They Will Know James Chapter 5

1.       Chapter 5: What a Christian gives

a.       The Scripture: James 5

                                                                i.      Daily reading schedule

1.       Monday James 5: 1-3

2.       Tuesday James 5: 4-6

3.       Wednesday James 5: 7-11

4.       Thursday James 5: 12

5.       Friday  James 5: 13-20

6.       Saturday James 5

b.      Questions

                                                                i.      Who are these rich people who should weep and wail?

                                                               ii.      When we focus our efforts to satisfy the ever expanding spiral of want we travel farther from those who need.  We often step on their backs to reach higher goals.  What should we do in order to have a more healthy relationship with wealth and the needy?

                                                             iii.      What are other examples of waiting on a prize?  What value does patience give a long-expected present?

                                                             iv.      James tells us simply, “Do not swear.”  What behaviors and attitudes is he trying instill in us?

                                                              v.      How and Why is prayer the answer in both joy and hardship?

                                                             vi.       How does someone wander from the truth?

                                                           vii.      How does someone “turn a sinner from the error of his way.”?

c.       Connections

                                                                i.      Images:  what are images of people waiting or expecting?

                                                               ii.      Music:

                                                             iii.      Links

                                                             iv.      Media

                                                              v.      Other

d.      Megathemes:

                                                                i.      Living Faith:  What rules to live by does James give us in this chapter?

                                                               ii.      Trials:  Write a prayer for someone who is going through a trial.

                                                             iii.      Law of Love:  What specific ways does this chapter teach us about how to love or neighbor?

                                                             iv.      Wise Speech:  This chapter does not specifically mention wise speech, but what does it teach us about speaking against oppression, facing suffering with patient speech and the power of prayerful speech?

                                                              v.      Wealth:  This chapter starts with harsh words for the wealthy.  It is no wonder that few of us consider ourselves the wealthy.  How can we be sure that our first world sensibilities do not lead us blindly into oppressing our neighbors?