1. DRAW NEAR: RECEIVE AND DO THE TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD

2. James 1:21-27: “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely

3. listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a

4. man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks

5. intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. If

6. anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that

7. God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

8. I. HEAR THE MESSAGE OF THE WORD WITH HUMILITY.

9. If we are to draw near to God we must read the Word with humility.

10. II. REFLECT ON WHAT IT MEANS IN YOUR LIFE.

11. Jesus described it like this, “They honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.”

12. James gives us three examples in verse 26 to use to test our relationship with God:

13. 1) Anyone who has an unbridled tongue cannot be close to God.

14. 2) Anyone who is not generous in helping those who are needy: poor, widows, orphans cannot be close to God.

15. 3) Anyone who is living a morally impure life cannot be close to God.

16. We are to plant the Word in our lives.

17. III. DO THE NEEDED CHANGES THAT ARE REVEALED TO YOU.

18. Matthew 22:29-“You err because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”

19. Mirrors show us exactly what we look like. So does the Bible. The question is what are you going to do with what it reveals?