What does living faith actually look like?

In this episode of Practice the Word, we continue through James 2 and confront a challenging truth: biblical faith isn’t merely something we say we believe—it changes how we live, how we speak, and how we treat the people around us.

James challenges the church on favoritism, mercy, judgment, obedience, and what it really means to love your neighbor as yourself. We connect his teaching to the Old Testament prophets, the Sermon on the Mount, and the words of Jesus to understand why mercy, justice, and action are inseparable from a transformed life.

We also tackle one of the biggest questions in James: If we’re saved by faith, why does James say faith without works is dead?

Works don’t purchase salvation. They reveal that saving faith is alive.

This episode is an invitation to look in the mirror and ask: Is my faith changing what I do? Is it changing how I speak? Am I showing mercy? Am I loving people without expecting anything in return?

And most importantly: Is my faith alive?

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome to Practice the Word
00:20 Continuing Through James Chapter 2
03:01 God, Wealth & the Poor
04:14 Biblical Impartiality and Favoritism
05:16 The Royal Law: Love Your Neighbor
06:18 What Jesus Taught About the Poor
07:02 Love Your Enemies
08:15 Judging Others & Examining Yourself
08:55 When Churches Reward Insiders
09:45 The Prophets, Justice & the Vulnerable
12:14 Wealth Doesn’t Determine Human Value
13:27 Favoritism Is More Than Bad Manners—It’s Sin
14:49 Breaking One Part of the Law
15:19 Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment
18:04 What Jonah Teaches Us About Mercy
19:09 Forgiveness, Repentance & Retaliation
20:25 Mercy Doesn’t Eliminate Justice
21:15 Jesus on Mercy and Judgment
22:29 Religion Without Mercy Is Empty
24:10 Micah: Justice, Mercy & Humility
25:24 Hosea & Zechariah on Mercy and Obedience
26:57 The Mirror, Mouth, Mercy & Partiality Tests
29:06 Faith Without Works Is Dead
30:18 Does James Contradict Paul?
31:03 Can Someone Claim Faith and Still Have Dead Faith?
32:17 What Your Hands and Mouth Reveal
33:05 Have We Misplaced What We Value?
34:17 What Genuine Faith Looks Like
35:03 Compassion Must Become Action
38:37 The Prophets Wouldn’t Separate Worship From Obedience
39:48 Understanding James in Historical Context
40:41 Faith, Transformation & Salvation
42:49 “Lord, Lord” — What Did Jesus Mean?
44:03 Living Faith Produces Fruit
45:24 Works Don’t Purchase Salvation
46:37 Living Faith Produces Good Works
48:16 Using Social Media to Encourage Others
51:55 The Danger of Half-Truths
53:11 Is “Faith Alone” a Half-Truth?
55:28 This Week’s Challenge: Put Faith Into Action
57:09 Let Your Faith Do Something
58:24 Closing Prayer
58:47 Be Doers of the Word

THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE

Choose one area where your faith has remained mostly words—maybe forgiveness, generosity, serving, apologizing, encouraging someone, controlling your speech, or making peace.

Then take one clear step of obedience.

Let your faith do something your mouth cannot take credit for, and let your mouth say something that gives life to someone else.

Practice the Word helps everyday believers become everyday doers of the Word through Scripture, stories, and honest conversations about following Jesus with courage, sincerity, and obedience in real life.

#PracticeTheWord #James2 #FaithWithoutWorks #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #ChristianFaith #BookOfJames #LivingFaith #JesusChrist #BibleTeaching #ChristianLiving #FaithInAction #Mercy #LoveYourNeighbor #DoersOfTheWord

Creators and Guests

Host

Bryan Ford

Host of the Practice the Word Podcast

Host

Veneta Ford

Host of the Practice The Word Podcast

Guest

Brian Jarman

Product Information Manager at Carrier Enterprise

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 - 00:00:43:14
Unknown
Welcome to Practice the Word today. We're so honored that you're with us, and we want to jump right in to James chapter two. We just got encouraged us to do this. This will be our third episode. He encouraged us to do this and we're just going in faith. We're stepping out of the boat to do what we believe God has called us to do.

00:00:43:14 - 00:01:07:14
Unknown
Based on James 122, did you know that James name? His nickname was Camel Knees because he prayed so much. I asked you, my friend, is your nickname Camel Knees because you've prayed so much? I would bet if I was a betting person, which I don't bet I don't gamble, but if I did, I would gamble that you're probably not called Campbell knees.

00:01:07:15 - 00:01:31:18
Unknown
But James said on his knees. So much so he's called camel knees come, old people. Is that not a for us to stay on our face before the Lord? So join us today James chapter two. We're going to break it down. Also. Again, don't forget these books. This is my book and this is walking in the power of the Almighty Creator.

00:01:31:18 - 00:01:55:15
Unknown
If you've been abused, you need this book, okay? If you have unforgiveness in your heart, you need this book. So let's pray and we'll dive right in. Heavenly father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for this opportunity. Holy spirit, I just ask that you would betrothed yourself to us in this Bible study, that we would glorify and honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

00:01:55:18 - 00:02:15:23
Unknown
Now, Holy Spirit, would you just reveal to us whatever it is that we need to say by the spirit of the Lord, that we would encourage and challenge every viewer, not just a few, but every one of them. Lord, penetrate every heart so that they would get off the pew and get off the sofa. Get out of their comfort zone.

00:02:15:23 - 00:02:38:16
Unknown
Maybe they got social anxiety, whatever. But Lord, in their heart they got a calling. They know they have to do something for the Lord God, raise up your people today. Raise up the remnant. Raise up the roofs. Raise up the Josephs. Oh God. Raise up to Abraham and the Isaacs, the Elijah's God. Raise him up for such a time as this.

00:02:38:16 - 00:03:01:17
Unknown
Oh, God, raise up the James. Oh, God! Now, Lord, we give you this thing today called a podcast, and we ask you, Lord, to lead us into all truth, that we would speak the words that would edify and glorify you in every way. In your holy, holy name, Jesus, we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. So we're going to pick back up in verse five and James chapter two.

00:03:01:18 - 00:03:24:00
Unknown
We'll read verse five through seven and discuss it. This is what it says. Listen, my dear brothers and sisters, has God not chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom? He promised those who love him. But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you or not?

00:03:24:00 - 00:03:47:19
Unknown
They're not the ones who are dragging you into court, are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? So James kind of flips the world upside down here. Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith? The lowly, the lowly? Let's talk about that to me.

