August 22-23, 2020

Aug 23, 2020 | by Roger Thompson

A Cry for Justice:

 1. Read James 5:1-6. To whom is James referring? In what ways might he be speaking to unbelievers? To believers? To your church? To you?

2. Is James saying that it is wrong to be rich? What determines if one is rich? How can the rich avoid the judgment James mentions here?

3. Read Matthew 6:19-21 and Luke 12:13-21. What are some similarities between James 5:1-6 and these passages? What are some differences?

Collective Response:

 1. As a society of Believers and unbelievers, what are some areas where we can all agree together in regards to where there is injustice in our culture, our nation, and world?

2. How does understanding the shared aches that come from injustice as pointing us to Eden help us unite in seeking healthy balanced responses to injustice?

3. How can historical systemic injustices perpetuate individual and social injustices today? What are some consequences of the various responses to injustice we see today? In what ways can we balance our response to be sure to avoid negative consequences?

Failure of World's Response:

 1. In what ways does the world's response to injustice fall short of truly understanding human flourishing as God intended?

2. When have you experienced or heard someone say "you can't speak to this matter since you have not lived it?" Is it true that we cannot speak into a situation unless we have experienced it ourselves? How is this response unhelpful and counterproductive to true justice?

3. In what other ways have you seen the world respond to injustice? Where have they failed? Where have they appeared to succeed? What can we learn from those failures and successes?

Biblical Response:

 1. How does understanding God's creation as originally moral and innocent inform us of how things ought to be? How is it that true peace can only be found when we live in a godly manner?

2. How does understanding sin as infecting all humanity since the fall inform us that we are not "victims" but actually "perpetrators" of injustice as a human race?

3. Understanding the Gospel as God's offer of reconciliation, how has the Church become agents for change in the world? In what way is the solution to all injustice found in the development of mature and faithful Disciples?

4. Notice Matthew 6:21 again: If our treasure is where our heart is, is it possible to change where our heart is by consciously choosing to treasure something greater? How can you encourage one another in actively treasuring the right things and God Himself?