Begin the New Year grounded in the Word and inspired by the message. Forty Days with James (the brother of Jesus) will take us through this powerful letter by the brother of Jesus, passage by passage. We'll read through the epistle in multiple English translations, leaving no stone unturned. Some highlights:
Why caring for the needy isn’t optional- The truth about “falling away"
Why James 3:1 applies to (nearly) all Christian leaders
- Why the “perfect law that gives freedom” probably isn’t the New Testament.
- 5 passages most churches ignore.
- Why Martin Luther had such a low opinion of James, comparing it to “an epistle of straw.”
- Pollution, anointing with oil, and many other topics
- Wisdom—not a matter of education, but of character.
The goal: for each reflection to be inspiring, informative, and biblically faithful—so that we may better know God and make him known.
The series begins 1 January 2022. For access, please return to this page. For days 11-40 of this series, you will need to log in (username / password), even if you're already a paid subscriber. To sign up, click here.
Please note: the following links will go live only on the corresponding day of January. Clicking the link before the day will lead to an error message.
00—Introduction (this page & audio explanation) (3 mins)
01—James in the NIV (14 mins)
02—Pure Joy vs. Double Mind—1:1-8 + the nature of James (11 mins)
03—Pride vs. Humility—1:9-12 + the life of James (14 mins)
04—Victors, not Victims—1:13-15 (14 mins)
05—God's Perfect Gifts—1:16-18 (13 mins)
06—Listening & Looking—1:19-25 (15 mins)
07—Pure Religion—1:26-27 (12 mins)
08—James in the RPM + Interesting facts (14 mins)
09—The Chair & the Floor—2:1-4 (11 mins)
10—Oppressors & Oppressed—2:5-7 + Ossuary of James (13 mins)
11—The Royal Law—2:8-13 (13 mins)
12—Cold Deeds with Warm Words—2:14-26 (12 mins)
13—The Magic Wand & the Touch—2:14-26 (14 mins)
14—The Epistle of Straw—2:14-26 (12 mins)
15—James in The Message—a popular paraphrase (15 mins)
16—The Tongue of the Teacher—3:1-2 (15 mins)
17—The Rudder—3:3-5 (10 mins)
18—The Untamable—3:6-8 (12 mins)
19—Cursing & Praise—3:9-12 (14 mins)
20—Pseudo-wisdom—3:13-16 (10 mins)
21—Genuine wisdom—3:17-18 (14 mins)
22—James in the NASB + social background to chapters 4-5 (15 mins)
23—Waging War—4:1-3 (12 mins)
24—The Worldly Church—4:4-6 (15 mins)
25—Submit, Resist, Draw Near, Wash, & Be Purified—4:7-8 (13 mins)
26—Humble Yourself in the Sight of the Lord—4:9-10 (8 mins)
27—Only One Judge—4:11-12 (15 mins)
28—(Wannabe) Rich Fools–4:13-17 (9 mins)
29—James in the CSB (12 mins)
30—Rich Fools—5:1-6 (12 mins)
31—The Judge at the Door—5:7-9 (13 mins)
32—Hang in There!—5:10-11 (8 mins)
33—Yes & No—5:12 (10 mins)
34—Pray x 7!—5:13-18 (12 mins)
35—The Truth about Falling Away—5:19-20 (14 mins)
36—James in the ISV—(15 mins)
37—James the Prophet—James 1-5 (14 mins)
38—James the Peacemaker—Acts 15 (13 mins)
39—James the Martyr—d. 62 AD (9 mins)
40—Series conclusion, and my takeways—(10 mins)
