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LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE
Wednesday Night, October 24, 2007
“A Holy War”
James 4:1-10
5 Minutes - Welcome / Prayer
5 Minutes - OPEN
There are three different wars that James introduces in this section:
* An internal war (we fight with ourselves);
* An external war (we fight with others);
* A Holy War (me versus God).
With that introduction, let’s now read the text – James 4:1-10.
15 Minutes - DIG
James’ readers apparently were plagued by conflicts and disputes.
He identified the source of their conflicts as their “desires” (probably better translated “cravings”). Do these cravings parallel the twin evils listed in chapter 3:14 – bitter envy and selfish ambition?
James says these desires have the potential to lead to what? Why is that such a scary thought?
A starting place for tonight’s discussion is to talk about the war that goes on inside of us.
Within our bodies there are feuding desires that cause internal war.
One desire that causes internal war is our desire to control. As long as things are going our way, everything is great. This internal conflict spills over into every relationship that we have.
Another desire that contributes to the war is covetousness. We have within our flesh the desire to possess stuff that we don’t need and can’t have.
What might be some other desires that cause internal war?
In contrast, James says we should deal with our desires by asking God for what we want (4:2-3). Why do we sometimes resist or hesitate to ask God for what we want?
James states that even our prayers reveal our determination to exercise our own will over God’s. We ask with “_______ _________, that you may spend what you get on your
_____________” (4:3).
James addressed his readers harshly as “adulterous people” (v. 4). This term is especially used in the Old Testament and is synonymous with unfaithfulness. By making this correlation, James implied that his readers were having an “affair” with the world.
Describe in your own words the nature of this “affair with the world.”
The root cause of all the wars we fight is pride. It is pride that causes us to be at battle with God, within ourselves, and with other people. If pride is so pervasive, what can we do to rid ourselves of such?
Read Deuteronomy 8:10-20.
James provided the antidote to spiritual adultery by quoting from Proverbs: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Proverbs 3:34).
Building on the foundation he laid in v. 6, James began a series of imperatives that span the next four verses. These commands, in effect, are his recipe for humility:
* Submit yourselves to God (this is a military term used to highlight a position on an organization chart);
* Resist the devil;
* Come near to God (we’ve got to relationally place ourselves next to God);
* Wash your hands and purify your hearts (we’ve got to deal seriously with sin).
15 Minutes - REFLECT
If we are going to end all the battles and wars we fight, we will have to approach such from a position of weakness, not strength.
When was the last time you spent time on your face before the Lord? It gives you a different perspective. Miraculously when we humble ourselves before the Lord, God does some special things in our lives.
What keeps you from humbling yourself before the Lord?
5 Minutes - CLOSING PRAYER
From this discussion, what are those things you feel compelled to pray about tonight? Pray about these matters one by one and bring them before your Heavenly Father.
Pray! Pray! Pray!
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