1:20 for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God.

1:21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness,
receive with humility the implanted word,
which is able to save your souls{or, preserve your life.}.

1:22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.
 

1:23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer,
he is like a man beholding his natural face in a mirror;
 

1:24 for he sees himself, and goes away,
and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law,
the law of freedom, and continues,
not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work,
this man will be blessed in what he does.

1:26 If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn't bridle his tongue,
but deceives his heart, this man's religion is worthless.

1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this:
 

to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

(Here's one for your non-Christian friends: If God wrote a book, would you read it? How well you read it?)
What techniques and disciplines might you recommend to help others to listen to God better?
What aspects of the Christian life do you find require exercising alot of patience?

vs 22-25 Can one be a doer of the Word without listening to it regularly?
Is reading the Bible once through in a lifetime sufficient?
What difficulties have you run into in your study of the Bible when you try and derive applications from the Bible?

vs 26 What are examples of not keeping a tight reign on one's tongue?

vs 27 Of the two things mentioned here that constitute an acceptable practice of one's religion, which of these two do you run into more frequently?
Living in a rich country, though there are many spiritually needy, one has to make some effort to find those who are legitimately physically needy. Might it be more appropriate to consider more important the needs of those Christians in other countries who are much more needy than those here? Or how are you practicing vs 27?
What things in the world tend to pollute us?
So how do we keep ourselves from being polluted by such?

Matt 5:22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, 'is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Pr 17:27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

Pr 10:19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips [is] wise.

Pr 18:13 He who answers before listening-- that is his folly and his shame.

Ec 7:9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

vs 21

1Th 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

Rom 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

vs 22-23

Matt 7:24-27 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Mt 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

vs 25

Ps 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

Ps 119:45 I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.

Ga 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

vs 26-27

Matt 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

1Ti 5:4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.

Jas 4:4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

vs 20 A righteous lifestyle is not revealed nor obtained by being quick tempered. Maturity takes longsuffering and patience, trusting in God's sovereignty and ultimate goodness.

vs 21 It is characteristic of saving faith to take action against one's own sinfulness. It is not simply a mental agreement with ideas, but an application oriented faith. It takes humility to act on God's Word. Humility and submission go hand in hand.

vs 22 In contrast to verse 19, although one should be quick to listen, listening alone does not encompass the Christian life. The Christian life is not simply going to a building once a week to listen to a lecture. If one is not deriving their life from the Bible, then such a person is deceived if they consider themselves a "believer". Though faith in works is not Biblical faith, neither is faith without action Biblical faith. But in accordance with verse 19 it should be an action born of a careful consideration of the Word of God and not simply things done on a whim.

vs 23-25 One is reminded also of Jesus' parable of the wise man's foundation in which a wise man built his house on the rock and the fool on the sand. These are likened to those who apply God's word and those who don't. James likens this foolish man to one who looks in a mirror but immediately forgets what he looks like. But how can that be? He didn't look intently. He probably had his mind on other things. Hearing the Word of God can be like that. If we don't hear or read intently with an application oriented mindset, we may not benefit from it.

vs 26-27 An once again this goes back to the concepts of verse 19. But here the idea of self-control is more emphatic. The religious should have a reputation of being self-controlled in speech and taking care of the needy. Orphans and widows were typical of the needy, although today widows tend to be more self-sufficient and indeed often wealthy due to insurance and inheritance. But today orphans are still needy. However, the greater practical needs are in the Third World. Another aspect of being religious is moral purity. These two are primary aspects of God's religion - Love and Moral Purity.