AGENDA – BE DOERS OF THE WORD

OPENING PRAYER - Heavenly Father, we thank you for this opportunity to read and study Your Word. Please guide our thoughts and open our hearts to understand the truths You want to reveal. In Jesus' name, Amen.
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – Be Doers of the Word
POINT OF INTEREST - Some people believe that the author of James was James, the brother of Jesus, mentioned in Galatians 1:19 and Acts 15:13 and who became a leader in the church in Jerusalem. But it may have been written by a later student or follower of James who used James's name to give authority to his teaching.
SCENIC VIEW - The letters of the Bible are also called "epistles." Most of the epistles are named after the people who were credited with writing them: James, Peter, John, and Jude. Others are named after the people to whom they are addressed: Hebrews, Philemon, and Thessalonians. We often don't know much about the authors of these letters or the circumstances surrounding them, but they teach us about the issues early Christian communities were facing; they also speak to us of how God calls us to live and act today.
SCENIC VIEW - James focuses on the need for our faith to be expressed in works, so that what we believe should be seen in what we do. Martin Luther, a theologian and reformer, did not like the book of James and called it book of James and called it the "Epistle of Straw." Luther preferred Paul's understanding that one is saved by faith alone, and no amount of work is needed to earn God's love and redemption. The tension between faith and works would be a key issue of the Protestant Reformation during the sixteenth century.
YOU ARE HERE - James has a lot to say, not only about our works but also about our words. He urges Christians to show forth Christ's love in both action and in speech. How can you show forth God's love in words, as well as deeds?
TRAIL CROSSING - These words may sound harsh, but this fiery condemnation echoes both the words of the prophets and the words of Jesus. Compare this to Amos 6:4-7, Luke 6:24, or Matthew 6:19-21.
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – CHRIST'S SACRIFICE ONCE FOR ALL
POINT OF INTEREST - The author of the Letter to the Hebrews does a lot of what Jesus himself did: He quotes sections from the Hebrew Bible and explains or shows them in a new light. These are references to Jeremiah 31:33 and Isaiah 43:25. 

AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – A CALL TO PERSEVERE
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – THE EXAMPLES OF NOAH AND ABRAHAM
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – THE FAITH OF MOSES
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – THE FAITH OF OTHER ISRAELITE HEROES
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS
POINT OF INTEREST - The author of the letter to the Hebrews sees faithful people not only as an example but also as companions on the journey of faith. They are a cloud of witnesses who surround us, here and now. 
AUDIBLE READ THE SCRIPTURE ALOUD – FINAL BLESSING
Scripture Citations 
JAMES 
HEBREWS 10:10-25 | 11:1-3, 7-38 | 12:1-3, 12-13, 18-24 | 12:28-29 | 13:1-6, 20-21
QUESTIONS FOR THE JOURNEY 
1.	Which part of James's letter is most meaningful to you? Which part is the most difficult? 
2.	How do you understand James's assertion that "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world"? 
3.	Some people see James and Paul to be in conflict: James says that faith without works is "dead" (James 2:17), but Paul says that we are saved by faith alone, apart from works (Romans 3:28). How do you understand the relationship between faith, works (good deeds), and salvation? How does understanding impact your life and actions? 
4.	Hebrews gives a stirring account of people who showed us what living "by faith" looks like. Think back on what you have read so far. Which faithful people from our story does the author fail to mention? Which biblical example of faith is most important to you? Who are some people in your life whose faithfulness has inspired you? 
5.	Many of the epistles are either anonymous or attributed to an important figure in the early Church but not necessarily written by that person. Does their anonymity change the way you think about them? Why or why not? 
These questions dive deep into some of the most practical and debated corners of the New Testament. Here is a breakdown of how these themes generally connect to life and theology:
1. Meaningful vs. Difficult
Many readers find James’s focus on the tongue (James 3) to be the most meaningful yet difficult. His description of the tongue as a "small member" that can set a whole forest ablaze is a piercingly accurate look at how our words impact others. It’s meaningful because it offers a clear path to self-improvement, but difficult because, as James admits, "no human being can tame the tongue." 
