eventually surrendered, right. To what the truth was. Absolutely. Yeah. That's right.
00:11:58:12 - 00:12:05:17
Unknown
Well, so so what does a person do. Like I think in context of James, I think what we just talked about is really good for him.
00:12:05:17 - 00:12:31:12
Unknown
But now you bring it back to modern day Christians. What why is there such a disconnect in Christianity today between what a Christian really should be? What's the root of that? Where did it come from? I think it's fear. I think there's a lot of fear, especially in today's world. I think, you know, to stand for Christ and to really be bold, I think there's a lot of fear.
00:12:31:12 - 00:12:56:16
Unknown
I think people are comfortable where they are. They they come and they sit on a pew every Sunday. Right. And they're comfortable. You know, Jesus says, how much more of those who are, who have believed and haven't seen me than those who have seen me? Right. So I it's like we don't get that. We sit on the pew and we just get comfortable.
00:12:56:16 - 00:13:17:21
Unknown
And we think showing up to church every Sunday is a great sacrifice. It's a great sacrifice. And the and the gates of heaven are open for us to walk in. Yeah. But again, you're deceiving yourself, right? Because God has called you. If if His Holy Spirit is in you, then you are called to do what God has called you to do.
00:13:17:21 - 00:13:42:12
Unknown
And, and and it's very easy to understand. I believe people have convictions. I believe the Holy Spirit convicts people to do things, and I believe they avoid it, though, are they? Ignore it. And you know, when we ignore a conviction, then we even even if you move out in faith in it and it doesn't for Peter to step out of the boat and walk on water.
00:13:42:12 - 00:14:02:21
Unknown
That took faith, you know. But if we just step out, I believe, you know, people say, well, I don't have money to do that or I don't. If you'll step out. God will send you people. Things will take place that only God can do, and you can move in conviction by the Lord to do what he's called you to do.
00:14:03:03 - 00:14:21:21
Unknown
That's right. He's not going to call you into something bigger than you know is you have to crawl before you can walk. That's right. And you know the scripture that says, be grateful for small beginnings. That right there is this plain and simple. Everything's going to be small in the beginning, but when God is in it,
00:14:21:23 - 00:14:23:15
Unknown
it will begin to grow.
00:14:23:16 - 00:14:30:22
Unknown
Little is much. That's right. Little as much. That's exactly right. What specifically do you think people are afraid of?
00:14:31:00 - 00:14:44:10
Unknown
Because if you if if you were in another country like Nigeria, well, I'm afraid I might lose my life, you know, but in America, what what are people afraid of? I think they they are. I think fear is a liar.
00:14:44:10 - 00:15:09:21
Unknown
First of all, fear is a liar. I think they are afraid of. They don't know how to do something. They don't feel smart enough. They don't feel intelligent enough. I think they fear the unknown. They feel they're going to get questions they can't answer, questions they can't answer. I mean, take it from us. We're a little bit fearful today because we we are know that we are on this boat here and we may get questions, we may get persecuted.
00:15:09:22 - 00:15:33:03
Unknown
You know, we will get persecuted for this. So I think people in fear right now is at an all time. It's rapid in the church. People are so afraid. They're afraid to even go to church. I think Covid put us in a position to where, oh, I can just watch it online. Yeah. But again, again, even going to church is being a doer of the word,
00:15:33:05 - 00:15:34:11
Unknown
you know, forget not to assemble.
00:15:34:11 - 00:15:36:14
Unknown
You're something, you know, it's better than it's something.
00:15:36:15 - 00:16:02:09
Unknown
That's right. And I think the more we step out the boulder, we become in Christ. Because I think that, you know, it says his calling is irrevocable, right? So if his calling is irrevocable, he will not refrain from what he's called us to do. And I think that if we just step out, he'll give us the boldness to take another step and another step.
00:16:02:10 - 00:16:25:00
Unknown
Yes. You know the Scripture that says, seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these other things will be first. But we added, I think that we are to the point in this day we're living in the critical days that we're living in now. When we seek God first in all things, things will take place that we can ever think or imagine, right?
00:16:25:01 - 00:16:45:16
Unknown
And and seeking God first, you know, and there's there's no condemnation for anyone watching this. There's no condemnation for those in Christ. That's right. But here's the thing. If you are on your way to work, I hear people a lot saying, well, I pray on the way to work. That's my prayer time. That is totally fine. That is wonderful that you pray on the way to work.
00:16:45:17 - 00:17:08:06
Unknown
But how would you feel if God said, I'll just answer you on the way to work? Do you? Would you feel like that you really are one with the Lord in that? Do you, do you? Would you like it if somebody says, well, I'll just call you on the way to work rather than just feeling spending that one on one time with the Lord?
00:17:08:07 - 00:17:26:00
Unknown
Right. There's nothing like it. It's a sacrifice. Now. There's nothing wrong with praying on the way to work. Don't get me wrong. We've all done it. I did it with our daughter taking her to school. I would pray all the way to school because we had a 30 minute drive. There's nothing wrong with it, but we need to mature enough that we get along with the Lord.
