Our text today is James 1: 18- 27.  The central theme of James is perfection through trials and testing of faith.  How is that faith tested?  It's tested by the attitude toward God's Word.  His Will brings us forth out of lust, sin and death.  That transformation takes place through the the response to the word of Truth, the gospel.  In light of this, the lesson today is based on a sermon from Homer Hailey preached many times across the country from 1939 on..

1)  SWIFT TO HEAR - A QUICK EAR
     A.  Hear, receive and act upon  John 6: 44-45; Rev 1:3
     B.  Swift to hear God when He speaks
          1.  Faith comes from hearing Rom 10:17
          2.  Light is through the word Psa. 119:130; Psa 119:11, 105
          3.  Food for life 1 Pet. 2: 1-2; Heb 5:13
          4.  Summation?  Be a good listener  Eccl 5:1

2)  SLOW TO SPEAK - A CAUTIOUS TONGUE
     A.  Slow to reply against God Rom 9:20
     B.  Slow to vow unto God, make sure you can fulfill it  Eccl 5: 2-6
     C.  Slow to speak as a teacher  Jas 3:1
     D.  Slow to express a hasty judgment, one quickly formed  Matt 7:1-5, Jas 4: 11-12
     E.  Slow to speak (so as to cause) anger. Prov 15: 1; or when speech sows discord, Prov. 6: 16-19

3)  SLOW TO WRATH - A CALM TEMPER
     A.  Be not angry {when God speaks} at what God teaches or demands, but have a righteous indignation
          toward sin.  Mark 3:5
     B.  When one loses his temper, he works not the righteousness of God: examples, Moses, Psa 106:32-33
     C.  Anger leads to hatred, Matt 5: 21-22; {be} angry and sin not, Eph 4: 26-27

4)  PUT AWAY SIN - RECEIVE THE IMPLANTED WORD - HAVE A PURE HEART
     A.  Only those {of pure heart} shall see God, Matt 5:8
     B.  The word of God cannot dwell in a wicked heart, Col 3: 15-17; 1 Pet. 2:11
     C.  With meekness {being} teachable, submit to its teaching; word can only save as lead by it.

5)  BE A DOER OF THE WORD, NOT A HEARER ONLY V. 22; JOHN 1 : 17
     A.  The purpose of study and learning is to aid in living the teaching of Christ.  Illustration  Matt 7: 21-27
          Too many are only nominal hearers, like the rock and thorny ground hearers, Matt 13: 20 - 22.
     B.  James illustration: looking into a mirror, beholds {face} and forgets, or peers into and acts.
          One looks at self, another at others, v. 23-25

6)   BE ON GUARD AGAINST SELF-DECEIT
     A.  Easy to deceive oneself by words, v. 26 
     B.  The power of deceit is indicated, Jas. 1: 16; Heb. 3: 12-15

7)  MAKE RELIGION A LIFE, NOT A RITUAL, V. 27.
     A.  Religion: "external observance of public worship"- Robinson.
     B.  Positive: visiting, doing good, orphans homes as conducted by brethren does not fulfill, v 27
     C.  Negative: {keep} unspotted from the world

Conclusion:  Here faith is tested; but as one meets the test he attains perfection, completeness