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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. James 2:1

Read: James 2:1
Listen: James 2

TODAY’S MESSAGE

James anchors his instruction on favoritism on a specific word. It’s a familiar word, but one we may not associate with showing favoritism. The word is “glory” and James uses it to describe Jesus. The most basic definition of glory is “heavy” or “weighty,” meaning something or someone that is significant. In using it to describe Jesus, James means that Jesus is the most significant. Nothing can compare to his brilliance or majesty. James ties this to favoritism because when we show favoritism, we are focusing on our glory or significance instead of Jesus’s.

When we show favoritism, we try to gain significance (status, importance, credibility) through someone we think is significant. In those moments, it becomes about us, not Jesus. But when we treat people well who are vulnerable or who are otherwise on the outside, we do it not for our glory, but for the glory of God. When we focus on the glory of Jesus, our desire to compare ourselves to others, and attach ourselves to someone with more glory than us, becomes insignificant and pointless. When we center our thoughts on his infinite worth and glory, all comparison and favoritism will fade away.

TODAY: Join Ada Bible Church’s worship team as they sing “Been So Good.” Meditating on these lyrics will help you focus on Jesus and remind you of his incomparable value and worth: “I call you Savior, for the blood that washed me clean, for the wrongs that you’ve redeemed. And I know you’re able, and my eyes don’t have to see, one more reason to believe.”

JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Read Luke 21. Highlight anything that refers to the Old Testament and how Jesus fulfills it. Note how Jesus talks about the coming of the Son of Man and the Old Testament passages he is pointing to.

Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.