This individual study guide draws directly from the sermon “Showcase - Sunday Morning Worship Service 10:45am” so you can keep engaging with the message all week. Read, reflect, and share it with your small group or friends.

In-Depth Bible Study Guide

When the Low Are High and the High Are Low: Eternal Perspective on Wealth and Worth

Primary Text: James 1:9–11

1. Introduction & Overview

Pastor Roy's sermon confronts one of the most persistent distortions in human experience: the tendency to measure personal worth by material wealth and social position. Drawing from James 1:9–11, he demonstrates that the gospel radically reorders the world's value system — the lowly believer is spiritually exalted in Christ, while the wealthy believer must embrace humility before a God who alone determines true worth. The sermon's driving thesis is clear: we must evaluate our worth based on what is eternal rather than what is temporary.

Primary Passage: James 1:9–11 (ESV) Supporting Texts: James 2:5; Jeremiah 9:23–24; Isaiah 40:6–8; Luke 12:13–21; Matthew 19:23–24; 1 Timothy 6:9; Ephesians 2:8–9; Psalm 90:12; 2 Corinthians 4:18; Proverbs 22:2

Study Objectives: By the end of this guide, the serious student will be able to (1) understand James 1:9–11 within its literary, historical, and theological context; (2) grasp the significance of key Greek terms like tapeinos, kauchaomai, and hupsos; (3) trace the biblical theology of wealth, poverty, and eternal perspective across both Testaments; and (4) apply these truths to the concrete formation of a Christian worldview that resists materialism.

Estimated Study Time: 2.5–3 hours

Why This Passage Matters: James 1:9–11 is deceptively brief but theologically explosive. It sits at the intersection of soteriology, eschatology, and Christian ethics — touching questions about salvation, the nature of the coming kingdom, and how believers should live now in light of eternity. For serious students, this passage opens a window into the social world of early Christianity and the countercultural claims of the gospel.

2. Exegetical Analysis

Genre and Literary Structure

James is a general epistle — a letter written to a broad audience rather than a single congregation. Stylistically, it resembles Jewish wisdom literature (compare Proverbs, Sirach, and the Wisdom of Solomon) more than Paul's theological letters. James writes in short, punchy imperatives with vivid illustrations, a pattern rooted in the wisdom tradition of Second Temple Judaism. James 1 functions as a thematic overture, introducing topics (trials, wisdom, wealth, speech, doers of the word) that the letter will develop in greater depth.

Passage Placement

James 1:9–11 is not a sudden shift in subject matter, as the sermon rightly noted. Verses 2–4 address the purpose of trials (producing endurance and maturity). Verses 5–8 address the resource for trials (divine wisdom, received through faith). Verses 9–11 address the perspective required in trials, specifically as it relates to economic circumstances. The passage is a hinge — it bridges the general theology of trials to the specific social realities James's readers face.

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Verse 9 — "Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation"

The imperative "let him boast" (kauchastho) is striking. James does not say "let him endure" or "let him accept." He says boast — a word with overtones of confident, public rejoicing. The subject is the tapeinos adelphos — the "lowly brother." The word tapeinos (discussed in Word Studies) refers to someone of low social and economic standing. The phrase "in his exaltation" (en tō hupsei autou) is the theological center of gravity. The poor believer is to boast not despite his circumstances but in his exaltation — a spiritual elevation that has already occurred through union with Christ.

Verse 10 — "And the rich in his humiliation"

The word "boast" carries over from verse 9 by grammatical ellipsis — the rich also boasts, but in his humiliation (tapeinōsei). The reversal is intentional and dramatic. The one the world exalts must embrace lowliness; the one the world overlooks has already been raised. The comparison to "a flower of the grass" introduces an Old Testament metaphor (Isaiah 40:6–8) that James's Jewish readers would have recognized immediately.

Verse 11 — "For the sun rises with its scorching heat..."

Three verbs carry the illustration: withers (exēranthē), falls (exepesen), perishes (apōleto). These are aorist verbs — past tense in Greek, used here to describe what is so certain it can be spoken of as already accomplished. James does not say the rich will fade — he speaks as though it has already happened. The phrase "in the midst of his pursuits" (en tais poreiais autou) is particularly arresting. The Greek word poreiais refers to journeys or active endeavors. The rich man fades while still on his way — mid-stride, mid-ambition.

