Find this podcast episode on Anchor and Spotify.

In this episode, we talk about the first chapter of James. We specifically focus on the portions about trials, temptations, and acting on what you hear. These notes will include links to some of the Bible passages we addressed and some application questions.

You can read James chapter 1 HERE.

We address the point James makes in verse 4 that trials and hardships make us perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. How does that make you feel about trials? Have you gone through any hard ones? How was your relationship with God during that?

In verses 13-15, James says:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

James 1:13-15

Read about Jesus’ temptation HERE.

If you’ve heard the story about Jesus being tempted in Luke 4, you know that He was tempted by the devil. How then can James say, ‘God cannot be tempted with evil’? We clarify this by saying Jesus took the form of a man. He was both 100% man and 100% God at the same time! His taking on of human flesh made him open to temptation. Thankfully, Jesus overcame temptation and did not sin as we do often. 

What are some of your desires and sinful temptations you face regularly? How do you feel when you hear that Jesus went through something similar?

In verses 22-24 it says,

But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he is like.

James 1:22-24

What do you struggle to act on after you hear a message? Is there anyone in your life you could ask for accountability from?

What did you like most about this episode? Feel free to leave a comment below or contact Caroline through the Contact page on the blog. We hope you enjoyed and we’ll see you next time!