James 3:1-12 Discussion Guide
Sermon Date: Oct. 8, 2023
ANNOUNCEMENTS
High School Outing - Wednesday Oct. 4, 5:30pm-9pm @ Vala’s (Register online at clb.church/upcoming >> “More” >> “Registrations”) -Be sure to buy tickets online beforehand for a discounted rate! Students will need to bring cash for any snacks as well.
Seek Night - Thursday Oct. 5, 6:30pm-8:30pm @ Anchor Pointe Elementary (childcare provided! Register for childcare at clb.church/upcoming)
Waiting Room - Saturday Oct. 14, 9am-noon @ CLB Offices (Register online at clb.church/upcoming >> “More” >> “Registrations”)
Evangelism Tool - The Holy Spirit is using CLB’s Google reviews to bring people in. Please consider leaving a review, as an evangelistic tool
WHY CITY GROUPS?
The point of a City Group is to help us apply God’s Word to our everyday lives through the power of the Holy Spirit, and to multiply faithful intimates of Jesus who make more disciples of Jesus. So we gather regularly to give ourselves to three basic Christian practices: sharing stories, reading the Bible, and praying.
PRAY
Ask if anyone would like to open up in prayer and ask God to bless your time together
STORY
Break the ice with a testimony..
Who has prepared their 5-7 minute story?
Who can give testimony of God’s goodness right now? (i.e. answered prayer, provision, transformation, etc.)
VISION FOR THIS DISCUSSION
In this discussion we will take a look at “taming the tongue”. We will see how our words can build up or break down people. That our tongue will actually direct blessings or curses upon people who bear the image of God Himself.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PASSAGE
Use the OIA (Observation, Interpretation, Application) method to read, study, and use Scripture to grow in knowing and following God.
Read James 3:1-12 to provide an overview for this study.
OBSERVATION
Take time to read the passage and make observations.
Any repeated words, phrases?
Any comparison/contrast between characters, topics, passages/stories?
Specific characters—named or unnamed?
Any connecting words/phrases to bridge verses, stories, or ideas?
(“therefore..”, “however..”, “In the same way..”)
INTERPRETATION
-What? (What’s being said in the text?)
What would you say is the main idea of this passage in your own words?
What is the importance of being able to control our tongues?
What makes the tongue so difficult to “tame”?
Read vs. 10. What is an example of a blessing in the context of this verse? What is a curse in this context?
-Why? (Why is it being said?)
Why is it so easy to gossip, speak in anger, slander, criticize, exaggerate, lie, give in to “selective” reporting or flattery? Which of these can you most relate to?
Read Luke 6:43-45. This shows how James correlates this back to Jesus’s teaching from the Sermon on the Mount.
Why do our words reflect the state of our heart?
How does this play out in your everyday life?
What would people be able to tell about your heart based off of your words lately?
-So what? (So what does God want me to do about it?)
So what can we do in the heat of the moment when it’s hard to “bite our tongues”?
So what habits can we do daily to ensure that our words don’t flow from an “evil heart”?
APPLICATION
-Inward Application (for myself)
Head—What are the biggest obstacles and struggles we can have when trying to control our tongues?
Heart—What do we really want (aka what’s our true motive) in the moments we choose to “curse” someone with our words?
Hands—What’s the next right step you can take to tame your tongue?
-Outward Application (for others around me)
Head—What biblical counsel would you give to a Christian who struggles to control what they say?
Heart—What questions would you ask someone who doesn’t care what they say?
Hands—Who in your life is God calling you to care for and have a conversation with to talk more about the power of words?
PRAYER
Feel free to ask the group for any pressing prayer requests that would be good to pray over together.
Use the TACOS acronym to let the text you studied pray for you:
Thanksgiving - “Father, thank you…”
Adoration - “Father, You are…”
Confession - “Father, I confess…”
Others - “Father, I pray for…”
Self - “Father, please help me…”
*If size or group dynamics seem to hinder prayer, consider dividing into groups of men/women or groups of 3-4 to reduce barriers to praying out loud.