Author's Intent

James writes to Jewish Christians scattered throughout the diaspora (1:1), many of whom were economically marginalized and socially vulnerable. His intent is pastoral and corrective: to prevent both the despair of the poor (who might feel their poverty disqualifies them from spiritual dignity) and the arrogance of the wealthy (who might conflate financial security with divine favor). Both errors are theological mistakes with practical consequences.

3. Historical & Cultural Context

The Diaspora Context

The letter is addressed to "the twelve tribes in the Dispersion" (James 1:1). This refers to Jewish Christians scattered outside Palestine — likely following persecution in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1; 11:19). These communities lived as religious and ethnic minorities in Greco-Roman cities, often facing economic disadvantage, social discrimination, and legal vulnerability. They had no homeland, no temple access, and frequently no political protections.

Wealth and Honor in the Ancient World

First-century Greco-Roman society operated on an elaborate honor-shame system. Social worth was publicly determined and publicly displayed through wealth, ancestry, patronage networks, and civic achievement. The poor were not merely financially disadvantaged — they were socially dishonored. To be tapeinos (lowly) was to occupy a position of shame in the cultural imagination. James's command to boast in exaltation would have been culturally radical — it inverted the entire honor economy.

Jewish Background on Wealth

Within Second Temple Judaism, there was significant debate about the relationship between wealth and divine blessing. One strand of tradition (rooted in Deuteronomy 28) associated material prosperity with covenant faithfulness. However, the prophetic tradition — particularly Isaiah, Amos, and Micah — consistently challenged the conflation of wealth with righteousness, warning that riches could harden the heart and blind the wealthy to injustice. James stands firmly in this prophetic tradition.

The Flower Metaphor

The image of grass and flowers withering in scorching heat would have resonated powerfully with readers in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world. The sirocco — a hot, dry wind blowing in from the Arabian desert — could devastate vegetation almost overnight. Travelers and farmers knew firsthand how quickly a lush landscape could become parched and barren. This was not a merely poetic image; it was an observable, recurring reality that made James's point viscerally immediate.

Archaeological Note

Excavations in first-century Galilee and Judea confirm significant economic stratification in the period. The wealthy priestly aristocracy in Jerusalem controlled vast resources, while rural peasants and artisans often lived at subsistence level. The early church drew heavily from the latter group, which provides important social texture for James's pastoral concern.

4. Word Studies

"Lowly" (Greek: tapeinos, transliteration: tap-ei-NOS)

Meaning: Low in position, humble, of little account. In social contexts, it describes those of inferior rank or economic standing. In psychological contexts, it can describe a humble disposition.
Etymology: Derived from a root suggesting "flat" or "low to the ground." Related to the noun tapeinōsis (humiliation, lowliness) and the verb tapeinoō (to humble, to bring low).
Biblical Usage: Luke 1:52 ("He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the humble/lowly"); Matthew 11:29 (Jesus describes himself as "lowly in heart"); Luke 1:48 (Mary says God "looked on the humble estate of his servant"); Romans 12:16 ("associate with the lowly"); 2 Corinthians 7:6 ("God who comforts the downcast").
Theological Significance: Tapeinos carries both a sociological and a spiritual dimension. In James 1:9, it is primarily sociological — describing the poor believer's earthly status. But the word's theological resonance matters: God consistently identifies with, chooses, and honors the tapeinos (Psalm 138:6; Isaiah 57:15). The lowly believer's exaltation is not a reversal of his lowliness but a divine revaluation of it.
Translation Considerations: ESV renders "lowly"; NIV uses "humble"; NASB uses "humble circumstances." The ESV's "lowly" best preserves the social-economic dimension of the original.

