Knowing Isn’t Enough | James 1:22

Devotional

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

Have you ever learned something you knew would improve your life, only to never put it into practice?

We do this more often than we’d like to admit. We collect information, but information alone doesn’t change us.

Just because someone owns a workout program or researches the best exercises for muscle growth doesn’t mean they are going to be fit. In the same way, just because someone reads the Bible, it doesn’t mean that they are automatically going to be spiritually mature.

James 1:22 tells us that hearing the word means nothing without action. James later expands on this idea by reminding us that faith without works is dead. Our works don’t earn salvation, but genuine faith produces a changed life.

The two were never meant to be separated.

We learn about what it means to be a true Christian from Paul in Romans chapter 12. There are many people who could recite much of that chapter from memory. Does that, by itself, make them a true Christian? No. Those truths must also shape the way they live.

In the same way that faith without works is dead, so is buying lifting programs and researching exercises without action. Research has value. Good programs have value. But none of it changes us until we put it into practice.

As we read through our devotional and read through the Bible, it’s important that we read with the intent to apply it to our lives. When I started ChristianLifter, it was intended to be a way for me to focus more on the verses I was reading. Whether 100 people read a post or 0 people read a post, it helps me stay focused.

As I read every verse, I think about how it applies to my own life. My Bible went from almost no highlights to being filled with them. The Bible is full of wisdom and this wisdom is intended to be lived.

As we open God’s Word this week, let’s read with the intention of obeying it. Knowledge informs us, but obedience transforms us. Be doers of the Word.

Workout

This week really brought back our push for strength, as we maintain our conditioning. This will be a tough week with heavy sets as well as exhausting circuits. Putting these together will be a challenge, but it will be worth it in the end.

By the time we hit leg day, we’ll be pushing squats very heavy. It will be the first day without a circuit in well over a month, so get ready for an unexpected shift.

You’ll notice the trends and the explanations to why we are doing what we do, but like James says we must act on them. Understanding why we vary the training and select certain exercises doesn’t matter if we never put in the work.

Let’s be doers of the Word and doers in the gym. Faith calls us to obedience, and growth requires action. Now let’s get to work.

Day One (circuit):

4 rounds, if you track HR, aim for 160-180 bpm throughout the circuit

Warmup with light 500m row

• Rowing Machine: 500m

• KB Swings: 15 reps

• KB Goblet Squats: 10 reps

• Dips: 12 reps

• Pull-ups: 8

Day Two (push):

Strength

1. Bench Press - 4x10

2. DB Shoulder Press - 3x10

Conditioning (3 rounds)

• Weighted Dips (12)

• Tricep Push-downs (12)

• Ab Wheel (12)

Day Three (pull):

Strength

1. Seal or Chest-supported Row - 3x8

2. Weighted Pull-up - 3x10

Conditioning (3 rounds)

• Wide-grip Pulldowns (12)

• DB Curls (12)

• Weighted Back Extensions (12)

Finish with DB curls to failure

Day Four (legs):

1. Barbell Squat - 5x5

2. Barbell RDL - 3x8

3. Nordic Curls - 3x8

4. Ab Rollout - 3x12