00:17:26:00 - 00:17:47:10
Unknown
And we have our prayer closet, our altar, whatever it is. But we need that sacrifice that it says we are living sacrifices and in Romans, living sacrifices. So we need to sacrifice that time to get up earlier, to seek God, to pray. Even if he we don't feel his presence, he will still honor that time that we spend with him.
00:17:47:15 - 00:18:10:14
Unknown
He will honor it. I think you're hitting on something like, you know, a person that is a new Christian. We often use like church words, you know, be a doer of the word. And I wonder sometimes if people even understand what that means. And so if I was a brand new Christian and, and I read that verse, be a doer of the word, how would you explain to me what that means, like practical terms?
00:18:10:14 - 00:18:30:05
Unknown
What? What am I supposed to be doing to to become a doer of the word? What does that mean? I think in the beginning, the early beginning stages of a new Christian, I don't think we can become doers of the wording lest we know the word. That's true. So the first first things first, it says study to show yourself approved.
00:18:30:05 - 00:18:47:16
Unknown
So I believe that we are to study the word a new Christian. They have it says we don't fight against flesh and blood but against spiritual warfare. And James says it right here. He says, don't just be hearers. So he's not talking bad about hearing the word. You have to hear the word before you can do it, right?
00:18:47:20 - 00:19:05:01
Unknown
That's right. So that's the first step. That's that's a good point. And he also talks about renewing your mind, renewing your mind by the word faith only comes by hearing and hearing the word. And it's strange how it says it twice. Faith only comes by hearing and hearing the word twice. It knows. He knows we're not going to get it right.
00:19:05:02 - 00:19:28:21
Unknown
Faith only comes by hearing and hearing the word right. And and so I think a new believer needs to increase their faith. Faith pleases God. That scripture. And I think that a new believer needs to read the word and needs to really dive into the word, right? And then they have ammunition to fight against what the enemy is going to try to throw at them.
00:19:28:21 - 00:20:06:21
Unknown
Because we know as new Christians, the enemy will come and try to just devour you with doubt. But I also believe when we are filled up, overflowing with the Word of God, then we can come back and just devour that doubt and distraction that the enemy tries to put on us to be a doer of the word. You know, whether it's, you know, helping the homeless or whether it is, you know, helping a widow or orphans or whatever it is that God lays you on your heart.
00:20:06:21 - 00:20:25:15
Unknown
Everything that Jesus did, we need to be doing that's doers of the word. If you break it down and it says, be doers of the word, the word is Jesus. Yeah. In the beginning was the word. In the beginning it was in two. Let's let's deconstruct that a little bit. And I think that's important because you're right. But but it's just not new.
00:20:25:15 - 00:20:51:21
Unknown
Beginners of of of Christianity. It's not new believers. Sure. This could be people 40 years in the church. And I think, James, kind of what I was taking from those first couple of verses into that chapter, chapter one. And, and I'm going to say this probably a dozen times during this whole study of James. But you attend church, we listen to worship.
00:20:51:21 - 00:21:17:03
Unknown
We listen to the word that the pastor gives. Right. But there's a fourth aspect of that. Are you applying what was given when you went to church? Right now we should. And serving in the church and serving within the church. But when you walk out those doors, if you're not doing what it is saying, right. I think that's the purpose of what James is saying.
00:21:17:04 - 00:21:42:04
Unknown
And, and, and something I do quite with myself. And, you know, I journal a whole lot, but I've got a gentleman now that, that I'm just kind of mentoring through the word and I'm like, start you a journal. And this is the book of Brian, right? This is your letter and what how are you going to start that letter off?
00:21:42:04 - 00:22:05:01
Unknown
And I thought James and now list James denied Jesus. Right. I mean, what his other brothers and how does he start the whole book? I a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not that I was his brother, right? Not that I grew up with them. Right. I am a servant of him, right? So first of all, he's showing humility, right?
00:22:05:02 - 00:22:31:01
Unknown
So now we're starting to see how do we become a doer? We're basically breaking down our pride, right? Our arrogance. Yes. Our things we think we know. No. I need to kneel at his feet. I need to lay supplying at his feet and ask Jesus, what am I? What is holding me back to serving you more? And I think you make the perfect point.
00:22:31:01 - 00:22:54:00
Unknown
And and we go through this extraordinary picture of humility where James leads all the way up to this 122 verse. Right? And he's basically I mean, he's kinda he's kind of pointing his finger saying, you know, we gotta have humility in this thing, right? I am a servant. I am not his brother, and he is my lord. Right.
00:22:54:01 - 00:23:30:15
Unknown
And to go through this whole thing, he he basically takes a relationship with Jesus, that he perceived his flesh and he turned it into submission. Right. And I think there is where we start. Exactly what you're saying. Go hear the word, read the word. And I think we're missing a very important thing. And our bishop has just he just deals with us, but he does it on such a level of not throwing in our face, but basically, you know, read the word, study the word, and fast it says and fast.
