Welcome to The Bible in Three, a podcast where we discuss 3 Things About the Bible in about three minutes. Today we explored James 1:2. Fun tidbit, James is likely the first book written that we find in our New Testament. Cool huh?
ONE—The Background
James was written by James—the half brother of Jesus—a leader in the church in Jerusalem! He’s writing this letter to a group of Jewish Christians who have been scattered due to persecution for their faith in Jesus.
TWO—The Breakdown
James is separated by five chapters, but the bottom line is that mature faith often comes through trials, and this mature faith surfaces in community in the way we interact with others.
THREE— The Bite-Sized Truth
We can trust that God has a plan in our suffering—maybe even especially in our suffering. Because it leads to a mature faith that makes us look more like Jesus and leads us to love others well. And that gives me hope. And I pray it fills you with hope too.
Here are some more resources to dig deeper.
Local Church— Being plugged into a church that prioritizes the reading and understanding of scripture is pretty important. For some that may be a pretty big ask due to previous hurt within this space. If that’s you, take your time and pray for God to lead you to the right space. But know that being in community with other faithful and mature believers is what God intended for his people. I’ll be praying with you for that community as well!
Simply Practical Truths. My friend Heather offers this weekly email bible study. Consider it your weekly dose of simple truth drawn from one verse or small passage of scripture with sound contextual insight and practical application for your life right now.
The Focused 15 Challenge My friend Jennifer has a 5 day challenge for creating a space for growing your faith.
Honestly Though Podcast My friend Rebecca Carrels along with co-hosts Liz Rodriguez and Nika Spalding wrestle with relevant issues in the world, the church, and the family and ask, “Where is God in this?”
YouVersion Bible App I love this resource because you can read the Bible in multiple versions as well as start reading plans that are as short as a few days or as long as an entire year.
Bible In Three I also have a few more resources for the entire family on my website!
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