Tuesday, July 24, 2007

The Source of Conflict

James 4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?

  • How frequently are you personally involved in fights and quarrels? How do your desires contribute to conflict?
2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.
  • What does James tell us we should do instead of fight?
  • Why would God not do something that we haven’t asked for?
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
  • What would be an example of something you could ask for with wrong motives?
4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
  • What does it mean to be a friend of the world? What is wrong with it?
5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?
  • Verse 5 can be hard to understand. Here is how it is worded in the Amplified Bible, "Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love?" This shows us that God’s attitude toward unfaithfulness toward him is somewhat like a man or woman whose spouse has been unfaithful. Why does God feel so strongly toward us?
6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
  • Why would God oppose the proud?
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
  • What two things do you need to do for the devil to flee?
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
  • How does a person come near to God? What do you need to do to come near to God?
9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
  • Why does this verse teach us to grieve?
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
  • What must you do to humble yourself before God?

Posted by Cute at 7:23 AM

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