Lesson One

OVERVIEW

If you are like most people when you receive an important letter, you probably read it straight through first to see what the writer has to say in general. After that, you may go back to examine particular sections more closely. This is just the way to study a biblical letter. In this lesson, you'll take a broad overview of James's epistle to lay the groundwork for detailed study in future lessons.

1. James is an elder of the church in Jerusalem, a man who knew Jesus well during His earthly life and who saw Him after His resurrection. As a Christian in some distant province of the Roman Empire, you have probably never met James. Still, he cares enough about you to send some of the truths he thinks are crucial to Christian life. Read his letter through at one sitting. If possible, read it twice in different translations. Say some of it aloud to hear how it sounds. You may want to keep questions 2 through 6 in mind as you read, but wait until afterward to write answers.

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2. What are your first impressions of this book? (For instance, how is it organized — tightly, loosely, with one unifying theme, without connections between topics ...? What is James's tone — humorous, harsh, friendly, dry, passionate, humble, arrogant, authoritative? How does he feel about his readers and his topics?)

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3. Repetition is a clue to the ideas a writer wants to emphasize. What words and ideas does James repeat?

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4. Think of a short phrase or sentence that can serve as a title for each section of the letter. (The divisions below are suggestions. Feel free to change them.)

1:1 _____________________________________________

1:2-18 __________________________________________

1:19-27 _________________________________________

2:1-13 __________________________________________

2:14-26 _________________________________________

3:1-12 __________________________________________

3:13-18 _________________________________________

4:1-10 __________________________________________

4:11-12 _________________________________________

4:13-17 __________________________________________

5:1-6 ___________________________________________

5:7-12 __________________________________________

5:13-20 _________________________________________

5. How would you describe James's purpose(s) for writing this letter? (Is he teaching doctrine, exhorting someone to action, giving warnings or rebukes, telling about himself, offering personal comfort or encouragement ...?)

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6. Some people find no single theme in this letter, while others do see a theme running through all his words. What phrase or sentence would you use to summarize what James is saying?

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7. If you haven't already read the Introduction on pages 9–12, do so now.

8. After reading the letter and the Introduction, what are some of the questions that you would like to have answered as you delve more deeply into James's epistle? (Your questions can serve as personal objectives for your study.)

9. Did your overview of James suggest any areas of your life that you want to work on during this study? If so, jot them down, along with any plans you already have to deal with them. Take each one to God in prayer, asking Him to show you His priorities for your application and to give you His strength to become what He desires. If any of James's words have convicted you, confess your failings to God.

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For the group

This "For the group" section and the ones in later lessons are intended to suggest ways of structuring your discussions. Feel free to select what suits your group and ignore the rest. The main goals of this lesson are to get to know James's letter as a whole and the people with whom you are going to study it.

Worship. Some groups like to begin with prayer and/or singing. Some share requests for prayer at the beginning, but leave the actual prayer until after the study. Others prefer just to chat and have refreshments for a while and then move to the study, leaving worship until the end. It is a good idea to start with at least a brief prayer for the Holy Spirit's guidance and some silence to help everyone change focus from the day's business to the Scripture.

Warm-up. The beginning of a new study is a good time to lay a foundation for honest sharing of ideas, to get comfortable with each other, and to encourage a sense of common purpose. One way to establish common ground is to talk about what each group member hopes to get out of your group — out of your study of James, and out of any prayer, singing, sharing, outreach, or anything else you might do together. Why do you want to study the Bible, and James in particular? If you have someone write down each member's hopes and expectations, then you can look back at these goals later to see if they are being met. Allow about fifteen minutes for this discussion so that it does not degenerate into vague chatting.

How to use this study. If the group has never used a LifeChange study guide before, you might take a whole meeting to get acquainted, discuss your goals, and go over the "How to Use This Study" section on pages 5–8. Then you can take a second meeting to discuss the overview. This will assure that everyone understands the study and will give you more time to read all of James and answer the overview questions.

Go over the parts of the "How to Use This Study" section that you think the group should especially notice. For example, point out the optional questions in the margins. These are available as group discussion questions, ideas for application, and suggestions for further study. It is unlikely that anyone will have the time or desire to answer all the optional questions. A person might do one "Optional Application" for any given lesson. You might choose one or two "For Thought and Discussions" for your group discussion, or you might spend all your time on the numbered questions. If...