TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
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. James 1:23-24
Listen: James 1
TODAY’S MESSAGE
James compares one who hears the word but does not act to someone who looks at a mirror and forgets what he looks like. His readers deceived themselves into thinking that information equals transformation. James would say that information is information. Transformation happens when information is applied to day-to-day lives.
The word of God is like a mirror which exposes the true nature of the human heart. But these early believers were squandering this gift. There was a gap between what they read and what they did. They looked in the mirror but forgot what they saw. They were not evil—just forgetful.
We’re in just as much danger today of deceiving ourselves as they were then. We hear Scripture preached while in the Row, yet we forget it by the time we’re in the car. We read Scripture in our Chair Time, feel the conviction it spurs in us, but then forget what we learned.
The solution is not more information—it’s more transformation. This is why each week we use our Row (weekend service), Circle (small group) and Chair (Beyond the Weekend) to look at the same passage and ideas. We don’t need to learn more, we just need to act on what we already know.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
One way to train our minds to hear and do is by journaling. Journaling gives space for us to reflect on the state of our hearts and apply what we have learned. Take time today to come up with at least one specific thing you can do to apply what you learned this weekend. Two places to start might be to consider your words and your relationships. Journal what you come up with and then apply it this week. For extra benefit, journal for five to ten minutes each day this week about how it is going.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