00:23:30:16 - 00:24:01:13
Unknown
Yeah, your body has to be separated from it. You're hitting on crucifying your flesh. I mean, that's what you're describing. Good work. Thank you. And you know, we're going to be doers of something, right? Right. And that's right. As Christian people, we we have almost a dual reality. We we are spiritually reborn, but we still live in this skin suit, as I call it, the flesh.
00:24:01:19 - 00:24:20:17
Unknown
And this flesh has its own desires and all its own things that it wants to do. Right. And so it's just a constant pull. My spirit man wants to do the word, but my flesh wants to do who knows what, right? And it goes back to what you said. You have to humble yourself and become a servant of Jesus.
00:24:20:17 - 00:24:38:04
Unknown
And you do that through the spiritual disciplines that you're hitting on fasting. I mean, how many Christians, if we were to go to the bar in a research group and how many Christians fast, I don't think it would be very many. It's just not something they will do now days. Very few. But over in other countries they fast all the time.
00:24:38:05 - 00:24:57:23
Unknown
All the time, you know. And then you then you see the Spirit of God moving and miraculous things happening over there, right? Well, why don't they happen here in America? Well, maybe we haven't really surrendered our flesh like we need to be, because we're not practicing spiritual disciplines of fasting and prayer. Yes, things like that. Yes. Yeah, that's a good point.
00:24:58:02 - 00:25:16:17
Unknown
as you're listening to this today, you're thinking, well, I can't fast or I can't do any of that, you know, and and we get there and you can't, we can't either. But, you know, the scriptures call the Holy Spirit the helper and the comforter. That's right. I can't tell you how many times a day I say, Holy Spirit, help me do this or help me do that.
00:25:16:17 - 00:25:32:14
Unknown
I say, I bet I say a thousand times a day, whispering it to myself, Holy Spirit, help me do this. I followed my clothes, I got, I got you got to have him for everything that you do. That's right. And if you will try that and do that, practice the word. He's the helper. He's the comforter, he's the Paraclete.
00:25:32:14 - 00:26:06:18
Unknown
So he's here to help you. And I think we fail. And maybe even teaching that because the Holy Spirit is the helper. And in my, in the women that that I've been to the prison with or anybody that I've prayed with, I've always told them that if you'll just say, Holy Spirit, help me in whatever you're doing, if you're a stay at home mother or you're a single mom or single dad, if you're a pastor that can't get his congregation together because they're always gossiping, if you will just allow the Holy Spirit and you.
00:26:06:21 - 00:26:27:23
Unknown
He's he's his. He's listening at all times and just call on him for help. He will help you through it, but you have to do it. That is. That's another thing of being doers of the word. You have to say, Holy spirit, help me. Do you know before I pray? Anytime. I always ask the Holy Spirit to help me to pray so I don't pray fleshly prayers.
00:26:27:23 - 00:26:50:21
Unknown
I don't pray Benitez prayers. I don't pray anything of the world that you know shines, but I pray the far, the the heart of the father, which is by the Holy Spirit. And so I think it is so important that we call on the Holy Spirit to do any of this. He's here to help us. And I hear so many people saying, well, I can't do that, and I can't do that.
00:26:50:21 - 00:27:10:21
Unknown
I can't pray like you can or I can't do this. But it is by the Holy Spirit when we begin to call on the Holy Spirit for help in all these things, to be doers of the word, he begins to move and he begins to transform, and he begins to speak to our heart. He'll change us from being angry to humility.
00:27:11:01 - 00:27:31:04
Unknown
He'll change us from being weak to strong. He'll change. He'll even change your appetite. But you got to ask him. He's not going to do anything. He's a gentleman. He's not going to do anything. You don't call on him to do. So it would be just like you would call on your spouse or call on your mother or your father, earthly mother and father to help you.
00:27:31:05 - 00:27:52:04
Unknown
He's he's that close. He's that real. And the only thing we have to do is say, Holy Spirit, help me, and you will begin to see a change in what you do every day for the Lord. You'll begin to have a desire. You know, I always I plead with him so often, Holy Spirit, you got to change this in me, because I could slap some people and I could slap him quick.
00:27:52:06 - 00:28:10:23
Unknown
But I pray all the time. I have red hair. Brian. Heads were here. You know, the, you know the Sega about redheads. So. But I'm always saying, Holy Spirit, help me with this and help me understand the word. Help me desire to get up every day in the and read the word. If I don't have a desire to read the word, I'm not going to read it.
00:28:11:02 - 00:28:33:03
Unknown
But Holy Spirit helped me to get up and read the word and understand it. Love the Word of God and love Jesus and love the things of God. And and we all struggle with that, you know, because the flesh is weak. Jesus said, the flesh is weak, but the spirit is willing. And so I think that is the main I mean, I think that is the foundation of what we're talking about today.
