Craig

Q1. (5:13-14) According to verse 14, who is to initiate prayer for healing? Why might this be important? The sick person is to initiate prayer by asking the elders of the church to pray over him/her. This is important believe the elders of the church should be spiritually mature and know how to prayer for the sick.

Q1. In what way did the lambs on the first Passover protect the families of God's people? (Exodus 12) What is the primary point of comparison between the first Passover lambs and what Christ did for us as our Passover Lamb? The lambs on the first Passover protected the families of God's people from the judgment that was to fall on Egypt. The primary point of comparision between the first Passover lambs and what Christ did for us as our Passover Lamb is that both provided an escape from God's judgment only through the mediation of a blood sacrifice -- the Passover Lamb and Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

Q4. (2:9-11) We know we're supposed to humble ourselves like Jesus did. But how can we know whether or not God will exalt us? Why do we get impatient with this? What does our impatience sometimes lead to? God's Word says that I should walk humbly with my God. That is what I am to do. If God exalts me as Has word says He will do, the when, where, and why of it is up to Him. I don't really care. All for Him. Impatience sometimes, oftentimes, leads to disobediance.

Q3. (2:7-8) Was Jesus really a human being or only pretending to be one? What do these verses teach? What difference does it really make whether or not Jesus was human? Jesus was a human being as the scripture states. These verses teach us that Jesus was made in human likeness and was found in appearance as a man. If Jesus Christ was not a human being, then He cannot be the perfect High Priest the writer of Hebrews says He is. He cannot be a High Priest who relates to us because He walked as a human being and suffered the same temptations as we do. Who overcame those temptations and can help us to overcome those same temptations. He would not have been able to call Himself the "son of man." He could not have felt and suffered as a human beings do.

Q4. (5:9) What does our grumbling and complaining say about us? About our faith? About our patience? Our grumbling and complaining indicates that we lack faith in our God. We are not permitting God to be our God. Faith and patience go hand in glove in our relationship with God. As God works out His will in our life, we do not see or know what He sees and knows. Therefore, we need to trust in Him.

Q3. (5:7-8) What can happen to us Christians if we lack the patience to eagerly expect Christ's return? Why is patience so vital? When we lack the patience of eagerly expecting Jesus' return we get can sloppy and lose the sense of urgency in developing our spiritual lives and serving the Lord. Patience is vital for us because all things come to pass according to God's plan and will.

Q2. (5:5-6) What is the spiritual danger of our demand for comfort and luxury? Extra credit: How might our demand for low-priced goods and services cause us to (1) oppress our own employees or (2) cause workers in this country or abroad to be under paid or oppressed? How does all this relate to the need for patience? Our demand for comfort and luxury distracts us from giving, fellowshipping, and ministering to others. We are more focused on ourselves than on the church and others. This gets in the way of practicing the Royal Law. The demand for low-prices goods and services means cutting the over-head, i.e. lower wages, poor health plans, no overtime pay, fewer promotions and pay raises, etc. for employees in this country and overseas. People are used as just another resource to make corporations and indiviudals rich and richer. Wealth, power and greed are reflected in companies like Wal-Mart. Our society doesn't save for things and has decided to "duel income it" to paid for the luxury items it wants right away. Our society has lost the patience the World War II generation had in building and planning a life.

Q1. (4:13-16) What danger is James warning us about in verses 13-16? How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy? James is warning us not to be arrogant. We can be humble in our planning by acknowledging God's will in our life and what we are doing. This has nothing to do with being indecisive or wishy-washy.

Q4. (4:11-12) In what way does bad-mouthing a neighbor cause you to be a judge of the law? Why is it tempting to bad-mouth others, do you think? The fact that a person is bad-mouthing a neighbor is placing that person into a position as judge. That person is judging someone else whether they acknowledge that fact or not. It is tempting to bad-mouth others because it is natural to do it. It is part of our sin nature. It has taken tremendous focus and prayer to rid that habit out my life. It is not totally gone, but the Lord and I have it well under control.

