Grace in Our Town Devotional Book of James Recap

Transcription

1 Grace in Our Town Devotional Book of James Recap -Group Study Leader- This recap brings us to the end of our James devotional study, and I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your dedication to your group! My prayer is that we end each study with the desire to continue getting to know our Creator! Thank you for doing your part to make this possible in the lives of others! God bless you! Prayer: Oh, Lord, our mighty King- we praise You because You are worthy. Thank You for everything You are doing in our lives. Thank You for the good times, the bad times, and everything in between because they all teach us lessons, if we have ears to listen, and eyes to see. Thank You for Your Word. As we end our study, we ask that Your Spirit would bring back to our remembrance those things You taught us in this study of James. Continue Your work within us, and make us willing to obey You, Lord. Let us find joy in honoring You, always. Let us put nothing before you. Let us see Your hand at work in our lives, even through the trials, Lord. May we not be blinded by grief, unforgiveness, sin, or unbelief. We believe, Lord. Help us with our unbelief. Bless our time together with Your presence, and glory. Have Your way, always, Lord. We pray in Jesus name. Fun Times: Laughter is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22)! Let s start with a few chuckles: Potato Laughs What you will need: A potato, ball, or something people can pass around. Have each person get in a circle, and pass a potato around while some music plays. (If you can t play any music for some reason, try rolling a pair of dice, and the numbers landed on can be summed up to determine the passes.) When the music stops, the person holding the potato must tell a joke, or get in the middle and do their favorite dance move (remind everyone to keep it rated G). Take as many turns as you wish, preferably when everyone gets a turn, if it doesn t take too long!

2 Our Study: Questions For Personal Evaluation: 1. Were you convicted of anything as you read the book of James, or the devotionals? 2. What changes have those convictions made in your life, if any? 3. Are you more in control of your tongue? 4. Are your actions showing godly wisdom? 5. Is your faith alive, and producing fruit and good works? *Ask everyone to take a few moments to write down their answers in their journals. The book of James is one of the books of the Bible I enjoy reading the most. It speaks truth, unapologetically. *Ask everyone if they consider themselves to be doing the same. If not, what prevents them? Discuss. This is what the body of Christ often needs, and often lacks. Although we are far from perfect, there is no excuse for disobedience, indifference, or self-centeredness in our walk with God. It will happen, no doubt, but it should not be deliberate, or go without sincere repentance. A follower of Christ should not expect to have a do as I say, not as I do attitude when preaching the Gospel, and for people to fall in love with our Savior. It doesn t work when correcting children, and it doesn t work with unbelievers. They see through our hypocrisy. Our actions testify louder than our words. Our actions should complement and verify our words, not discredit them. *Are there any parents in the group? Ask them if they have a do as I say, not as I do attitude at home, and what they can do now to make necessary changes. The book of James is quite practical, in regards to our Christian life. It confronts our pride, arrogance, hypocrisy, lust, and greed, among other things. As we read the passages, it might be as if we re looking in the mirror, facing our own divided loyalty between God and the world. I thank God for His new mercies every morning. We cannot simply welcome Christ in our lives and remain unchanged. No. He comes in and remakes us completely; body, spirit, and soul. It is up to us to walk in obedience and faith. God softens hardened hearts; let s open the door for Him to do so. When we hear His voice, let s not ignore Him. Life on earth, as we know it, is temporary. Our problems are temporary. Our obedience should be constant. *Discuss with your group how long each has been walking with the Lord, and if there are things that remain unchanged to this day. Is it a habitual sin? Why hasn t it changed? Is it deliberate disobedience?