00:28:33:08 - 00:28:57:08
Unknown
Today the Holy Spirit is here. He is always present. He doesn't sleep. He doesn't lie. He doesn't cheat, he doesn't backstab. He's there to help. And so I think that when we call on him to help, I think that that is when we will begin to see, because we're surrendering to that. We're surrendering to the Holy Spirit, really to say, hey, you gotta help me with this.
00:28:57:08 - 00:29:00:13
Unknown
I just cannot do this. If you're dealing with grief,
00:29:00:15 - 00:29:02:22
Unknown
the Holy Spirit, I help you through that. He's everything you need.
00:29:03:01 - 00:29:20:04
Unknown
He's everything. He's everything. But we fail in those times that we're going through a hard time. We try to do it in our own strength. And, you know, again, Scripture says faith pleases God. When we don't bring the Holy Spirit in.
00:29:20:05 - 00:29:39:06
Unknown
Are we pleasing God? I mean, how can we please God and not call on the Holy Spirit? When Jesus left, he said, I leave you the comforter. And if we don't, you know, the Scripture talks about grieving the Holy Spirit. I mean, I just wonder when we don't include him are we are we grieve in him, you know, are we?
00:29:39:07 - 00:29:53:07
Unknown
If you have a child in the back seat of the car and you never talk to that child going down, going down the road, I mean, are you not avoiding that child? Would you wake up in the morning and not feed your children? No, you wouldn't do that. Well, the Holy Spirit is more important than your children.
00:29:53:10 - 00:29:54:19
Unknown
You would have the children if it wasn't.
00:29:54:19 - 00:29:58:09
Unknown
For we live below our means. In a sense. Absolutely. We have
00:29:58:10 - 00:30:19:04
Unknown
this amazing God there to help us, right? And we don't utilize it. That's right. And we try to live the Christian life in our flesh. And and that will lead you to either. It's like Austin Big said in the man on the middle cross. Yes. You don't crucify your flesh every day and allow the Holy Spirit to be what you depend on.
00:30:19:04 - 00:30:34:13
Unknown
It will lead you to a horrible kind of arrogance or just utter despair. Yes, because you'll think, well, I'm doing pretty good in my flesh. Look at how good I am. That's arrogance. Or you'll be like, I just can't do this, right. I'm never going to live up. And then and then that's despair, right? And that's not what the Christian life is supposed to be like.
00:30:34:13 - 00:30:35:11
Unknown
Yeah, you're going to say something wrong.
00:30:35:14 - 00:30:42:00
Unknown
to to water down just a little bit to be doers and bring it back down to the basics.
00:30:42:01 - 00:31:11:01
Unknown
Yeah. Let's break it to the basic just for a minute. Sorry. Especially. No, no, everything you said is great. It was wonderful. And I think we're talking about be doers. That's the purpose, right? We we need to become active in community with one another through mentorship. Like man to man, like Brian and I, we often text every night or call, and it leads to other things to other men becoming involved in our relationship.
00:31:11:01 - 00:31:31:22
Unknown
How many times have we broke bread with people and spoken with them? And more often than not, we get more out of it than they've gotten out of. Yes, absolutely. But to go and and and I told Vinita prior to this, I said, you know, my Greek and my Latin, I know it, I have a hard time pronouncing it.
00:31:31:22 - 00:31:35:19
Unknown
So I'm not going to pronounce the word because I give it a try.
00:31:35:21 - 00:31:40:11
Unknown
No, no, no, I've got here from here. I'm not going to even
00:31:40:16 - 00:31:43:13
Unknown
try to. And but the point is in, in
00:31:43:15 - 00:31:47:07
Unknown
this word, this Greek word, we're talking about being doers.
00:31:47:07 - 00:32:12:14
Unknown
And I think it just, it illuminates this whole thing. It's the idea of becoming okay and continuing to be or proving yourself, proving yourselves to be doers. In other words, it's an act of act and of growth, right? So it's not a perfection thing. It's in other words, that you attempt it. It's like the word in action
00:32:12:16 - 00:32:13:21
Unknown
is the word in action.
00:32:14:00 - 00:32:39:20
Unknown
And, you know, James is not saying do one religious act. I think that's the point. The point is, is you're becoming the kind of person that's going to use God's Word in obedience right now. Let's take this right. So we've got James. He he he he he has perpetrated this, this doer thing, big word for us. And it should be a big word over these several episodes.
00:32:39:22 - 00:33:02:03
Unknown
I'm a big Old Testament guy. Y'all know both. I love the Old Testament. I just I get into it. I think it's very alive. And I think churches under utilize it. I think people under utilize it. But think about what I just said becoming a doer. Now let's go through Abraham, go through Moses, go through Noah, go through David, go through Solomon.
00:33:02:04 - 00:33:27:10
Unknown
What were they? Not perfect creatures, but they were humble. They had humility and they were doers of what God asked them to do in perfect people. But they were willing to put on the skin of what you said of his spirit and be able to interact with what God asked them to do. Yeah, so that is our thing.
