For some Christians, the pursuit of God is only a Sunday thing – leaving Monday through Saturday to live according to their own desires.
Talking Points:
- Fractured faith means your desires inform your views – on modesty, success, even social issues – rather than letting God have the loudest voice. James 1:21
- A heart divided can’t stand. The double-minded are lost, confused, and easily deceived. James 1:22-24
- Genuine faith means practical obedience – simply read God’s word and obey what it says. This is the path to lasting joy and peace. James 1:25, James 2:14-16, James 2:17-18
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- How would you describe yourself: total rule follower, rule breaker or somewhere in between? How has that way impacted your life?
- How have you typically made decisions about things like dating, marriage, modesty or social issues? What would you say has influenced those decisions most?
- Read James 1:21. What are some examples of things we need to get rid of once we put our trust in Jesus? What does it look like to humbly accept God’s word into our lives?
- How have you experienced confusion or a loss of peace when you’ve gone against God’s way in the past? Are there some areas in your life that you just don’t want to turn over to God? Explain.
- Read James 1:22-24. What does James mean that we’re only fooling ourselves if we don’t obey what God’s word says?
- In your own life, when you establish rules (as a parent, worker, property owner, etc) why do you have those rules? What does it communicate when others don’t obey those rules? Why does God have rules for us? What does our willingness or unwillingness to obey communicate to God?
- Read James 1:25. Why does obeying God’s word set us free? How have you experienced freedom when you’ve chosen to go God’s way despite your own desires?
- Read James 2:14-16. What is the attitude of the person James refers to in this passage. How does our willingness to listen and obey compare to this?
- Moving forward, what will you do to read God’s word more? Check out some great topics on Spiritual disciplines to help you grow in your Christian faith.
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