"Boast" (Greek: kauchaomai, transliteration: kow-KHA-oh-my)

Meaning: To boast, to glory in, to exult confidently. It carries the sense of public, confident rejoicing in something that gives legitimate cause for pride.
Etymology: The word group (kauchēma, kauchēsis, kauchaomai) appears extensively in Paul and James. It is not inherently negative — the moral valence depends entirely on the object of boasting.
Biblical Usage: Romans 5:2 ("we rejoice/boast in hope of the glory of God"); 1 Corinthians 1:31 ("Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord"); Galatians 6:14 ("Far be it from me to boast except in the cross"); Jeremiah 9:23–24 (LXX equivalent); 2 Corinthians 12:9 (Paul boasts in his weakness).
Theological Significance: The sermon made an important observation here: James is not calling for arrogance but for theocentric confidence. The poor believer boasts not in himself but in what God has done. This is precisely the boasting Paul endorses in 1 Corinthians 1:31, echoing Jeremiah 9:24. The object of boasting determines its legitimacy.

"Exaltation" (Greek: hupsos, transliteration: HUP-sos)

Meaning: Height, high position, exaltation. Used both literally (physical elevation) and metaphorically (elevated status, honor, dignity).
Etymology: From hupo (under/up) and related to hupsoō (to lift up, to exalt). The same root appears in the Magnificat (Luke 1:52) and in Philippians 2:9 ("God highly exalted him").
Biblical Usage: Luke 1:52 (God "exalted the humble"); Philippians 2:9 (God "highly exalted" Christ); Ephesians 4:8 ("When he ascended on high"); James 4:10 ("Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you").
Theological Significance: The hupsos of the poor believer is not future only — it is a present spiritual reality. In Christ, the believer has already been raised to a position of dignity, inheritance, and access to God (Ephesians 2:6 — "raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places"). The poor believer's exaltation is not a promise about future prosperity; it is a declaration about present standing.

"Humiliation" (Greek: tapeinōsis, transliteration: tap-ei-NOH-sis)

Meaning: The state of being brought low; humiliation; lowliness of condition.
Etymology: Noun form of tapeinoō (to humble, to bring low), sharing the root with tapeinos.
Biblical Usage: Luke 1:48 (Mary's "humble estate"); Acts 8:33 (quoting Isaiah 53:8, describing Christ's humiliation); Philippians 3:21 ("our lowly body"); James 1:10 (the rich man's humiliation).
Theological Significance: For the wealthy believer, embracing tapeinōsis is a spiritual discipline — a recognition that earthly status is temporary and that before God, all stand as equally needy sinners. Notably, the word is used of Christ's own humiliation (Philippians 2:8; Acts 8:33), suggesting that the wealthy believer's embrace of lowliness participates in a Christological pattern.

"Pursuits" (Greek: poreiais, transliteration: po-REI-ais)

Meaning: Journeys, travels, active endeavors, the course of one's life.
Etymology: From poreuomai (to travel, to go, to proceed). Related to poros (a way or passage).
Biblical Usage: Luke 13:22 ("He went on his way through towns and villages"); James 1:11 (here); 1 Corinthians 16:6 ("wherever I go").
Theological Significance: The use of poreiais in verse 11 is theologically loaded. It portrays the rich man as someone perpetually in motion — always pursuing, always building, always accumulating. Death interrupts not his rest but his activity. This connects to Luke 12:16–21 (the rich fool) and the broader biblical warning against a life consumed by acquisition. The journey metaphor also invites reflection: what destination is your life's journey aimed at?

5. Cross-References & Biblical Theology

Old Testament Background

Isaiah 40:6–8 — "All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it... The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."

James is directly drawing on this passage. Isaiah's context is the announcement of Israel's restoration after exile — the contrast is between the frailty of human power (including the Babylonian empire) and the enduring reliability of God's word. James applies this contrast to individual wealth.

Psalm 49:16–17 — "Be not afraid when a man becomes rich... for when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him."

This psalm meditates at length on the folly of trusting in wealth. It anticipates James's argument almost exactly.

Proverbs 22:2 — "The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the maker of them all."

As the sermon cited, Solomon's observation grounds both wealth and poverty in God's sovereign creation — a leveling that precedes James's theological leveling.

Jeremiah 9:23–24 — "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom... but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me..."

The sermon quoted this passage in its discussion of kauchaomai. Jeremiah establishes the principle that legitimate boasting is always theocentric — it glorifies God's character, not human achievement.

