The Telephone Game — Gossip vs. Praise - Monday
Today’s Verse
James 1:5
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. (NLT)
It wasn’t until I was in middle school that I was asked to join a Bible study. At the time, I wasn’t even sure I understood what that involved. Having grown up in church, I had heard countless Bible stories taught in Sunday school classes, junior church, and “big” church. But this was the first time I was invited to focus on one book of the Bible not in the context of a class or church setting, but in a small group with a few other guys my age. Brewster McLeod, Southland’s youth minister at the time, made the invitation and led our study. By the way, he incentivized us to attend each week with the promise that we would have lunch afterward at the Starlight Drive-In for some Kentucky Fried Chicken! Honestly, that appealed to me more than the Bible study! Brewster told us that we would study the book of James. While I’m sure this New Testament book had been mentioned in lessons and sermons along the way, I couldn’t have told you much about it. Brewster provided a workbook and we used it to guide us through each chapter.
I can vividly remember the words of Scripture jumping off the page in ways I had never experienced. There were truths that made sense. I even remember how the study, designed for younger readers, said the book of James might be called the book of McWisdom because it was like McDonald’s when it came to wise living: the truth in its pages is easily accessible and quick to grasp. Keep in mind that this study happened about forty-seven years ago, and I can still remember key points!
Today’s verse from James 1 is an example of how simple and direct James was in his writing. And his letter is a reminder that the challenges we face as we follow Jesus are consistent throughout the ages. The Bible has spoken and will continue to speak.
REFLECTION
Think of a time when Scripture clearly spoke to you in a profound way. What did that compel you to do?
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