1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust , and have not: ye kill , and desire to have , and cannot obtain : ye fight and war , yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask , and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith , God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted , and mourn , and weep : let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up .
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS:
1) What is the source of wars and fights (v.1)?
2) Why does mankind kill or quarrel and fight (v.2)?
3) Why don’t we have what we want, and if we ask God for what we want why don’t we receive what we want (v.2-3)?
4) How do we become enemies of God (v.4)?
5) What is God jealously longing for (v.5)?
6) How does God respond to the humble (v.6)?
7) What must the believer do to demonstrate humility before God (v.7-10)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
1) Consider the last argument that you may have witnessed or been a party to, what may have been the root cause of for the strife, according to James?
2) How do you resist the lures of the world and the devil?
3) How do you maintain humility before the Lord?
LIFE LESSONS:
1) The believer who values what the world values is an enemy of God.
2) The Lord will never grant us what we want if our motive is self-serving.
3) God resists worldly believers because they are prideful.
4) The grace of God is always available to the humble.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure , then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS:
1) How do the “wise and understanding” demonstrate wisdom (v.13)?
2) What are believers not to boast about or deny (v.14)?
3) What is earthly or demonic wisdom (v.14-16)?
4) What are the qualities of divine wisdom (v.17)?
5) What does one sow to reap righteousness (v.18)?
APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
1) Within the last 24 hours, were most of your decisions made in divine or demonic wisdom?
2) What were the results of most of the decisions you made within the last 24 hours (i.e., confusion or peace, self-serving or merciful)?
3) Within the last 24 hours, how willing were you to do whatever it took to maintain peaceful relations with family, friends and/or co-workers?
LIFE LESSONS:
1) The wise and understanding are peace loving people.
2) Those who are righteous seek and demonstrate divine wisdom in their relations with others.
3) Believers with divine wisdom are not self-seeking, boastful, envious, rude or proud.
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled ; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone . 18 Yea, a man may say , Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe , and tremble . 20 But wilt thou know , O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect ? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith , Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified , and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.OBSERVATION QUESTIONS:1) What is the proof of our faith (v.14)? 2) What example of “dead” faith does James write about (v.15-17)?3) What is one way that a believer may demonstrate their faith (v.18)?4) Is belief sufficient to prove one’s faith in God? Why or why not? (v.19)5) Why were Abraham and Ruth righteous? (v.21-25)6) What makes faith useless or dead (v. 26)?APPLICATION QUESTIONS:1) How do you demonstrate your faith in God?2) What motivates you to do good deeds?3) What makes you righteous in the eyes of the Lord? LIFE LESSONS:1) Good works do not prove that one has faith.2) Simply believing in Jesus does not prove that one trusts in the Lord.3) When one truly has faith in God, their faith will be demonstrated by what they do as a result of their faith.4) Righteousness can never be earned by performing good works. Performing good works is proof of one’s righteousness.
1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Behold , we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth . 5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things . Behold , how great a matter a little fire kindleth ! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed , and hath been tamed of mankind : 8 But the tongue can no man tame ; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be . 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS:
1) Who receives stricter judgment in the body of Christ (v.1)?
2) How might one stumble as a member of Christ’s body (v.2)?
3) What illustrations are used to show the necessity of bridling one’s tongue (v.3-4)?
4) Though it is little, what can the tongue do (v.5)?
5) What is the tongue? What can it do to the body? What can it set ablaze? What sets it ablaze? (v.6)
6) What has been tamed by humankind (v. 7)?
7) Who has tamed the tongue (v.8)?
8) How can the tongue be used? Why is this so confusing? (v.9-12)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
1) How do you most often use your tongue?
2) Are you always able to control what you say? Recall a time when you could not. What happened?
3) Have you ever used your words to praise God and later gossiped about a brother or sister in Christ?
LIFE LESSONS:
1) The Lord expects His children to weigh our words carefully.
2) Words can be used to build up and to destroy.
3) Our words glorify God or the enemy.
4) We do not have to allow our words to be controlled by our feelings
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5 Hearken , my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called ? 8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons , ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said , Do not commit adultery , said also, Do not kill . Now if thou commit no adultery , yet if thou kill , thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak ye , and so do , as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS:
1) What are we not to do as believers (v.1)?
2) What two examples of religious hypocrisy does James write about (v.2-4)?
3) Whom has God chosen to be “rich in faith” (v.5)?
4) Who oppresses others and blasphemes the name of our Lord (v.6-7)?
5) What law(s) have we transgressed when we show favoritism (v.8-11)?
6) How are we, who are under the law of liberty, to treat others? Why? (v.12-13)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
1) How do you treat those who can do nothing for you?
2) Have you ever found yourself responding more favorably toward a particular group of people than to other groups of people?
3) What do you do when faced with personal prejudice against, or favoritism toward, an individual or group?
LIFE LESSONS:
1) God has no “favorites” and does not expect His children to have any either.
2) The blessings and favor of God are not measured by one’s material wealth.
3) The Lord expects His children to love the people He loves. God loves everyone.
4) Our love for others is measured by the mercy we show to all people.
