First Fifteen

"I write these things to you so that you may not sin.  If anyone sins we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ, the righteous one."  These words begin 1 John 2, and clearly the desire is that we avoid sin.  Jesus Christ is the answer to our sin problem, and it is essential that we abide or remain in him. 

If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.

In each episode you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. 

In season four we are praying through some of the letters in the Bible.  We're continuing through 1 John and listening to chapter 2 in this episode.  It's quite a bit longer than chapter 1, but it gives us a lot to meditate on and pray back to God in our walk with him.   

There are many things mentioned in this chapter--sin, our desire for things of the world, the end times, antichrist, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and other topics as well.  The central point, however, is to focus on Christ, remain in him and abide in fellowship with him.  We talk about some practical ways to do that in this episode before praying the themes of this chapter together. 

We are using the letters to grow closer to God in season four.  We can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture we cover, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process.  You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.

If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 .  Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word.   You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.

We have a course on Philemon and Colossians for in-depth Bible study called "Christ Supreme".  If you are interested in going deeper, check out the links on our website or the Facebook page.

 Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com

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"God has come.  We have heard and seen him and touched him with our own hands..."  This is John's boldly audacious claim in 1 John 1, and he has more bold and striking things to say.  John sticks to the truth and boils it down to the essence, which is why we're listening to him. 

If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.

In fifteen minutes or less you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day.  It's a perfect way to get started!

In season four we are praying through some of the letters in the Bible.  Today we are starting 1 John.   Although the author never introduces himself and the name John doesn't appear anywhere in the letter, the language and themes are so strikingly similar to the gospel of John that there can be no coincidence.  John's community is dealing with division and very real questions about how to live out their faith.  The problems ultimately involve you see Christ and how you live in fellowship with him and others.

The central focus of this letter comes down to something simple yet profound:  love.  How do we love God and show proper love to other people?   John gives us some very helpful insights. 

We are using the letters to grow closer to God in season four.  We can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture we cover, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process.  You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.

If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 .  Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word.   You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.

We have a course on Philemon and Colossians for in-depth Bible study called "Christ Supreme".  If you are interested in going deeper, check out the links on our website or the Facebook page.

 Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com

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"My soul magnifies the Lord."  Who said those words?  What do they mean?
In this special bonus episode we take a deeper look at Mary's prayer in Luke 1 and how we can pray them ourselves led by co-hosts Ron and Angela Oltmanns.

If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.

In this podcast you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day.

In season four we have been praying through some of the letters in the Bible, but today we take a break from that to look at a special prayer from the gospel of Luke: Mary's prayer as she meets her older cousin Elizabeth and shares the gracious news of how God has blessed both of them with unexpected pregnancies.     

Luke 1 -2 has four separate songs or prayers offered by different people:  Mary, Zechariah, a chorus of angels to the shepherds, and Simeon in the temple.  Each one is traditionally referred to by a Latin title like "Magnificat" or "Gloria in excelsis Deo", but there is nothing mystical about the words.  In this episode we listen to the first prayer, Mary's song in Luke 1:46-55.  It echoes several much older songs from the Old Testament such as Exodus 15 and most strikingly Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10.   The themes and language speak of God's great reversals and his salvation for his people, the poor and oppressed and those overlooked. 

While we use Mary's song, the Magnificat, to grow closer to God in this season, we can't exhaust the riches in this part of scripture.   You can go deeper into it on your own using our four step process.  You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.

If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 .  Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word.   You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.

Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com.  If you are interested in going deeper, check out the links on our website or the Facebook page.

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Sin is all around us and certainly in us, even if it’s not popular to call it that.  The message of Jesus Christ is one of the few to take sin seriously and the only one to deal with it effectively.  James 5:7-20 shows us the key concern of this short letter and draws the major themes of the letter together so we will be active in winning people back from the way of sin.  

If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.

In fifteen minutes or less you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day.  It's a perfect way to get started!

In season four we are praying through some of the letters in the Bible.  In this episode we finish praying through James, one of the General Letters filled with practical teaching and wisdom.  We see again today that James' letter is very gospel-centered and also rooted in the Jewish Torah.  

The last few verses of James show us the overriding concern that James has as he writes this letter.  There are two ways, wisdom and foolishness, and following the world's "wisdom" or pursuing its riches will lead us down the wrong way and encourage us to sin. James wants to be active in restoring people back from sin and praying with them and for them.  

At the beginning of the letter he told us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry.  Now at the end, he says the same thing essentially but with different words:  be patient, don't grumble against a brother or swear an oath vainly, and instead of getting angry, love and forgive your brother.  

James also points to the example of Job and Elijah to encourage forbearance and faith, especially expressed through prayer.  The key application question is are you saved from sin beyond doubt?  If not, contact us.  If so, take the next step of faith and  win someone back from the path of sin.  

