Sermon Notes:
Who was James:
1. He was the younger brother of Jesus. (Matthew 13:54-56; Galatians 1:18-19)
2. He didn’t believe his brother was the Messiah during His earthly ministry. (John 7:2-5)
3. He believed in his big brother after His resurrection. (1 Corinthians 15:3-7)
4. He was one of the main leaders of the early church. (Galatians 2:9, Acts 15)
a. He was a godly person.
b. He was possibly a comforting reminder to be around.
Follow-up Questions from Sunday:
Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?
Digging Deeper:
1. Read Matthew 1:24-25; Matthew 13:54-56; John 7:2-5. What do these verses teach us about Jesus and his family? How do you think you would have felt having Jesus as your big brother?
2. What do you think would have been the biggest blessings and bummers?
3. Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-7. The Scriptures record that Jesus appeared to his little brother James after he was resurrected from the dead; but gives no detail of the encounter. How do you imagine this happened?
4. We read in Galatians 2:9 that James was a pillar of the Early Church and in Acts 15 he helped lead one of the first church councils. Why do you think he was given such an important role in the Early Church? He wasn’t even one of the original 12 disciples.
5. When you reflect on James’ life, what do you think were his unique challenges in coming to faith in Jesus?
6. What do you think were his regrets in life?
7. What do you think he would tell us today as a believer in the 21st century?
Prayer:
Close your group with prayer asking God to give you a hunger to study God’s Word and know Him more through the book of James.
Taking it home:
Consider ordering one of the two quiet time books on James that Pastor Frank recommended and start studying this amazing letter.