New Testament Parallels

Luke 1:51–53 (The Magnificat) — "He has scattered the proud... he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty."

Mary's song announces the same reversal James describes. This is not incidental — it reflects a consistent eschatological pattern in the New Testament: the kingdom inverts the world's honor system.

Luke 12:16–21 (The Rich Fool) — "Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?"

The sermon cited this passage extensively. Jesus's parable is the narrative illustration of James 1:11's principle — the rich man fades "in the midst of his pursuits."

Matthew 19:23–24 — "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

Jesus does not say wealth prevents salvation, but that it creates extraordinary spiritual danger. James echoes this pastoral concern.

1 Timothy 6:6–10, 17–19 — "Godliness with contentment is great gain... the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils."

Paul's instruction to Timothy provides the most extended New Testament parallel to James's teaching on wealth. Both emphasize that the danger is not wealth itself but the love of wealth and the false security it generates.

Ephesians 2:6 — "...and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

This verse provides the theological foundation for the poor believer's hupsos (exaltation) in James 1:9. The believer's elevated spiritual position is not future hope only — it is present reality in union with Christ.

James 2:5 — "Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom?"

The most direct parallel within James itself. The poor believer's exaltation (1:9) is unpacked here: richness in faith and inheritance of the kingdom.

Psalm 90:12 — "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

The sermon cited this verse in connection with the brevity of life. Moses's prayer connects the awareness of mortality to the pursuit of wisdom — the same connection James makes.

6. Interpretive Considerations

Who Is the "Rich" Person in Verse 10?

A significant interpretive question is whether the "rich" person in verse 10 is a believer or an unbeliever. The text says "the rich" without the qualifier "brother" used in verse 9. Three main views exist:

Both are believers — The "rich" is a wealthy Christian who must embrace humility. This is the view most commentators (including Douglas Moo and Peter Davids) favor, given the parallel structure and the context of the letter's address to the believing community.
The rich is an unbeliever — Some scholars (including Martin Dibelius) argue that the absence of "brother" in verse 10 signals an unbeliever whose humiliation is divine judgment. The sermon's interpretation implicitly includes both possibilities while focusing on the wealthy believer's need for perspective.
Intentional ambiguity — James may have left the identity deliberately open, addressing both possibilities simultaneously.

The sermon's approach — treating both as believers who need corrected perspective — is exegetically defensible and pastorally sound. The letter's primary audience is the believing community, and the parallel structure strongly suggests both figures are within that community.

Is James Glorifying Poverty?

As the sermon explicitly noted, James is not romanticizing poverty or suggesting that financial hardship is inherently spiritually superior. This is a common misreading. James's point is not that poverty produces spiritual dignity but that spiritual dignity transcends economic circumstances. The poor believer's exaltation comes from Christ, not from their poverty.

The Eschatological Dimension

Some interpreters read the "exaltation" of verse 9 as purely future (referring to the resurrection and final judgment). Others, as argued above, see it as a present spiritual reality. The best reading holds both in tension: the believer is already exalted in Christ (Ephesians 2:6) and will be fully exalted at the consummation. The present boasting is grounded in a real, present spiritual status that awaits final, visible vindication.

7. Theological Implications

The Doctrine of Human Dignity

James 1:9–11 makes a profound statement about the ground of human worth. If worth is located in economic status, then poverty diminishes it and wealth enhances it. But James locates worth in relationship with God — specifically, in what God has accomplished in Christ. This has revolutionary implications: no economic circumstance can add to or subtract from the dignity of one made in God's image and redeemed by Christ's blood.

Soteriology: Grace as the Great Equalizer

The sermon's citation of Ephesians 2:8–9 is theologically crucial. Salvation is "by grace through faith... not a result of works." This means that neither wealth (which might purchase influence in the world) nor poverty (which might be romanticized as a form of merit) contributes anything to one's standing before God. Grace levels the playing field completely. As the sermon stated with pastoral directness: "Jesus Christ is the great equalizer."