We have been using the letters to grow closer to God in season four.  We can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture we cover, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process.  You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.

If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 .   You can find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.

We have a book on Matthew 1-7 that goes more in-depth into the Sermon on the Mount and Matthew 5.  It's called Journey with Jesus: Praying Your Way through Matthew's Gospel on Amazon (or ebook on Kindle). 

 Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com

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Money is like a mirror for our character.  It reflects back to us what is really there.  If you like what you see in the mirror, or you don’t, it’s not because of the mirror, it’s because of your own heart.     James 4:11-5:6 points us back to our hearts, whether it's speaking against our brothers, judging others, or using riches to oppress others--all of these go against the law of freedom. 

If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.

In fifteen minutes or less you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day.  It's a perfect way to get started!

In season four we are praying through some of the letters in the Bible.  in this episode we finish praying through James, one of the General Letters filled with practical teaching and wisdom.  We see again today that James' letter is very gospel-centered and also rooted in the Jewish Torah.  

James says in 4:11-12 “Don’t speak against your brothers...”  and this idea can be traced back to Leviticus 19:16.  Similarly, Leviticus 19:13  talks about oppressing and withholding wages from workers just as James 5:4 does.  At the same time, James tells us not to judge others, echoing Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2.  

 We looked at James 4:13-17 previously in season 1 of First Fifteen and we won't repeat that lesson here.  Our desire for riches, our treatment of the rich, our planning for and pursuit of riches, the trap of riches and treatment of the poor—all of these come under James’ teaching and what he does, simply, is take us back to Jesus’ teaching about the heart.  

Have you internalized the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself?  Spend time meditating on what you've heard/read from his word.  James emphasizes being a doer of the word in this passage, not a judge of others.

We have been using the letters to grow closer to God in season four.  We can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture we cover, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process.  You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.

If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 .   You can find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.

We have a book on Matthew 1-7 that goes more in-depth into the Sermon on the Mount and Matthew 5.  It's called Journey with Jesus: Praying Your Way through Matthew's Gospel on Amazon (or ebook on Kindle). 

 Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com

Support the show

It’s not wise to envy, but we do it anyway.  The solution James gives for envy is surprising, but it shows true wisdom if we follow it.    James 3:13-4:10 reveals true vs. false wisdom and also what to do about envy or jealousy that threatens to take over our life. 

If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.

In fifteen minutes or less you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day.  It's a perfect way to get started!

In season four we are praying through some of the letters in the Bible.  We continue praying through James, a letter filled with practical teaching and wisdom.  One of the thematic verses in James is 1:19 - we should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.  In the last episode we showed how he turns to our speaking in ch. 3.  We got at least 6 images of speech as James talked about the tongue.

In today's reading James shows the tight connection between envy and wisdom.  He gives us seven characteristics of God's wisdom to meditate on.  Next he shows how our lack is really tied to our lack of faith in God, another way to point to a lack of wisdom.

We are using the letters to grow closer to God in season four.  We can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture we cover, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process.  You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.

If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 .  Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word.   You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.

Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com

Support the show

The tongue is a unique muscle of the body, loose and unattached at one end. James says our basic failure to control our tongue is the main cause of so much harm in the world.  James 3:1-12 addresses proper speech by focusing on the tongue, and James uses many word pictures in just a few verses to teach a series of truths about our speech.   

If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.

In fifteen minutes or less you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day.  It's a perfect way to get started!

In season four we are praying through some of the letters in the Bible.  We continue praying through James, a letter filled with practical teaching and wisdom.  One of the thematic verses in James is 1:19 - we should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.  James talked about how we listen in chs. 1-2.  Now he turns to how we speak in ch. 3.

In just 12 verses, James uses no fewer than five word pictures for our speech (he refers to it as our tongue).  They come fast and furious, so it pays to slow down and meditate on one at a time.  Here are some metaphors for the tongue that I noticed: bit and bridle, rudder,  fire, poison, a spring of fresh water, a source of bitter/brackish or salt water.  I encourage you to pick one of those to meditate on and let God teach you about how to control your tongue and use your speech for good. 

We are using the letters to grow closer to God in season four.  We can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture we cover, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process.  You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.

If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 .  Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word.   You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.

We have a course on Philemon and Colossians for in-depth Bible study called "Christ Supreme".  If you are interested in going deeper, check out the links on our website or the Facebook page.

 Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com

Support the show

There’s an expression that says “Talk is cheap”, and the point is that it’s easier to say something than to do it.  James would have liked that expression.   James 2:14-26 focuses on the theme of faith and action, expanding on being both a hearer and a doer of God’s word.  Don’t just say you believe or trust God, follow it through with action and do what he says.   

If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.

In fifteen minutes or less you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day.  It's a perfect way to get started!