00:03:47:19 - 00:04:14:08
Unknown
In the book of James, there's a triangle, and then there's James writing, and then there's the Old Testament connection. And then there's the sermon on the Mount connection. Right. And obviously he's taken from the Old Testament, the learnings, the scrolls, what he learned in synagogue. And now he's also taking the teachings of our Lord. And, you know, I go to Leviticus 1950 where, where there is a command to Israel.

00:04:14:09 - 00:04:47:18
Unknown
Right? And they're not to favor. And this is important. They're not to favor the powerful or the poor in judgment. So let's, let's because that's important, because a lot of times in just in when you're thinking it's just the rich, the rich, the rich, the rich, you know, but that's important because it's biblical impartiality. It's very important because it does not mean automatically declaring one social group, because that's a big word today, right?

00:04:47:19 - 00:05:16:09
Unknown
A social group and is innocent and another's guilty because we know the finger pointers. They will finger point. They'll say, this is wrong. This is wrong. It means applying truth and justice without allowing status to control the outcome. And how many times do we see that play out? And James goes later and this is this is huge. And he quotes Leviticus 1918.

00:05:16:09 - 00:05:34:10
Unknown
And this is going to sound awfully familiar. And I'm going to give you a little. I'm gonna give you a Bryan ism here. He says, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. And if you look in the King James Version or like, man, you were talking, Brian, it's called the royal law, right? When you're looking in it. And what's the royal law?

00:05:34:16 - 00:05:56:19
Unknown
It comes from the king. It reflects the king. It governs the king's people. Jesus identified it as one of the greatest commandments. Can we read that scripture? Yes, because it's verse eight and nine. It says, if you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, which is exactly what you just said, love your neighbor as yourself. You are doing right.

00:05:56:19 - 00:06:18:06
Unknown
But if you show favoritism your sin, you sin and are convicted by the law as a lawbreaker, right? That's right. And now fast forward it. Let's go into Matthew. Go to Matthew five three. You know where Jesus blessed the poor in spirit. I'll read that, Brian, if you got it. While you're while you're looking that up, I want to just say this.

00:06:18:07 - 00:06:38:19
Unknown
Jesus wrote in on a baby colt, which their stomach is as low down to the ground as any animal without touching the ground, and I find it that applies even to this, of how he could have wrote on a big, massive white horse. He's coming back on a white horse, but setting an example and everything he could erode in on anything.

00:06:38:19 - 00:07:02:13
Unknown
But he he wrote in on that donkey. His feet were dragging the ground. That's right. And side note that fulfilled prophecy if a field prophecy. But we can do a whole podcast on that. It's the implications that blow your mind. I say blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven right now. Let's go to Matthew chapter 543 through 48.

00:07:02:14 - 00:07:29:00
Unknown
Why? While you're looking for that, I'm going to give you my little conclusion on that. Well, you know, he taught his followers to love without merely loving, right those who cannot return the favor. What we talked about earlier in the previous episode. Go ahead. You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your father in heaven.

00:07:29:01 - 00:07:52:01
Unknown
He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? Right? And if you greet only those who greet you, what are you doing more than others? Don't even the pagans do that?

00:07:52:03 - 00:08:15:12
Unknown
Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect. And that's really good because we just talked about that. Right? So so go to Matthew seven one through five. And while he's doing that, you know, this is this is basically where Jesus he warned against judging according to false standards. Again, what we just talked about. Correct. Do not judge or you too will be judged.

00:08:15:13 - 00:08:36:09
Unknown
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged. And with the measure you use it, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, let me take that speck out of your eye, when all the time there's a plank in your own eye, you hypocrite!

00:08:36:11 - 00:08:55:20
Unknown
First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the spec from your brother's eye. Wow. So now we're going to take context of that. Right. So now what is James doing. He's bringing those principles. Sure. Since just don't read the book of James, where is he most likely at. He's at a home church, or they're starting to build a church.

00:08:55:21 - 00:09:15:08
Unknown
And he he is giving these principles directly in a church gathering what we would see today. So the church cannot preach a Savior who welcomed outsiders while creating a culture that rewards insiders, right?

00:09:15:10 - 00:09:45:14
Unknown
This powerful, that is so powerful. But it happens a lot of times. A lot of times in churches, we've probably all experienced it. Yes, and it's hurtful when you're on the wrong end of it. Right? And James is standing in prophetic tradition. Yes, he he's just not rambling and he's just not giving Jesus. He's also he's also not retorting, but he's he's re saying what the prophets were prophesying.

00:09:45:15 - 00:10:11:16
Unknown
Right. And in the how many times repeatedly you can go to Amos, you can go to Micah. Isaiah. You know, who do they condemn? Don't exploit the poor right up to justice. So justice to the highest bidder, right? I mean, we even saw, you know, we all we even saw prophets, sons killed over this stuff and used religion to cover oppression.

00:10:11:18 - 00:10:33:02
Unknown
What did the Pharisees do? I mean, I mean, treated wealth as evidence of righteousness, which is done in the Western church. Yeah. There we look at a rich person and we assume they they're blessed by God. But he he's saying here that that might not be the case, that wealth might be a curse. Well, it it could be.

00:10:33:02 - 00:10:58:14
Unknown
But again, what do we have to do? What have we learned that what James is telling us to do? We need to go look in a mirror. There needs to be a self-examination. So what we have just said about the prophets and everything. Go to Amos to go to Amos five, Isaiah ten, Micah two. They all confront the systems of these powerful that use their positions against the vulnerable.

00:10:58:18 - 00:11:29:10
Unknown
And we joked while we took a break, but, you know, it's it's a flipping table moment to me. And and that excites me because when there's flipping table moments, there's getting really change, right? There's getting ready. Whether we have to suffer through this moment, they're there. God is moving, right. And we're seeing that today, like you mentioned the other day in Sudan and Nigeria and places that are, you know, taking advantage of the poor.

00:11:29:10 - 00:11:56:10
Unknown
And they're killing people for their, their their belief in Jesus. I mean, they are killing people by thousands. Yeah. And, you know, and and, you know, they have their taking advantage. And so the Lord will deal with them. The Lord there will be judgment for them. Right. There's an attack on Christ's believers. Yes. There is. And we can we can water it down.

