THE BIBLE: GOD’S WORD STEP 1: READ IT! STEP 2: UNDERSTAND IT! THE GOOD NEWS Let’s Review…

Step 1: Read it! Step 3: Live it!

Step 3: Live it! All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. John 14:15 - If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

James 1: But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 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. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

James 1: If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

v. 22 Main Point: Be a reader, listener, AND a doer of God’s Word! But be doers of the word, and not hearers only…

v. 22 Don’t deceive yourself! But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Can you remember? What was the duck holding?  A Purple camera What color was the mushroom-house?  Brown and red What animal was standing next to that mushroom- house?  A Cow What color bow tie is the duck wearing?  Red

v. 22 Don’t deceive yourself! Illustration  23 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. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

v. 22 Don’t deceive yourself! How is one deceived?  Hearing but forgetting right away  Finding comfort in just hearing  Being satisfied with just identifying the problems and not fixing them  Knowing but never applying – Thinking head knowledge is the goal You’re deceived because what you think is helpful is actually pointless Camp – Don’t deceive yourself But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

v. 25 Instead, look AND do! Illustration – Man and the mirror  We see our blemishes  But seeing doesn’t fix them  The doer is blessed First, we gotta look in scripture It will shows us our blemishes  But simply seeing them doesn’t help us  We’ve gotta do something about ‘em Then we do what it says! But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

v. 25 Doers are blessed Hearers only deceive themselves  He only thinks it’s doing him good. But He’s wasting his time Doers are blessed, because the Word actually makes a difference in their life  “… a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

v James’ Example:  Controlling what we say  Helping others in need  To keep pure from the sinful things that the world offers us Hearing only – Worthless. Deceives himself Doer – Worth it. Made a difference 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Will you deceive yourself? Will this whole week of camp be useless, or will it make a difference in your life? Will the the Bible remain useless to you, or will you becoming a doer of the Word and be blessed by it?

How can we apply what we’ve learned this week?

STEP 1: READ IT! STEP 2: UNDERSTAND IT! STEP 3: IT! 3-Step-Method