Playing Favorites
November 1, 2026 | Pastor Joel Edgemon
Q&A: submit questions via Pew Tags
Text: James 2:1-3
The Command:
Do not Show _______________________. (vv.1-4)
The Reason:
Partiality contradicts the _______________________ __________ ______________. v. 5)
Partiality contradicts __________________. (vv. 6–7)
Partiality contradicts the ________________ __________ _______________________. vv. 8–12)
The Response:
Live out the __________________ you have been shown. (vv. 12–13)
Relevant Quotes
“Money still does the talking far too loudly in Christian circles, and where and when it does, the glory of Christ departs.”— Alex Motyer
“A merely religious person who believes God will favor him because of his morality and respectability will ordinarily have contempt for the outcast: ‘I worked hard to get where I am, and so can anyone else.’ That is the language of the moralist heart.
‘I am only where I am by the sheer and unmerited mercy of God. I am completely equal with all other people.’ That is the language of the Christian heart. A sensitive social conscience and a life poured out in deeds of mercy to the needy is the inevitable sign of a person who has grasped the doctrines of grace.” — Tim Keller
Discussion Questions
- Why are we so quick to make assumptions about people based on external characteristics? What are some subtle ways these assumptions affect how we treat others, even within the church?
- How can we distinguish between wise discernment of someone's character and sinful partiality?
- Is it possible to believe everyone has equal value before God while treating certain people as more valuable? What might that look like?
- Are there certain types of people you instinctively respect more—or less—before you even know them? Why?
- Why is partiality not merely a failure to love others but also a failure to understand the gospel?
- If someone examined how you spent your time, whom you pursued as friends, and whom you served, what would they conclude about whose lives you value?
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