Growing Up in Faith: Maturity Through Action

Devotional

Day 1: Be Careful With How You Handle Anger

Anger is a natural emotion, but how we respond to it reveals much about our spiritual maturity. Scripture urges us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Often, we justify our anger as “righteous,” but we must remember that only God is truly righteous and just. Instead of letting anger control us, we are called to trust God with our frustrations and allow His Spirit to guide our responses. Practicing self-control in moments of anger not only honors God but also helps us grow in Christlikeness. [15:09]

James 1:19-20 (ESV)
"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

Reflection: When was the last time you felt justified in your anger? How might you respond differently today by choosing to listen first and trust God with your feelings?

Day 2: Put Away the Old Self and Receive God’s Word

Spiritual growth requires us to actively remove the remnants of sin from our lives, much like taking off dirty clothes after a long day’s work. Even after we say yes to Jesus, there can be “leftover” habits or attitudes that cling to us. God calls us to put away all filthiness and wickedness and to humbly receive His implanted word, which has the power to save and transform us. This means being teachable, submissive to God’s truth, and allowing His Spirit to work in us from the inside out, making us new in every part of our lives. [19:49]

James 1:21 (ESV)
"Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

Reflection: What “leftover” attitudes or habits do you need to put away today so that God’s word can take deeper root in your life?

Day 3: Be Doers of the Word, Not Hearers Only

It is not enough to simply hear God’s word; true faith is demonstrated by putting it into action. Like someone who looks in a mirror and immediately forgets their reflection, we can easily hear the truth but fail to let it change us. God desires that we persevere in living out His word, letting the gospel shape our daily choices and actions. When we move from knowledge to obedience, we experience the blessing of a life transformed by Christ and make a real impact in the world around us. [23:46]

James 1:22-25 (ESV)
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 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. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 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."

Reflection: What is one specific way you can put God’s word into action today, rather than just hearing it?

Day 4: True Religion Is Shown by Controlling the Tongue and Loving Others

Religious activity is empty if it does not lead to real change in how we speak and how we care for others. God values a faith that is pure on the inside and expressed outwardly through self-control and compassion. Controlling our words is a sign of maturity, and loving those who are vulnerable—like orphans and widows—demonstrates the heart of true religion. Our faith is meant to overflow in practical acts of love and service, showing the world the character of Christ through our actions and speech. [32:26]

James 1:26-27 (ESV)
"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 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."

Reflection: Who is someone in your life today who needs encouragement or care? How can you use your words and actions to show them Christ’s love?

Day 5: Growing Up in Christ Means Living Out Our Faith in Community

Spiritual maturity is not just an individual pursuit; it happens as we engage in relationships and serve together in the body of Christ. God calls us to move beyond being passive listeners to active participants in His family, building meaningful connections and looking for ways to serve others. Whether it’s joining a ministry team, reaching out to someone who feels alone, or stepping into a new group, growing up in Christ means showing up, loving well, and letting our faith make a difference in the lives of those around us. [35:10]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Reflection: What is one step you can take this week to build deeper relationships or serve others in your church community?

Sermon Summary

Growing up, many of us remember the warnings and advice our mothers gave us—some rooted in deep wisdom, others perhaps less so. But behind every warning was a desire for us to grow, not just physically, but in maturity, character, and spirit. In the same way, Jesus desires for his followers to grow up in him, to mature in faith and action. The first chapter of James offers three essential warnings that guide us toward this spiritual maturity.

First, we are called to be careful with how we handle anger. James urges us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. While anger is a natural emotion, it rarely produces the righteousness God desires. Too often, what we call “righteous anger” is really just our own sense of being wronged. Instead, we are to put away the remnants of sin in our lives, receiving God’s word with a teachable and submissive heart, allowing it to transform us from the inside out.

Second, James warns us not to be hearers only, but doers of the word. It’s easy to listen to God’s truth and even agree with it, but if we don’t put it into practice, we deceive ourselves. Like someone who looks in a mirror and immediately forgets their reflection, we can hear God’s word and walk away unchanged. True wisdom is not just knowing what is right, but living it out—serving, loving, and acting in ways that reflect the gospel.

Finally, James challenges us to redefine what it means to be “religious.” It’s not about outward rituals or technical acts of worship, but about bridling our tongues, caring for the vulnerable, and keeping ourselves unstained by the world. Real faith is demonstrated in practical love—visiting orphans and widows, serving those in need, and building genuine relationships within the church family. This is the kind of religion that is pure and undefiled before God.

Just as our mothers long for us to grow up and live wisely, Jesus calls us to mature in faith, to let his word take root in our lives, and to become doers who reflect his love and character in the world.

