Sermon Overview & Discussion Questions: "Choosing Joy"

Overview of Sermon:
James opens his letter by encouraging Christians to pursue joy in the midst of their trials. James grounds his encouragement in the believers’ knowledge that the LORD produces steadfast endurance in the life of the Christian through their experience of trials. Such endurance, ultimately, leads to a kind of completion in the Christian life where followers of Christ lack no good thing. Through this passage, God teaches his people that trials are sure to come, but trials boost our faith and strengthen our hope.
 
Discussion Questions:

1. When James writes about “trials of various kinds,” what comes to mind for you as a trial you are currently walking through or have previously walked through?

2. In a trial you are currently experiencing, what are some specific thoughts or actions you can pursue as a way to count your trial as “all joy”?

3. James notes that the testing of one’s faith produces steadfastness. Who is someone in our community group or church that well-exemplifies steadfastness brought about by a season of suffering?
 
4. How might you use this passage to encourage a Christian burdened by suffering to better see the LORD’s purpose in their trial?
 
5. How can this passage inform how you describe your experiences of suffering when speaking to someone who does not yet follow Christ?