James - God on Top

Housegroup Leaders Materials

Sermon: 1st June 2008

Text: James 4:4-10, 13-17.

NB: These notes are suggestions, not a text for your session, please be creative. Ensure you listen to God and allow him to lead you. The items in italics are extra materials, use where appropriate. 

Key Verse

“Humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you up” James 4:10

God's way is the only way to live.


Play the alternative memory game. Preset a candle in the middle of the room (unlit) with about 12 stones around it. Then bring in a tray with about 20 objects on it. Tell people you are going to play the memory game and you want them to remember the things you have laid out. Give them 30 seconds. Then cover the tray and ask people to write down what they remember. Congratulate them, and then cover the candle. Ask them how many stones where around it. Explain that it very easy to get distracted by what the world places in front of us.

Worship (Late ammendment - this will prob work better at the end of the session)

Light the candle. (Remove covering first!)

Read the passage.

Give everyone a blank sheet of paper; ask them to write down areas of their lives that are given over to God on the right half and areas that are not on the left. Then ask them to draw a line top to bottom where the divide falls. Invite people to share their word pictures.

Allow time for silent prayer, invite the Holy Spirit be guide you through evening.

Word (head)

James is very clear cut in this passage, give people an opportunity to share there instant reactions to the text. (May take time)

What are the things that distract you from God?

What should our relationship with the world be like? You could draw it John 3:16 or Mt 5:13-16

Word (heart questions)

James offers three positive things that help grow our relationship with God. Verse 7-8 submit, resist and come close. What grows your relationship with God?

What’s the on going struggle in your Christian life?

Are we supposed to reflect verse 9, how often, and to what degree?

What does it mean to “Humble yourselves before the Lord” and what’s the benefit?


What’s the one thing from verse 7-10 that you will act on this week?

Share your success stories in submitting to God, resisting the devil and coming close to God.


Mark Searle, 18/05/2008