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FAITH THAT WORKS ANDY MORGAN | MARCH 7, 2010 |
Scripture Reading: James 2:14-26
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by
your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister
who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm
and eat well” —but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good
does that do? 17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it
is dead and useless. 18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have
good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds?
I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” 19 You say you have faith, for you believe
that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in
terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? 21 Don’t
you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions
when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked
together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures
say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith. ”He
was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by
what we do, not by faith alone. 25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown
to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely
away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead
without good works.
LIFE GROUP HOMEWORK
QUICK REVIEW:
Looking back at this week’s teaching on James 2:14-26, what was one thing that
particularly caught your attention, challenged you, or confused you?
MY STORY:
1. When I serve others I feel… (circle any that apply)
DIGGING DEEPER:
1. Re-read James 2:14-26 and in your own words describe James’s position on faith and
works. How are they related? What do they do separately and what do they accomplish
together? Share your definition with your group.
2. It is always important to remember the context of this letter. James was writing to
members of the church who believed in Jesus Christ. These believers also composed the
church in Jerusalem and were primarily Jewish, so, as we have been studying in weeks
past, the readers of this letter understood the theology of following Christ very well, but
likely had difficulty putting it into action. With this context in mind, why would James
include stories of Abraham and Rahab (verses 21-25) in this portion of the letter?
3. Read these stories of Abraham and Rahab and write down what actions their faith
caused them to take.
4. How did God uniquely bless Abraham and Rahab for their actions of faith? How does
the “Parable of the Talents” in Matthew 25:14-29 work to illustrate this idea further?
TAKING IT HOME:
“Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you
over much.” God gives each of His followers ways to serve Him. They start out small, but
the more faith you demonstrate with what He gives, the bigger blessings He will pour out
in greater ways to serve in His kingdom. Think and pray over your current situation in life.
What are the small ways God is calling you to be faithful in service to Him that you may
not yet notice? What are those ways and how will you act in faithfulness to serve Him?
Share with your group so that you can all keep each other accountable to living out your
faith in God every day.
FAMILY PAGE
This is what the children are learning today!!
Bible Story: Abraham Believes God
Bible Truth: It pleases Jesus when our actions show our faith
Scripture: Genesis 22:2-17; James 2:14-26
Bible Verse: Abraham believed the Lord and He credited to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:6
Questions to discuss with your children about today’s lesson:
*Read James 2:14-26
1. In verse 17, what does the scripture call faith without action?
2. In verse 20, what did they call the man without deeds?
3. In verse 26, what does the scripture say faith that has no deeds is?
*Read Genesis 22
1. What did God tell Abraham to do?
2. What did Isaac ask his father in verse 7?
3. How did Abraham answer him?
4. What did God do when Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac?
5. What did God say about Abraham in verse 17?
Thought Questions:
1. Why do you think scripture calls faith with out deeds dead?
2. How did Abraham show his faith in God?
3. Why do you think God called Abraham his friend?
4. What are some ways we can show our faith in action?
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by
your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister
who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm
and eat well” —but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good
does that do? 17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it
is dead and useless. 18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have
good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds?
I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” 19 You say you have faith, for you believe
that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in
terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? 21 Don’t
you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions
when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked
together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures
say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith. ”He
was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by
what we do, not by faith alone. 25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown
to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely
away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead
without good works.
LIFE GROUP HOMEWORK
QUICK REVIEW:
Looking back at this week’s teaching on James 2:14-26, what was one thing that
particularly caught your attention, challenged you, or confused you?
MY STORY:
1. When I serve others I feel… (circle any that apply)
- Obligated. It’s difficult to be in the right mood to serve.
- Encouraged. Serving others makes me feel good.
- Spent. It’s often hard work to serve others who really need it.
- Worshipful. When I love others I am reminded of how Christ loves me.
- Satisfied. I did my good deed for the day.
- Anxious. Serving requires a level of involvement with others that makes me
somewhat uncomfortable. - Complete. I was created to serve and I don’t feel whole until I do.
DIGGING DEEPER:
1. Re-read James 2:14-26 and in your own words describe James’s position on faith and
works. How are they related? What do they do separately and what do they accomplish
together? Share your definition with your group.
2. It is always important to remember the context of this letter. James was writing to
members of the church who believed in Jesus Christ. These believers also composed the
church in Jerusalem and were primarily Jewish, so, as we have been studying in weeks
past, the readers of this letter understood the theology of following Christ very well, but
likely had difficulty putting it into action. With this context in mind, why would James
include stories of Abraham and Rahab (verses 21-25) in this portion of the letter?
3. Read these stories of Abraham and Rahab and write down what actions their faith
caused them to take.
- Abraham & Isaac: Genesis 22:1-18
- Rahab in Jercho: Joshua 2:1-18
4. How did God uniquely bless Abraham and Rahab for their actions of faith? How does
the “Parable of the Talents” in Matthew 25:14-29 work to illustrate this idea further?
TAKING IT HOME:
“Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you
over much.” God gives each of His followers ways to serve Him. They start out small, but
the more faith you demonstrate with what He gives, the bigger blessings He will pour out
in greater ways to serve in His kingdom. Think and pray over your current situation in life.
What are the small ways God is calling you to be faithful in service to Him that you may
not yet notice? What are those ways and how will you act in faithfulness to serve Him?
Share with your group so that you can all keep each other accountable to living out your
faith in God every day.
FAMILY PAGE
This is what the children are learning today!!
Bible Story: Abraham Believes God
Bible Truth: It pleases Jesus when our actions show our faith
Scripture: Genesis 22:2-17; James 2:14-26
Bible Verse: Abraham believed the Lord and He credited to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:6
Questions to discuss with your children about today’s lesson:
*Read James 2:14-26
1. In verse 17, what does the scripture call faith without action?
2. In verse 20, what did they call the man without deeds?
3. In verse 26, what does the scripture say faith that has no deeds is?
*Read Genesis 22
1. What did God tell Abraham to do?
2. What did Isaac ask his father in verse 7?
3. How did Abraham answer him?
4. What did God do when Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac?
5. What did God say about Abraham in verse 17?
Thought Questions:
1. Why do you think scripture calls faith with out deeds dead?
2. How did Abraham show his faith in God?
3. Why do you think God called Abraham his friend?
4. What are some ways we can show our faith in action?