Q3. (2:7-8) Was Jesus really a human being or only pretending to be one? What do these verses teach? What difference does it really make whether or not Jesus was human? Jesus was really a human being. He was made in human likeness and had the appearance of a man. Mary gave birth to His physical human body. If he was not a human being why enter the world as a new born baby and go through the maturing process of a human being. Jesus displayed human emotion and compassion. Jesus displayed physical human needs, i.e. He needed food, friendship, championship, love and connection with others. If He wasn't a human being then His suffering and cruifixation on the cross don't mean much. If He wasn't a human being then He would not be the perfect High Priest talked about in Hebrews. He would not have the ability to be sympathize with humanity in suffering and temptation as Hebrews teaches us because that is the human condition. The scripture would be in error or completely false, because the Apostles taught that He came as a human being in the flesh. It makes a big difference whether Jesus was human or not.

Q2. (2:6) In your own words, what does it mean that Christ didn't cling to his equality with God? How specifically does this passage teach that Jesus is divine? Jesus was secure and confident in who He was, where He came from, and what His mission on this planet was. He did not need to promote His equality with God to teach the truth, model a relationship with God and others, and to carry out His mission on this planet. This passage of scripture clearly teaches that Jesus was equal to God and if He is equal to God, then He is divine.

Q1. (2:1-4). To achieve unity in your congregation, why is humility necessary? Can you give an example of how lack of humility caused a division in your church? What are you doing to bring unity in your church? As a Pastor, to achieve unity in my congregation I have promoted humility because individual ego gets in the way and causes division. In a previous church that I was a member of, individual ego and ambition to control the church caused a split in the church. The church was about who controlled the budget and had power over everything that was done at the church. Therefore, no active ministries were being done, just in-house fighting. It proved to be a very bad witness to the community. Grace Community Church actively promotes and encourages unity and humility in everything we do. All for Jesus Christ.

Q4. (1:23) What do Philippians 1:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 teach about the state of Christians immediately after death? How does this comfort you? How does this energize you? To be absent from the body is to be present with Jesus Christ. This comforts me in that I have certainty of my distination beyond this earthly life. This thought energizes me in that it causes me to become more excited about my call and work for the Kingdom of God.

Q3. (1:20-21) How can fear keep us from being a bold witness? Why does fear of people bind our tongues? How does "losing our life" for Christ's sake actually give us an abundant life? What fear is keeping you from clear witness? Fear can freeze us into inactivity for the Lord. Fear causes us to lose focus on our thoughts, thus freezing the tongue. Losing our life for Christ's sake actually gives us an abundant life because we are focusing on ultimate importance and worth vice anything below that standard. At this moment, praise God, I have no fear that is preventing me from witnessing to others about Jesus Christ.

Q2. (1:18b-19) Why is our ability to rejoice so dependent upon our faith that God is in control, working even in the midst of difficulty? What must you believe in order to be able to rejoice in the midst of problems? What is your basis for believing that? It is that knowledge that God is in control (as James put it, rejoice in trials because God is developing our faith in them), that permits us to rejoice. All for Him. You must believe that God is your God and is in control to be able to rejoice in the midst of problems or whatever else. The basis for my belief in this is my application of the Word of God and my practical experience in permitting God to be my God.

Q1. (1:12-14) From the standpoint of witness to others, you are much more credible when you are undergoing personal struggles, stress, and problems. Why is this so? Why was Paul's witness so powerful? What personal struggle are you going through that could enhance your testimony if you handled it right? My faith is real to others when I am practicing it during my struggles, stress and problems. Others see what I profess is not just words, but real, applied faith in God. This makes me credible to others in a real way. Paul's witness was so powerful because he stayed the course despite threats to his life. If I handle it right, my struggle with lustful thoughts and overcoming it would enhance my testimony powerfully.

