Thursday, January 29, 2009

James

Thursday mornings are rapidly becoming my favorite part of the week. I belong to a weekly Bible Study at our church called Cafe Agape. The first portion of the morning, we begin as a large group of women and usually have a "Love Gift" (aka testimonial) or worship and treats. We then split up into small groups - there are about 5-6 different studies to choose from. This year I chose to tackle the challenge of Precepts and we're studying the book of James. I am so blessed to be a part of this group. What I enjoy most is that it is multi-generational. Everyone comes from so many different backgrounds and it's fascinating to hear other's journey towards Christ.

One would think that being a Christian for over 22 years, there wouldn't be much more that I could learn from James. Surprisingly, I've learned more about James in the past few months than I have over 22 years!

Here's what I've been chewing on the past few months:

How can I become a "doer of the word?"
How can I be joyful in the midst of trials?
How can I honor God through my trials?
How can I resist temptation?
How can I have genuine faith?
How can I be more transparent?
How can I love my neighbor more?
How can I share the riches God has blessed me with?
How can I live out my faith?
How can I stop comparing my insides with other people's outsides?
How can I preach the word without using any words?
Are my actions consistent with my speech?
Is my heart pure?
Are my motives pure?
Do I serve joyfully and seek opportunities to serve?
Do I follow through?
Am I modeling a life filled with God's love?
Do others know that I am a Christian by my love?
How can I not become so busy that I miss out on hearing God?

Just a few things to think about....