James - Chapter 4
Introduction
James 4 covers four main topics:
- Conflicts and Prayer
- Compromise vs. Humility
- Don’t Speak Evil and Judge
- Don’t Boast About Tomorrow
James 4:1-3 Conflicts and Prayer
See also Romans 7:19-23, Matthew 7:7-8
- Where were the wars and fights?
- What caused these conflicts?
- Why were their efforts to obtain things having no results?
- What should they have done to obtain results?
- Why would we choose not to ask about anything important to us?
- Is it possible to ask wrongly?
James 4:4-10 Compromise vs. Humility
See also 1 John 2:15-17, Matthew 6:24
- What is friendship with the world?
- What is friendship with the world equivalent to?
- What causes the Spirit to be jealous?
- Do we have a choice on who flees and who draws near?
- How can we be double-minded in this?
- Does lamenting, mourning, weeping indicate this is serious? Does our reaction match this?
James 4:11-12 Don’t Speak Evil and Judge
See also 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Matthew 7:3
- What does it mean to speak evil?
- How is speaking evil related to judging?
- What role of ours in relation to the law do we forget when we take the role of judge?
- Whose place are we usurping when we become judges?
- Does the one Lawgiver take his laws (including this one) seriously?
James 4:13-17 Don’t Boast about Tomorrow
See also Luke 14:28-33, Matthew 6:31-34, Luke 9:59-61
- Is he condemning making plans?
- What is he condemning?
- What examples can we think of where we might make plans without considering the spiritual consequences?
- Do we live as if we know what will happen tomorrow?
- Why is saying such things arrogant?
- Do we get to ignore any good thing that we know to do?
- How might we ignore good things today?