Key Takeaways

1. True spiritual maturity requires us to handle anger with great care. While it’s easy to justify our anger as “righteous,” James reminds us that human anger rarely produces God’s righteousness. Instead, we are called to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, trusting God with our emotions and allowing his word to shape our responses. [16:33]
2. The process of spiritual growth involves actively putting away the remnants of sin in our lives. James uses the imagery of changing out of dirty clothes to describe how we must intentionally remove not just obvious sins, but even the lingering “leftovers” that cling to us. This requires humility and a willingness to let God’s word take root, transforming us from the inside out. [19:49]
3. Hearing God’s word is not enough; we must also be doers. Knowledge alone does not lead to transformation—wisdom is found in living out what we know to be true. Like looking in a mirror and forgetting our reflection, we risk self-deception if we fail to act on God’s truth. Real faith is demonstrated in consistent, practical obedience. [23:46]
4. Genuine faith is not measured by outward religious activity, but by the control of our words and the love we show to others. James teaches that if we cannot bridle our tongues, our religion is worthless. The discipline of speech is a sign of deeper self-control and spiritual maturity, impacting every area of our lives. [30:14]
5. Pure and undefiled religion is marked by practical love for the vulnerable and a commitment to personal holiness. Caring for orphans and widows, serving those in need, and building authentic relationships within the church are tangible expressions of a faith that has been transformed by God’s love. This is the kind of faith that pleases God and changes the world. [32:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:00] - Wisdom in Motherly Warnings
[03:31] - Jesus’ Desire for Our Growth
[05:10] - Introduction to James 1:19-27
[07:00] - Warning 1: Handling Anger
[11:05] - Listening to God’s Word
[15:09] - The Danger of Righteous Anger
[16:33] - Trusting God with Our Emotions
[19:49] - Putting Away Leftover Sin
[22:43] - Warning 2: Be Doers, Not Just Hearers
[23:46] - The Mirror of God’s Word
[26:55] - Serving in Practical Ways
[30:14] - Warning 3: Real Religion and the Tongue
[32:26] - Pure Religion: Loving the Vulnerable
[35:10] - Building Relationships in the Church
[37:00] - Growing Up in Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

James 1:19-27 (ESV) — > 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 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. 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.

Observation Questions

According to James, what are the three things we are supposed to be when it comes to listening, speaking, and anger? (v.19)
What does James compare someone to who hears the word but doesn’t do it? (v.23-24)
What does James say is the mark of “pure and undefiled” religion before God? (v.27)
In the sermon, what example did the pastor give about “leftover” or “remnant” sin, and how did he describe getting rid of it? [19:49]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think James puts so much emphasis on being “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger”? How does this relate to spiritual maturity? [11:05]
The sermon mentioned that “righteous anger” is often just us feeling wronged. Why is it so hard to trust God with our anger instead of acting on it ourselves? [16:33]
What does it mean to “receive with meekness the implanted word”? How is this different from just hearing a sermon or reading the Bible? [19:49]
Why does James say that controlling our tongue is so important for our faith? What does this reveal about the connection between our words and our spiritual life? [30:14]

Application Questions

Think about a recent time when you got angry. Were you “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry”? If not, what could you have done differently in that moment? [11:05]
The sermon talked about “leftover” sin that clings to us, like dirty clothes. Is there a specific habit or attitude in your life that you know you need to “take off” or get rid of? What’s one step you can take this week to address it? [19:49]
James warns us not to just listen to God’s word but to actually do it. Is there something you’ve heard from God recently that you haven’t acted on yet? What’s holding you back? [23:46]
The pastor gave examples of practical ways to serve—like helping with VBS, Shelter of Hope, or the Care Ministry. Is there a way you feel called to serve someone in need right now? What’s one action you can take this month? [26:55]
James says that real religion is about controlling our words and caring for the vulnerable. Is there a relationship in your life where you need to be more careful with your words? What would it look like to “bridle your tongue” in that situation? [30:14]
The sermon mentioned building genuine relationships in the church family. Are you connected to others here, or do you feel isolated? What’s one step you could take to build deeper relationships in our church? [35:10]
Just as our mothers want us to grow up, Jesus wants us to mature in faith. What does “growing up in Christ” look like for you right now? Is there an area where you sense God is calling you to take a next step? [37:00]

Sermon Clips

We need to be slow to speak and quick to listen so that we can be slow to anger, so we can deal carefully with our anger. It's one of those things, you know, anger is an emotion sometimes. Look, we're going to feel the way we feel. It just depends. What matters is how we handle those emotions. [00:11:38] (22 seconds) Edit Clip

We stand as guilty as whoever is the target of our anger, but God, He doesn't.You know, it's why Jesus warned, hey, when you start looking at somebody else's sin, you might want to get the log out of your own eye before you deal with the speck in your brother's eye.We stand just as guilty as those we're accusing, as we have this right to be angry with. [00:15:56] (24 seconds) Edit Clip

We can trust Him, God, with anger. His character allows this, ours doesn't.Man, trust me, I am at the head of the line.I'm first one in the line here. My character can't handle the anger. I've got to be really careful with how I deal with anger, right? I can get to that place where I'm right, and they've wronged me, and I have got to be really careful in those moments, what I say and what I do next. [00:16:22] (30 seconds) Edit Clip

But be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves for if anyone is a hearer of the word not a doer he is like a man who has looked intently at his natural face in the mirror for he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like 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. [00:04:53] (29 seconds) Edit Clip

He says religion that is pure and undefiled, that pure is inward, right? So it's got to make a change in our heart. It's got to make a change inside of us, undefiled is that outside.So when it changes us on the inside, it's going to change the way we act on the outside. [00:32:55] (20 seconds) Edit Clip

Before God the Father, this is what real religion looks like, to visit orphans and widows in their affliction. That to look after is really what that means, to visit, to look after, to care for, to love. To love these people who maybe we would describe as the least of these. [00:33:15] (19 seconds) Edit Clip

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