Reality Check: Playing Favorites
James 2:1-13
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Discuss how resolutions made last week in “growing more like Jesus” worked themselves out – what God did in and through you (Phil. 2:13) Celebrate and thank God for those together and pray with those who experienced some “Lows” this week, for God’s encouragement for them.
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Review:
We are launching into a new series on the book of James and how we can be challenged to examine the authenticity of our faith! We have looked at navigating trials and temptations, and turning faith into action! This week, we looked at our tendency to “play favorites” and God’s response to that.
The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Reflect:
Read James 2:1-4
o Why do you think it might narrow our experience of God when we widen the gap between classes, as in Pastor Scott's message last Sunday?
o How do we lessen our risk of focusing on the outward appearance of those we meet, rather than each one's status of being created equally by God in His Image? (Proverbs 22:2, 1 Samuel 16:7, Ephesians 2:14-16, Romans 14:4)
Read Read James 2:5
o What does the Lord expect in order to enable the poor to be 'rich in faith'? (From the poor: Matthew 7:7-8, 2 Thessalonians 3: 11-12; From those of us who have sufficient to help: 2 Corinthians 8:13-15, Matthew 25:34-40,
o How can we ensure that we are, as in Pastor Scott's sermon, among the 'godly rich'? (! Timothy 6:17-19, Isaiah 58:6-8, Proverbs 19:17)
Read James 2:8
o Who is my neighbor? How does God want us to love our neighbors? (Luke 10:29-37, and 14:12-14, 1 John 3:17-18, John 13:34)
Read James 2:12-13
o Why is God's law a law of liberty? (In case you did not get to this question last week!) (Romans 6:6-7, and 20-23, Galatians 5:1 and 13-14,)
o Discuss the Biblical principles regarding God's provision (Ezekiel 36:26-27, John 14:15-17 and 21 and 23, Psalm 119:32)
o Why is mercy required by God in us, as written in Micah 6:8? (Matthew 5:7, and 18:23-33, 1 Chronicles 29:14)
Respond: Scott ended with a comparison between how selfish favoritism treats others (“You can’t sit there”) versus how love relates (“You can have my seat”). Spend some time praying that the Lord would give opportunities this week to live out this unthreatened meekness and love in our worlds this week!
____________________________________
Get more resources to go deeper through Commentaries and Bible Study helps HERE