Bible ReadingJames 4:1-10 “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
[48:59]James 3:13-18 “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
[36:30]James 2:14-26 “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
[27:20]Genesis 3:1-6 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”
[41:18]Observation questions- In James 3, what traits mark wisdom from above, and what traits mark the false wisdom James warns against? [45:41]
- In James 4:1-3, what reasons are given for quarrels, unanswered prayer, and coveting?
- In Genesis 3, what did the serpent do with Eve’s desire, and what did Eve begin to believe about the one thing God had withheld? [42:10]
- In James 2, how does James describe the relationship between faith and works, and what examples does he use to make that point? [29:07]
Interpretation questions- James says fights and quarrels come from desires at war within a person. How does that challenge the usual way people explain conflict in marriage, friendship, family, or church? [57:41]
- James calls bitter jealousy and selfish ambition “earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” Why is that language so strong? What does it reveal about what envy can grow into if it is left alone? [41:18]
- James says, “You do not have, because you do not ask,” and then says some people ask wrongly. What does that suggest about the difference between bringing a desire honestly to God and trying to use God to bless a selfish motive? [55:14]
- James calls friendship with the world adultery. What does that mean in plain terms? How can a good desire slowly become a rival god in the heart? [58:15]
Application questions- What is something being wanted right now that has started to feel like a need? How is that pressure affecting attitudes, speech, or relationships? [01:12:55]
- When conflict shows up, the first instinct is usually to point across the room. What desire might need to be named before talking about the other person’s faults? [48:59]
- Is there an area where envy has begun to show itself—not just wanting something, but resenting someone who has it? What would it look like to bring that into the light instead of harboring it? [39:15]
- God’s sovereignty answers the fear of scarcity. Where is trust in God’s provision or timing being tested right now? What would restraint, patience, or honest prayer look like there? [51:24]
- James says to submit to God, resist the devil, draw near, cleanse hands, purify hearts, mourn, and humble ourselves. Which one of those steps feels most needed right now, and why? [01:05:42]
- Wanting a second thing first always throws life out of order. What has been taking first place in affection, attention, or anxiety lately? What would it look like this week to seek God first in that area? [01:11:10]
- Communion reminds believers that the greatest need has already been met in Christ. How might remembering that reshape the way present wants and disappointments are handled this week? [01:12:19]
