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JAMES: “LISTENING TO THE CHALLENGES,” LESSON 4

24/5/2020

THE CHALLENGE OF discrimination and actions: JAMES 2

Part 3 of our series through the book of James. After listening to the sermon, take some time to reflect over the following questions:

THE CHALLENGE OF DISCRIMINATION

REFLECT:

How are you doing with discrimination?
What kind of people are you honestly uncomfortable being around?
What kinds of people scare you?
Who do you know who is very different from you?
When have you felt discriminated against?

EXAMEN:

In quiet attention to God’s loving presence, reflect on the challenges of discrimination.
In gratitude, when have you been strengthened by empathy?
How are you feeling about discrimination?
What is something about discrimination that you can talk to God about?
What is something about discrimination you can look forward to?
Seek God’s guidance, help, and understanding.
Pray for empathy.

EXERCISE:

Try sitting with someone at church who is very different from you.
Invite someone different from you to a meal.
Read something from a very different point of view from your own.
Practice simply listening to another person’s ideas without arguing.

THE CHALLENGE OF ACTIONS

REFLECT:

How are you doing with your actions?
Have people shown their love for you?
Do you actually believe that God uniquely created you, absolutely loves you, sacrificially saved you, has especially equipped and called you into extraordinary service?
Do you act like it?
How do you know someone loves you without them proving it through their actions?
What risks might God be asking you to take?

EXAMEN:

In quiet attention to God’s loving presence, reflect on the challenges of actions.
In gratitude, when have you been strengthened by actions?
How are you feeling about your actions?
What is something about your actions that you can talk to God about?
What is something about your actions you can look forward to?
Seek God’s guidance, help, and understanding.
Pray about actions.

EXERCISE:

List actions that prove your faith is real.
Join a church or community activity that takes you out of your comfort zone.

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JAMES: “Listening to the Challenges,” Lesson 3

17/5/2020

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The Challenge of Listening: James 1:19-27

Part 3 of our series through the book of James. After listening to the sermon, take some time to reflect over the following questions:

REFLECT:

How are you doing with listening?
When has someone spoken to you but you didn’t really hear them?
When have you felt like someone didn’t really hear you?
How might your ears be plugged?
How might your feet be tied?

EXAMEN:

In quiet attention to God’s loving presence, reflect on the challenges of listening.
In gratitude, when have you been strengthened by listening?
How are you feeling about listening?
What is something about listening that you can talk to God about?
What is something about listening you can look forward to?
Seek God’s guidance, help, and understanding.
Pray about listening.

EXERCISE:

Practice a solitude and/or silent retreat.
Try to pay attention to what God is saying to you.
Journal what God may be teaching you.

ALL QUESTIONS FROM: Prette, Dr. James A.. Listening to the Challenges: A Devotional Commentary on the New Testament Letter of James. Kindle Edition. Used with permission.

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James: "Listening to the Challenges," lesson 2

10/5/2020

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The Challenge of Privileges and Temptations: James 1:9-18

Part 2 of our series through the book of James. After listening to the sermon, take some time to reflect over the following questions:

THE CHALLENGE OF OUR PRIVILEGES

REFLECT:

What privileges do you possess?
What resources has God uniquely given you that could help others with?
What advantages do you wish you had?
What invitation is God extending to you through your privileges?
What might God be saying to you through what you have or don’t have?
When have comparisons stolen your joy?

EXAMEN:

In quiet attention to God’s loving presence, reflect on the challenges of privilege.
In gratitude, when have you been strengthened by humility and gratitude?
How are you feeling about your privileges?
What is something about your privileges that you can talk to God about?
What is something about your privileges you can look forward to?
Seek God’s guidance, help, and understanding.
Pray for humility and gratitude.

EXERCISE: Start a gratitude journal

THE CHALLENGE OF TEMPTATIONS

REFLECT:

What temptations have you faced lately?
How might these temptations be an invitation for you to grow?
How are you most tempted by power, pleasure, and passivity?
What might you need to confess, rebuke, deny, or dismiss?
How has God helped you out of temptations?
When did it feel like God was absent?

EXAMEN:

In quiet attention to God’s loving presence, reflect on the challenges of temptations.
In gratitude, when have you been strengthened by facing temptations?
How are you feeling about temptations?
What is something about temptation that you can talk to God about?
What is something about temptations you can look forward to?
Seek God’s guidance, help, and understanding.
Pray about temptations.

EXERCISE: Memorize these verses: 1 John 2:16 Heb. 4:15 Matt. 7:14 1 Cor. 10:13

ALL QUESTIONS FROM: Prette, Dr. James A.. Listening to the Challenges: A Devotional Commentary on the New Testament Letter of James. Kindle Edition. Used with permission

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James: "Listening to the challenges," lesson 1

3/5/2020

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The challenge of trials: James 1:1-8

This is the first of a series of sermons that will take us through the book of James.

After watching the sermon, take some time to consider the following questions:

REFLECT:

How can a trial be a joyful experience?
How might God be using a trial to test your faith right now?
How are you being asked to persevere?
When have you felt like quitting?
Do you really believe God is generous?
Do you really believe God doesn’t reproach our asking?
Do you really believe God is able to give you wisdom?

EXAMEN:

In quiet attention to God’s loving presence, reflect on the challenges of trials.
In gratitude, when have you been strengthened by facing trials?
How are you feeling about trials?
What is something about trials that you can talk to God about?
What is something about facing trials you can look forward to?
Seek God’s guidance, help, and understanding. Pray about facing trials.

EXERCISE:

Make a list of the trials God is allowing in your life.
Talk to God about how you feel about each one.
Consider how each one is testing the metal of your faith.
Consider what God may be inviting you into through these trials.

ALL QUESTIONS FROM: Prette, Dr. James A.. Listening to the Challenges: A Devotional Commentary on the New Testament Letter of James (pp. 38-40). Kindle Edition. Used with permission

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JAMES: “LISTENING TO THE CHALLENGES,” LESSON 4

THE CHALLENGE OF discrimination and actions: JAMES 2

JAMES: “Listening to the Challenges,” Lesson 3

The Challenge of Listening: James 1:19-27

James: "Listening to the Challenges," lesson 2

The Challenge of Privileges and Temptations: James 1:9-18

James: "Listening to the challenges," lesson 1

The challenge of trials: James 1:1-8

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