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LIFE Group Lessons
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A Proper Perspective on Life |
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LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE
Wednesday Night, November 7, 2007
“A Proper Perspective on Life”
James 4:11-17
5 Minutes - Welcome / Prayer
5 Minutes - OPEN
How subtly we convince ourselves that we control our lives. What are specific ways that you have been trying to control your life?
Read James 4:11-17.
Before we get into the actual content of this section, what is the link you see between James’ instruction against slandering (vv.11-12) and the following section on “boasting about tomorrow” (vv.13-17)?
15 Minutes - DIG
Why is it that we try to build ourselves up by criticizing others?
How is this improper attitude toward others reflective of an improper attitude we have about ourselves . . . and even worse, of an improper attitude toward God?
To slander is to speak evil about another person in their absence and thus they are unable to defend themselves. Slander might come in the form of false accusation. Or it might just be harsh criticism. In what area of your life are you most at risk in speaking slander toward others?
When a person judges someone else, it is a violation of the royal law of love (2:8)! Why is this attitude and action so offensive to God?
Remember several weeks ago we discussed the problem of “boasting” and referenced it would come up again in this study. Well here it is again!
Boasting about what will happen tomorrow is another example of human arrogance. It is in the same category as judging others (vv. 11-12). Judgment is arrogant because God is the only legitimate judge. Boasting about the future is arrogant because God is the only one who knows what will happen in the future. Such arrogance is the opposite of humility, which is one of the primary virtues of a follower of Jesus Christ!
James lets us listen in on the plans of a group of businessmen. They are planning for the future and what are the four agendas on their mind (v. 13)?
• Where they will _________;
• How long they will _______;
• What they will __________;
• How much ___________ they will make.
In contrast to prayerful planning, James uses these businessmen who represent all those who are very proud of what they do on their own. James is not condemning international trade or the wealth it brings. What he is concerned about is the one who does all this in a spirit of boastful arrogance without giving any credit to God’s provisions in his life.
To contrast that worldview, what is James’ perspective on life and what is his caution against adopting the worldly approach to life that he describes in this section (vv. 13-17)?
Read Luke 12:16-21.
I’ve often wondered why James closes this section with these words in v. 17?
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”
How does this relate to the previous section?
• Did he just out of the blue throw this in as a shot against what we call “sins of omission”?
• Might this somehow be linked to a specific failure of the businessmen in the earlier verses? If so, what might that be? The key to understanding this might be the thought, “who knows the good he ought to do. . .”
• So does this mean they were failing in their charitable duty to the poor?
15 Minutes - REFLECT
James makes a strong case throughout his letter (and especially in this section) that there is one norm by which the life of faith is to be lived out – “if God wills.”
There are five things the Bible says about the will of God. When we have these five things down, we will better understand the will of God for our lives:
• It is God’s will for us to be saved (2 Pet. 3:9);
• We are to be spirit-filled people (Eph. 5:17-18);
• We are to be sanctified (1 Thes. 4:3);
• We must submit to God (James 4:6-7);
• We are to serve (Mt. 20:26-28).
The hunger to be significant is a dominant drive that God placed within the heart of each one of us. It was God’s intent for this hunger to be satisfied by living in covenant relationship – first with Him and then in relationship with others that He places in our lives.
It was never his intent for our significance to be found through worldly pursuits and stuff. That’s the reason James says, “As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil” (v. 16).
DON’T MISS THIS POINT. The hunger to be significant can destroy us. If you don’t believe it, take a quick look at what happened to Saul after David killed Goliath (1 Samuel 18:5-10).
We long to have significance in this world and for someone to take notice of us. Let that be found in Jehovah God! Everything else is empty and hollow!
With all this being said, life can be reduced down to a very simple question – What is eternal life?
“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only
True God, and Jesus Christ, who you have sent” (John 17:3).
Everything else is empty and hollow!
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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