Lessons From James:

You Can Have Good Motives

1. Have you had an experience where you feel you were discriminated against. How did you know this was happening?

2. Read James 2:1-12. What is James warning against here?

-What are some of the destructive results of this action that James addresses in this passage? Are there others you can think of?

3. What are some of the other reasons we might discriminate against somebody.

-for each of these reasons (including riches and poorness) list a corresponding reason that you think might be motivating the discrimination. (ie - image, prestige for the church, etc).

4. Are there any of the above reasons that you can say might be motivated by an unselfish, if unGodly, desire?

5. Read vs. 8 again. What does this say about the times that you may be thought to be showing favoritism? (ie. seating a rich man with a hearing problem near the front when no one knows about this impediment to the gospel except you?)

6. Read vs. 12 again. What standard are we to judge our motives by? What does this say about relying on experience or another’s reputation etc. for making judgments of character?

7. Read John 9:16. Jesus was accused of being from Satan. Why?

-do you feel you have judged others for what you thought was the appearance of evil, when you really didn’t know? How can we prevent that?

8. Read James 4:17. Is there any excuse for not doing God’s will for fear of being thought badly of?

-why is it truly important to listen to accusations (even if they are not warranted).