Daily Readings (Page 341)

How may Elijah’s example be an encouragement to you?

Sometimes confession in the community is needed for healing to take place.  Let’s pray for one another and truly look to God for cleansing as we confess our sins.

Whose faith is in question here?  Examine your faith in God: how may you be used to pray for someone in need today?

Remedies for the sick and suffering come from calling on “the name of the Lord.”  What has “Let him sing praise” got to do with the remedies?  (cf Col 3:16)

How can James’ message of Christ’s return affect us in our use of wealth and in our response to suffering?  How does knowing Christ’s “compassion and mercy” help us to rely on God’s salvation and not ourselves?  

In what ways could you learn patience from the three examples of a farmer, the prophets and Job (vv7-11) James mentions?  How does v12 remind us to be honest and forthright in our daily speech?  

How is storing up riches the opposite of patience that waits in faith for God to provide?  Are you tempted to hoard rather than to give and wait on God?

Why do you think James begins vv7-11 with “Be patient” as he speaks of the Lord’s coming (cf. vv1-6)?        

How caring have we been towards the world now that it has become a global village?  In what ways can we avoid exploitation of poorer and needier people in today’s increasingly globalised economy?

Not withstanding the particular context of rich people abusing their position, what warnings regarding wealth should we heed here?