James 4

Chapter 1 All Is Well When God Is Good

Good comes from suffering.

All good comes from God.

Humbly do good for the Giver.

Chapter 2 The Real Thing Has Real Effect

Faith is inconsistent with favoritism

Authentic faith is never alone

Chapter 3 Let Wisdom Shine

Wisdom understands human weakness

Wisdom works for others

FALL BEFORE THE MASTER

When five years old, many little boys may plan on playing professional soccer, baseball or football. By age twenty, many of those boys have changed their plans. What reasons may they have for adjusting their career goals?

SELFISH MOTIVES HARM RELATIONSHIPS

James 4:1-12

Love for things worldly is hatred toward God

Read James 4:1-4

If Sam has a word fight with Phil, and after the fight you ask Sam what started the problem, what sorts of answers would Sam’s sinful flesh give?

Explain how the answers that Sam’s sinful flesh might give are different from the answer God gives.

Agree or Disagree and Explain Every act of sinful violence in our world is caused by a person’s longing for something they don’t have.

Respond to someone who says, “I don’t pray to God anymore, because he never gives me what I want anyway.”

What earthly things can become more important to us than God? In what sense is such a sin like adultery?

Read James 4:5-10

Agree or Disagree and Explain It is always a sin for us to be jealous. It is not a sin for God to be jealous.

In what way are fights and quarrels connected with sinful pride?

How does the sinful flesh react to the words “submit to God?” How does the new man react to these same words?

Agree or Disagree and Explain Christians should cry more.

What words of comfort does God share in verses 5-10?

Read James 4:11-12

Not all judging is wrong. What makes the judging described here wrong?

PROUD PRETENDING OVERLOOKS GOD’S CONTROL

James 4:13-17

If it is the Lord’s will

Read James 4:13-17

Why does it make so little sense to imagine that we can control the future?

Give an example of plans you might make in regard to your future . . .

Location

Duration

Activity

Result

Agree or Disagree and Explain Boasting is at the heart of imagining we can control our futures. Boasting is also at the heart of worry.

Evaluate Since Robert knows that it’s wrong to think you can control the future, he has decided to give up on making plans.

What advice would you give to someone who says, “I know I shouldn’t act like I’m in control of my future, but I just can’t seem to stop doing it?”

Fall Before the Master

Selfish motives harm relationships

Proud pretending overlooks God’s control

Passport to the Scattered Tribes