Day 351: Draw Near to God (2025)
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What is the significance of drawing near to God?
Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the graded intro Bible timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 351, and we are reading the conclusion of James, which is actually three chapters. James 3, 4, and 5. We're also reading the beginning of St. Paul's letter to the Colossians, chapters 1 and 2, and the book of Proverbs, chapter 30, verses 7 through 9. As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.
I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in-ear reading plan, as I said, I think yesterday, to tick off those last few days, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in-ear. You can also subscribe to this podcast, or you can stick to your guns and stay unsubscribed. and say i made it through the entire year and didn't subscribe once i don't care what father mike asked me to do i don't care a bit just kidding it is day 351 and we're reading james chapters 3 4 and 5 colossians letter of saint paul to colossians chapters 1 and 2 as well as the book of proverbs chapter 30 verses 7 through 9 The letter of James chapter three, taming the tongue. Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness.
For we all make many mistakes. And if anyone makes no mistakes in what he says, he's a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. If we put bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Look at the ships also. Though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, a reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind.
But no human being can tame the tongue, a restless evil full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so." Does a spring put forth from the same opening fresh water and brackish? Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh. Two kinds of wisdom. Who is wise in understanding among you? By his good life let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits without uncertainty or insincerity. And the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Chapter 4 Friendship with the World What causes wars and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have, so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions. Unfaithful creatures, 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. Or do you suppose it is in vain that the scripture says, he yearns jealously over the spirit which he has made to dwell in us.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the significance of drawing near to God?
0:04–5:18
2
How does wealth affect our relationship with God?
5:18–14:50
3
What wisdom does James offer about taming the tongue?
14:50–17:06
4
What does friendship with the world mean according to James?
17:06–21:15
5
How can we resist the devil and draw near to God?
21:15–26:06