WEEKLY COMIC: Before there were lawyers...

THIS WEEK: Study James, Chapter 5

This week (February 27 thru March 5), please study James, chapter 5.

If you want to read the chapter online, click here. (Free website Biblegateway.Com)

Click here to download an MP3 of the chapter.

If you'd like to read a commentary on the chapter, click here. (Free website, BibleGateway.Com)

If you want to download the puzzle for this week, click here.

Study Tip: This is our last week of new material for the season.  From here on out it'll be review, review, review.  Take the time to learn this material so you can finish strong.  Going back and learning after the fact is always harder than taking it on week by week.  
     
Upcoming Events:
- Districts in Dallas, PA - March 28-29

MOVIE TRAILER: God's NOT Dead

We haven't see this yet, so can't endorse it.  But it surely looks interesting.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Heart Runs

SCOREBOARD: Practice 2/19/2014

REFERENCE QUESTIONS: James 4

Remember, the full list of Reference Questions can always be found in the sidebar or at this link.

QUESTION:  According to James 4:4, do you not know what?
ANSWER:  That friendship with the world is enmity with God? (cf Rom 6:3, 16; 7:1; 11:2; Jam 4:4)

QUESTION:  According to James 4:5, Scripture says what?
ANSWER:  “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us” (cf Rom 9:17; 10:11; 11:3; Jam 4:5, 6)

QUESTION:  According to James 4:6, Scripture says what?
ANSWER:  “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (cf Rom 9:17; 10:11; 11:3; Jam 4:5, 6)

QUESTION:  According to James 4:12, who are you to do what?
ANSWER:  Judge your neighbor? (cf Rom 9:20; 14:4; Jam 4:12)

FINISH THE VERSE: James 4

Remember, the full list of FTV's can always be found at this link. The // in the verse marks the minimum number of words you need from the FTV to uniquely identify it.

QUESTION:  Who causes // quarrels...
ANSWER:  ... and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? (James 4:1)

QUESTION:  You // adulterous people!
ANSWER:  ...Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4)

QUESTION:  Submit // yourselves therefore...
ANSWER:  ...to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)


QUESTION:  Humble // yourselves...
ANSWER:  ...before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:10)

QUESTION:  So whoever // knows...
ANSWER:  ...the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:17)

WEEKLY COMIC: D-Fence! D-Fence!

THIS WEEK: Study James, Chapter 4

This week (February 20 thru February 26), please study James, chapter 4.

If you want to read the chapter online, click here. (Free website Biblegateway.Com)

Click here to download an MP3 of the chapter.

If you'd like to read a commentary on the chapter, click here. (Free website, BibleGateway.Com)

If you want to download the puzzle for this week, click here.

Study Tip: Do read through the text of scripture and find at the end that you know barely more than you did at the beginning? Do you envy those who can read it once, and be able to quiz effectively? Different people learn in different ways. Some people can do it by simply reading, others by listening. But you may be a learner who needs to really engage the text. Consider taking notes as you read - note down really interesting sections, questions that the text raises, notable phrases, etc. At the end, you will have applied not only your eyes but all the parts of your brain, and the learning may very well be far more effective. Oh, and don't forget to call, e-mail, or speak to the coaches, your parents, or the pastors to get the answers to those questions you had.
     
Upcoming Events:
- Districts in Dallas, PA - March 28-29

Welcome to the LAST halfway point of the season

This week marks the halfway point of James.  Take a moment and think about that one.  This is your last halfway point of the year, and your last chance to turn over a new leaf and focus to make a difference at Districts.  James is a short book with short chapters, but an expert on this "little" book could make the difference between a win and loss.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Grace

SCOREBOARD: Practice 2/12/2014

REFERENCE QUESTIONS: James 3

Remember, the full list of Reference Questions can always be found in the sidebar or at this link.

QUESTION:  According to James 3:1, you know what?
ANSWER:  That we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (cf Rom 13:11; Jam 1:3; 3:1)

QUESTION:  According to James 3:5, the tongue is what?
ANSWER:  A small member (yet it boasts of great things). (cf Jam 3:5, 6, 8)

QUESTION:  According to James 3:6, the tongue is what?
ANSWER:  A fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and is itself set on fire by hell. (cf Jam 3:5, 6, 8)

QUESTION:  According to James 3:8, the tongue is what?
ANSWER:  A restless evil, full of deadly poison. (cf Jam 3:5, 6,8)

REMINDER: No Bible Quiz Meet today

Just a reminder that today's Bible Quiz Meet has been cancelled due to the predicted snow.

FINISH THE VERSE: James 3

Remember, the full list of FTV's can always be found at this link. The // in the verse marks the minimum number of words you need from the FTV to uniquely identify it.

