8.2.26 - The Partiality Problem (Kenny Camacho)
SCRIPTURE: James 2:1-13 & 5:1-6, Hebrews 13:2
YOU CAN ALSO READ KENNY’S MANUSCRIPT FOR THIS MESSAGE HERE!
REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Kenny used a story about baseball cards to explain how we often determine value: that something is only worth what someone will pay for it. How does that idea change the way you think about your own worth… knowing that Jesus paid for you with his life?
Is there an area of your life where you still tend to measure your worth by comparing yourself to others (social media, work, relationships)? What would it look like practically to replace that habit with remembering what Jesus paid for you?
Have you ever caught yourself making a quiet assumption (even for just a moment!) that someone's hardship was their own fault? What do you think shaped that instinct, and how might the gospel challenge it?
Kenny said that one interpretation of James 5:6 suggests when we show partiality, the 'righteous person' we condemn and murder is actually ourselves… and the person God is in the process of making us into. Does this resonate with you? How so?
Is there a pattern of judgment or comparison in your own life that you sense might be getting in the way of who God is making you into? What would it take to let go of it?
Kenny closed by saying that practices like generosity, volunteering, and giving charitably aren't just nice things to do… they are spiritual disciplines that actually help short-circuit our pride and remind us that we didn't earn God's blessing. Do you agree that generosity can change the way we think and feel about ourselves and others? How can you take a step towards living more generously and charitably this week?