James
Key Learnings from Sunday School
February 2026
Sunday School (The Book of James)
The Book of James offers practical wisdom in the form of an epistle written to Jewish Christians dispersed across regions. It beautifully complements the principle of sola fide (faith alone), showing that genuine saving faith inevitably bears the fruit of good works. It calls believers to embody their justification through everyday actions. Led by Curtis in the Youth Room.
⁃ In the Lectionary
• Advent - a season of waiting, watching, and rejoicing as we prepare for Christ’s coming; Perseverance
• Pentecost - Highlights how the Holy Spirit gathers and sustains the Church and calls us to lives of repentance, faith, and faithful witness.
⁃ Condemnation of the rich to get them to stop thinking of themselves; their self righteousness
• Stewardship Issues: Trust, Listen, Understand
⁃ The power of prayer is with whom that answers prayer; prayer has no power in and of itself.
• Prayer without ceasing; Do not stop approaching God; Keep praying to God
• Prayers done in faith are heard and answered.
• An ongoing relationship with God
⁃ The devil is in the details
• We deserve nothing
• It is better to be divided by truth than united in error
⁃ To Quarrel; To find fault; a ground of dispute
• Don’t move the goal posts
- Reasons we pray; need, command, and promise
• Contrite heart is a deep, sincere sorrow for sin, accompanied by a humble and repentant heart
• Prayer is an ongoing relationship with God
• Will of God: Name Kept Holy; Word taught correctly; Sinners brought to faith; lead godly lives.
⁃ True wisdom comes from God
⁃ Speak well of your neighbor
⁃ Speak truth
⁃ Speak with love
James 2 Part 2
⁃ Salvation by Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone
⁃ Faith naturally produces works; A living faith
⁃ Theology of the Cross focus is Christ; Theology of Glory focus is me.
⁃ Our Culture is a mess as was the culture James is addressing.
James 2 Part 1
⁃ Probation on differentiating between poor and rich within the church
• No one is justified because they are rich, poor, impressive, respectable, or socially connected.
• Wealth is not a marker of spiritual value or influence within the church
• We are empathetic toward visitors but we have an obligation to protect our members - no reason to feel guilty
⁃ Demons do not have a saving faith; they are intent on infiltrating the church
James 1 Part 3
⁃ Trials/Testing/Temptations
• Do not let us be lead into temptation
• Original sin - total corruption of human nature; No Righteousness, knowledge, fear, love, or trust of God. Our Judgement, way, good and evil, lust, and sin.
• Sources of temptation into sin: the Devil, the world, and ourselves.
• Sovereignty of God
• God works all things for good
• Rejected God is the source of sin
• Rejected that sinful people setup God’s plan of salvation
⁃ Faith & Wisdom
• 3rd Article - I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus
• A worldview that shapes decisions, influences actions
⁃ Asking & Praying
• God desires a relationship with us
• We speak to God through prayer; he speaks to us through His Word
⁃ Perfect / Complete / Maturity - authentic discipleship
James 1 Part 2
⁃ Doers/Hear’s
• Own your God given faith
• Live out your faith as a child of God
• Grow in the life and mission of the church
⁃ Religion
• Hear, learning, and share the Word of God
• Our righteousness is outside of ourselves
⁃ Joy
• Feelings will betray you
• God is not angry with you
• Look beyond your circumstances; look to Christ
James 1 Part 1
⁃ God’s character is holy, unchanging, caring, and just
• The standards of this world are seductively evil
⁃ Steadfastness vs Perseverance
• 3rd Article - I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus; but the Holy Spirit has calls me by the Gospel, enlightens me with His gifts, sanctified and keeps me in the true faith.
• Steadfastness (ESV) - a characteristic to be developed.
• Perseverance (NIV) - an action; God working with me
⁃ Word
• Uses; Christ, Written, Preached, Visible
• Jame’s focus is Christ (Both as Law and Gospel)
⁃ Doubting
• See 3rd Article
• Trusting in self vs trusting in God
• Don’t get distracted by the things of this world.
James Introduction
⁃ Purpose of the Bible is to point us to Christ
⁃ Our view is that Scripture is the Word of God, not a container of God’s Word
⁃ The Scriptures are authoritative because of their source (Holy Spirit)
⁃ The church does not confer status on a book; it consents to it’s status
⁃ Written before 50 AD and may have been the first of the new testament books.
• The lack of addressing uncircumcision favors earlier than Galatians (Acts 15:13-21)
⁃ James the Just, the son of Mary (Matthew 13:55, Galatians 1:19)
• Head of the Christian church in Jerusalem (Acts 21:18)
• Martyred in 62 AD - Pitched off the Temple pinnacle (survived) then stoned (survived) and finally clubbed to death
⁃ Homolegoumena - universally accepted books of the Bible
• Stands alone
• Inclusion of other books were still being debated as late as the mid 19th Century
⁃ Antilegomena - “spoken against” books of the Bible
• Cannot stand alone
• No teaching can originate from these books
• Understanding comes through the Homolegoumena books
• Luther’s Straw Epistle: Straw is appreciated for its usefulness, but also is of low value.