Week 27 — Abiding and the Word We Practice| Alex Spry

Week 27 — Abiding and the Word We Practice| Alex Spry | James 1:22–25

Full Sunday Morning Bible Class including; lesson of the day, discussions, questions and answers. Speaker: Bro. Alex Spry

Tension: Hearing the Word vs. doing the Word

Formation Outcome: Practiced obedience

Grounding Questions:

•Why is it easier to listen to biblical teaching than to practice it consistently?

•What is one area where you already know what Scripture says, but obedience is still difficult?

Expository Teaching:

James writes with pastoral directness:

“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

This passage confronts a common spiritual danger: mistaking exposure to truth for obedience to truth.

A person may hear sermons, attend Bible class, read devotionals, and discuss Scripture — yet remain unchanged if the Word is never practiced. James says this kind of hearing can become self-deception. The danger is not ignorance; it is familiarity without follow-through.

James compares the hearer-only to a person who looks in a mirror and then walks away forgetting what they saw. The Word reveals reality. It shows us who we are, where we are misaligned, and what needs correction. But if we walk away without responding, we treat revelation as information rather than invitation.

The “doer who acts” is different. This person looks into the perfect law of liberty and perseveres. Obedience is not a quick emotional response; it is sustained practice.

This connects deeply to abiding. Jesus says His words are to abide in us. James shows what happens when the Word not only enters the ear but governs the life.

The tension is between a faith that knows and a faith that does.

Abiding requires more than receiving the Word. It requires remaining under the Word long enough for it to shape action.

Group Discussion Questions:

•What does James mean by deceiving ourselves?

•Why is the mirror image effective for describing the Word?

•How can Bible knowledge become spiritually dangerous if it does not become obedience?

•What is one practical step you can take this week to become a doer of a specific biblical command?

MacDonald Ave Church of Christ, Richmond, CA Sunday Morning Bible Class Jul 12, 2026 (Rev.1)

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