Part 1
The Book of James
HANDY INSIGHTS AND TIPS ON THE BOOK OF JAMES
WHO? James is the author of this book (James 1:1), and we need to ask, āWho is James?ā There are five men named James in the New Testament. Most scholars believe the writer of this book was the half-brother of Jesus. He was a biological son of Joseph and Mary. We read in John 7:5 that when James was growing up, he didnāt believe Jesus was the Messiah. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to more than 500 people, and one of the first was James (1 Corinthians 15:7). This life-changing event ignited Jamesā personal journey with Jesus. He begins his letter as, āJames, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.ā (1:1) James doesnāt refer to himself as Jesusā half-brother; rather he says heās a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is now in charge of Jamesā life, which results in this letter explaining what it means to follow Christ.
WHERE? James was a Jewish follower of Jesus, and he addresses his book to the ātwelve tribes scattered among the nationsā (verse 1), a reference to Jewish believers in Jesus persecuted for their faith. These believers were displaced, battled discouragement, and needed words of hope and faith.
WHEN? Many scholars believe the book of James was written between A.D. 45-49 and prior to the Jerusalem council meeting, which took place in A.D. 50. Some believe James was written about A.D. 45, which would make it the oldest book in the New Testament.
WHAT? The Book of James is declaring that we donāt get to heaven by good works, but by Godās grace. We donāt do good deeds to become more Christ-like; we do good deeds because we are Christ-like.
Reading the Bible should not be passive but active, and thatās why James challenges his readers to care for widows, guard our words, and pray for the sick. Faith in Christ is always dynamic and proactive. True faith produces good works. That is the message of James.
A simple outline to teach students the flow of James:
ā¢ James 1āTrials and Temptation
ā¢ James 2āFaith and Works
ā¢ James 3āTaming the Tongue
ā¢ James 4āSubmit to God
ā¢ James 5āPower of Prayer
1. THE GIFT OF TRIALS
James 1:1-18
LEADERāS INSIGHT
The Bible is a remarkable book.
Some people have a crazy idea that the Bible isnāt practical, that it makes little sense, and has no connection to real life today. Chances are they havenāt read the Book of James. The first 18 verses deal with authentic life issues for both teens and adults: Facing hard times, handling temptations, what to do when one lacks wisdom, and how to overcome sin and addictions. Sounds like a reality TV show.
James understood hard times. He refers to them as ātrials of many kinds.ā Trials come in many shapes and sizes. James not only deals with the difficulty they bring but also tells us that thereās a benefit to trials. āConsider it a sheer gift, friendsā James says (MSG). Trials are gifts that most people donāt want, yet James tells us to āconsider it pure joyā whenever we face trouble, suffering, and any kind of trial.
James defines a trial as āthe testing of your faithā (verse 3). Why does our faith need to be tested? The same reason a teacher gives students an exam, to see if the knowledge is understood and applied. What happens to oneās faith when life falls apart, a parent dies, or his or her best friend commits suicide? The testing of faith reveals what we really believe in and who we trust. Hard times show us whatās deep inside our souls.
āThe testing of your faith produces perseverance.ā Some versions use the word endurance, which literally means to āstand under.ā James is saying Godās intent is to create resilience in our souls, the ability to āstand underā the worst possible test. He goes on to tell us that āunder pressure your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colorsā (verse 4 MSG). What color does the testing of your faith reveal? James tells us the intended outcome: āLet perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anythingā (verse 4).
The testing of our faith has a purpose. Trials are not meant to break us; they are used by God to mold us, to bring us into maturity and depth in our relationship with him. Godās intent is our growthāand one of the tools God uses to help us dig deep is the testing of our faith.
James 1:1-18 helps us gain Godās perspective on the tests of life and how to face temptations. In this session we learn how trials can be a gift from God.
Share
Warm-Up Questions
ā¢ What is one difficulty you faced as a kid?
ā¢ What are some ways people react to hard times?
ā¢ Why do people get irritated over the slightest trouble in life?
Observe
Observation Questions
ā¢ Read 1:1-8. What does this text say is the purpose of trials?
ā¢ Look at 1:9-11. What are some of the warnings listed here about money, wealth, and humility?
ā¢ Read verses 12-15. What does the writer say about temptations?
ā¢ In verses 16-18, what is Jamesā message about Godās character?
Think
Interpretation Questions
ā¢ Based on verses 1-8, why couldnāt God use some other means to get our attention other than trials?
ā¢ Look at verses 8-10. Why do you think humility is important?
ā¢ Verses 11-15 say God does not test us to do evil. What does that mean?
ā¢ Read verses 16-18. Why does James speak about āevery good and perfect giftāāand what does that have to do with the testing of our faith?
Apply
Application Questions
ā¢ How do you overcome and endure temptations and trials?
ā¢ What does it practically look like to be spiritually mature?
ā¢ How does our faith produce perseverance? Why does James connect handling trials with endurance? Is endurance the same as perseverance?
ā¢ What do you need to do in order to handle your own selfish and sinful desires?
Do
Optional Activity
Have your group collectively come up with as many trials as possible that both teenagers and adults face and list them on a piece of paper. Then determine as a group on a scale of 1 (ānot a big dealā) to 10 (āthis is the worst trialā) which are the most challenging hardships. Then have each student pick two of the trials that theyāve faced and how they handled them. Then pray as a group for strength and a deepening of oneās faith.
QUIET TIME REFLECTIONS
Day 1: James 1:1-3
ā¢ What word or phrase jumps out to you? Why?
ā¢ Do you view yourself as a person of faith? Why or why not?
ā¢ Think about the phrase āwhen your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to growā (NLT) and what it means for your life. Is your endurance growing or not?
Day 2: James 1:4-6
ā¢ How does this passage speak to you?
ā¢ What advice is given to those who lac...