Listen in Community
Small Group Study
Overview
The Book of James is commonly thought to have been written by Jesus’ half-brother, James. Many believe he was writing to Jewish Christians. James wrote this letter to correct any misunderstandings about the nature of faith. James began with a greeting, then quickly transitioned into an encouragement to stay faithful through trials and sufferings. Afterward, he wasted no time moving straight into his teaching on faith. James agreed with the writer of Romans, who confirms that faith comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
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Engage
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QUESTION Think of a friend who had a goal, but consistently chose things that hindered them from reaching that goal. What seemed to stand between their desire and taking action to reach the goal?
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The road to reaching a goal begins with faith. Believing you can finish helps gets you started. But daily work toward the goal ultimately moves you from start to finish. This same principle applies to our faith journey too. Today, we’ll look at what the Book of James tells us about the importance of works and faith in our journey to the life God has called us to live.
Watch
As we watch this video, consider this question:
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QUESTION How has your faith brought out good deeds in your life?
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Consider
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Matthew stared down the treadmill for one long moment, playing an imaginary game of Chicken and willing the machine to budge and move out of the way. He was beginning the long process of getting physically fit. He wished he were already fit. He wished he had never gotten to the place where he needed the treadmill’s help. He wished he were on the other side of this fitness journey. But none of his wishing or “will”-ing would get him to his goal.
“It will only be for thirty minutes,” his friend said exuberantly. “Trust me, this is going to work,” referring to the workout plan his friend had custom created for Matthew.
In truth, his lack of enthusiasm was not because of a lack of faith in the process or the plan. Matthew realized in that moment that what he wanted was within reach, but not achievable without work. He reminded himself how much he wanted the outcome of his friend’s fitness plan to be his future reality.
Having faith in the plan, Matthew mustered up the energy to get on the machine. Not just once or twice, but day after day, week after week, until one day what he only had once only known in faith was confirmed with his own eyes as he read the numbers on the scale.
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QUESTION Besides physical fitness, in what areas of life do we have to discipline ourselves to do hard work in order to see a desired outcome? |
What the Bible Says
“Faith,” the Bible says, is the evidence of things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1). “Works” are what allow us to demonstrate that our faith is alive and useful. The only way we can get access to our God and His goodness is through faith. In the same way, the only way our faith can be shown fruitfully in our lives is through our diligent daily work of obedience to Him. This brief dive into some of the writings of James will help us see how our faith should impact our daily life.
Listening Well
Read James 1:19–21.
James points out the first obstacle in the way of faith: poor hearing. What’s the obstacle to hearing? James implores believers to clean up the garden of their hearts by removing the weeds of anger, filth, and evil. These things can harden our heart and prevent us from truly hearing from God.
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QUESTION James 1:19 reminds us to listen before we speak. Share about a time when you learned the importance of this valuable lesson.
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True Fruit
Read James 1:22–25.
Jesus strongly rebuked those who called Him Lord yet refused to do what He commanded (Matthew 7:21–25). Listening alone is not enough. Doing what God says is the foundation for a righteous life (Romans 2:13).
When we obey God’s Word, we gain godly wisdom and blessing. Only by obeying can we know if God’s principles are true. The results that come from our obedience prove not only God’s Word, but His character as well.
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QUESTION What are some common excuses people give for hearing God’s Word, but not doing it?
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QUESTION Have you experienced gaining wisdom because you obeyed God’s Word? How?
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Pure Religion
Read James 1:26–27.
Pure religion is caring for orphans and widows. It’s controlling our tongues. It’s choosing to fight against the temptations of the world and refusing to let corruption influence and overwhelm us. Simply put, pure religion involves work on our part. It’s not just passive listening, but also acting on the words we hear until they are planted in our hearts. Godly instruction overflowing into obedient work is the true sign of pure religion.
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QUESTION Why do you think James addressed taming the tongue in this passage that speaks mostly on faith? |
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QUESTION Has your tongue ever stood in the way of your obedience?
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Faith and Works
Read James 2:14–20.
It’s a strong delusion to believe that our work could mean nothing in God’s kingdom. God is looking for sons and daughters who will back up their faith by doing the work necessary to see what they believe come to reality.
Righteousness, to have right standing before God, requires faith. Without faith, you and I are unable to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Our faith must go hand in hand with our disciplined work in the kingdom of God. We must joyfully perform the work of the children of God: telling others about Jesus, forgiving one another, controlling our tongues, and daily growing more like Jesus.
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QUESTION Have you met people who seem to rely on their work as the basis for their salvation? What makes them believe that?
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QUESTION Have you come across someone who believes that doing good “works” might be acting against the “voice of faith?”
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Learn from the Examples of Others
Read James 2:21–26.
James finished out this segment on the necessity of faith and works with a few examples. Rather than simply noting that Abraham and Rahab had faith and works, he explained that they showed their right standing with God through their action-validated faith. The same is true for us. We demonstrate righteousness when we exercise our faith in action. And through that demonstration, like Abraham and Rahab, we can be examples to others of what living faith should look like.
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QUESTION Who in your life is a good example of someone who is both strong in faith and actions? How do they combine the two?
