The Letter of James

Forming a Team/Group...

Online Bible Study Tools...

Scenario:  As with any email sent, there is a reason that gives it purpose. So it is with the letters that are recorded for us in the New Testament. James had a reason to write his letter -- a reason rooted in the day-to-day life issues his recipients were facing. Let's discover the historical context and purpose for James’ writing and discuss its application for our lives today. Full Study...

Scenario: The day-to-day presses us continually from family-life to work-life. To meet this press and never be found lacking, there is a process through which we can grow and excel – it’s called testing that produces endurance. But our confidence is that God is with us through every step of this process. Full Study...

Scenario: We live in a day of tremendous polarization, whether political, racial, or socio-economic. There is a swirl of toxicity around us, but we of faith in the “glorious Lord Jesus Christ” are called to be and remain genuine and impartial in all our interactions. How do we rise to this level of genuineness and integrity? Full Study...

Scenario: There are many cliches that we hear growing up from parents, teachers, coaches, etc. like, “walk the talk” and “actions speak louder than words.” The guidance here is that what we do, that is, what others see, is fully aligned with the words they hear us saying. A correlation to this wise guidance from a spiritual perspective is “faith without works (actions) is dead” as James teaches. As believers, how do we show the genuineness of our faith through our actions? Full Study...

Scenario: Taming the tongue to be disciplined and genuine in all that it says is one of our greatest challenges as a believer. What practical steps can we take to keep our words genuine? Full Study...

Scenario: We find ourselves in situations with colleagues at work, decisions that need to be made in the present and for the future, and where we need not to speak or need to speak the right words to family members or friends as they navigate the challenges of life – we need wisdom! Is it available to just a few enlightened ones? Or can we, ordinary people, attain wisdom? Full Study...

Scenario: Someone once quipped, “If I didn’t have to deal with people life would be great!” Well, life is made up of dealing with others – and some of the most trying are those closest to us. But not only do we have the “horizontal” relationship with people, we have a “vertical” relationship with God to be considered. The focus on one axis over the other has a direct impact on the other – which relationship we prioritize is our moment-by-moment challenge. Full Study...

Scenario: The future – that which is always before us. It holds the probability for times of great sorrow and great joy, times of lack and abundance, times of suppression and conquest. How can we be confident in facing a future of uncertainty? Should we make plans or should we not? What’s our posture to be in relationship with others and God? Full Study...

Scenario: Prayer, an on-going, bi-directional, conversation with the ever-present God. What insights can we learn from James about this on-going conversation? What compels us to practice this bi-directional conversation with the ever-present God? Full Study...

Scenario: Using the Agile methodology in software development where within a fixed time duration a body of work was completed, the team has a retrospective. This is a time where the team discusses what was learned and this shapes the team's focus/actions going forward. Having completed this study in James, it's time for a retrospective. What have you learned that you can share with the team to further establish the next steps in your ever-improving walk of faith? Full Study...