3 Our God is a holy and just God. Should we take our faith lightly? Should we not seek to honor Him in every area of our lives? The very reason we exist is to bring Him glory! We have managed to have our perspectives and priorities distorted, and we settle for a pitiful life of self-indulgence, self-centeredness, and denial. There is so much more for us. A better life through obedience. We need God s wisdom. We need discipline. We need to control our tongues. We need to stop making excuses for inaction. We need to serve. We need to put God s plan first. We need to pray prayers that align with God s will and Word, not just our comfort and convenience. As we continue to seek God in prayer and in His Word, He will continue to take our Egypt out of us, just as He did with the Israelites in the wilderness. But we cannot grow lazy. Our lives are not about us, though we matter greatly, and are loved beyond measure. Our lives are to be a living sacrifice of service to the Father, and a ministry of hope to the lost, as we reach out to them with the message of the cross. *Ask the group: What would you do differently today than yesterday, if you knew Jesus was coming back tonight? How should considering this make us live differently? We are told in the Bible to always be ready for His return. Perhaps some of you don t belong to a particular church group and feel alone in your journey. It s possible that you do, but don t have an accountability partner, group, or any support. I encourage you to do what you can to join one, even if it s online. There are countless resources online that will help you have a Bible reading plan. Don t let anything stop you from studying it. Devotionals are great, but nothing replaces actual time in the Word. Resolve along with me to seek God above all else, and put your faith in action. God deserves all the honor our obedience brings Him. Fun Times: Have time for another game? Let s have some extra learning, and fun by playing Truth or Dare! Directions: One by one, ask people the grand question, Truth or Dare? They will likely choose to answer the truth. Ask one of the questions below, or make up your own. You can also do Bible Trivia. If they happen to choose a dare, get creative, or use one of our suggestions. Even better: try to get them to do both!

4 Sample Questions: 1) What are the 10 commandments? 2) Which commandment did you break today? 3) If I didn t know you were a believer, would your speech and behavior let me know? 4) What do you think of your choices for entertainment? Would you feel comfortable asking the Lord to watch one of your choices with you? 5) What will you do to improve your relationship with God? 6) What lesson do you take from the book of James? Sample Dares: 1) Tell a joke. 2) Do a cartwheel. 3) Do the chicken dance. 4) Make up a cheer about your favorite fruit. 5) Eat a hot pepper (if you have any, but not if your guest has gallstones)! 6) Pretend you re accepting an award for Best Actress, and give your acceptance speech. Prayer : Thank you, Father! Help us to continue learning, as we seek You, and study Your Word. Let us leave our preconceived ideas behind, and let ourselves be taught by You, as Your Spirit ministers to us. Help us be equipped with Your wisdom and courage, in order to put our faith in action, and reach out to the lost, while also encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ. We love you, Lord. Grant us purity of heart, that we may honor you. In Jesus name, may it be so. Call to Action : Be bold, but respectful. Be courageous, but wise. Be loving, but don t conform to the world. If you don t make a habit of writing in a journal, keep it up after this study! Step out of your comfort zone to help others more often! Study, and apply the Word; don t just read it! Consider starting your own Grace in Our Town or other study group! As a group, perhaps this would be a good time to make plans for another study. If you are able to, consider having a full dinner to celebrate the end of this one, or add extra touches to make it more meaningful.

5 If you are planning on having more studies with this same group of friends/family members, consider putting together a scrapbook, or notebook with a letter from every participant either stating what they learned, what their goals are in their walks with God, or anything else they d like to include! Everyone can make their own (make copies of letters), and you can have an additional gathering after this one, when everyone can get together, bring their materials (unless you are providing them), and have a craft/fellowship night! Thank you so much for joining me in our first Grace in Our Town devotional. If you haven t been through the whole book of James with us, I invite you to do so. You will find all the chapters, reading plans, and related downloads in the same category of James. Feel free to get a group of friends to do it with you. It s a great way to have accountability and fellowship! Join us for our upcoming devotional on 1 Corinthians! Check out our ministry website for details! Be blessed in your studies, and feel free to let us know how your Grace in Our Town study went! Perhaps you can us a picture of your group, or anything you d like to share. Feedback, questions, comments, and testimonies are always welcome! Serving our King, Cynthia Rey faithoutspoken@gmail.com