About

Call to worship: Psalm 145:1-13

Text: James 3: 1-12

Summary:

"So also faith apart from works is dead," James declares. He then proceeds with a warning. We live in a world rich with opportunities to show our good works. We can help orphans and widows. We can do good to one another, sharing with those in need. All good things. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it only takes one lying word to ruin a reputation. One harsh word to wreck a friendship. One careless word to call the bluff on our claims of "faith". Painting picture after picture, heaping up images, stringing together examples, James warns us that what we say speaks volumes about about the validity of our faith.

Sermon Outline:

1. Put faith to work...through diligent pursuit (3:1-2)
2. Put faith to work...by staying alert (3:3-8)
3. Put faith to work...by purifying the source (3:9-12)

Prepare

Discussion Questions:

1. Read James 3:1-12.
2. How is 3:1 connected to the previous subject (2:26)? Through this passage, is he focused on the elders/teachers, or is the whole congregation in mind? What are the qualifications of an elder (1 Timothy 3)? How are an elder's qualifications different from the character and practice of any other disciple of Jesus?
3. What does it mean for James to say that "he is a perfect man" in James 3:2? Why is our speech, our conversation, an indicator of an entire life directed towards Christ? In what ways does our speech call attention to our need for further sanctification?
4. What are some contemporary examples of small things that govern the motion/behavior of bigger things? Follow the pattern of James 3:3-5 and write your own warning using a few of these examples. What does James mean when he says that the tongue "boasts of great things"?
5. How do the final verses (9-12) echo James' earlier teaching about prayer (1:5-8)? Consider your own use of speech. Is it evidence of a changed heart, a pattern of growth in Christlikeness? In what ways are you particularly tempted to use the tongue in destructive or counter-productive ways?