00:11:56:10 - 00:12:14:06
Unknown
We can say all you have to do is read a headline. And but I do want to preference something. He wasn't attacking everyone who possessed wealth. What you were saying. So I want I want to make that clear. He wasn't possessed. Plenty of examples of wealthy people in the Bible. Abraham was a very David, right? David. Solomon. Right.

00:12:14:07 - 00:12:38:10
Unknown
So it's a two plus two equals four moments. So let's get to the four part of it so we understand the actual answer to it. You know he's in the practice of assigning greater human worth to wealth. That's right. Because I have wealth I'm a greater human right. Wrong answer. Right. That is wrong. The sin is not recognizing that people have different resources.

00:12:38:10 - 00:13:04:19
Unknown
The sin is deciding that they therefore have different values. Exactly. And and like you said, James is a dog. And I'm trying not to use slang. But bro, I mean, like, he's walking into these people homes of affluence and he's telling him, yes, I mean, who would do that? Right. Because in James of mine, he not necessarily needed financial resources to move on.

00:13:04:20 - 00:13:27:08
Unknown
He just needed the favor of God. What we just talked about favoritism. Well, I think he was compelled to write. I think he was compelled to do it after he had repented. And, you know, ask for forgiveness for the times. Maybe he didn't believe. But I think he he's compelled to do it. He almost has like an a larger spirit on him.

00:13:27:10 - 00:13:47:13
Unknown
Like I could care less what you think of me. I've heard from God. And I'm doing this right. He does? Yeah. Because what he's doing right here. James is saying that loving your neighbor fulfills the royal law. Yes. Loving your neighbor fulfills the royal law. Now, how many times did the Pharisees say that? How many times was it told in the synagogue?

00:13:47:14 - 00:14:21:11
Unknown
But showing favoritism violates the law. That's right. You know, favoritism is not merely poor manners. James calls it a sin. He calls it a sin. And that strong language, he is calling it out. He does not permit the people he is speaking to practically. The Church of Jerusalem. Right. To rename partiality as networking, as strategy, as preference, as capability, as protecting our image, being practical.

00:14:21:11 - 00:14:49:09
Unknown
If we dishonor someone because of status. James is saying you have broken the law, the royal law, the royal. You have sinned. I'm like, right? He just flipped the table. Like, I mean for my kids. And then he goes on to say, A little bit of sin breeds to sin so big as death. Yeah. Yes. That's right. So which goes back to the scripture that says, you know, the wages of sin is death.

00:14:49:14 - 00:15:19:16
Unknown
But he's saying, a little bit of sin here will breed big enough sin to be death. You will need to read that in the next verse, verses ten through 13, for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, you shall not, 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 law breaker.

00:15:19:18 - 00:15:42:22
Unknown
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Yeah. And what have we said all along? He's reverberating. Jesus, right. The he his brother. Right. So the one he really didn't believe in at the beginning.

00:15:42:23 - 00:16:09:01
Unknown
Right. And now he's like a very staunch Christian, right. Like he's calling out, you know, James says that whoever keeps the whole but fails in one point becomes accountable as a law breaker, right? He's not claiming that all sins produce identical earthly consequences. He's a fine. That right there? Yeah. So we have to understand he's talking about a kingdom now, right?

00:16:09:02 - 00:16:31:02
Unknown
He's talking about royal law. Right. So he's separating. What is of this earth's law into what some people would call a kingdom message? Right. We were going to a kingdom. He is showing that God's law is a unified expression of God's authority. And how? We cannot say I recognize God's authority here, but I reject it there. Right. That's right.

00:16:31:03 - 00:16:50:21
Unknown
Right. Cannot be. What did Jesus say? Double minded. Lukewarm, right? Right. There's three sides of this battle. You're not fully surrendered. That's right. There's three sides of this battle. We talked about this, I believe in episode one. They're Satan's side. There is Jesus side, and there's the fence. Well, if you're on the fence and Satan's, you're just you're you're not owned.

00:16:50:22 - 00:17:19:23
Unknown
There's no middle ground for us in this. Okay. And the same God who commanded faithfulness in marriage because James brought it up. Right. Also commanded respect for human life at the same time. The issue is not merely which command was broken. The issue is whose authority was rejected. See, a lot of times we'll take something when we broke a command.

00:17:20:00 - 00:17:40:04
Unknown
Well, we basically broke Jesus authority. What? Jesus said this. He is the authority. He is our king, right? It's the royal law, right? So would you do that? That's right. So if you're a scribe to somebody and you look up to them and they're the king and you broke their law, what would you expect from that king? Right.

00:17:40:05 - 00:18:04:15
Unknown
That's right. So we do not break commandments and isolation. We rebel against the God who gave them. It is rebellion. That's why when James said, you're looking at mirror, you walk away from it. Because what we're doing, in essence, is we're rebelling against the royal law. He's walking you to it. He's walking you right to it. Yeah. You know this really.

00:18:04:16 - 00:18:23:17
Unknown
I mean, I hate to go off on this, but this mercy triumphs over judgment. It it reminds me of Jonah. If you haven't said the story of Jonah, you need to study it because you really want. We don't. We're not taught this. But Jonah was mad at God because he didn't go in there and destroy the the land.

00:18:23:17 - 00:18:53:09
Unknown
And he said that. He said, I know your mercy was unfailing. I knew you were going to do this because everybody repented. So. And that's right. Mercy triumphs over judgment. And and I think that what he's telling us here that we need to have mercy. That's right. Even over, over, over, you know, people who are judgmental or even the neighbor, whoever it is, we are to be the merciful ones.

00:18:53:13 - 00:19:09:04
Unknown
And like you've pointed out many times, even if they're wrong, even if they're wrong, that's hard to do. Where to be mercy. Where to be merciful. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Well, no. It goes, but it goes again, back to something Jesus said. I mean, Jesus, I think it was in the sermon on the Mount that we were just reading.

00:19:09:04 - 00:19:31:12
Unknown
If you don't forgive others, God won't forgive you. That's right. I mean, that's powerful. That's scary. Right? So that's to put a little bit of fear in you. If you've got unforgiveness, how do you when you think you've forgiven and you haven't, that's when you have to keep repenting. I believe you just say before the Lord and and ring out your sins to him.

00:19:31:12 - 00:19:57:07
Unknown
Confess your sins. And what is the word? Repent me? Well, the word repent means to reconsider something. And so in the case of forgiving another person, it will be reconsider how you view them. And because what it's revealing in you is that an unforgiving spirit often reveals that you don't fully appreciate the mercy you've been given. Right. I forget forgave you.

