Christianity 101: Submit to God

Text: James 4:1-12

Summary:  James continues his challenge to the church by addressing the disagreements that they have with others.  James notes that our own selfishness is the root of our frustrations and confrontations, but ultimately God offers us forgiveness and reconciliation through His grace.  He closes with a practical approach to confession and repentance that will keep our hearts pure both towards God and towards others.


1.  What are the different things that you pray for?  Is it always just asking God for stuff?  What about adoration, confession, and thanksgiving?  READ Matthew6:9-13.  Identify the different parts of the prayer that Jesus speaks as he instructs his disciples on how to pray.

2.  Read John 15:7 and 16:24.  What do these verses say about our prayers?
a.  Why ask in Jesus' name?
b.  What is the condition in receiving what we ask for? (Remaining in Jesus)
c.  So how do you "remain in Jesus?"

3.  Why does James refer to the church as "you  adulterous people" in verse 4?  (Read Isaiah 57:2-3, 8 and Jeremiah 3:20 for insight).

4.  The first 5 verses of this chapter are pretty firm, in your face, and unapologetic.  They highlight how sinful we are, how our frustrations are our own fault, and how we try to manipulate God sometimes through our prayers.  That's a pretty long list of things that we are guilty of.  Then we see vs. 6.  Ask everyone in the group to read the first sentence of that verse out loud.  Vocalizing it makes it even more stunning!  After all of that, God still offers us grace and forgiveness through Jesus.  What is your response to that?  How do you feel about that?

5.  Verse 6 can be very humbling, and that's exactly what James calls us to as we respond to Jesus.  Read Isaiah 55:6-7.
a.  What are the promises of this verse?
b.  How do they relate to our verses in James?
c.  What is one way that you can humble yourself this week?
d.  What is one way that you can draw near to God this week?

6.  In vs 7-10, the following phrases are used to describe what we need to do in our lives as we confess our sins, repent, and turn to God.  How do you do these in your daily life?
a.  Submit to God
b.  Resist the Devil
c.  Wash your hands and purify your heart
d.  Grieve, morn, and wail (when is the last time you were broken over your sin?  Broken to the point of tears?)


HOMEWORK:  What's one thing from the message/text this week that you are going to commit to do so that you can be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer?