Does God Play Favorites? and Quiet Times For Students

Does God Play Favorites? and Quiet Times For Students

Virtual Meeting Sundays at 9 am

On Sunday mornings at 9:00 am we meet over Zoom. All 7th-12th graders are welcome to join. For connection information contact amy@crclife.org or susan@crclife.org.

My brothers and sisters, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. 2 For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, 3 if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” 4 haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 Yet you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?

8 Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. 9 If, however, you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all. 11 For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.

12 Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James 2:1-13

Warm-up Questions

  • What was your favorite toy as a child?
  • Why do you think people develop favorites in many areas of life?
  • How can having favorites be a bad thing? Can it ever be good to have favorites?

OBSERVE

  • Read 2:2-4. Why does James use this as an example to those he’s writing to?
  • Examine 2:5. Who has God chosen to inherit the Kingdom of God?
  • According to 2:10, how many laws must be broken to be guilty of breaking them all?
  • In 2:13, what does James say is better than judgment?

THINK

  • What are the evil thoughts that James is referring to in 2:4? What makes them evil?
  • Examine 2:5. What does James mean by someone being rich in faith?
  • Why would breaking one of God’s laws make you guilty of breaking them all? What is the outcome of breaking just one of God’s laws?
  • How does someone show judgment without mercy?

APPLY

  • What is your equivalent of the church’s meetings referred to in 2:2?
  • Who in your culture or community are favored and who are disgraced?
  • How can you rethink the severity of the laws that we break each and every day?
  • What is one practical way to keep you from showing favoritism toward people this week?

Daily Quiet Times

Monday – August 31

James 2:1-4
  1. What word or phrase jumps out to you? Why?
  2. Why does James refer to the reader as a “brother” or “sister”? How does that enhance his point in this verse?
  3. Try to go through today and not judge people based on outward appearances.

Tuesday – September 1

James 2:5
  1. How does this passage speak to you?
  2. How can someone be “poor in the eyes of the world” yet “rich in faith”?
  3. How will people be treated in that Kingdom based on this passage?

Wednesday- September 2

James 2:6-7
  1. What insight do you gain from this text?
  2. What point is James making when he points out to readers that they have exploited the poor for the favor of the rich—and yet the rich are the very ones who are taking them to court and mistreating them? What good is it to show favor toward someone who will do you wrong?
  3. Are there people in your life that you “butter up” or “give favor to” who turn around and disgrace Jesus Christ? Is it worth it?

Thursday- September 3

James 2:8-10
  1. What’s one question you have about this passage?
  2. How would you grade yourself on loving your neighbor as yourself? How would God grade you on a scale of A to F?
  3. Which of God’s laws do you still find difficult to abide by? What’s one way you can practice obedience in these areas?

Friday – September 4

James 2:11
  1. What can you learn from this text?
  2. Why do you think God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments? Are they still pertinent today?
  3. How does being a lawbreaker make you feel? In what way does this reveal the need for Jesus to go to the cross?

Saturday – September 5

James 2:12-13
  1. What is God saying to you from these verses?
  2. Why is it so hard to have mercy on people?
  3. Can you recall a time where God had mercy on you? How did you respond?

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