00:19:57:08 - 00:20:25:11
Unknown
An unforgiving spirit is a is a retaliatory spirit. They will retaliate in any opportunity they get if they're if they're unforgiving, if they have unforgiveness in their heart, they are filled with retaliation for that person. Yes. That's good stuff. You know that conclusion, another two point I mean, two plus two equals four moment. That conclusion mercy triumphs over judgment does not mean mercy makes justice unnecessary.

00:20:25:13 - 00:20:49:00
Unknown
Right. A lot of times we miss that part of it. Sure. We miss that there is judgment. But, you know, it means people who have received God's mercy should become merciful people. We are merciful people, right? God's the judge, not me. That is right. Right. Because, of course, a consistently merciful life.

00:20:49:01 - 00:21:15:13
Unknown
Raises serious questions about whether a person is truly understood. The mercy of God. That's right. And so rewind it back to the where James is saying, out of the heart, you have to question if one way in public and you're another way behind closed doors. Right. Has mercy entered your heart? Right. And going back again, we're going to go back to our triangle.

00:21:15:13 - 00:21:40:12
Unknown
We're not going back to the Old Testament. So let's let's don't get there. But we're gonna go to sermon on the Mount and, you know, read Matthew chapter five, verse seven. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. It's like James is just repeating Jesus over and over. Right. Well, let's make the other connection. Go to Matthew seven two for in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the same measure you use it will be measured to you.

00:21:40:13 - 00:22:08:06
Unknown
So let's go right here. And so what is James doing? He's applying the words of Jesus directly to the church. So in in my conclusion of that, mercy is not how we avoid truth. It's not. That's where the world confuses it, right? Because we can get that in. And, you know, if we're talking about pro-life or abortions or executions, mercy is not how we avoid truth.

00:22:08:06 - 00:22:29:07
Unknown
Mercy is how people who know the truth remember what God did for them. That is mercy. Because a lot of times we turn into many gods and we want to turn our mercy into judgment. Like, yeah, well, maybe we don't need to do that. God loves life, so maybe we need to do that now. God is the determination of that and it's through his word.

00:22:29:07 - 00:22:48:15
Unknown
So yes. That's right. No, no, nobody's getting away with anything. Just that we're not the judge. God's the judge. Nobody's getting away with anything. And religion without mercy is empty. You have an empty cup. And we mentioned that a little earlier. I don't know if it was this episode or the last one, but how do you refill your cup?

00:22:48:17 - 00:23:13:05
Unknown
You refill it by showing mercy to others. We are creatures of habit and doing right, so we do it every day. You pray every day you fast. You get in the word as a man and women can apply this to. But my relationship with God with Jesus is utmost in my life, right? So what does that require? I'm busy.

00:23:13:06 - 00:23:33:19
Unknown
We own businesses. I have a family. I have a wife. We have friend. We have. We have obligations. How do I meet this? Well, maybe need to get up earlier. I need to get in the word. I need to pray. I need a soften spirit. Number one, because of my covenant with God, my other ones, my covenant with my wife.

00:23:33:21 - 00:23:53:21
Unknown
Because we are men are tend to be creatures of hardness. Kind of a joking moment. But you know that we were talking about our wives, and when we when we do wrong, right, we do because it is 99 .9. 9% right. We're wrong. Right? Yeah. So what do we do? We say we're sorry. That's right. Please forgive us.

00:23:53:22 - 00:24:10:06
Unknown
That's right. And we'll do better. That's right. Right. That's what our bishop said. And never do it again. And we'll never, never do it. She's got it. She learned it. Right. And can we just move on from this? That's right. So what happens here with James. And again let's go to our triangle. We're going to do our triangle.

00:24:10:06 - 00:24:35:03
Unknown
And we're gonna go back to the prophets about mercy. And Micah I think is just wonderful at this. And you go to Micah. If you go to Micah, go to chapter six, verse eight, and I'm going to give you a little synopsis before you read it. Micah makes three points to this that James is using do justice, love, kindness, love, kindness, or mercy.

00:24:35:05 - 00:25:03:03
Unknown
Walk humbly with God. Now read the verse he has shown you, O mortal, what is good? And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? So you're telling me, I don't know, thousand year before Micah is sitting here, he's a prophet living a hard time, and he gives this verse that is recorded, right?

00:25:03:05 - 00:25:24:14
Unknown
Jesus is river beating. This in the sermon on the Mount. James has taken this in not one of the 12 disciples right now, of course, Matthew's recording it, but James is as it, because Jesus already knew who was going to be one of the leaders of the Church of Jerusalem. He knew it. He probably saw him sitting out there.

00:25:24:14 - 00:25:56:04
Unknown
Can you imagine? I mean, you know, with that type of discernment and, and and again, James is just reverberating the word in what Benita says often if you just read the red letters and don't even explain it, you got it, you got it right. So go to Hosea six six. And while you're finding that this is where, you know, it's an emphasis that God desires steadfast love rather than empty religious performance, well, you just quoted it, but in a different version, right?

00:25:56:04 - 00:26:24:21
Unknown
I just I know, I'm sorry, but I like that I for I desire mercy and not sacrifice and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Go to go to Zechariah seven where obedience is greater than sacrifice. This is what the Lord Almighty said administer true justice. Show mercy and compassion to one another. That's right. So he's commanding true judgments, kindness and mercy.

00:26:24:23 - 00:26:57:20
Unknown
That's what the Lord is doing there. And it's reverberated through the sermon on the Mount. And James is repeating that. That's right. So he's giving us now a footprint of ourselves and a footprint of the church that is being established in real time. So, yeah, that's great. And, and, and and I, I did want to say this as we kind of summarize what just happened and everything we've read over for episode there was the mirror test, right.

00:26:57:21 - 00:27:30:08
Unknown
Do I obey what Scripture reveals? Right. That's the mirror test. The mouth test. Does my speech reflect a transformed heart that we're still talking about? Cell free, the mercy test? Do I move toward vulnerable people? That's a hard thing, because then there's the partiality test, because we've now moved towards these vulnerable people. And do I sound vow? Do I assign value according to their outward appearance?

00:27:30:10 - 00:27:56:16
Unknown
So now what is being said to us is we've got a mercy test and these are the vulnerable people. Now, I don't want you to judge them on their vulnerability. There's not going to be a judgment here. Because remember, we're operating in the principle of what the prophets and Jesus was saying was we're not receiving anything back and we're not expecting to receive anything back.

