James 4:13-17 Discussion Guide
Sermon Date: Nov. 5, 2023
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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A.M. Encounter - Join us to pray for CLB and the Sunday gathering as we encounter God’s presence and love every Sunday 8am Room 120 (CLK Hallway)
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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 the topic of self-confidence. How we can “go ahead” of God by trusting our own plans and boasting in them.
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 4:13-17 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 parts of our lives can we be tempted to make plans without God?
What ways do we find ourselves trusting our plans more than God’s?
Read v. 14. What does James say our lives are like?
Making plans isn’t wrong. In fact, throughout the book of Proverbs, God says it’s wise to plan ahead so we don’t get caught in laziness. Read. v. 15. What should our lives look like when we are faced with making plans?
-Why? (Why is it being said?)
Why does it seem so easy to make plans without God?
Why does it seem so difficult to trust God’s plans more than our own?
Read Matthew 6:28-34. This shows how James correlates this back to Jesus’s teaching from the Sermon on the Mount.
-Why does God want to rid us of all self-confidence? Why does He get more glory when we stop boasting in other “gods” like money, health, circumstances, material goods, etc.?
-So what? (So what does God want me to do about it?)
So what ways can you start including God in your decision-making?
So what promises do you need to start meditating on so you can trust God’s vision for your life (your family, marriage, parenting, money, job, time, etc.)?
Read v.15-17. So what can we do to know what God wants us to do and what He doesn’t want us to do?
APPLICATION
-Inward Application (for myself)
Head—What are the biggest lies we believe when we make plans without God?
Heart—What do we really want (what’s our motive) in the moments we trust our own plans more than God’s?
Hands—What’s the next right step you can take to surrender your plans and submit your life to God’s perfect plan?
-Outward Application (for others around me)
Head—What biblical counsel would you give to a Christian who struggles with including God in their decisions?
Heart—What questions would you ask someone who struggles with trusting God’s faithfulness?
Hands—Who in your life is God calling you to talk to regarding why God’s vision for our lives is always better than our vision?
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.