“that we shall be judged by the law of liberty … frees us from anxiety”

Download discussion questions:  James 2:5-17
Jump to beginning of James Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in James before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

James has already mentioned the poor and the rich (1:9-10) and particularly the sin of partiality (ESV) or personal favoritism (NASB) based on outward appearances (2:2-4).  In this passage he pursues that theme to its broader consequences of our failure under the Old Covenant law.  Then his argument leads into his well-known discussion of faith and works. Continue reading →

“tactics of self-protection quench the work of the Holy Spirit”

Download discussion questions:  James 1:22-2:7
Jump to beginning of James Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in James before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

James begins his letter with a variety of powerful but general lessons: finding joy during trials (v. 2), not being double-minded (v. 8), relating to rich and poor (v. 9), not being deceived about God’s character (v. 16), being patient listeners (v. 19).  Now he intensifies those instructions, applying the lessons to increasingly specific situations. Continue reading →

“Picture in your mind a red-faced monkey”

Download discussion questions:  James 1:19-27
Jump to beginning of James Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in James before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

Our group continues to consider the first chapter of the letter of James, a book often considered “controversial and misunderstood”^[1] and one that “many Christians have avoided in their studies.”^[2]  We continue to find new questions to explore and nuances to examine.  Slowly but surely we are learning more about James’s enigmatic introduction, “Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials.” Continue reading →

“I can enjoy that which is beautiful in a relationship, without expecting it to be perfect.”

Download discussion questions:  James 1:19-27
Jump to beginning of James Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in James before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

As mentioned before, our group intends to be more than a Bible study.  This week’s time together was another good example of what that can look like, how a meaningful inductive study can generate conversations that matter. Continue reading →

“But what about righteous anger?”

Download discussion questions:  James 1:19-27
Jump to beginning of James Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in James before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

Densely Packed

We began our discussion with the recognition that this passage is beyond the scope of a single Sunday morning examination.  The depth and scope of topics James raises defy simple clichéd explanations.  Admitting we would not exhaust all the meaning in the nine verses freed us to focus on the first paragraph (vss. 19-21).  The rest of the passage (maybe including parts of this paragraph) will have to wait for future weeks. Continue reading →

Here is the passage for Sunday.  Download discussion questions:  James 1:19-27 Continue reading →

“Is desire good or bad?”

Download discussion questions:  James 1:12-18
Jump to beginning of James Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in James before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

After several weeks of not meeting together, it was helpful to note connections in this passage with the beginning of the letter of James.  A quick reading of the first chapter may seem like a haphazard collection of random thoughts.  But more careful study shows multiple threads that continue through the text. Continue reading →

Download discussion questions:  James 1:12-18
Jump to beginning of James Discussion Group Blog

Here is the passage for Sunday.  Click the “Download…” link above.

Before looking at the discussion questions on the right side of the page, read through the passage itself once or twice.

• • What questions do you have as you read?
  • What parts of the passage would you like our group to discuss when we meet on Sunday morning?
  • How does this passage follow what James has said before? What new ideas does he introduce?

“an abbreviated time together”

Download discussion questions:  James 1:9-12
Jump to beginning of James Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in James before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

Because of travel and illness, our group started off this week with about half our members.  Then during our discussion, a couple of people were called away and had to leave.  But even our abbreviated time together produced valuable insights and intriguing questions.  These brief draft notes can provide a starting point for next week’s study.  The notes are mostly observations and some related interpretation questions. (As I began assembling the notes, I realized this might give you a better idea of the early part of most of our discussions, the exploratory process that may not always make it into blog posts.) Continue reading →

“another command that has often been misinterpreted in the history of the church”

Download discussion questions:  James 1:5-8
Jump to beginning of James Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in James before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

James opened his letter linking joy and trials.  Our discussion last week verified his assumption that wisdom should be his next topic.  As group members commented, “I kind of understand, but it’s still difficult” and “It sounds dumb and makes no sense.”  Someone observed that the mention of joy should give us peace, but the immediate connection with trials shocks us back to reality.  Perhaps James anticipated such reactions. Continue reading →