00:27:56:16 - 00:28:18:10
Unknown
And then we roll into the royal law, which is, do I love my neighbor as myself? Right. That's great. That's so good, so good. And, you know, the mirror does not create the problem. It reveals the problem. And I'll say it a million times and I've said it a million times. It is not it does not create the problem.

00:28:18:10 - 00:28:40:13
Unknown
And right now we see these kids, right? It's just not kids, it's other adults. And they'll sit here and say, well, this started my problem and this was a gateway drug or this, this is all this other stuff. And we have to remember, the mirror reveals the problem that we're going to take to the Lord. We can't solve this problem.

00:28:40:16 - 00:29:06:21
Unknown
So I'm going to bring it to you. I'm going to bring it in supplication. I'm going to bring it in communion. I'm going to bring it in fasting. I'm going to bring it in. All these things you have told us to do and in such. Now I'm going to start acting out my faith. I'm going to start acting out to the vulnerable with the discourse that I'm not receiving anything back, because it's going to teach me how to be merciful.

00:29:06:22 - 00:29:37:00
Unknown
Right. And I'm going to respect royal law. Yes. That's kind of how I take in where James is taking this to this point. So what good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds, can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says, go in peace, keep warm and stay well fed, but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?

00:29:37:00 - 00:30:18:20
Unknown
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Yeah, that that's a that's a lot to take in for people. You know, we're captivated by the homeless on the street, panhandling, whatever. And, you know, you really have to have discernment to know when to stop and know when not to stop. But in this passage, if you know somebody is in need and you you I mean, you know, they're in need, then you're you're obligated to help them not buy a house.

00:30:18:20 - 00:30:42:17
Unknown
Not yet, but you're obligated to encourage them somehow, someway, help them. Now, I think a lot of people would read this and they would say, well, wait a minute. Doesn't that contradict what Paul said? Because Paul says we're saved by grace through faith, not of works. And then here we have James saying, almost sounds like you're saved by works is what it sounds like.

00:30:42:17 - 00:31:03:03
Unknown
So how do we reconcile those passages? Well, one, they don't contradict so that we need to get to that. And it'll probably take the next episode for us to really like digest all that. But I think we're missing. I'm not missing, I do I want to I want to rewind just a minute, because I think this is a big point of what we're reading.

00:31:03:05 - 00:31:33:10
Unknown
It's probably out of everything we've read to date in this study the hardest, because can a person say all the right things about God and still possess faith that is dead? Absolutely. That is the question. Yes. And the answer is yes. There are a lot of believers that don't believe that they do not. You can get in conversation with them and and they'll tell you what we just said is true.

00:31:33:10 - 00:31:57:00
Unknown
But then out of their heart, it speaks something different. Their mouth will speak it right. Right. So can a person speak blessings during worship. This was the question I've asked. And and then used the same mouth to tear down someone made in God's image. It happens. We've all done it. Yeah. Don't. I'm not sitting here. I'm not pointing my finger at anybody.

00:31:57:00 - 00:32:17:18
Unknown
I put the mirror up. Have we not done that? How many times have we done it right. But. But in James says what again? He's flipping another table. Right. He he's saying now because you know we're all about him being in the rich person's house and basically assuming he's in the in the affluence house, tearing them, you've done this.

00:32:17:18 - 00:32:45:08
Unknown
And now he's talking to all of us, right? Because that there that that whole realm goes through anybody doesn't matter. You're where you're at in life. Right. And and to me, James is examining two things. We often separate. And that is what our hands do and what our mouths say. But what does James say? James is connecting them because they both reveal the condition of the heart.

00:32:45:09 - 00:33:05:17
Unknown
Yeah. And you know, Jesus said, they will know us by how we love them. Well, you're not going to love somebody just with your words. You're going to do things for them. You're going to do for them. You're going to you. There's deeds in your soul that you're going to do for them because you love them so much.

00:33:05:19 - 00:33:34:08
Unknown
How many? If there's a sick animal posted on social media, they can raise thousands of of dollars for that pet in a matter of hours. But if we put a homeless person on there, that's just having a hard day. We can't we can't raise that much money for them. Why is that? Why why do we why are we raising money for pets and then people?

00:33:34:14 - 00:33:54:20
Unknown
We can't raise money for the broken, the single mom, the widow is misplaced value, right? Where values are in the wrong place. That's the world system, you know, that's completely contrary to how it should be in God's kingdom, right? We value people above there's God and there's people, right? Right. And we're we're supposed to love. We're love people.

00:33:54:21 - 00:34:17:09
Unknown
And that's really I love pets. I have a pet, so I've not knocking pets. I'm just saying, if you look at how people give, where they're giving, where their heart is, the heart is more so for the animals than it is for the people. Yes. And you hear this. And nowhere in Scripture does Jesus. I mean, he says, feed my sheep, but we're his sheep.

00:34:17:11 - 00:34:41:03
Unknown
Yes. I mean, we're missing the order. That's right of God, this misplaced value. Right. And really, what James is saying here is what the kind of faith we're talking about is a genuine is it a genuine faith? Well, he says that in verse 14 he says, if somebody claims to have a say, he's not talking about somebody that really has faith.

00:34:41:03 - 00:35:03:16
Unknown
When you really get claims, dig, dig deeply points. So so what does he ask? And he's you know, James asks, what good is it to speak religiously to someone in need while refusing practical and help? In other words, I kind of think you kind of see it in movies sometime, go in peace, be warmed and field. You know, I saw it in this movie that has the Pope, and that's what he said in this guy's homeless, right?

00:35:03:17 - 00:35:28:06
Unknown
He needs food. He needs clothing. Right. But what James is saying, that's just spiritual. You're just saying what makes you feel good. It makes you look good. But the suffering person remains cold and hungry. So that compassion, compassion that never becomes action is only religious vocabulary. That's right. What do we say again? The glitter. We talk about the glitter earlier.

00:35:28:07 - 00:35:54:16
Unknown
That's glitter. You're just sprinkling it over what makes you feel good. And you cannot you cannot warm a cold person with a Christian phrase, right? Quit saying it. That's right. Do something. Be a doer of what he is saying here. Let's go clothe them. That's right. You know, I could go in my closet right now. I'm not going to talk about Benita side of the closet.