Eschatology and the Transience of Wealth

James's use of the withering flower metaphor is not merely poetic — it is eschatological. The world's wealth and honor systems are passing away. The kingdom of God, by contrast, is permanent and indestructible. This eschatological framework (what theologians call "inaugurated eschatology" — the kingdom already present but not yet fully consummated) shapes how Christians are to value things in the present. Temporal goods are not evil, but they are temporary, and that temporality must govern how we hold them.

The Doctrine of Providence

Proverbs 22:2 — cited in the sermon — grounds both wealth and poverty in God's sovereign providence. God is the maker of both rich and poor. This does not justify economic injustice or passive acceptance of poverty, but it does mean that economic circumstances are not outside God's knowledge and care. The believer can trust God's providence even in financial hardship.

Christological Pattern of Humiliation and Exaltation

Philippians 2:5–11 presents Christ's own movement from exaltation to humiliation and back to exaltation as the pattern for Christian ethics. The wealthy believer who embraces tapeinōsis is, in a real sense, following Christ's own path. Conversely, the poor believer's hupsos participates in Christ's resurrection exaltation. The passage is thus not merely ethical instruction — it is implicitly Christological.

8. Practical Application

For Those in Financial Hardship

The scholarship behind James 1:9 reveals something pastorally powerful: the poor believer's "exaltation" is not a future promise to endure present misery — it is a present spiritual reality grounded in union with Christ. You are, right now, a member of God's household (Ephesians 2:19), an heir of the kingdom (James 2:5), and seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). The sermon's invitation to boast in this is not denial of difficulty — it is the discipline of seeing reality more clearly than the world's financial ledger allows.

Personal Reflection: In what areas do you allow your financial circumstances to define your sense of worth or your confidence before God? What would it look like, practically, to "boast in your exaltation" this week?

For Those with Material Wealth

The word study on tapeinōsis reveals that the wealthy believer's call to humility is not a punishment but a participation in Christ's own pattern. Embracing the transience of wealth is not pessimism — it is wisdom. As the sermon noted, the question is not whether you will be humbled, but whether you will humble yourself or be humbled by God.

Personal Reflection: In what ways does your financial security tempt you toward self-sufficiency or a diminished sense of dependence on God? How might you practice the discipline of holding wealth loosely?

For All Believers: Numbering Our Days

Psalm 90:12 — cited in the sermon — calls for the discipline of counting our days. This is not morbidity; it is wisdom. The Greek word poreiais (pursuits) in James 1:11 raises a pointed question: toward what destination are your life's active endeavors oriented? The tutoring ministry Pastor Roy mentioned — investing time and skill in the next generation — is one concrete expression of redirecting energy from purely temporal accumulation toward eternal investment.

Community and Accountability

The egalitarian vision of James 1:9–11 has direct implications for Christian community. A congregation that takes this passage seriously will be one where economic differences do not determine seating arrangements, social access, or perceived spiritual status. James 2:1–9 will develop this point explicitly, but the seeds are planted here.

9. Discussion Questions

Observational

In James 1:9–11, what specific commands does James give, and to whom does he give each one? What does he not tell each group to do, and why might those omissions be significant?
James uses three verbs in verse 11 to describe the fate of the rich man's world (withers, falls, perishes). What is the grammatical tense of these verbs in Greek (aorist/past), and what theological point might James be making by using past tense to describe a future reality?
The word "brother" appears in verse 9 but not in verse 10. What significance, if any, do you think this difference carries? Does the text give you enough information to decide?

Interpretive

The sermon argued that the poor believer's "exaltation" refers to a present spiritual reality in Christ, not merely a future reward. What textual evidence within James 1:9–11 and its broader context supports this interpretation? What might argue for a primarily future reading?
James 1:9–11 is embedded in a larger discussion of trials (vv. 2–12). How does understanding wealth and poverty as forms of trial change how you read this passage? How is the temptation of poverty different from the temptation of wealth?
The flower/grass metaphor in verses 10–11 is drawn directly from Isaiah 40:6–8. In Isaiah's original context, the withering grass represents the fading power of nations (specifically Babylon). How does James's application of this image to individual wealthy persons expand or shift Isaiah's original meaning?

