We judge ourselves by our intentions, but reality judges us by our actions. Discover the ancient manual for practical consistency and radical honesty.
Jeremy Haroldson introduces the book of James as the "Proverbs of the New Testament"—a punchy, no-nonsense manual for practical living. While Romans explains how to get right with God, James explains how to live right with people.
The core message is confronting: Are you a doer, or just a hearer? In a culture obsessed with consuming information, James warns that listening without acting is a form of self-deception. This teaching challenges you to align your behavior with your beliefs, tame your speech, and resolve the internal conflicts that leak out into your relationships.
Jeremy uses James' famous analogy: "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror... and goes away and at once forgets what he was like."
Imagine looking in a mirror, seeing dirt on your face, and walking away without washing it. That is what happens when we consume podcasts, sermons, and books but change nothing. "Information without application is delusion." The goal of learning isn't to fill your notebook; it's to change your reflection.
Jeremy resolves the apparent tension between "Faith alone" (Paul) and "Works" (James). He explains: "Paul focuses on the *root* of salvation; James focuses on the *fruit* of salvation."
You don't do good works to *become* accepted; you do good works because you *are* accepted. If your "belief" doesn't produce action, it isn't real belief—it's just an opinion. Real faith always has a pulse; it moves.
Why does James spend so much time on speech? Because "The tongue is a small fire... a world of unrighteousness."
Jeremy compares the tongue to a rudder on a massive ship. It is tiny, but it determines the direction of the entire vessel. Your words are not just descriptors of your life; they are directors of your life. If you want to change your destination, you must first change your conversation.
We love to blame our fights on other people ("They annoyed me"). James cuts deeper: "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?"
External conflict is always a symptom of internal conflict. We fight with others because we aren't at peace with ourselves (or God). To stop the war in your home or office, you must first sign a peace treaty with your own soul by aligning your desires with higher principles.
Integrity means being "integrated"—where your beliefs, words, and actions are one single piece. James challenges the double-mindedness that plagues us.
Stop saying one thing and doing another. Stop praying for peace while speaking chaos. Jeremy's closing challenge is simple: "Don't just audit the class; do the lab work." Your life is the lab where truth is proved.
Perfect for:
No, they address different problems. Paul was fighting legalism (trying to earn salvation). James was fighting cheap grace (thinking belief requires no change). They agree that true faith naturally produces good works, just as a healthy tree naturally produces fruit.
Because fire spreads uncontrollably and destroys indiscriminately. A small rumor, a sarcastic comment, or a lie can burn down a reputation, a marriage, or a church in minutes. Once the fire is lit, you cannot easily call it back.
Earthly wisdom is characterized by "jealousy and selfish ambition"—it's about winning, maneuvering, and self-promotion. Wisdom from above is "pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason"—it seeks the good of the whole and brings stability rather than chaos.
Key Scripture Reference: James 1:22, 3:4-5
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves... Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things."