Kingdom Currency

Never judge a book by its cover!

Introduction: Priming the pump for tonight’s discussion.

Let’s begin with our own observations. What is one thing that stood out to you from the message that you would share with the group? Was there a moment where God spoke to you personally through His Word?

Exploration: Questions to guide our group discussion.

1. James taught the Kingdom Principle that a Believer’s Kingdom value is not determined by one’s earthly wealth. A believer of modest means, and a well to do believer, should glory in their faith and humility, respectively. Let’s discuss the qualities of faith and humility in each circumstance to unpack how that looks in real life today. What do these things look like in real life?

2. We learned that our true Kingdom identity isn’t determined by either what we think/say about ourselves, or what others think/say about us. Instead, our true Kingdom Identity is determined by what Jesus has declared about us in the Bible. What are some Kingdom Identity principles from the Bible that speak to the believer’s true Kingdom identity in Jesus Christ? How do such Biblical truths inform a culture today where people are encouraged to invent their own identity?

3. James taught us that the Kingdom operates on a much different currency than the world. In Kingdom life, things like faith, hope, and love are of high value. What are some ways that we sometimes get twisted up in our human perceptions of people when they come into the church, and also, what are some ways that we can be sure that we’re seeing people like Jesus does?

4. James gave a hypothetical example of two believers coming into the church fellowship, one rich and one poor. In this example the church treated the rich person with immeasurable favor, but despised and dishonored the poor brother. James told us absolutely that showing partiality and favoritism like this is a sin against God. He also said that the church sometimes has an ulterior and evil motive in showing partiality, thinking that it will get something in return for favoring the wealthy person. In what ways might we avoid this pitfall so that we treat everyone with equal honor in the Lord’s house?

Additional Scriptures for Deeper Study:

• Acts 6:1-7
• Acts 15:1-32
• Ephesians 2:14
• Acts 10:9-35

Application: How can I apply this to my life this week?

1. As we think about what Jesus says about our Kingdom identity, have you ever experienced temptation from the enemy to think about yourself in ways that conflicted with the Bible? Whenever we think or feel one way, but scripture says something different, what should be our Christian response? Should we live in our own invented identities, or in the identity given to us by the creator of our souls?

2. Are there footholds of the enemy in your life to look down on others because of things like financial disparity? Perhaps there are other hangups in your heart that make room for discrimination in other ways that doesn’t fit within the teachings of the Bible. Occasionally, we discover that culture, not scripture, is responsible for these points of view. Is there a cultural teaching, or a personal attitude that needs to be laid on the altar of repentance to conform to God’s right thinking for our lives?