Series: Fruit of the Spirit
Date: 10/11/2020
Text: James 5:7-16
Central Thought: God cultivates patience in us by establishing our hearts in him.
What is patience? A godly tolerance for mistreatment, delay, difficult circumstances, and difficult people.
Read the text, and then discuss some of the following questions.
- What do you need to know about God’s justice and faithfulness to endure mistreatment patiently, perhaps in a current situation?
- How has God shown patience with you in your Christian experience?
- Think over the past 48 hours. How have you dealt with others’ shortcomings? What attitudes about yourself and others would help you be more patient?
- In what ways do other people have to be patient with you? It may help to consider a specific relationship.
- Are you waiting for God to do something? If so, what? Specifically, how do you think God wants you to pray and act during this time of waiting?
- How does hope help us endure and persevere? What are we to hope for and confidently expect?
CLOSE IN PRAYER
Pray for each other to:
- Bear with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2-3)
- Forgive quickly (James 1:19-20)
- Entrust ourselves to God’s justice when mistreated (1 Peter 2:23)
- Endure adversity by trusting in God’s promises (Hebrews 11-12)
Pray for neighbors, family, and friends. Ask God for boldness, opportunities, and the words to share about the source of our eternal hope! Who will you give an invite card to?
These resources have supplied discussion questions for this topic:
- Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit by Christopher J. H. Wright
- The Fruitful Life by Jerry Bridges