00:33:27:10 - 00:33:45:20
Unknown
So what does Jesus do? And he comes back, right? And he knows this. I'm gonna water it down and give summary. But he's sitting there saying, and and and I've said this a hundred times to you, Brian. He says here said, I'm going to take all these laws, 600 plus laws, and I'm going to I'm going to make them into two free.
00:33:46:02 - 00:34:11:06
Unknown
Yep. And and one of those is your testimony. What is the greatest thing you can give another person? I've suffered. I've I've sinned, I've suffered. And he has allowed me to overcome it through his death on the cross, through his his mercy and his grace. And now we share that so many times we live in shame that we can't give a testimony.
00:34:11:07 - 00:34:28:11
Unknown
Right? Sure. Right. It shouldn't be a lie. It shouldn't be a deception. This is what I have suffered, right? Because I can tell you now. Anything, Brian, you've gone through. Finito. You've gone through. And y'all both know my testimony.
00:34:28:13 - 00:34:56:10
Unknown
Our thing and our family, right? Is we open a closet. We want a light on the closet. Because if you put a shadow on something, then the enemy has a wedge into your testimony. So your testimony and your you've overcome it. I don't care what it is. I don't care if it's a murder, deceit, whatever it is, you've overcome it.
00:34:56:10 - 00:35:24:08
Unknown
But how do we overcome it? James is telling us this, right? We gotta be doers of the word. That's why it's so important. When we sit in church. We're not just observing, we're listening, we're applying. And then when we get out, we're doing well. It's like he says there later on in those verses, if you do that, you're like a person who looks at himself in the mirror and then, you know, it would be like if I looked at myself in the mirror and I had a big black mark on my face and I'm like, oh, look at that black mark on my face.
00:35:24:08 - 00:35:41:00
Unknown
And then I just walk away and I don't do anything about it, right? That's what it's like to hear the amazing Word of God that will it's it's it's the words of life that will change your life. And then to walk away and not apply it to your life. That's what it's like. It is beautiful because we do a lot of prison ministry.
00:35:41:04 - 00:36:07:22
Unknown
And somebody sent me a video and it was from a prison in Louisiana. And maybe, maybe we'll post it on here if we can. But the, this lady is being baptized and she starts singing. The thing that gets you as a Christian, your spirit in the Lord's spirit is connected, is connected. And those chill bumps you get when you see her at her basic.
00:36:07:23 - 00:36:22:09
Unknown
She's broken. She's in prison. She's in shame. Her family knows, the world knows. But to see her accept the Lord, be baptized and start singing.
00:36:22:10 - 00:36:47:13
Unknown
How many women and men saw that and were encouraged by that? Sure that that is a and and you talk about it often that we have to be exposed, not exposed in the way of you've done this right. Point your finger because you always tell me not to point my finger when I'm when I'm talking or teaching, but in a way that it points someone else to the Lord.
00:36:47:16 - 00:37:07:10
Unknown
You know, we have to be open and genuine so people see, hey, I'm not the one that's good. There's nothing good in that. Everything good in me is coming from him. That's right. This is where I was. And this is what he did for me. Yeah. And. And if you hold that back, it's probably a little seed of pride, you know, that you haven't surrendered.
00:37:07:10 - 00:37:09:19
Unknown
That's right, that's right. Yeah. That's good, that's good Brian.
00:37:09:21 - 00:37:23:12
Unknown
you've heard it, I've heard it. We've heard people say, well, I'm a good person. They say that. You hear it. I'm a good person. Yeah, but that's not true. That's not biblical. That's not it says he knows every heart is is wicked. You're a good person in comparison.
00:37:23:12 - 00:37:40:02
Unknown
To what? Not against God's law. You're not right. You guarantee if we. If we started reading the Ten Commandments. Have you ever lied? That's right. Okay, well. You broke. You broke God's law. The Bible says if you broke one, you broke them. You broke on them off. You broke them all. That's true. We are compared to perfection, so we're never going to live up.
00:37:40:03 - 00:38:02:12
Unknown
That's right. To that kind of standard. There's no good in me. That's right. There's no righteousness in me. It's all Jesus Christ, right? Right. And two, we talk about the big movement now in the Western Church and in Europe is deconstruction, deconstruction of Christ to allow things, really that Christ spoke against. But really what we should be doing is deconstructing towards Christ, right?
00:38:02:13 - 00:38:25:20
Unknown
We should be deconstructing, right? It's not our law. It is his law. That's right. So, you know, a key thing. And I'm not going to say this Greek word, but the doers, when you look at the Greek word for doers, listen to this. People who make, produce or carry out something so you can be a doer of his word, or you can be a doer of the world, right?
00:38:25:21 - 00:38:27:18
Unknown
That's right. That's. Do something. You're going to do something,
00:38:27:18 - 00:38:44:17
Unknown
Pastor Debbie said one time that. And I thought it was profound. She's one of our pastors. And she said, you know, there's three sides to this battle with the Lord and the enemy and our in our souls. There's Jesus, there's the devil, and there's the fence.
