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Life Source – Lesson 6
Today we are considering one of the precious pictures in Christianity … a well known event to those who have experience with church and Bible study. If you are new to scripture … prepare to be amazed! It is remarkable in its simplicity … and remarkable in its profundity!
Read John 13: 1 – 17.
Some observations …
First, look again at verse 1. “Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love.” Love behaves. Love does something. Yes, it is a choice … and, yes, there can be deep emotion. But More >
Doers: James 1: 22
James 1: 22 – 25
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act – they will be blessed in their doing.
Again James is concerned about our bend toward self-deception.
If he were painting the scene for More >
Listen! James 1: 19
James 1: 19 – 21You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
Four messages in these few words:
- listen more and better
- quit talking so much
- calm down
- clean up
Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human More >
Life Source – Lesson 2.2
Read John 4.
I wish I knew this woman’s name. I like her.
Let’s do a quick (a very abbreviated!) history lesson to identify these Samaritan peoples. Under Kings Saul, David and Solomon, there was a united, strong kingdom of the Jews, ruled from Jerusalem. A division in the nation followed … the northern part of the Kingdom became known as “Israel” and the southern part of the Kingdom was know as “Judah”. Generation after generation of ungodly kings and priests reeked havoc on the two nations … disobedience and disregard for God was rampant. Finally, judgment came. The nation of Israel More >
Gifts: James 1: 17
James 1: 17 – 18Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
In the previous verses (1: 12 – 16) James has talked about temptation … and the fact that temptations never originate in the heart of God. Now he shifts the thought to what does originate from the heart of More >
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Temptation: James 1: 12
James 1: 12 – 16Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, More >
Perspective: James 1: 9
James 1: 9 – 11Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.
James interjects two great truths at this point in his letter.
- The poor need not be ashamed
- The rich need not be so cocky
This is one of the city gates in More >
Asking: James 1: 5
James 1: 5 – 8
If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
James has just finished a couple of sentences about enduring trials (vs. 2 – 4) … then he shifts to this bold statement about wisdom. Handling trials requires wisdom, no? We More >
Life Source – Lesson 5
According to biologist Dr. T. Ombello:
“When the soil is moist after infrequent rains, a Resurrection Plant absorbs water and grows rapidly, producing a flat rosette of scaly stems up to one foot across. As the soil dries, it cannot store water like its succulent neighbors, so it folds up its stems into a tight ball as it desiccates and goes into a state of dormancy. The folded plant has a limited surface area, and what little internal moisture is present is conserved. All metabolic functions are reduced to a bare minimum and it appears to be dead. The More >