2. Pure and Undefiled Religion
James 1:27 is often seen as a "definition of true spirituality." It suggests that God isn't looking for complex rituals or theological gymnastics, but for compassion and integrity. 
•	Social Justice: Caring for widows and orphans represents looking after those with no social standing or safety net.
•	Personal Holiness: Keeping "unstained by the world" means not letting the greed, cynicism, or selfishness of the surrounding culture dictate your character.
Essentially, it's about having a heart that is soft toward others and a spine that is firm in its values. 
3. James vs. Paul: Faith and Works
While it looks like a contradiction, many scholars see them as two sides of the same coin: 
•	Paul is looking at the root (how you enter a relationship with God—by grace).
•	James is looking at the fruit (how you prove that relationship is real—by how you live).
A common way to reconcile them is: "We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone." If you truly believe something, it naturally changes your behavior. This impacts life by removing the "checklist" mentality of doing good to "earn" points and instead doing good as a natural response to being loved. 
4. Hebrews 11 and the "Hall of Faith"
The author of Hebrews mentions giants like Abraham, Moses, and Rahab, but leaves out many others: 
•	Missing Figures: Many point out that Deborah or Esther are notable omissions, as are many of the later prophets who suffered for their convictions.
•	Personal Faith: Often, the most important examples are those who showed faith in "boring" circumstances—people who stayed patient or kind when it would have been easier to quit. In personal life, this is often a grandparent or a mentor whose quiet consistency through hard times serves as a living "Hebrews 11" chapter. 
5. The Question of Anonymity
The debate over authorship (like the unknown author of Hebrews) often leads to two perspectives:
•	It doesn't change much: If the message is consistent with the rest of the Bible and has been used by the community for 2,000 years, the name on the "envelope" matters less than the content of the "letter."
•	It adds mystery: Anonymity reminds us that the early Church was a movement where the message of Jesus was more important than the celebrity of the writers. It shifts the authority from the man to the message.
NEXT STEPS 
1.	A number of the epistles are only a few pages long and can be read in one sitting (in fact, you read the entire letter of James in this chapter). Sit down and read either Philemon or 2 John. What stands out to you about either letter? How do they relate to letters that you have read or written? How do those letters, written to a particular person in a particular time, speak to you today? 
2.	These epistles in our Bible were simply letters written between Christians to offer insight and encouragement. Write a letter of encouragement to a friend or family member who is struggling. Consider including a verse from one of the epistles that you think might speak to them.  
Both Philemon and 2 John are fascinating because they feel less like "sermons" and more like actual mail. If you choose to look at Philemon, what usually stands out is the incredible social tension beneath the polite language. Paul is essentially asking a slave owner to welcome back a runaway slave—not as property, but as a brother.
Here is how they generally resonate:
What stands out?
In Philemon, it’s the "persuasion over power." Paul could have used his authority as an Apostle to demand Philemon do the right thing, but instead, he appeals to his heart. In 2 John, it’s the stark balance between "love" and "truth." The author insists that you can’t have one without the other; loving someone doesn’t mean being a doormat for harmful ideas.
Connection to our own letters
These epistles feel very similar to the "high-stakes" emails or letters we write today—the ones where you have to ask for a massive favor, apologize, or address a sensitive conflict.
•	The Structure: They follow a classic format (Greeting, Thanksgiving, The "Ask",  Farewell) that we still use in professional and personal correspondence.
•	The Tone: Just like when we write to a friend, there is a lot of "reading between the lines." You can feel the warmth and the specific shared history between the writers.
Speaking to us today
Even though these were written to specific people in the first century, they hit on universal human themes:
•	Accountability: They remind us that our private relationships and how we treat others (like Philemon’s treatment of Onesimus) are actually reflections of our deepest values.
•	Boundaries: 2 John speaks to the modern struggle of being "inclusive" while still standing up for what we believe is true.
•	Reconciliation: They offer a blueprint for how to fix a broken relationship without causing more drama, emphasizing grace over "being right."
CLOSING PRAYER - Lord, thank you for this time of study and for Your Word. As we leave, please help us to carry the truths we've learned into our daily lives and to live out Your teachings. May we continue to grow in faith and reflect Your love to others. Amen.