James 5

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

Chapter 4 Fall Before the Master

Selfish motives harm relationships

Proud pretending overlooks God’s control

LIVE IN THE LIGHT OF THE LAST

Sarah is married. Sarah has had no children. Sarah can’t imagine surviving the discomfort of pregnancy and the pain of delivery. What she really can’t understand is how mothers who experience this once can even think of having the same thing happen again. What might mothers share to encourage Sarah?

USE WEALTH INSTEAD OF LOSING WEALTH

James 5:1-6

Money rots

Read James 5:1-6

Often we think of the rich as having great happiness. Why should they be crying?

Explain how building a home in a flood plain could be a good illustration for verse 3.

Agree or Disagree and Explain Storing up money is always wrong (the word translated “hoarded” means store, gather, save).

Evaluate A businessman pays his workers as little as possible. Since people continue to want a job from him, he figures that he is doing the right thing.

Agree or Disagree and Explain Christians give their money to others and to the Lord because they know they’ll lose it one way or the other.

BE PATIENT IN SUFFERING

James 5:7-12

God’s heart is full of mercy

Read James 5:7-8

Why might it be easier for a farmer to wait for a crop than it is for us to wait for a suffering to go away?

Evaluate When any of Kyle’s friends is having a tough time, he always tells them, “Don’t worry—things will get better.”

Read James 5:9-12

Why does personal suffering make it much easier for us to lash out against others?

Agree or Disagree and Explain Christians should both fear and look forward to the coming of the Lord.

What trick must Satan play on us to persuade us that the Lord does not have a big heart and that he is not com passionate? How does the life of Job help you fight this lie?

Agree or Disagree and Explain Swearing is always wrong (see Romans 1:9, Matthew 26:63, Exodus 22:10-11).

CARE FOR OTHERS

James 5:13-20

Respond to physical and spiritual needs

Read James 5:13-18

Agree or Disagree and Explain If we pray and use oil with someone who is sick, they will always get better (see Mark 6:13).

Explain how sin and sickness can be connected.

Evaluate Mary prefers to keep her sins private, confessing them only to God.

Evaluate Susan doesn’t pray much because she figures that God’s will is always done anyway.

Read James 5:19-20

What truths can help us gently point out sin to those who have wandered?

LIVE IN THE LIGHT OF THE LAST

Use wealth instead of losing wealth

Be patient in suffering

Care for others

Passport to the Scattered Tribes