The Perfect Law

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Dowhat it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says islike someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself,goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looksintently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—notforgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what theydo. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein ontheir tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religionthat God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look afterorphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted bythe world.
- James 1:22-27

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They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profaned my holy name.
- Amos 2:7

Mixer

What was something God showed you from the Nehemiah series that you have begun to implement?

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Sermon Questions

Scriptures: James 1:22-27; Amos 2:7; Psalms 119:32

1. Read James 1:23-24. Pastor Jared expanded on James’ analogy by stating that we often temporarily change something about ourselves when we look in a mirror, but then walk away with no motivation to maintain that change. Thinking about your Christian walk. What actions/behaviors/attitudes have you attempted to change - but only in feeble, unsustained ways? Is this a repetitive pattern?

2. Pastor Jared used his own analogy to compare our Christian walk with music. God made the perfect composition (Bible). We are not musicians (imperfect) and cannot follow the composition well, but... with practice, we can get closer and closer to the ideal. Knowing this, how do you feel about your own Christian walk? Are you supporting or judging? Given the opportunity, how might you address a non-believer who judges Christianity by judging Christians?

3. God promises to transform us. Why are we sometimes resistant to change? Going back to question 2, how can we work through this resistance?

4. Read James 1:27 and Amos 2:7. What constitutes pure and faultless religious acts? Name two exterior acts that demonstrate love and one interior act that protects the source of all love.

5. Describe freedom. How does the secular world strip you of freedom? According to James 1:25, what does freedom derive from? Read Psalms 119:32. What is the connection between following the Perfect Law and freedom? i.e. what does the Perfect Law of God provide that the secular world does not?

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Serve

It’s Serve Week Kick-off! We’re looking forward to a week of service projects, Oct 28 - Nov 4!

First up is our Trunk or Treat Event (a FREE Family event so tell your friends and neighbors) on Saturday, Oct 28th. Get your group together and decorate a fleet of car “trunks” or help us staff the event by signing up here.

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Pray

Did you know we added 14 new group leaders and 5 new groups to the Fall Groups line-up? Give thanks to God for raising up new Go First leaders. May each of them find joy in serving Christ and leading growth within their groups this season. And pray for the 53 new group members who decide to Go First & step into a group for the very first time - may they benefit from the connection to the Lord and with each other!

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

Proverbs 11:14