River's Edge Community Church

Today, we want to focus on growing in authenticity. Here is how we describe this virtue:

• We are more transparent and honest to the people around us.
• We have fewer secrets and struggles in our lives, things about which no one knows.
• We have someone who knows us well and helps us stay accountable and challenges us to grow.
• We know that we struggle to live up to our beliefs, but we feel like we are less hypocritical, less self-deceived and more authentic.
• We are actually dealing with the heart issues behind our sin rather than just managing it or by exhibiting good behavior.

Monday is a day of reading for repentance, a day where we confess our sins and receive God’s grace, pardon and mercy in abundance.

My prayer goal for this week is __________________________________________.
Last week, my prayer goal was __________________________________________.


Let’s pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us, not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.


Read the following passage from James 1:19-27
     My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
     Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
     Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.


Pray Psalm 139:23-24 as you reflect upon this passage.

Lead us. . . .
(Review if helpful) Reading for repentance involves the following eight steps (Surprise!).

• See yourself in the Text (which words jump off the page and confront you in this passage?).
• Uncover your idols (In what false hopes are trusting? What things do you believe you need to have to be happy in life? Where do you feel justified in your actions? What empowers your sin?).
• Reverse direction (What would it mean to turn away from your sin and pursue God?).
• Pray and ask, “What would growth look like?”
• Receive God’s grace and pardon.
• Inhale God’s beauty, goodness and love.
• Savor God’s mercy
• and Endeavor to live in newness of life (Live your repentance out loud).

Today, we want to move through this passage by seeing ourselves in the text.

In your opinion, are Christ-followers more angry or less angry than people who do not know Christ? Why? Are you an angry person?

James says we should not merely listen to the word and so deceive ourselves. How do we deceive ourselves spiritually?

James encourages us to do more than listen to the word. What does that mean? How do we do that?

In calling us to be obedient, James urges us to follow the “perfect law that gives freedom.” Why does he describe God’s moral law that way?

James says: “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves.” What does James mean here? What is the relationship between hypocrisy and the way we talk?

How do you feel about James’ definition of true religion? Would you have defined it this way? What does this definition say to you?

What does this passage say to you? Where do you need to repent?


Prayer of Repentance:
Seeing our sin in this text is not too difficult. We all listen better to the word than we do living it out. We all harbor secret sins or deceive ourselves about the seriousness of the sins we run to day in and day out. We even deny that obedience gives freedom. And we don’t want to believe that true faith means giving ourselves away sacrificially to those who are suffering. These are the sins rooted deep in our souls. Reread this passage and let the Spirit lead you into repentance.


Receiving God’s Grace and Pardon (from Acts 13:38-39)
     Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.


Thoughts to Ponder
"The Pharisees are not all dead yet, and are not all Jews."  (John McClintock)

"The Pharisees minded what God spoke, but not what He intended. . . . They were busy in the outward work of the hand, but incurious of the affections and choice of the heart. So God was served in the letter, but they did not much inquire into His purpose; and therefore they were curious to wash their hands, but cared not to purify their hearts."  (Jeremy Taylor)

"A bad man is worse when he pretends to be a saint."  (Francis Bacon)


What One Thing Can You Do Today?
James talks about taming the tongue so that our words are aligned with our commitment to Christ. Today, we want to set a guard over our tongue so that we glorify God with our words. There are two aspects of this. First, we want to go a whole day without saying anything negative to or about anyone. That means not being critical and not being judgmental. Second, we want to go the whole day without saying anything that is dishonest. Be honest. Be forthright. Be open and be transparent. Honor God with your words.

We also ought to take notice that true religion is looking after orphans and widows and keeping ourselves from being polluted by the world (its values, perspectives, goals, and ethics). Today, open your heart to giving to those in need so that your testimony of being in Christ is clearly matched by all of your actions.


Closing Prayer:
Abba Father, pour out your love upon us so that we may love you and love our neighbor as ourselves. Our hearts are also small. Enlarge them with your glory so they are fit for you. Open our eyes to your love so that we will always walk in your ways. Fill us with your Spirit that we may be your people. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.