00:38:44:20 - 00:39:07:08
Unknown
Well, there's only one side that's for Jesus and that's Jesus. Because if you're on the fence, you're on the enemy side, right? There's no lukewarm. That's that is scripture. That's right. We cannot be lukewarm. Right. You and I say this in, in not in combination because we've lived it. Right. We've lived going to church. We've lived listening to the world.
00:39:07:08 - 00:39:30:23
Unknown
We've lived the point where we're going to go to work tomorrow and we're not going to give a testimony, and we're not going to say what the Lord has said or his his word, and what one of our mentors and who we love dearly. We went to see him in Creedmoor, Pastor Mitchell and he was saying, there's nothing wrong with you posting scripture on social media.
00:39:31:00 - 00:39:51:01
Unknown
There's nothing with you. There's nothing wrong with you saying this is what the Lord has done. Now, I've seen deconstruction and say, well, you're just bragging. You're seeing you're better than everybody else. No, that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is this scripture I post today, if you went and go look at that, that scripture I posted this morning.
00:39:51:04 - 00:40:14:00
Unknown
I'm telling you something I'm going through. And this is what the Lord is pushing them, right? Right. And and if you and if your heart I mean really you can you can you can learn a lot about what people post. But because you can, you see what their place. And I believe people that post scripture all the time, which I do, I do.
00:40:14:01 - 00:40:35:06
Unknown
I mean, I post scripture all the time, but I think that's edifying the Lord. I mean, you're right. A lot of times when people post is the Lord is revealing something to them, revealing himself to them, right or right, or they're going again. When you post the word, you're basically I mean, you are you're basically one with the Lord.
00:40:35:06 - 00:40:56:18
Unknown
You could have posted anything about yourself, but you posted scripture, you posted scripture, and there's 1,000,001 ways to look at it. But when you post, Scripture is basically saying, this is who I am. I mean, think about it. When you post, that's never going to go away. Somebody can always call that up. They can always see what what's on your mind today, right.
00:40:56:19 - 00:41:15:02
Unknown
What is she thinking about today? And when you post the word I mean it's basically saying, okay, what is the scripture? Out of the heart flows the abundance of out of the abundance of the heart. The mouth will speak. There you go. That's right, that's right. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. You know, James is not calling for an isolated action.
00:41:15:02 - 00:41:38:10
Unknown
He's not calling for it. What he's calling for is obedient identity. He won't you to be obedient in your identity. And I can tell you now and and we talk about all the time in Bishop talks about idols. Idols? What is your idol? Right. I can tell you now it's hockey. I mean, I love hockey, I love sports.
00:41:38:11 - 00:42:00:06
Unknown
Hallelujah for deliverance. That's right. Go, king. So go, canes. That's right. But. But out of that obedient identity. So one of one of the people we really look up to, Bryan and I. And I think you have now Vanita is Jacob Slavin. Oh yeah. Right. Because we're going to hope to have him on the podcast. Oh, wow. In in in in an interview.
00:42:00:06 - 00:42:06:21
Unknown
But he talks about obedient identity. And he has this video
00:42:06:22 - 00:42:24:15
Unknown
what he talks about is he he led a gentleman from the team. His name is Jalen Chatfield. We watched him when he was a youngster. Yeah. Remember he was an age when a bronze favorite guys and and the it's not a funny thing but it's talking about being a doer.
00:42:24:17 - 00:42:50:10
Unknown
And Jacob keeps doing these Bible studies. He he's he's given his testimony to Jalen and and and eventually Jalen becomes a believer. He accepts Christ. So much so that Jacob baptizes Jalen in his swimming pool in a swimming pool. Remember the story? And the thing about it is here we are in the Stanley Cup. The probably the the the greatest trophy of all sports.
00:42:50:10 - 00:43:20:07
Unknown
Lord Stanley's Cup right. It is the hardest thing to win and it's one of the hardest things to no question. Jacob has already won a gold medal in the Olympics and he's in an interview. He's an interview with ESPN. I and they ask him, he said, if we never win the Cup, if I never win the Cup, I know, I know that Jalen is going to be in heaven with me.
00:43:20:10 - 00:43:44:00
Unknown
Now you tell me, what's a greater testimony? That's right. And that is a obedient identity right in its presence. So how does that relate to us? Obviously we're not winning the Stanley Cup. We're not doing that. We have little faith. All right. Because I can't skate and I'm 52, so I'm not winning a Stanley Cup. Not on the ice that that that windows past.
00:43:44:01 - 00:44:14:05
Unknown
But how many people do we know in our life right now that we have not done that with. Right. Like who who do we have influence or who could we have. Right. So that that now magnifies every conversation we have? Yes. Everyone. And and I will tell you in Vinita, will will abide by this with what I'm about to tell you, the weight is significant.
00:44:14:05 - 00:44:41:09
Unknown
Suffering is real. We deal with it. And but obedient, I think, is what this verse is going to. And I know you want to speak on it, because if I know anybody that's sitting in this room, who who will go up to a stranger and talk about Christ and testimony as Vinita, so he puts me on the spot, that truth.
