Hello, Thank you so much for joining us on a journey through the book of James. As you journey together with those in your group, I wanted to help give you a couple of helpful tips as you dive into this study: - Make a commitment to one another. • No last minute cancelations. - Pray together. • Keep a running prayer list. - Share a snack. • It doesn’t have to be anything fancy and no one person should bear the burden alone. - Pick a place and time. • Consistency breeds commitment. Last but not least, would you text the word ‘James’ to (937) 699-5977 and let us know you have started a group? We would greatly appreciate it. Praying this study is fruitful for you and your friends. In Him, Zachariah First Christian Church LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE Sermon Series: Exploring James April - May 2021 Session 1 A BIAS FOR ACTION A recurring them in theme in the book of James is: don’t just listen- do. James builds the framework for this bias for action as he paints a picture of the power of obedience. As we begin our study of this book we will immediately see the need for a believer to have a bias for action. SERMON: ACT CONSISTENTLY If our goal is to avoid favoritism it is best to focus on the foundational issue and the details will begin to fall into place. And one of the foundational issues for a believer is equal access to most valuable thing we can share with someone- the good news about Jesus. INDIVIDUAL PREPARATION/ ACTION STEPS -Review James 2:1-14 -While the subject of favoritism may bump some old wounds or pet peeves, make an effort to focus your application on how you share the most valuable gift you have, the good news about Jesus. - Take a day and picture everyone you meet as being in equal need of the good news of Jesus. DISCUSSION GUIDE Core Questions: 1. Share an insight, conviction or truth from message/text that the Holy Spirit has laid on your heart. 2. We sometimes dismiss that we are showing favoritism because we want everyone to come to know Jesus and we have no desire to limit anyone’s access. But we display favoritism by default when we don’t exercise equal effort to all the divine appointments God gives us. What are some divine appointments you may be over looking? 3. What keeps you from pursuing the opportunities in # 2? 4. Even if you have no animosity, to whom in the following pairs might you show favoritism by default: people that are the same as you/different than you; someone who is “good”/ “bad”; famous/ unknown; attractive/ invisible; inquisitive/ quiet 5. There are many rationalizations the man in verses 1-3 might have made. How do you justify different levels of effort in responding to opportunities? 6. What action steps will you take this week? (ie. seek out someone at church Sunday you do not know, seek out someone in your daily routine, support someone else’s effort to share the gospel outside your area of influence, seek out someone who is different than you etc.) ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. James 2:1 NASV Rom 2:11; 1Tim 2:4; Titus 2:11; 1Cor. 9:22; Matt 28:19-20 Ex 23: 6"Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. Ex 23:2-3"Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit. Lev 19:15"You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. Matt 22:1-14; Heb. 2:1-3 First Christian Church LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE Sermon Series: Exploring James April - May 2021 Session 2 A BIAS FOR ACTION A recurring them in theme in the book of James is: don’t just listen- do. James builds the framework for this bias for action as he paints a picture of the power of obedience. As we begin our study of this book we will immediately see the need for a believer to have a bias for action. SERMON: FAITH IN ACTION Many people have a limited understanding of what the bible means when it talks about faith. Just as a half-truth can be misleading; a partial understanding of faith will not take you where you want to go. INDIVIDUAL PREPARATION/ ACTION STEPS -Review James 2:14-26 -Review you week and be ready to share how you did on your action steps from last week. DISCUSSION GUIDE Core Questions: 1. How did you do on your action steps from last week? 2. Share a time that you exercised your faith by trusting God’s instruction in a situation that involved risk, fear or sacrifice. What was the outcome? 3. Share a time you have observed someone else take a step of faith in trusting God’s direction. 4. Share an area where you have trouble trusting God (not necessarily intellectually but when it comes to acting on it) What makes this area hard when it comes to trust. 5. How is sin a lack of trust in God? 6. Share an insight, conviction or truth from message/text that the Holy Spirit has laid on your heart. 7. Someone has observed “never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” How is God’s track record in your life when you have trusted Him? 8. How are you going to exercise your faith this week? (trusting God’s direction to the point of action) ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Romans 3:28 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. Romans 3:31 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Heb 11:6 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Thess 1:3 First Christian Church LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE Sermon Series: Exploring James April - May 2021 Session 3 A BOLDNESS IN ACTION Even after we have evaluated an action through the filter of wisdom and are convinced it is an act of obedience we still hesitate when it involves risk, sacrifice or repentance. This calls for a boldness in action. SERMON We all expect difficulty in life but there are stretches that are longer and harder than we expected. In this morning’s text, James gives us counsel for those times. INDIVIDUAL PREPARATION/ ACTION STEPS - Review James 3:1-12 - Memorize James 3: 2 - Review your week and be ready to share how you did on your action steps from last week. DISCUSSION GUIDE Core Questions: 1. How did you do on your action steps from last week? 2. What insight or conviction struck you from this week’s text/message? 3. Which image that James uses in the text sticks out to you most/makes the most sense? Why? 4. In this warning from James, he spends time on the negative side of our speech. In what ways has someone’s words been equally positive for you? 5. What are some ways our words can be blessings to other people? 6. This week, commit to finding a way to speak ‘blessing’ (v. 10) into someone’s life. Share with the group who it will be. ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES James 1:19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 12:13-14 Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk, and so the innocent escape trouble. From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward. Proverbs 13:3 Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. First Christian Church LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE Sermon Series: Exploring James April - May 2021 Session 4 A BASIS FOR ACTION As we have seen James is a “Just do it” kind of guy. He promotes a faith with a bias for action. But he makes it clear that his Bias for action is filtered through a sound Basis for action, in James 3 he calls it a wisdom from above. If we want to learn to be quick to act, we need to first learn to be quick to listen to the voice of wisdom. SERMON: WISDOM FROM ABOVE Few people would argue with the value of acting wisely. But when it comes to the definition of what is wise, there might not be as much consensus. In this week’s text James talks about wisdom from above and the other “wisdom.” INDIVIDUAL PREPARATION/ ACTION STEPS -Review James 3:13-18 -Review your week and be ready to share how you did on your action steps from last week. DISCUSSION GUIDE Core Questions: 1.