QUESTION:  Not many //of you...
ANSWER:  ...should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (James 3:1)

QUESTION:  For we // all stumble...
ANSWER:  ...in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. (James 3:2)

QUESTION:  With // it we bless...
ANSWER:  ...our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. (Jam 3:9-10)

QUESTION:  Who is // wise and understanding...
ANSWER:  ...among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. (James 3:13)


QUESTION:  But the // wisdom from above...
ANSWER:  ...is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. (James 3:17)

ALERT: BIBLE QUIZ MEET CANCELLED

Due to predictions of another few inches of snow falling at about the worst possible time for our schedule, tomorrow's Bible Quiz Meet has been cancelled.



Our next Quiz Meet will be Districts in Dallas, PA.

WEEKLY COMIC: FIGHT!

THIS WEEK: Study James, Chapter 3

This week (February 13 thru February 19), please study James, chapter 3.

If you want to read the chapter online, click here. (Free website Biblegateway.Com)

Click here to download an MP3 of the chapter.

If you'd like to read a commentary on the chapter, click here. (Free website, BibleGateway.Com)

If you want to download the puzzle for this week, click here.

Study Tip: It's cold out there and there is a lot of snow falling.  There are two ways to handle days like this:  (1)  get distracted and watch the snow fall or (2) use the extra indoor time to study up!  Districts is only about 6 weeks away, and this is your prime time to prepare.
     
Upcoming Events:
- February 15, CT Side Meet in Monroe, CT

QUESTION: Will you be there Saturday?!

This coming Saturday is the first Connecticut Only Bible Quiz Meet in Monroe, CT.  We'll be starting at 9:30 AM (please have breakfast before you come) and ending at noontime.  We'll be having some fun mixing things up a bit.  Please drive directly to Beacon Hill Church.

Please confer with your family today, so you can tell Coach Jim tonight whether or not you'll be able to come on Saturday.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Take Me Home

GETTING READY: How do Romans & James relate?

This was posted earlier in the year during the run-up to the season, but we'll be posting this "Getting Ready" series for James again to refresh your memory.

Romans and James are such different books, why are we studying them together?

It would be hard to imagine how the books of Romans and James could be much more different.  Different authors, different audiences, different emphases.  Some even argue they have different theologies!  (Martin Luther even once called James "a false gospel", in one of his grumpier moments.)  The only thing they have in common, it seems, is that they're both in the Bible!

But, really, Romans and James highlight the two inseparable sides of Christianity.

Romans has a focus on the grace of God.  Paul talks over and over about the fact that our salvation is a free gift, and that there was nothing in ourselves that made us worthy of Christ.  He highlights the fact that the Old Testament Law can't save anyone, which is why Jesus had to come and die and rise.  Romans takes our eyes off of ourselves and our own good deeds, and puts them onto God.

James, on the other hand, has a focus on what we do.  James agrees wholeheartedly that our works don't save us, but points out that such an amazing gift should spur us onto good works that will please our savior.  He challenges lazy or sinful Christians to examine themselves and start doing all the things Jesus commanded us to do.  James reminds us to remember while our eyes are on heaven, we're on mission on the Earth!

If you have Romans without James, you have happy Christians who are of no use to anyone.  If you James without Romans, you have busy Christians without any joy.  You need them both to be the men and women God called us to be.

GETTING READY: To whom was the Epistle of James written?

This was posted earlier in the year during the run-up to the season, but we'll be posting this "Getting Ready" series for James again to refresh your memory.

To whom was the epistle to the James written?

Like Romans, James is quite up-front about who he is writing to:

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.
James 1:1

Of course, "the twelve tribes in the Dispersion" is not exactly a phrase you hear every-day in 21st Century America.  So, let's take each piece by itself.

First, the "twelve tribes".  This is a common way for Jews of Jesus's time to talk about the descendants of Jacob.  Jacob had twelve sons whose descendants became 12 tribes who eventually conquered the whole land of Israel.  Genesis 49 does a good job of listing the 12 sons (although for complicated reasons, the 12 sons and 12 tribes don't always exactly match up).  The "twelve tribes" is shorthand for "all of the Jewish people."

Second, "the Dispersion".  In other translations, it says "the Diaspora" which you may have heard in history class.  Both words mean "the scattering".  Originally, all of the Jews on Earth were located in Israel.  Then came God's judgement in the form of Assyrian, Babylonian, and eventually Roman Empires.  Babylon, especially, had a policy of splitting up conquered peoples to different places to keep them from organizing into resistance.  So, by the time of Rome, the Jewish people were scattered - or dispersed - throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe.

So, "the twelve tribes in the Dispersion" roughly means "all of the Jewish people in all of the world."  And, from the context of the letter, we know he was talking to Jewish Christians, in the hope that one day all Jews would embrace Christ.

GETTING READY: Who wrote the Epistle of James?

