EDGE Summer 2007 – James 1 (chapter 1)

Welcome

Play a game of Jesus Jesus (most of the young people should know this).

Each chair being sat on is, in order, Jesus, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, 1, 2 etc.

Then the person sitting on the ‘Jesus’ chair starts a rhythm of two taps on knee followed by two clicks then to the beat says their name twice and the name of someone else e.g. “Jesus, Jesus, John, John”, on the next 4 beats John needs to say his name twoce and the name of someone else twice. E.g. “John, John, 2, 2” and say on until a mistake is made – eg someone misses their turn, doesn’t come in fast enough or says “John, John, Matthew, meuughhh”. When this happens the person who made the mistake goes to the bottom chair and his chair is filled by the next person down, and their chair is filled by the next person, until room is made for the ‘failure’ to sit at the bottom… So if Mark makes the mistake Luke, John and all the numbers move chairs up, Mark goes down and Jesus and Matthew stay put! This means Luke is now Mark, John is now Luke, 1 is now John etc… sounds complicated but is very very easy in reality!

Worship

Listen to a another track (focusing on God/Jesus - not our response) from a worship CD you may have... encourage the group to identify what the song is declaring - then play it again and encourage everyone to focus on God.

Word

(words in Italics are from the Application intro to James contained in Ilumina)

In this epistle James addresses practical issues that are as current as this morning’s newspaper, and yet his challenges are not dated.

Do we believe that about the Bible?

What current issues are similar to those in first century times?

Do we sometimes think the challenges contained in the Bible are simply for then, so get ourselves out of obeying them?

 

The timeless truth that James presents is that Christians must put their faith into action. The faith that Christians claim must be demonstrated in all the situations and circumstances of life—at work, at home, in the neighborhood, in church.

Are we good at this?

How can we practically put our faith into action at school/college, at home, neighbourhood and church

 

Trials and hardships are not to be seen as hindrances to faith, but as opportunities to exercise healthy faith.

Discuss!!!!

 

Knowing God’s Word is not enough. That knowledge must be applied to our everyday lives. Real faith is the application of God’s truth to ourselves.

What is the danger of just knowledge of the Bible without any application?

 

 

(all the verses mentioned are printed out at the end of these notes!)

 

Read James 1 verse 1

How does James describe himself? (Slave is a better description than servant!)

What does the concept of a slave mean to you?

 

James was probably written by James that we find out about in various passages in the Bible… take a look at these and suggest ways that James could have described himself. (You may have to work out the context)

Acts 21:18

Galatians 2:9

Galatians 1:18-19

 

So why did James choose the title ‘slave’ rather than these possibilities?

Read Romans 12:3

How high do you think you ought to be rated?

Do we like being considered ‘low’ – if you played the game at the beginning, most people want to be near the Jesus chair rather than chair 6!

Look at Paul’s answer in 1 Corinthians 3:5-7

And of course Paul and James are just following the example of Jesus Philippians 2:5-7

 What is significant about Jesus taking the lowly position?

 

So why should we have this impression of ourselves?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

(But as well as saying we are ‘owned’ what else does this verse remind us?)

Another verse to look at with this double meaning… John 15:16

 

One final verse to look at – 1 Corinthians 4:7 – if Paul had said list all the things we have received from God – we could make a very long list… make a start if you want… But he asks “what is there that doesn’t come from God?” That answer is surely just one word…

 

And now turn back to James 1 verse 1 – yes James is a slave – but who is he a slave of? James refers to Jesus as the Lord Jesus Christ. Do we sometimes fail to lift Jesus high, fail to give him his proper recognition?

 

 

Witness

Pray for yourselves and each other – that you would recognise yourselves as servants of Jesus, but servants that have been bought and chosen by the Almighty Creator and Lord Jesus Christ!

 

 

James 1:1   

 1From James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To all of God’s people who are scattered everywhere in the world: Greetings.

 

Acts 21:18   

 17In Jerusalem the believers were glad to see us. 18The next day Paul went with us to visit James, and all the elders were there. 

 

Galatians 2:9  

 9In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews

 

Galatians 1:18-19

 18Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter,£ and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother

 

Romans 12:3  

 3Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves

 

1 Corinthians 3:5-7

 5After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 

 

Philippians 2:5-7

 5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges: he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20  

 19Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 

 

John 15:15-16

 15I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

 

1 Corinthians 4:7

Who says you are better than others? What do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why do you brag as if you did not receive it as a gift?