Covenant Naples

We don’t often think that partiality has big consequences. Is it really that big of a deal if I have a judgmental thought? Our passage for Sunday, James 2:1-13, will challenge those assumptions by reminding us what kind of kingdom the Lord reigns over.

Outline

Title: The Sin of Partiality

I. The Problem of Partiality

II. The Hope in the midst of partiality

Questions

1. What was your understanding of partiality and how did it change based on James 2:1-13

2. Which problem of partiality resonated with you the most? Why?

3. Look up different passages about partiality. What are some themes that you see develop?

Read the context if needed. Deuteronomy 16:19, 2 Chronicles 19:7, Job 13:10, Psalm 82, Proverbs 24:24, Proverbs 28:21, Romans 2:11, Galatians 2:6, Ephesians 6:9, 1 Timothy 5:21

4. What are ways that you see partiality take root in your own heart? Socially, politically, financially, ethnically? What hope do you have in Christ?

None of us wants to be considered religious, but none of us can stop being religious. James 1:26-27 invites us to self examination as it describes the difference between fake religion and the real thing.

1. Do you think of when you hear the word "religion"?

2. Why is our use of words an important indicator of the authenticity of our faith?

3. When you think of your own spiritual maturity, do you tend to emphasize personal holiness

or the practice of justice and mercy? What happens to us when we neglect one or the other?

4. For Christians who know salvation is by faith not works,

how might these verses be unsettling? How do we reconcile this?

5. How do warnings against worthless religion show the grace of God for people in the Church?

6. What do these warnings communicate about God to skeptics and unchurched people?

Through the Scriptures, we have access to the very voice of God directing us in His ways. Yet how often do we treat the Bible as mere information rather than life-giving good news? In this passage, James calls us beyond simply hearing the word to actually doing what it says.

Sermon Outline:

I. Those who only hear the word are self-deceived.

II. Those who only hear the word are foolish.

III. Those who only hear the word forfeit the blessing.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Can you think of a specific area in your life where you’ve struggled to apply God’s Word in practice? What obstacles or challenges have you encountered, and how can you overcome them to become a doer of the Word in that area?

2. How do you think merely hearing but not obeying God’s Word can be a form of self-deception? Have you experienced this in your own life?

3. Think back to the ways people look at a mirror. How do you typically react when you read or hear God's Word? Do you find yourself more inclined to ignore your shortcomings or to dwell on them? How can you develop a healthier perspective on self-examination through God's Word?

4. James refers to “the law of liberty.” How does the gospel enable us to cultivate a mindset that views obedience as a source of joy and fulfillment rather than as a burdensome duty?

5. What is one specific way you feel challenged to not just hear, but do what Scripture teaches? What practical step of obedience will you take this week?

Think about the last time you became really angry? What was the fruit of that anger? Would you say it was the righteousness that should characterize a person who loves and serves God? Probably for most of us it wasn’t. Anger can produce many things, but it does not produce the one thing we Christians want the most in our lives: the righteousness of God. But what the anger of man cannot produce, the word of God can. Join us to find out how.

Sermon Outline:

I. We Must Be Slow to Anger.

II. We Must Put Away Our Sin.

III. We Must Humbly Receive the Word.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. How has anger, whether justified or not, impacted your life or relationships? Can you think of specific instances where anger led to negative consequences?

2. According to the sermon, what are the dangers of being quick to speak and quick to anger? How might these behaviors hinder effective communication and relationships?

3. James writes that we need to receive the word of God with meekness. How can you personally cultivate a posture of humility in your life, especially when faced with difficult circumstances or disagreements?

4. Can you share an example from your own life where you witnessed the transforming power of the gospel's message? How did receiving the gospel with meekness impact your behavior and attitudes?

5. In today’s culture, where anger often seems pervasive, what practical steps can we take as individuals and as a community of believers to be “slow to anger” and better reflect the righteousness of God?

Christians worship an unchanging God, who does not associate with or tempt us to sin. Therefore, we may have great confidence and hope that the new life he has birthed in us is but the firstfruits of His plan to renew all creation and vanquish sin, Satan, and death.

Sermon Outline:

I.The only way to obey the command: ‘do not be deceived,’ is to know the truth.

II. Our faith in God and confidence in His word are predicated on His immutability (changelessness).

III. Your new birth in Christ is neither a random act nor a consequence of your initiative. It is a work of God: the product of His perfect will accomplished through the message of the Gospel.

Questions:

1. In what ways does the spirit of our age attempt to deceive us concerning God or His word?

2. What are the good and perfect gifts that James references in this passage?

3. How is the immutability (changelessness) of God a source of comfort to the believer?

4. What is meant that by the firstfruits of God’s creatures?

5. Compare God’s work in creation with his work in the new birth of believers. (Gen. 1:26; 1 Peter 1:23;

John Owen wrote back in the 1600’s about what temptation does: “It will lay the reins on the neck of a lust, and put spurs to the sides of it, that it may rush forward like a horse into the battle.” We all know what that feels like, because temptation is common to all of us. But where do our temptations come from, where do they lead, and how can we resist them? Join us this Sunday to find out.