Q4. According to the slave-ransom analogy, who is the slave? What is he enslaved by? Who offers the ransom? If Satan is involved in the enslaving process, why isn't the ransom paid to him? Why isn't the slave-ransom analogy spelled out completely in the New Testament? Exposition According to the slave-ransom analogy human beings are the slave and are enslaved by sin. Jesus Christ offers the ransom for sin via His sacrifice on the cross for human sin. The ransom for sin is not paid to satan because He is not God. Satan is a tempter, facilatator and accuser, but he not the one to whom the debt of sin is to be paid. That is the Holy of One of Israel, Almighty God. The slave-ransom analogy is spelled out as far as we need to know it in the New Testament.

Q3. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) How should we disciples apply the principles: "You are not your own, you were bought with a price"? How should this affect our living? Because we are not our own, but were bought with a price, we should honor God with our bodies. Only doing those things that glorify the Lord God Almighty.

Q2. What comparisons do you see between Jesus and the role of the Old Testament type of the Kinsman-Redeemer? First and foremost, Jesus like the Kinsman-Redeemer bought the freedom of relatives who had become slaves because of debts they couldn't pay. That is, Jesus bought the freedom of humanity who had become slaves to sin and couldn't pay the debt to a righteous God for that sin. He did that by sacrificing Himself on the cross to pay for human sin.

Q1. In the New Testament world, what class of humans were freed by payment of a redemption price or a ransom? Why do you think that Jesus, Peter, and Paul used this analogy in this week's theme verses. What about the Christian life does it help explain? Exposition Slaves were freed by payment of a redemption price or a ransom. Jesus, Peter and Paul used this analogy because human beings are slaves to this world, sin and death. As Christians, who believe that Jesus died on the cross for the atonement of sin and rose again on the third to proclaim His victory over death, we are freed from this slavery we are born into. Additionally, we are new, freed creations in Jesus Christ.

Q3. (4:6-10) Verses 7-10 contain 10 different commands. Why are these actions so vital? In what way do they go against our nature? Which of these commands is most difficult for you? These commands are vital to us because James is instructing us on how to maintain a stable and faithful relationship the Lord. They go against our nature in that we seek pleasure and James is telling that not all pleasure is pleasing to God and that we are to resist it and repent from our unstability and unfaithfulness. My problem is not always letting go of pleasure that is not pleasing to God.

Q2. (4:4) Why does James refer to church members as "adulteresses"? What does the adultery consist of? Who is the aggrieved husband? What is wrong with friendship with the world? The church is the bride of Christ. Therefore, if Christians are engaging in worldly things which are not pleasing to Jesus Christ and in fact go directly against His teachngs, we are committing adultery. Adultery consists of not being faithful. The way of Jesus Christ and the way of the world are at odds with each other. Jesus wants our faithfulness. The problem with being friends with the world is that the world is not a friend of Jesus Christ. The world's priorities and standards are not the same as the Lord God's. John said you cannot claim to walk in the light and associate with darkness too. There is something wrong. God's way and the world's way don't match.

Q1. (4:1-3) Is God against pleasure? What wrong in living to increase one's pleasure? I don't believe God is against pleasure in and of itself. So many things God has given us are pleasurable. However, it is when pleasure displaces God in our lives and becomes our single focus that it becomes displeasing to God. When the pursuit of pleasure leads to a self-centered radical individualism that displaces what God expects out of us as His people that pleasure becomes sin and a problem.

Q5. Which single New Testament passage best sums up for you the lessons of Isaiah 53? Why did you chose this passage? (Select from Matt. 26:38-42; Luke 22:37; John 1:29; Romans 3:24-26; 2 Cor 5:20-21; 1 Peter 2:24-25; 1 Peter 3:18; Philippians 2:5-11 -- or any other passage you can think of.) Luke 22:37 best sums up this lesson for me. "It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors' and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment." Jesus directs us to the prophetic scriptures (not just Isa. 53:12), but all other scriptures that apply to the Messiah.

Q4. The Servant also bears the punishment deserved by sinners. In what sense, if any, did Jesus bear the punishment due you when he died on the cross? For the wages of sin is death, therefore I should die. However, Jesus Christ went to the cross and sacrficed Himself there for the atonement for my sin so that I might have eternal life.