Reality Check: Wise Up
James 3:13-18
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( e.g. not playing favorites). This week we are looking at “taming the tongue”.
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:
Many evidences of godly wisdom are listed by our Lord Jesus in the Beatitudes as leading to blessedness - discuss some of the reasons this may be so. (Matthew 5:2-9)
Read James 3:13
o Why is humility a necessary foundation for godly wisdom? (Proverbs 15:33, Colossians 2:1-3, James 1:5, Proverbs 9:9 and 19:20)
Read Read James 3:14-16
o God's Word reminds us that envy and selfish ambition lead to 'disorder and every evil practice' - how does this develop in our lives? (James 4:1-3, Corinthians 3:1-9)
Read James 3:17-18
o Why do you think purity is listed first in this list of attributes of godly wisdom? (Psalm 66:18 and 51:10-12, 2 Timothy 2:20-21)
o Why is a harvest of righteousness often reaped by those who are peaceable, who sow in peace, and are peacemakers? (Proverbs 16:7, 2 Timothy 2: 23-26, 1 Peter 2:12-15)
o Why is being considerate/gentle an integral part of godly wisdom, especially in family life? (Matthew 11:29, Phillippians 4:5, 1 Peter 3:15-16 and 7 and 1-4)
o God's Word reveals mercy/compassion as foundational to Who He is. How should this Truth impact the way we live? (Exodus 33:18-19 and 34:5-6, Matthew 9:35-36, Micah 6:8, Luke 6: 27-36)
o How might knowledge of God's impartiality encourage us to draw near to Him in faith, and lead to our impartiality and sincerity in relationship with others? (Acts 10:34-35, Hebrews !0: 19-23, 1 Timothy 1:5)
Respond:
The end point of living wisely is to be an agent of God’s peace to the world around us! Spend some time in prayer together that the Lord would do that through our lives!
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