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QUESTION How can reflecting on good examples of faith and works benefit a Christian’s personal walk with Jesus? |
Reflect
Consider a new baby. Before he is born, the baby gives little effort to keeping himself alive. The baby stays in the protective environment of the womb until the day of his birth, feeding on the nourishment obtained from his mother.
But once he is born, the child begins to participate in the process. At first, he cries to alert the parent of his needs. Then he learns to point and talk in an effort to communicate his needs. As the child matures, he works even more, such as in the effort of learning to walk, honing language skills, acquiring an education, and a myriad of other things. These “works” of growing up will allow the child to grow into an adult who can live in this world freely.
In the same way, being born again in Christ requires simple faith in Jesus. We come to Him, simply trusting in His Word. Then as we mature, our works must be exercised to give expression to our faith. If works do not accompany faith, the newly born-again Christian will eventually die. And so, the Bible reminds us that faith without works is dead. To truly exercise faith, we must hear first and then obey so we may have right standing before God.
Listen to God
The goal of Listen is not only to gain an understanding of God’s Word, but also to pause and listen to what God might want to say to us about what we have read and shared. Be silent for a few moments and reflect on the following questions. Choose the one that most resonates with what God is saying to you now. Then complete the others during Day 1 of your devotion time this week.
Personal Reflection Questions
Record your answers to the following questions in the space provided or in your personal journal.
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QUESTION Of those who have influenced your walk with God, who embodies the balance of faith and works well? What are some qualities this person has that you could prayerfully develop in your own life?
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QUESTION Listening is a big part of establishing faith. Do you listen well to the voice of the Lord? Why or why not?
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QUESTION Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any sins or other attributes that impede your hearing of the Word of God. Once God has revealed any hindering factors to you, be intentional to repent of these and plan on ways to overcome any listening issues you may have.
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QUESTION According to James, pure religion involves helping the needy, such as orphans and widows. Is there anyone in your life who is needy and could use a blessing from your hands? Prayerfully consider how best to help them as an expression of what God’s Word teaches us about faith and works. |
Prayer Requests
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Note any requests from the group and remember to pray for them during the week. |
Before next time, continue to listen with the personal devotions.
Did You Know?
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In the first century world of the Roman Empire, the value of a lower-class individual was often gauged by their work ethic. For this reason, historical sources show us that the Jewish (and later Christian) populations in the Roman world were continually mocked and persecuted by the general population who believed them to be lazy for following the Sabbath and resting one day each week.
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Listen on Your Own
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Listening to God is something we need to do every day. Before you begin each devotion, pray and ask God to speak to you through His Word. Record your answers to the following questions in the space provided or in your personal journal.
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Day 1
Read James 1:19–27.
Look back over Listen in Community. If you have not already, complete your responses to the Personal Reflection Questions. If time permits, reread the Scripture too.
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QUESTION What do you sense that God is saying to you about the relationship between faith and works in your life? |
Listen on Your Own
Day 2
Read James 2:14–26.
A life of faith involves work. Those who rely solely on works miss the mark on grace. In the same way, those who assume their faith is complete without action risk spiritual stagnation, fruitlessness, emptiness, and even spiritual death. Faith plus works is God’s design for Christian living.
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QUESTION What is the jeopardy of neglecting the physical needs of others and only seeking to meet their spiritual needs?
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QUESTION Who are some people with physical needs in your community today? How can we as the church meet these needs to show our faith by our works?
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Listen on Your Own
Day 3
Read Matthew 25:13–30.
Part of our “work” is investing our God-given gifts for the benefit of the Kingdom. This parable illustrates how we’re accountable for everything that God has placed in our stewardship. We exercise our faith by using our gifts to obey everything God commands us to do.
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QUESTION What work did the master expect of the servants?
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QUESTION What was the master’s response to every servant who had leveraged his gift as the master had commanded?
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QUESTION What was the response of the master to the servant who did nothing with his gift?
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QUESTION What are some God-given gifts in your life? Are you using them for the work of the Kingdom? If not, what can you do to put these gifts to work for the kingdom of God? |
Listen on Your Own
Day 4
Read Luke 6:46–49.
Works are God’s way to train us into maturity. Jesus considered those who obeyed God with their actions to be wise individuals. Obedience to God’s Word is the foundation that prevents us from falling away from faith.
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QUESTION To what does Jesus compare the person who obeys His teachings? |
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QUESTION What does Jesus call a person who hears His teachings and then refuses to obey?
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QUESTION When the flood came, it exposed the strength of the one who listened and obeyed and the weakness of the one who heard but disobeyed. How does our obedience to God prepare us for trials in life? |
Listen on Your Own
Day 5
Read Titus 1:15–16.
Those who know God but deny Him by their works are a cautionary tale to every Christian. We must be careful not to confess God with our mouths yet deny Him by the way we live. If we fail to let our works match our words, we are no better than unbelievers.
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QUESTION What does the Bible call men and women who live lives that deny God by their works (verse 16)?
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QUESTION As you meditate on these Scriptures, has the Holy Spirit sensitized you to any areas where you do not follow through in obedience with your life and your works? If so, ask Him for the capacity to continue to work as you exercise your faith in Jesus.
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