James 5:7-12

Questions for Connection Group Leaders, James 5:7-12

1) How does the main theme of this passage relate to the opening verses of James?

2) In what sense is a farmer “patient” waiting for crops? What are areas of life where we fail to achieve even this level of patience?

3) What type of patience do we see in the prophets and Job?

4) What is the underlying idea in each of these examples?

5) How does the prohibition on swearing fit in with the rest of the passage? What would be practical applications of this in your life? How can we hold each other accountable.

James 5:1-6

Compare James 4:13-17 and now 5:1-6.  There seems to be an abrupt change in audience that James has in mind between these two passages.  How so?

 

Why would James write to unbelievers?  Does he think they would actually be sitting in the church where this letter was read?  Or why else might he write these words to them?

 

Read Luke 16:19-31.  How does James’ teaching fit with this story that Jesus told?

 

Is it right that Christians seek comfort in the fact that God will punish those who do us wrong (victimize us)?  Should the punishment of unbelievers make a Christian feel comfort?  Think about this one.  What does the Bible say?

 

It would be easy to dismiss the weight of this text in James (after all, it IS directed at unbelievers).  I don’t think James wants us to squirm out from under the weight of it that easily.  Look at the indictments again:

§          Hoarding wealth for ourselves (:2-3)

§          Cheating workers out of their wages (:4)

§          Living in luxury and self-indulgence (:5)

§          Murdering innocent men (:6)

Any apply?  How so?

 

If you are a parent, how can you teach your kids to avoid these sins?

 

What is an action point that you’ll take this week?