00:35:54:16 - 00:36:17:19
Unknown
I'm going to talk about mine. Where I have shirts I have that I may not wear. It. Does somebody to buy some? Francis Chan has a listen. When I tell you that man, he will go to Whataburger and go get a hamburger and fries. And I know we'll sit there and say what's not healthy. But to somebody who hasn't eaten, it will suffice their stomach.

00:36:17:21 - 00:36:39:21
Unknown
So let's don't be like holy, holy. But let's put it in practice and you'll sit there while they eat it and they have a conversation. So that's taking that merciful step one step further. What did he do? He took action to it. He he bought them food. Now, what has he done? He's given them the food. And he's sitting there having a conversation.

00:36:39:22 - 00:37:04:17
Unknown
What? That conversation may end up. That person may end up coming to his home church. Right? They may get involved. And it's funny how he has to go it. It's not funny, but it's a it's the goal of how many times he tells it and it's the same guy. And I can give you the God's name because he keeps doing it and they keep having a conversation.

00:37:04:18 - 00:37:32:03
Unknown
That's that is God warming our heart to mercy, his mercy. And, you know, compassion that never becomes action is just religious vocabulary. Yes, that's all it is. That's right. I mean, you know, I there's a way I go to see some people and on the way it's a busy, busy area. But there's a stop sign there, not a stoplight.

00:37:32:03 - 00:37:58:06
Unknown
And there's always the same homeless man sitting at that stop sign. And if he's there, if he's there, I'll, I'll I'll give him money to go get somebody. He's a veteran and I just I just hand it to him. Hey, how's your day? I probably couldn't I could have did a fine right now, but I'm not sure I could because I see him and then, you know, whatever.

00:37:58:06 - 00:38:12:16
Unknown
He's wearing a different hat I can't do. You know, the last time I saw him, he come to my car window and he said, how are you today? I said, I'm doing good. I hope you are. I gave him some money. He said, did you cut your hair?

00:38:12:18 - 00:38:37:16
Unknown
I called Brian, I said, Brian, the man asked me, how do I cut? I just had my hair cut and I said, yes, I did. He said, it looks really nice. He noticed. He noticed, just like Jesus would have noticed. And he just I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. So I mean, that's that's you know, I don't I don't have to take him home with me or maybe I, you know, in some situations we do take him home.

00:38:37:16 - 00:38:58:13
Unknown
But what I'm saying is it's making every attempt to be the hands of feet of Jesus. That's right. Yeah. And I think we need to go back to the prophets again, because James is leaning on the prophets, along with the sermon on the Mount. And what does what does Isaiah, Amos, and Jeremiah all have? And you read those chapters, you know.

00:38:58:14 - 00:39:26:11
Unknown
Isaiah condemn people who appeared spiritually, voted yes while ignoring hunger and oppression. Right. And then you have Amos. He condemns songs and gatherings that were disconnected from justice, all things now. And Jeremiah warned people not to trust religious slogans while practicing injustice. And next episode we'll go a little bit further. But what James is doing, he did the same thing.

00:39:26:11 - 00:39:48:10
Unknown
The prophets refused to let worship become a hiding place from obedience. Wow, right? So you can worship all you want and you and you can show this outward appearance. But if you're not obeying my royal law, right? If you're not obeying it, what is it? That's right. What is it? Or so you're just self gratifying yourself to make you feel better, right?

00:39:48:12 - 00:40:21:07
Unknown
Yeah. Networking. Oh well Leviticus 19 gets into a whole different level of that. But we'll get that next time. Well, at one point I was going to make is when we study the Bible, we always need to go back and look how the original reader would have understood it and why James would have been saying this. But understanding is he's speaking to Jewish people who grew up under a very legalistic society, where your faith was judged solely by what you did, and now they've come under, you know, they believe Jesus is the Messiah and they've got this new law.

00:40:21:07 - 00:40:41:06
Unknown
And and now it's just all about faith. And it's probably likely that many of them have said, well, if it's just about I don't have to do anything anymore. Right, right. And so James is trying to correct that and show them that, yes, that's not a real faith, a living faith. There's action behind it, right? And if you just say you have faith and you don't do anything like your faith is dead, right?

00:40:41:07 - 00:41:07:06
Unknown
And that faith is not going to save you. Exactly. Yeah. That's the gist of what he's trying to. Jesus came to fulfill the law because he did. Then there's law. There's still law. There's still right. There's still things you were expected to do. That's right. Because you're supposed to be a new creature and transform. That's right. And if you say you have faith and that faith hasn't transformed you, then James is saying you were never really saved in the first place.

00:41:07:06 - 00:41:27:00
Unknown
That's essentially what he's saying. Exactly what he's saying. Right? Because James is not inventing a new doctrine. No. Now, they may think he is right, but what he's doing is the same thing. Matthew and John all the way, all the scriptures in the Old Testament based on that. That's right. He's confirming that the Christ is the Son of God, right?

00:41:27:01 - 00:41:55:06
Unknown
Jesus is the Son of God. He is applying the laws command through faith in Christ. Right. So all this stuff the prophets have prophesied. Now we're taking the sermon on the Mount, which James uses heavily. And now he's just he's making this beautiful cake that, that we can use centuries later. And in, in Leviticus 19 commands God's people to leave provision for the poor and the and the foreigner.

00:41:55:07 - 00:42:18:02
Unknown
Right. Provision that that's what it says. It's what it says. It then commands them to love their neighbors as ourselves. And biblical love was never meant to be sentimental. That's where we miss it. What you said about pets. It's not a sentimental thing, right? Because when we put cinnamon in, we put our own feelings in our human flesh.

00:42:18:02 - 00:42:49:00
Unknown
Feelings we tend to. We are sentimental that it's the definition of it. It included concrete provision. I'll say it again. Justice and generosity. They all can coexist. They coexist in a perfect love and a perfect savior. Right? So when you have provision, concrete provision, justice and generosity, you have you have concreted the perfect savior. James is not inventing a new doctrine.

00:42:49:00 - 00:43:14:22
Unknown
I'm going to say it again. He's not he's teaching it so they can put it together. He's heard Jesus speaking, right? That's right. He's repeating it's all about the heart. That's right. It's all about the heart. He's so compelled. He's so compelled in this. Well, list, though a wrench in it. Let's read Matthew 721. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my father in heaven.