Theological

The sermon stated that "Jesus Christ is the great equalizer" at the cross. How does the doctrine of salvation by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8–9) ground the social equality James describes? What would it mean for a congregation to embody this theological reality in its communal life?
James 1:9–11 implies that God actively revalues what the world devalues and humbles what the world exalts. How does this pattern of divine reversal (seen also in the Magnificat, the Beatitudes, and Philippians 2) shape your understanding of God's character and the nature of his kingdom?

Applicational

The sermon used the illustration of renovating a hotel room you have to check out of tomorrow. Where in your own life are you investing significant energy, money, or identity in something that is fundamentally temporary? What would a concrete reorientation toward "eternal investment" look like for you?
Pastor Roy asked pointedly: "Will you humble yourself, or will God humble you?" What practices of voluntary humility — financial generosity, service, simplicity — might help a wealthy or comfortable believer cultivate the tapeinōsis James calls for?
The sermon applied James's teaching to the importance of investing in the next generation (referencing the church's tutoring ministry). How does James 1:9–11's theology of eternal perspective inform why investing in others — particularly the young and marginalized — is a spiritually significant act?

Investigative

James 2:1–9 continues the discussion of wealth and poverty in the context of showing favoritism in the congregation. Read that passage alongside James 1:9–11 and consider: what does James 2 reveal about what goes wrong when a congregation fails to internalize the theology of James 1:9–11? How do these two passages function together as pastoral diagnosis and prescription?

10. Recommended Resources

Commentaries

Accessible

George Stulac, James (IVP New Testament Commentary Series) — Theologically rich and clearly written, ideal for motivated lay readers. Stulac handles the social dimensions of James with pastoral sensitivity and exegetical care.
R. Kent Hughes, James: Faith That Works (Preaching the Word Commentary) — Expository and accessible, with strong application. Hughes's treatment of James 1:9–11 is particularly helpful on the theology of eternal perspective.

Intermediate

Douglas Moo, The Letter of James (Pillar New Testament Commentary) — This is the standard evangelical commentary on James at an intermediate-to-advanced level. Moo's word studies are thorough and his exegesis of the wealth/poverty texts is careful and balanced. Highly recommended for those ready to go deeper.
Craig Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament — Not a commentary on James specifically, but Keener's background notes on James 1 are invaluable for understanding the Greco-Roman honor-shame context and the diaspora setting. Essential for historical context.

Advanced

Peter Davids, The Epistle of James (New International Greek Testament Commentary) — The most technically rigorous evangelical commentary on James. Davids engages the Greek text in depth and provides extensive discussion of Second Temple Jewish parallels. Requires comfort with Greek terminology.
Luke Timothy Johnson, The Letter of James (Anchor Bible Commentary) — A Catholic scholar's magisterial treatment. Johnson's literary and rhetorical analysis is outstanding. His treatment of wealth in James is particularly nuanced.

Biblical Theology and Thematic Studies

Accessible to Intermediate

Craig Blomberg, Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions (New Studies in Biblical Theology) — The most comprehensive biblical theology of wealth and poverty available at an accessible level. Blomberg traces the theme from Genesis to Revelation with exegetical care. Directly relevant to James 1:9–11.

Online Resources

Bible Gateway (biblegateway.com) — For comparing translations of James 1:9–11 across ESV, NIV, NASB, NRSV, and others. Seeing how different versions render tapeinos, kauchaomai, and hupsos is itself a mini word study.
Blue Letter Bible (blueletterbible.org) — Free access to Strong's lexicon, Thayer's Greek dictionary, and multiple commentaries. Search James 1:9 and explore the Greek terms discussed in Section 4 of this guide.
The Gospel Coalition Commentary Series (thegospelcoalition.org/commentary) — Free, accessible commentary notes on James by qualified scholars. A good starting point before moving to full commentaries.

This guide is designed to be used over multiple sessions. Consider working through the Word Studies and Cross-References in one sitting, the Exegetical Analysis and Historical Context in another, and the Discussion Questions in a group setting. The goal throughout is not merely to accumulate knowledge but to be formed by the truth that your worth — in poverty or wealth — is grounded in the unchanging grace of God in Jesus Christ.