This was posted earlier in the year during the run-up to the season, but we'll be posting this "Getting Ready" series for James again to refresh your memory.

Who wrote the epistle of James?

Like the book of Romans, the epistle of James starts off telling us right away who the author was:  "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ"  (James1:1 ESV).  But unlike Paul, there isn't only one known early church leader by this name!  Jesus had two disciples who went by the name James:  James, son of Zebedee (brother of John) and James, son of Alphaeus.  However, it is unlikely that either of these men wrote this letter.  James, son of Zebedee, died about 44 A.D while this letter came after 60 A.D.  And while James, son of Alphaeus, is mentioned as an apostle, he is never mentioned again in scripture after the gospels and is not known among the church fathers as a writer of letters.

So, who is this mysterious writer?  Well, there is one other James who was quite prominent in the Early Church, mentioned repeatedly by other writers of the New Testament:  James, brother of Jesus!

• Matthew 13:55 mentions James as Jesus's brother
• Paul visited James in Acts 21
• In 1 Corinthians 15:7, Paul confirms that Jesus appeared to James after the resurrection.
• In Galatians 1:19, Paul confirms his visit to James.
• In Galatians 2:9, Paul indicates he views James as a "pillar" of the church.
• In Jude 1:1, the writer - also believed to be a brother of Jesus - identifies himself as a "brother of James"

(If it's not obvious, technically James would be the adoptive or half-brother of Jesus.  His mother was Mary, but his father was Joseph and not God.)

In fact, early church fathers are united in identifying James the brother of Jesus as the writer of this book.  So, all of the evidence points in the same direction.  And it is rare even among modern scholars to find anyone who has a different view.

WEEKLY COMIC: He Paid It All

THIS WEEK: Review Romans 14-16, James1-2

This week (February 6 thru February 12), please review Romans 14-16 & James 1-2.

If you want to read the chapter online, click here. (Free website Biblegateway.Com)

If you need to download any review materials:

• Romans 14
• Romans 15
• Romans 16
• James 1
• James 2

Study Tip:  There aren't that many weeks left of Bible Quizzing for the year - Districts is March 29 - so we'll be facing more review weeks than usual.  Don't waste these times, as these are your "second chances" for past chapters.  We can all use extra review of the names in Romans 16, for one.  And if you feel strong on the other chapters listed here, take the time to find one chapter from the past and focus exclusively on that.  (*COUGH*  Romans 6 *COUGH*)

Upcoming Events:
- February 15, CT Side Meet in Monroe, CT

NO PRACTICE TONIGHT

If you've looked outside today, it probably comes as no shock that Bible Quiz Team Practice is CANCELLED for tonight.  Stay in, stay dry, stay warm!

For next week, please review James 1 and 2.  We'll be quizzing next Wednesday on what we would have quizzed on tonight.  And don't forget we have a Quiz Meet coming up next weekend in Monroe!

SCOREBOARD: Practice 1/28/2014

Now that Midwinter is over, totals are resetting for the run-up to Districts.  This is your chance to move up in the standings!

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Broken Together

PHOTOS: Pictures from Midwinter!

Congratulations again on your Third Place win at Midwinter, team!  The photos from both Coach Mark and Coach Matt are up and ready for your enjoyment.  Click on the images below for the whole set.

Coach Mark:


Coach Matt:

REFERENCE QUESTIONS: James 2

Remember, the full list of Reference Questions can always be found in the sidebar or at this link.

QUESTION:  According to James 2:5, he has promised what to those who love him?
ANSWER:  The kingdom. (cf Jam 1:12)

QUESTION:  According to James 2:17, what is dead?
ANSWER:  Faith by itself, if it does not have works. (cf Rom 8:10; Jas 2:17, 26)

QUESTION:  According to James 2:20, faith apart from works is what?
ANSWER:  Useless. (cf Jam 2:26)

QUESTION:  According to James 2:22, you see what?
ANSWER:  That faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works. (cf Jam 2:24)

QUESTION:  According to James 2:24, you see what?
ANSWER:  That a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. (cf Jam 2:22)

QUESTION:  According to James 2:26, faith apart from works is what?

ANSWER:  Dead. (cf Jam 2:20)

FINISH THE VERSE: James 2

Remember, the full list of FTV's can always be found at this link. The // in the verse marks the minimum number of words you need from the FTV to uniquely identify it.

QUESTION:  My brothers, show // no partiality...
ANSWER:  ...as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. (James 2:1)

QUESTION:  For whoever // keeps the whole law...
ANSWER:  ...but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. (James 2:10)

QUESTION:  For judgement // is without mercy...
ANSWER:  ...to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy tri- umphs over judgment. (James 2:13)


QUESTION:  For as // the body...
ANSWER:  ...apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (James 2:26)