00:44:41:09 - 00:45:10:23
Unknown
But I'm not saying anything. We're all looking at you, so, oh, before Covid, I was in San Francisco ministering to the homeless, and it was a lot of homeless people. But I had people behind me kind of helping me or supporting me or, you know, just if they pulled a gun on me or whatever. I had people, but it was a lonely time.
00:45:10:23 - 00:45:38:15
Unknown
They were kind of far back, but they were watching. And, I had I was beginning to pray for everyone on the street, and it was hundreds and hundreds of homeless people. And I had gotten really tired, you know, it's hot and the winds blowing and and it was just it's it's draining. It's draining. You're dealing with all of their you're hearing all of their their downfalls.
00:45:38:15 - 00:46:03:07
Unknown
You're, you're seeing. So it was very eye opening. And I remember getting to the bottom of the street and I see a man leaning against the wall and I'm thinking, good, he's not homeless. I could talk with him. Somebody that's going to understand, you know. So I stopped and spoke with him. And I'll never forget he was dressed very nicely and I started talking to him.
00:46:03:07 - 00:46:20:19
Unknown
He said, are you here with. I won't call his name. He said, are you here with so-and-so? And I said, yes. And he said, they come out every day and do this. And I said, I know. He said they they loved the homeless. He said, I'm so glad you came. And I said, you know, tell me, tell me what?
00:46:21:00 - 00:46:41:00
Unknown
As I'm assuming he's not with the he's not homeless. And I said, well, so tell me, you know, where do you live? He said, I live here, I live up there. And that is was the homeless shelter where they it was like a just like ten floors. And they can go in and sleep from 8:00 at night to about 8:00 in the morning.
00:46:41:00 - 00:47:02:10
Unknown
And I said, so you're homeless? And he said, yes. I said, why? He said, it's easy living. And I said, you know, you speak like you're a professor. And he said, I was a professor at Harvard. Wow. I said, really? And he said, yes, I sure was. And I said, and you, you like this? He said, yeah, I like it.
00:47:02:11 - 00:47:21:21
Unknown
It's easy. And so I said, you have children. He said, I have two sons. And there are attorneys in Philadelphia. He's a very bright, very smart kids. I said, wow, that's impressive. I said, well, you've blessed me today. I said, because I was getting tired. He said, are you? We were on a corner. He said, are you heading across the street?
00:47:21:22 - 00:47:42:22
Unknown
I said, yeah, he said. Be careful with them over there. They do drugs. And I said, okay, I'll be I'll be careful. And so I'm crossing the road and I he yells out and he said, you be careful. And I turned. I said, I didn't get your name. He said, what book of the Bible you studying? I said, James, he said, that's my name.
00:47:42:23 - 00:48:08:01
Unknown
Wow. And I looked back again to see if he was really there. Did he disappear? No, he was there. He was there, he was there. And. But when I went across the street to minister to those people that were on drugs, when I got done, I had to walk back up the other side of the street. When I got done, I turned around and I looked and he saluted me as if he was turning.
00:48:08:01 - 00:48:26:14
Unknown
He was walking away from me. Then, as if to say I was just keeping my eye on you while you were with the tough people. And then I walked up that street and to finish my mission for the homeless. But I think that, you know, you see things like that and you think, God, I can't, I couldn't do that, you know?
00:48:26:15 - 00:48:43:15
Unknown
But, I had people that were there on the street that had their luggage in their hand. They had just made a commitment. Today, just like we make a commitment to Christ. They had made a commitment that day. They had the luggage in the hand that they want to be homeless. That day. I said, how long have you been homeless?
00:48:43:15 - 00:49:09:12
Unknown
I just decided to day I wanted to be homeless. It broke my heart. Nice luggage and their deciding to be homeless and and so, you know and everybody I know you're probably watching and you're thinking, well, I'm not going to do that. Okay. That's okay. God will call you to something that you can do for him. And it whether it be little or small, I can tell you right now it will grow.
00:49:09:12 - 00:49:32:00
Unknown
And, you know, would God call me full time to the homeless? I don't know, I mean, he could, but I don't know. But I would have to make a decision. Is that what God's calling me to do? You know, because I did it. I mean, I've done it, and it's not always fun. It can be difficult because you deal with people that are, you know, angry.
00:49:32:01 - 00:50:11:08
Unknown
They're angry with somebody. Somebody hurt them. But again, it goes back to the Holy Spirit. God, what do you want me to do? Here I am? What do you want me to do? And I think wonderful points because I think and we talk about the homeless and we're going to go down a rabbit path here, but it's okay because I think it needs to be said, you know, we're dealing with a lot of systemic issues in America, in the world right now, and we are depending on the government and politicians, nonprofit groups that are not Christian based, to get us out of these things.
00:50:11:10 - 00:50:28:07
Unknown
Right. But James is telling us right here, we need to be doers of it, right? You know, have you read the those verses that talk about that yet? Because he because if somebody were to ask, how can I be a doer? It's like James anticipates that question and he tells you how to be a doer in the chapter.
