Skip to main content

James: Mercy Triumphs – Bonus Material – An interview with Beth and Melissa

Chairein! (Ky Rain)

We’re officially done with Homework and Melissa’s Articles. If you’ve opted for that next level of participation, you’ve already written the entire book of James and you may be continuing to memorize it, like I am. (Currently, I’ve memorized 1:1 through 3:10). Our class had an extra week before the start of our next group study, so we took that week to watch the bonus material.

Video Segment: The little snippets of the interview that Kelly Minter conducted with Beth and Melissa were tantalizing. But the full interview is a feast. I wish I could watch it over and over again so I wouldn’t miss anything said by these godly women.

I did glean quite a bit of information if my note-taking was any indication. The theme of James’ Jewishness has been a valuable point since week one. His orthodoxy is revealed in his rabbinic style of verbally punching with honesty rather than beating around the bush with his words. James, unlike Beth, does not hail from a culture steeped in Southern manners! He comes right at you like a brother, bluntly and accurately articulating Torah for Christians.

This book is the bridge between the law and the law-free gospel. The man who was deeply loved by Jesus and penned the epitome of counter-cultural wisdom that has transcended generations was (and still is) dangerous to false teachers. He penned hard-hitting truth that is potentially life-changing.

James cared for the poor. Even Paul knew this was part of who James was (Galatians 2:9-10). His example and his teaching has given me a desire to make caring for the poor party of my Christianity. I want to look into their eyes, as Melissa did in Calcutta, to see what is truly important. Although part of me is sadly skeptical about giving sacrificially to those who may not be truly poor, a discussion that emerged in my study group after watching this interview put this “fear” in its place! It’s up to God to deal with those who are dishonest about their poverty. It’s not that I shouldn’t use the discernment that the Holy Spirit gives me, but that I should give out of obedience to God. Amen! That is the way of health and wholeness in Christ – obedience.

I pray that I will be more vulnerable to the truth of God’s Word now that I’ve completed this study. May the memorization make it even more of a part of me. May it change me from the inside out.

Watching Beth recite the book of James was mesmerizing. I kind of followed along until she reached the point where I’d completed my memorization. Then, the words seemed to tumble out of her in a convicting rapid fire. It will be interesting to watch again after I’ve completed my own memorization.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Homiletics Training: Content

Homiletics .   By definition, “homiletic” is the art of preaching or writing sermons.   I think we would all agree that our pastors study the Bible thoroughly to deliver sermons every Sunday to their congregations.   The beautiful news is that every child of God can use this discipline to study the Bible for themselves. As a member of Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) Leadership, part of my required preparation each week is to prepare homiletics for the passage we are studying.   BSF offers an engaging seminar on how to use this method to study the Scriptures.   I’ve taken the seminar several times under two different leaders and I’ve learned something new every time I’ve attended.   I’ve also been doing the process of homiletics for over ten years and I can say that there is no better teacher than the Holy Spirit in this process!   So keep practicing.   Keep sharing and discussing.   I’ve been posting my homiletics on this blog for quite a...

Homiletics: John 12

Contents ( not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture, fit on one line ): 1 1-3 6d b4 Pass J2Beth dinr Marth servd, Laz@tbl; Mary $$$$ perf J ft, wipe w/hair, hs filld frag 2 4-6 Judas, l8r betray obj: why wasn’t perf sold, wrth 1y wages, didn’t care abt poor, thief 3 7-9 Lv alone, she sv perf 4my burial, u alwys hv poor; MW lg crwd came bec of J & 2C Laz 4 10-13 CP md plans kill Laz-on acct o hm mny bel; Nxt dy grt crwd: Hos! Blest=He cm in nom o L 5 14-16 J fnd dnky, sat, as writn: Dtr Zion, c ur king cming seatd on dnky colt; @ 1 st Disc undrstd 6 17-19 crwd w/Him whn Laz raisd spread wd; Mny went 2 Him; Phar: lk how wrld gone aftr Him 7 20-23 Som Gks to Phil: we like 2CJ; Phil 2 Andrw, Phil&Andrw told J: hr cm 4 SoM be glrfd 8 24 VTITY unle...

Homiletics: John 10

Contents ( not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture ): 1 1-2 VT ITY Phar, any1 enter shp pn by gate=thief/robbr; 1 enters by gate=shepherd 2 3-4 Gatekpr opns gate 4 hm/shp listn/he calls shp by name/leads out/shp follo bec kno voce 3 5-6 They nvr follo stranger, run away bec recog voce; J used fig o spch, Phar understd 4 7-8 Thrfr J: VT ITY I gate 4 shp; all who cm b4 me=thievs/robbrs, shp listn them 5 9-10a I gate, whoevr entr thru me savd/they cm/go/find pasture; thief cm only steal/kill/destry 6 10b-12 I gd shepd, lay dn life 4 shp; Hird hd shepd/own shp, see wolf/abandn shp/wlf attck/scattr 7 13-15a Man run bec care nthg 4 sheep; I gd shep; kno sheep/sheep kno me as Fr kno me/I kno Fr 8 15b-16 I lay dn life 4 sheep; have othr sheep of this pen...