“Do not merely 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 someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”
James 1:22-25
Read Luke 11:28
Friday, October 9th, 2026
Devotional written by Elaina Pastor, Children’s Pastor
Following and Obeying Scripture
Have you ever seen a picture of a yummy recipe and felt inspired to make it? But then you get ready to head to the store and realize how many ingredients you need to buy and how many steps the recipe takes. Suddenly, heading out to In & Out sounds much easier. Reading a recipe and actually making the dish are two very different things.
The same idea applies to the Bible. We can read our Bible, highlight our favorite verses, and make notes in the margins, but God’s Word is not meant to just sit in our minds. It is meant to change our hearts and shape the way we live.
Each week in Calvary Kids, we dive into stories from the Bible that teach us about kindness, forgiveness, telling the truth, and loving others. A child can hear the story one minute and be arguing over who gets to be first in line the next. Knowing what is right and actually doing it are two different things. That’s true for us as adults too.
In our passage today, James describes someone who hears God’s Word but doesn’t put it into practice. The Bible isn’t supposed to just give us information. It is supposed to show us what needs to change in our lives. Our supporting passage in Luke also connects hearing God’s Word with obeying it.
Reading Scripture is important. Memorizing Scripture is important. Studying Scripture is important. But as we do these things, we need to ask ourselves, “How will I put what I just read into practice?”
When we read a passage about being kind and compassionate to one another, putting it into practice might mean forgiving someone who hurt us. Or when we read about loving our neighbors as ourselves, it might mean stepping outside our comfort zone at church, introducing ourselves to someone new, and inviting them to sit with us.
When you read your Bible, ask yourself what it is teaching you. What needs to change in your life, and what will you do about it? This weekend, choose a passage you have read recently or are reading now and ask, “What is one thing I can do because this is true?” Then put your answer into action.
Remember, we don’t obey Scripture to earn God’s love. We obey and apply Scripture because we already have His love. Let’s not be Christians who just know God’s Word. Let’s be Christians whose lives show it!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank you for Your Word. Help Your Word guide us, teach us, encourage us, and show us how to live. Help us not just read Your Word but instead to obey Your Word. Help us to put into action what the Bible tells us. Help us become more like You every day. In Your mighty name I pray, Amen.