Well, the time has come to say farewell to James (for now). This, by far, felt like the fastest Bible study I have completed to date. Time seems to be buzzing by at crazy speed.
As I reflect on all I have learned, I can’t help but come back to James’ words in Chapter 1, verse 22 (NLT): “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” I don’t want to walk away from this study unchanged. I want the study of God’s word to mark me, to alter me - forever.
I am currently reading a book entitled, “Not a Fan” by Kyle Idleman.* Kyle notes that a fan is defined as “an enthusiastic admirer.” And that “Jesus was never interested in having admirers.” I thought James would be proud when I read Kyle’s words on pages 32 and 33:
One of the reasons our churches can become fan
factories is that we have separated the message of
“believe” from the message of “follow.” ...the two
are firmly connected.... One can’t live without the
other.... Our churches will continue to be full of
fans until we break down the dichotomy between
following and believing. To truly believe is to follow.
We’ve learned some stuff in this study, girls. And James doesn’t play. Indeed, James tells us, “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” James 4:17, NLT. Or, in the words of my new friend Kyle, “To truly believe is to follow.”
Scarily, (on page 27) Kyle also notes that “one of the core symptoms of ‘fandom’ is that fans almost always consider themselves to be followers.” Or, in the words of our protagonist (who was responding to people who also thought they were “followers” of God), “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-- and shudder.” James 2:19, NIV.
So, as we conclude, the questions I want to leave with you are these: do you truly believe? How do you know? How would anyone else know?
James meant to get in your business. So do I. And I hope you love me enough to get in mine. Let’s do this thing for real, girls. It’s time to get out of the bleachers and onto the field. Let’s be more than fans!
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*As I read, the author is kind of cracking me up because he is referencing all these funny stereotypical christian experiences from the past 20 years. If you decide to read the book for yourself (and yes, I would recommend it), you will appreciate this little footnote all the more :) http://www.notafan.com/
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If you have committed to posting a comment in response to our weekly lessons, feel free to post anything you like. If however you find it easier to respond to a specific question, our question of the week is this:
What is the primary thing you are taking from this study and actually applying to your life?
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This week, we’ll be watching video session EIGHT. The viewer guide (to be completed while watching the video session) can be found on pages 212 and 213 of our workbooks.
PLEASE NOTE - This Is Important!
The Lifeway website has CHANGED! To order the “Session 8” video, take the following steps:
1) Copy and paste the link below into your browser.
2) Choose the box that says “Session 8" in the section that says “Select Session Number” and click "Add to Cart".
3) When you are SURE you have session 8 in your cart, then proceed to check out.
4) Follow download instructions.
http://www.lifeway.com/Product/james-mercy-triumphs-video-sessions-mp4-downloads-m00000088#
Thank you for studying along with me. I have enjoyed studying with you. I pray God has worked in your life through this study, as He has in mine, and I hope to study together again sometime.
Your friend, Amy
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