James, Faith and Works: Week 29 (May 22-28)
Faith and Works Practice: Week 29| May 22-28
Communities @ Grace
Goal for Week: Discuss the connection between Faith and Works.
45 minutes: Welcome, Pray, Eat + Mingle
What part of Sunday morning worship do you look forward to each week?
What possession is most sentimentally valuable to you?
15 Minutes : Review of last week’s practice experience
Review:
Read 1 John 3:3, “Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us.” Extravagant means exceeding what is expected, more than reasonable. Reflect each day on how God showed you love in an extravagant way, something just for you.
Treat someone in your life or someone you don’t know well with extravagant love. Consider sharing that experience with the group next week including: was it hard to do, what feelings came up for you as you planned and did it.
Make it a priority during your day to notice who you choose to interact with and who you avoid. Each day write a bit about what you discovered about yourself. Ask God to move in you so you can “love the whole world” like him.
Take action to combat injustice in the community where you live and work. This might start by speaking up when you see others being treated poorly or being talked about as “less than”. Are there organizations who are working to help others have access to what you have and enjoy in your lifestyle? Consider how you can join in with them.
How did this practice go for you? What is the Holy Spirit doing in your heart as a result of practicing this last week?
If nobody in your group has completed the practice from the previous week talk through these questions:
What is hindering you from practicing during the week?
How can we support each other?
How was your connection with Jesus this week?
40 Minutes : Introduction of Practice + Discussion Questions
Faith means believing that God is real and we can be forgiven for our sins if we
accept Jesus’s gift of salvation, through his death on the cross for our sins. Good
works do not justify or pay for our salvation. Rather, they are sign of a sincere
gratitude for God’s love and our salvation.
Read and discuss the following passages
James 2:24
What is an example of a “good work”?
1John 2:4-6
What is meant in vs 6, “walk in the same way in which he walked”?
What have you noticed about the way Jesus spent his life on earth? (not hurried, took time to listen before he responded, took care of practical needs, no big programs were needed, his miracles were about making sure people were fed, received care, etc.)
What part of “walking in the way of Jesus” is hard for you?
Eph. 2:8-10
Our good works, meaning our actions and interactions throughout the day, are an offering to God. They are not just special things you do for someone. It’s how you show Jesus to others in a practical way.
How do you know when it’s right to say YES to a good work option that comes across your path?
Are there works that it’s okay to say no to when someone asks?
What’s the down side of saying yes whenever you are asked?
Where does serving at church fit into this concept of “good works”?
Fill in this phrase:
God wants my life to be ____________________
How does that look on a day to day basis?
5 Minutes - Practice together
Group Practice:
“If God doesn’t rule your mundane, then he doesn’t rule you. Because that’s where you live. Dramatic, life-altering moments come only a few times during our lifetime—that’s why they’re dramatic. The rest of our lives are lived in the common, ordinary mundane…God can use the ordinary moments in your life to glorify himself by conforming you into the image of his Son. That is precisely what he intends to do. Dirty dishes in the sink is not just a worrisome ordeal in your otherwise uneventful day. It’s an opportunity to see glimpses of grace.” - Gloria Furman, Glimpses of Grace
During the week, we do many “mundane” tasks at home, work, and in our community.
What do you consider to be your mundane moments?
Does thinking of these tasks in terms of doing them “to the glory of God” change your mindset at all?
How can you do the mundane to the glory of God?
See next page for Practices next week, consider giving a copy to each member.
10 Minutes : Pray for One Another + Close
Consider praying as a whole group or in triads for personal prayer requests.
End on time in order to honor everyone’s time.
5 Minutes : Practices for Week Ahead
1. Be conscious this week of doing mundane tasks at home, work or community to the” Glory of God.” Did that mindset change anything for you?
2. Read Ephesians 2:8-10 again. Ponder on what is meant that God prepared beforehand for you the works you are to do. Pray and ask him to reveal what this means and what he wants you to be doing. Ask yourself if you are using your skills and talents to help others. Are there ways you could support others so they will succeed?
3. Works are an expression of our gratitude towards God. Spend time this week each day writing down what things cause you to be grateful to God that day. Look for the big and small things that he does specifically for you and give him thanks.