00:50:28:08 - 00:50:46:15
Unknown
Yeah. I mean, I mean, I have several scriptures here and I'll be like, first Peter 115 says, be holy. You know, be he's called us to be holy. So be holy. And all you do for it is written, be holy, because I am holy. And you're thinking, well, I can't be holy. Once again, it goes right back to the Holy Spirit.
00:50:46:16 - 00:51:06:16
Unknown
You, you, it's it's starting at the very bottom and saying, God, I give my life to you. And that's where James starts. He tells it. He says the way that's the way to be a doer is to do what? Help the widows, right. Help the orphans and keep yourself from being stained by the world is essentially what he says.
00:51:06:18 - 00:51:26:16
Unknown
It don't get this mixed up. He talks about deceiving themselves. Right? So we we have to go back to the very, very foundation of this thing of being deceivers. I mean, being doers. We've got to understand that we deceive ourselves because he makes and I don't want to get this right now. We'll get it a little bit. He talks about a mirror.
00:51:26:22 - 00:51:32:00
Unknown
I talk about a mirror all the time in our groups. Right. Because. But
00:51:32:02 - 00:51:44:15
Unknown
it talks about deceiving. And when you look up the Greek word and you look for the definition, it says false reasoning, faulty calculations, and reaching the wrong conclusion.
00:51:44:15 - 00:52:11:03
Unknown
What? We were just talking about systematic issues with the homeless. We're trying to have the government, we're having these these nonprofits that are not Christian Jesus base, trying to come up with a solution that is faulty calculation because by doing doers, Jesus has given us the opportunity to share testimony. It's going to be one by one by one.
00:52:11:05 - 00:52:40:21
Unknown
Yeah, it is going to be by us involving ourselves as believers. Because when you read that in, James is going through it, and I wrote this down, is basically the world because I know it. I must be living it wrong because I've read the word. I must be living it. That's wrong. What is the right thing is, is the most dangerous lie in this whole chapter to me may not be the lie someone tells you.
00:52:40:22 - 00:53:14:20
Unknown
It may be the lie you tell yourself because you confuse biblical knowledge with biblical obedience. We miss obedience. Yeah, okay. Knowledge. And I say it a lot, and I know people are going to eat us up on this. I say a lot of times knowledge is power. And I just heard somebody that I admire lot say that is a false belief, but it's not a false belief because knowledge reading the word, I'm not talking about worldly knowledge.
00:53:14:20 - 00:53:21:01
Unknown
I'm not talking about picking up the encyclopedia and learning. I'm talking about the he's showing his age. He's sitting cycle.
00:53:21:04 - 00:53:25:05
Unknown
That's right. What's that like? Yeah. You had Google. You had I
00:53:25:06 - 00:53:30:19
Unknown
We had ruled that we had Cyclopedia Britannia because people came to the door to try. That's right. And sell it to anyway.
00:53:30:20 - 00:53:31:02
Unknown
But
00:53:31:03 - 00:53:59:18
Unknown
but you know another thing to you know that I feel like the Lord dealt with me on, you know, we practice medicine, we practice law. The unbelievers practice voodoo. Yeah, they practice so many things. But when we speak, practicing the word. Oh, no, I don't want to do that. Because if you practice the word, you're going to have to do things you're not comfortable with.
00:53:59:19 - 00:54:28:19
Unknown
Right? In God's word was not to inform us, right? This is not a newspaper. This is not a Google article you're getting. It was to transform us. That's right. That's that's that is the disconnection. That's right. But how do we get to the point of transforming? Right. James Tell doing obedience. That's. Yeah. And and James one three says, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
00:54:28:19 - 00:54:55:15
Unknown
So again, you're going to be your faith is going to be tested, but you're going to you're going to have to ask the Holy Spirit for how do you say the word perseverance, perseverance. So again, it is, I think, like these scriptures I have here today, you know, like Proverbs three says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lead not on your own understanding.
00:54:55:16 - 00:55:20:06
Unknown
That is, that just means that you can't even trust yourself. There's a scripture that says you can't even trust yourself. You know, we put our trust in, like you said, the government or we put our trust in other people, you know, and we've got amazing pastors on earth today. I mean, we've got the remnant right here before us this day, but we still have to study ourselves.
00:55:20:06 - 00:55:42:19
Unknown
We still have to read the word ourselves. You know, we will go to church and never open the Bible because we got our phones with us. We, you know, our bishop said Sunday, there's so many people carrying their Bibles, but they're not allowing the Bible to carry them. And, you know, isn't that so true today, that the day that we're living in.
00:55:42:22 - 00:55:48:23
00:55:50:23 - 00:56:06:14
Unknown
Welcome to Practice the Word, a podcast helping everyday believers become everyday doers of the word. Through scripture stories and honest conversations, we'll talk about what it means to follow Jesus with courage, sincerity, and obedience in real life. Let's get started.