00:43:15:00 - 00:43:41:06
Unknown
Oh my goodness. So Jesus said that not everyone who calls him Lord enters the kingdom. That's what it says. There's a comma there, right? Is there a comma there? There is. So there's a pause. So there is a fact there. So read it again. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. Paul's okay, read, but only the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven.

00:43:41:06 - 00:44:03:18
Unknown
So the royal law is playing in effect, we have a king in a kingdom. So Jesus also taught that a healthy tree produces good fruit. We talked about that before. Go to say in chapter seven of Matthew Sermon on the Mount. Verse 16 through 20, by their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?

00:44:03:23 - 00:44:26:17
Unknown
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. About what? What I'm getting ready to say is going to get our house, like toilet paper wrapped here. But, you know, works do not purchase salvation. They do not. That's right. And they reveal that saving faith is a life. That's right. So what does that mean?

00:44:26:17 - 00:44:51:09
Unknown
So James is using the same logic from the sermon on the Mount. So let's make that clear. So James is just not making this up. He he's basically reverberating what Christ is saying in in in in the sermon on the Mount here, going in the second chapter of James in that living trees produce fruit. Is that a truth that is true to living faith produces works.

00:44:51:09 - 00:45:24:13
Unknown
So in logic what we have is living trees produce fruit. Equal sign. Living faith produces works. Right. So it is a positive logic, right? So it makes sense to us. Fruit does not create the trees life. That's right. Is that true? That's true. Okay, so fruit demonstrates that life is present in us. That's right. So James is simply making what the prophet said from what Jesus said on the sermon on the Mount.

00:45:24:13 - 00:45:49:08
Unknown
And he's setting a foundation for the church in Jerusalem. You know, works don't purchase salvation. They don't purchase it. So don't. It doesn't matter if you're rich. It doesn't give what you give financially faint, faint that if you're doing something to get your way into heaven, then your mind, your mind is wrong in that your heart is wrong.

00:45:49:12 - 00:46:08:19
Unknown
Well, I'm going to give the homeless person a jacket because that's just going to secure my place. And I'm showing myself. The Lord knows your heart, right? That's right. He knows whether you truly care or not. Right. It's a sold out. Yeah. And that that is a hard thing to to think out in your mind. So what have you got to do?

00:46:08:20 - 00:46:37:06
Unknown
You gotta. You gotta beat out the world out of your mind. And in prayer and fasting and study. And in your time of learning, we have got to lean into the Lord. Yes. And James is saying it mean he's flipping tables. He's changing logic. But what they think is logic, which we would think in the world is, is a truism, but it's actually a fault system.

00:46:37:08 - 00:47:06:05
Unknown
So we've got to learn merciful. And James has given us a recipe to do that. So say that again. Living faith equals deeds. Right. Well, what I have in the way I the way I summarize this whole thing is works. Don't purchase salvation. They reveal that saving faith is alive. And, you know, you know the the TikTok. That was it.

00:47:06:05 - 00:47:34:22
Unknown
This man is debating whether agnostic of of whether he believes, you know, he doesn't believe in God and and he's saying, okay, do you believe in going good deeds? Yes, absolutely. I do. Okay. Where does that come from? Well, it's it's in my heart. Where does it come from? And this guy is trying to prove to him God put that good in your heart to do good.

00:47:34:23 - 00:47:59:02
Unknown
It doesn't come from you. You didn't create that. A good God that is in heaven. He put goodness in you. So it goes right back to these living. This living faith equals good works. Right. Where does that come from? It comes from the Lord. That's right. You know the world. The more we follow him, the more we we we we want to do what he.

00:47:59:03 - 00:48:16:14
Unknown
You know, we want to please him. Faith pleases God. So the more we follow him, the more we want to help people, the more we want to love our neighbor as ourselves. You know, we we want to. We just have it in us to do. Yeah. And a lot of times, and I think we shared this in Bible study Sunday night.

00:48:16:14 - 00:48:42:16
Unknown
And, you know, when we post on social media, it's not a thing of we'll put viable verses. It's not a thing of I want to show off, you know, I'm a Christian and I'm a Christ follower, but I will be honest with you when I post a scripture, it is something I'm going through and it's something that has spoke to me that could be helpful to somebody else.

00:48:42:21 - 00:49:10:09
Unknown
But I think, too, we have to be mindful of all the negativity that's trying to be posted in the lives on social media. We are to counteract that with goodness, with mercy, triumph over that with Scripture. You know, because His Word does not return void. It does. I think when we when we post like that, we're putting it out for thousands, millions of people to read that.

00:49:10:09 - 00:49:27:18
Unknown
And, you know, they might they might not be changed in a moment. They might not have they might not be transformed in a twinkling of an eye. But we there's a seed being planted for every time you post a scripture, there's a seed being planted. That's another thing, a challenge for you to do today. Have you posted about the Lord?

00:49:27:18 - 00:49:48:20
Unknown
Have you given you? Revelation says we are overcome by the word of our testimony. What are you testifying today on social media that could even relate to one of your friends and one of your friends and your friends said, well, I never knew you went through that. No, because you never posted on it. You know, you know what to call a hundred people to tell them just posted on your social media and it's free.

00:49:48:21 - 00:50:10:17
Unknown
It doesn't cost you anything. And you could post about what the Lord has done. Post a verse. Something for the Lord. Your is good works. It is. It is just saying, hey, I just I just want to be everything the Lord wants me to be. And you're putting a scripture every time somebody will come by and say, you know, I needed that today, I needed that, that encouraged me.

00:50:10:17 - 00:50:46:16
Unknown
I was going through something, but I saw that and I just I got lifted, I got encouraged, and now I feel like I can conquer the world, all because God spoke to me to post a scripture and it touched that heart. And I think that that is so important to do, you know, and like you said, a lot of times when we post, we're going through something or, you know, but a lot of times when we're going through something somebody else is reading that they're going through, if they're not going through that, they're going through something themselves that can apply that and deliver them and free them from that bondage or whatever the situation may

00:50:46:17 - 00:51:08:11
Unknown
be, or maybe a teenager or or a child who's being abused, whoever. We don't know the impact. But I know one thing. The word does not return void. So when we post it like that, his word goes out to every heart. Every soul and it is full. Is is 24 hours because it's being read people on their 24th.

00:51:08:12 - 00:51:30:22
Unknown
Think about that 24 seven when you post a scripture, it goes out 24 over seven for people to see it. Yeah. And that's in, in, in and I also want to encourage people with what you said when you're in a social media has been made out to this just vast audience, right. So a lot of times people will see that as arrogance or prideful.

