3 Dec (James 3-5)

James 3

(v.8) It is so important to teach our kids not to gossip, and to think before they speak. We all can think of things that people have said to us that still hurt...words can't be taken back.

I like to remind my kids that God gave us TWO ears and only ONE mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we speak!

(v.13) Let others see our faith by our actions...by love and service to others.

James 4

(v.3) Jesus told us to ask in His name, and we will receive it. This is often misunderstood. We need to ask for things that we need, not just what we want. God doesn't care about keeping up the the neighbors as far as toys and clothes...He cares about our souls. We should be praying for wisdom, like Solomon did, and tools for loving and serving others.

(v.10) It's good to pray at all times during the day, but we also should spend some time each day on our knees...humbling ourselves to Him, and giving Him the respect He deserves.

(v.17) This is important for our kids to know...of course when we do something stupid or selfish, we are sinning. But James points out that we can sin by doing nothing as well. If we know what we should do, and we don't do it, that is a sin.

James 5

(v.7) James uses a great illustration here...the farmer who toiled to prepare and plant the crops, must wait patiently to see the fruit come from it. God does that with us, so we should be that way with God, and let Him bless us on His timeline!

(v.16) This is one of the most important aspects of Church...to have fellowship. We need to be with other believers, to pray for each other, to support each other, and to confess our sins so others can help us since they have experienced the same sins.

(v.20) Bringing someone back to God is an act that God loves! There are times for rebuke, but what works most of the time is loving support. Encourage your friend to seek the LORD, and be there for them to walk back to God.