In season four we are praying through some of the letters in the Bible.  We continue praying through James, one of the General Letters filled with practical teaching and wisdom.  Like the Proverbs and wisdom Psalms, James makes us think deeper about our faith and also challenges us to act on our insights.

The last half of James 2 shifts from talking about the rich and the poor and fulfilling the law to talk about faith and action.  Traditionally, some readers have noted the similarity between Paul's discussion of faith and works in his letters  and tried to explain why James seems to have the opposite emphasis.  This is a misreading because Paul and James really aren't addressing the same issue.  Paul is concerned about people relying on works of righteousness for their own salvation.  James is focused on demonstrating the sincerity of faith.  

What James does here expands on what he said in 1:17-27 about hearing the word (only) and doing the word.  He will return to this theme of faith and action again before he finishes the letter, so it is a major point of his teaching.  He uses two examples to illustrate his point:  Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac, and Rahab sheltering the spies in Jericho.  

We are using the letters to grow closer to God in season four.  We can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture we cover, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process.  You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.

If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 .  Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word.   You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.

We have a course on Philemon and Colossians for in-depth Bible study called "Christ Supreme".  If you are interested in going deeper, check out the links on our website or the Facebook page.

 Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com

Support the show

There’s a big misunderstanding that the Bible isn’t too concerned with money.  The fact is, the Bible has a lot to say about money because the choices we make with money reflect what’s in our hearts.  James 2:1-13 shows us our bias for the rich and God's concern for the poor while redirecting our hearts from chasing money to loving people.

If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.

In fifteen minutes or less you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day.  It's a perfect way to get started!

In season four we are praying through some of the letters in the Bible.  in this episode we continue praying through James, one of the General Letters filled with practical teaching and wisdom.  At the same time, James' letter is very gospel-centered and today's section particularly shows links to Jesus and the Jewish Torah. 

James says in 2:1 “Don’t hold the faith of Jesus Christ with partiality.”   This idea actually comes from Torah.  Leviticus 19:15 says, “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich, but judge your neighbor fairly.”  That one verse hits all the points that James talks about in 2:1-13.  

 We as humans are very concerned with money and we let it warp our character.  We pursue it and we give honor to those who have more than us.  God is concerned with money not because he needs it or because he shares our values, but because he wants to use it to train our character.  God’s bigger concern is: do you value people or money most?  James returns to the Torah, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.  I am Yahweh.”  Lev 19:18   That was something Jesus stressed in his ministry, and James repeats it here.  In fact, if you go back to Matthew 5 (the first part of the Sermon on the Mount), James is basically anchoring all of his instruction in Jesus' core teachings. 

Are you biased toward the rich and against the poor?  Most of us don't think we are, but James says we need to get real.   Have you internalized the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself?  Spend time meditating on what you're heard/read from his word.  James emphasizes being a doer of the word, not just a hearer. 

We are using the letters to grow closer to God in season four.  We can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture we cover, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process.  You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.

If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 .   You can find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.

We have a book on Matthew 1-7 that goes more in-depth into the Sermon on the Mount and Matthew 5.  It's called Journey with Jesus: Praying Your Way through Matthew's Gospel on Amazon (or ebook on Kindle). 

 Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com

Support the show

When gifts are being given out, who doesn’t want to receive a gift?!  God is the great giver of gifts and he has something special in store for you.  James 1:17-27 emphasizes that God gives good gifts, and one of his great gifts is wisdom which is ours for the asking.  True wisdom is shown by doing the word and not just hearing it.

If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.

In fifteen minutes or less you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day.  It's a perfect way to get started!

In season four we are praying through some of the letters in the Bible.  We are praying through James, one of the General Letters filled with practical teaching and wisdom.  Like the Proverbs and wisdom Psalms, James makes us think deeper about our faith and also challenges us to act on our insights. 

We mentioned in the last episode that James 1 reads like an index of topics for the rest of the letter.  Wisdom and action are highlighted in our verses today, but we also get mention of words and phrases that James will elaborate further in his letter:  faith (ch 2), wisdom (ch 3, 5), rich and poor (ch 2, 4), trials/test/temptation (ch 5), the tongue (ch 3), and speech and action (ch 2, 4).

Where do you need wisdom?  Have you asked God for it yet?  Spend time meditating on what you're heard/read from his word and examine your heart to see if you are receiving his truth humbly.  James emphasizes being a doer of the word, not just a hearer.  He uses the vivid image of someone looking at themselves in a mirror to drive home the point. 

We are using the letters to grow closer to God in season four.  We can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture we cover, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process.  You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.

If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 .  Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word.   You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.

We have a course on Philemon and Colossians for in-depth Bible study called "Christ Supreme".  If you are interested in going deeper, check out the links on our website or the Facebook page.

 Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com

Support the show