Sermon Outline:

I. The Source of Temptation

II. The Lifecycle of Temptation

III. The Strength to Endure Temptation

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. How does the concept of trial intersect with temptation? Can you think of any personal experiences where a trial led to a temptation?

2. Where does temptation not come from? Why is it important to recognize this?

3. What is the role of our desire in temptation as James describes it?

4. Consider the distinction between God testing His people and Satan tempting them. How can this understanding affect the way you perceive and respond to challenges in your life?

5. How does love for God counteract the power of temptation? How can we cultivate and strengthen our love for God?

In this passage, James confronts us with the challenge of evaluating the worth of a person, even our own worth. On the one hand, what you think makes you valuable actually works against you. On the other hand, what you think makes you worthless actually highlights your true value. So, what are you worth? Join us to find out!

Sermon Outline:

I. The Lowly Can Boast.

II. The Wealthy Can Be Humble.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. How does the concept of valuing antiques on “Antiques Roadshow” relate to the way we often evaluate the worth of individuals in our society?

2. What are some common categories or factors that people use to evaluate the worth of others? How does this passage challenge those worldly evaluations?

3. In verse 9, the lowly are called to boast in their exaltation. What does this mean, and how does it connect to the concept of humility and dependence on God?

4. How do verses 10-11 describe the fleeting nature of riches and the temporal condition of humanity? How should this perspective shape our attitude towards our “wealth” whatever form it takes?

5. How does the passage challenge us to reframe our understanding of our own worth and identity? How does it encourage us to treat others, regardless of their social status?

Trials not only reveal and refine our faith, but our trials also reveal where our character is lacking and needs to be completed. And one of the things we frequently lack which keeps us from having joy in our trials is wisdom. The good news is that God promises to give that wisdom to all who ask for it in faith. Join us this week to discover why we need wisdom and how to get it.

Sermon Outline:

I. The Need for Wisdom

II. The Promise of Wisdom

III. The Condition of Wisdom

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Describe a time in your life when you keenly felt the need for wisdom?

2. Why do we need wisdom to be able to “count it all joy” in the midst of our trials?

3. Do you ever feel reluctant to ask God for wisdom (or anything else)? Why do you feel that way, and does this passage correct your thinking at all?

4. What does it mean to be double-minded versus single-minded? What is the remedy for our double-mindedness?

No one likes to face trials in this life. Yet, in this passage, James calls us to “Count it all joy” when we encounter trials. What is it about the Christian faith that turns the hardest things that happen to us in this life into occasions for joy? Join us to find out as we kick off our new sermon series in the book of James!

Sermon Outline:

I. The Counterintuitive Response to Trials

II. What We Know in the Midst of Trials

III. The Ultimate Goal of All Our Trials

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. As you think about your life and the ways you have suffered, would you take an eraser and remove it if you could? Why or why not?

2. Where in your life have you seen suffering produce steadfastness and ultimately Christian character in you? Where have you seen suffering expose your need for growth in Christian character?

3. How might we use the teaching of this passage to comfort a Christian friend or family member who is suffering a trial? How could an improper use of this passage hurt those who are suffering?

4. Why is it important to get clarity on what we most want in life? If what we most want is to be like Jesus, how does this shape our perspective on the trials we suffer?

5. How does the gospel give us confidence that God is worthy to be trusted even when we are suffering?

How can anyone know if they are living life rightly before it is over? Some might argue that it’s being presumptuous to say that there is a “right” way to live. But how to live life rightly amid all the chaos, confusion, and ambiguity of our existence under the sun is what Ecclesiastes is all about. Join us for the final message in this series as we put it all together.

Sermon Outline:

I. The Communication of Wisdom

II. The Source of Wisdom

III. The End of Wisdom

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever wrestled with the question of whether you were “living it right”? What was (or is) that experience like?

2. The text says that the “words of the wise are like goads.” How has the study of Ecclesiastes been like a goad to you? Where have you been pushed, challenged, or made uncomfortable?

3. In the sermon you heard brief answers to six worldview questions. Discuss how different groups of people (eg. a secularist, a Muslim, someone who has made a religion out of political conservatism or liberalism) might answer those six questions and how those different answers would lead to very different approaches to living.

4. Ecclesiastes calls us to “Fear God and keep his commandments.” How does this simplify life in an often complicated world? How is the message of the gospel essential to obeying this simple command?

5. Reflecting on the concept of judgment presented in the sermon, how does the idea of God's judgment influence your daily decisions and actions? If you believed at the core of your being that God was going to commend you for every act of loving obedience, would it change anything about how you’re living?