00:51:30:22 - 00:51:55:08
Unknown
But as believers in Christ followers, when we post and remember, God knows our heart. So we're posting. It gives encouragement. But also there's a reverse side of that the haters are going to hate. Oh for sure, the haters will hate for sure. But my encouragement here is let them hate. Because again, God is God and he's the judge.

00:51:55:08 - 00:52:16:10
Unknown
And I and I told a story while we were at we were breaking during this thing. And I think it goes in line with James. And we kind of end with this. But, you know, the serpent told the truth in the garden, right? This is where we're all getting to in James and the sermon on the Mount. He told the truth, but he also lied half truth.

00:52:16:10 - 00:52:44:17
Unknown
Right. So this may be one of the most terrifying moments to me in Genesis when you read that story. Right. And it is and and the serpent told Eve, your eyes will be open. Was that a truth? Was her eyes open? Yep. Okay. So did he also say you will know good and evil? Yep. Said that also. The lie was never in the information.

00:52:44:17 - 00:53:11:02
Unknown
The lie was in the implication. So what do I mean by that? It's the oldest strategy. In fact, it's one of the first strategies that the enemy uses. And I really think, James, in this first two chapters, he's he's warning these people, right. The glitter we're going to call it the glitter effect. Right. So Satan's oldest strategy has rarely been complete falsehood.

00:53:11:02 - 00:53:35:15
Unknown
It's been half truths. Half truths. Well, Eve, your eyes are going to be open. And you know, the the half truths to me are a lot more destructive than the whole lot. But there's confusion in it. There's confusion. And the half truth in this is that faith alone saves you without works, right? Right. That's the half truth, right?

00:53:35:16 - 00:53:53:03
Unknown
And James is like, no, that's just half of it. The other half is your faith has to be alive, right? For you to be saved. And it's not alive. It's not alive. If it's not doing anything, it's just it's dead. It's not real. It's not. So what is James saying here? And he's going back to this half truth that's happened in the garden.

00:53:53:03 - 00:54:18:01
Unknown
And he's there borrowing that language of reality, right. While leading the heart away from the source of reality. So in other words, walk away from the mirror and listen to the world. And, you know, because it sounds like the truth. Yes. Right. And you know, when when we'll talk about this on the next, but it goes on to say, good.

00:54:18:03 - 00:54:40:19
Unknown
You believe in God. Yes. That's good. And, and and it says you believe that there's one God. Good. Even the demons believe that in shudder. We go get to that here shortly on the next episode because next step is to talk about it. Right. So so so to end it, that first deception is Scripture. Was it believing something false?

00:54:40:20 - 00:55:06:03
Unknown
Right, right. It was believing that truth could exist independently of trusting God. And what is James saying? That temptation has never left since the God right? That's right. It has gone into it. So we lose. We're thinking. We're believing in something the world is telling. This is okay. Listen. It's alright to be this way. You're in sin to live through it.

00:55:06:04 - 00:55:28:05
Unknown
We're going to love you in it, right? God. And that's right. God understands. But we can't live independently from the trusting God. Right from what he says. Right. And a lot of times we want to adlib what God says, and we can't do that. That's right. Yeah. That's great. So today's challenge, of course, we've gone through James chapter two.

00:55:28:06 - 00:55:46:14
Unknown
We're almost ended, but we're not going to end with something to remember. And I want to make that specific. We are ending with something to obey because we're doers and we want to be obedient in what we're learning. Yes. So I'm looking in the mirror and I'm speaking to myself, and hopefully it speaks to somebody listening to this podcast.

00:55:46:15 - 00:56:16:10
Unknown
Choose one area where your faith has remained mostly worse. Okay. We just talked about this. Maybe it is forgiveness, generosity, serving, apologizing, encouraging someone controlling your speech, making peace. Now take one clear step of obedience. And for the next seven days, till our next podcast and you're going to come on here and listen and you're going to give testimonies.

00:56:16:12 - 00:56:42:04
Unknown
Refuse to use your mouth to tear down anyone made in the image of God. Remember, they are made in the image of God. Before you speak, ask. Road rage. This this video. And it hit me. And because it's Apple, go to what we're challenging here and I'm going to adlib but just a tad bit and said, God showed up and says the answer is yes, right?

00:56:42:05 - 00:57:09:07
Unknown
Everything you prayed for in the last week, I'm going to grant. What would that be? What would it be? Would it be all your prayers and all what you need? Right? Was it your neighbor that was sick? Was it the person you saw on the corner that needed intervention? Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it merciful? Does it sound like Jesus is what we do?

00:57:09:07 - 00:57:36:14
Unknown
And this is just self-examination. We're looking in the mirror, right? Do the same thing. Living faith moves the hands. And it's a transformed heart changes the mouth. Remember that you're speaking to the Lord. He's hearing that. So the final challenge. Let your faith do something your mouth cannot take credit for, and let your mouth say something that gives life to someone else.

00:57:36:15 - 00:58:01:07
Unknown
Yes. So good. Give life. So what we're going to do in that challenge, you're going to listen to it over and over, and we're going to make it applicable to our lives. So in me included be included. And we love everybody. We hope it has encouraged everyone that that is our purpose. We are imperfect people walking a life of being believers.

00:58:01:07 - 00:58:24:15
Unknown
And our thing is, is we want to see everybody with us in heaven. Yes. And and that includes your enemy. That includes the person that has talked about you. We want to see them in heaven. We cannot transform their heart. Your mouth in aggression cannot transform them. Heart. But I can assure you, Jesus Christ can. Brian, will you leave us in prayer?

00:58:24:17 - 00:58:47:00
Unknown
Yes, father. We come to you today after a sobering scripture. Yes. Where we all need to examine our faith. Is it alive or is it dead? And God, I pray that the people that hear this podcast would take this to heart, and they would take this challenge to heart. Yes. And they would revive their faith if it's dead and if their faith is alive, that they would help it to grow even more.

00:58:47:01 - 00:59:09:10
Unknown
Yes. I take these words, take this scripture. Let it get into people's hearts and grow. And God, we pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you for joining us today for another podcast on the book of James. We take this from James 122 where it be doers of the word, not just hearers. And we will see you again very, very soon.

00:59:09:11 - 00:59:27:11
Unknown
We love you. 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.