This Sunday we begin a new sermon series called "Real Faith" where we'll be going through the book of James. This little book is a favorite of many Christians because it deals with issues so relevant to our everyday lives – issues such as how we respond to difficulties in life, showing favoritism, controlling our tongue, relational conflict, generosity with our money, caring for those in need, God’s will for our lives, and the power of prayer. Given all of these practical themes, James is often referred to as “the Proverbs of the New Testament.” But I have to warn you that even though James is a practical book and a favorite of many of us, it’s also a challenging book because at times James doesn’t pull any punches. In fact, out of the book’s 108 verses, James gives 59 commands! There are a lot of memorable verses in the book of James, but the key verse is found in chapter 1 verse 22, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” This is James’ concern for you and me. He doesn’t want us to be deceived about our faith, he wants us to have a faith that is living and active – Real Faith. In prep for this series I encourage you to read through James – it will only take you about 15 minutes.
Jason
