James 1:3 [3[ “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” If we are honest, there are some things we would rather not know about in life. There are even some people we would rather not have known in life. We cannot help but feel that life would be easier, less complicated, or less stressful if we could avoid certain issues, or certain people all together. Our flesh says that, sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.  If patience were a person, I think I would avoid her altogether. She would slow me down in my daily schedule. She would …

James 1:2  [2] “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;” Life does not always go our way. There are mountain tops to enjoy, and valleys to walk through, as we journey along. James understands that his brethren are not only scattered throughout the region, but that they are facing difficult times. They are going through times of testing.  In our verse he uses the phrase, “divers temptations”. The word “divers” means “various”, and the word “temptations” refers to trials, or testings. We know that trials come in various forms and fashions. Each trial is unique …

James 1:1 [1] “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” The first word of this epistle gives us the identity of the author. His name is James. He was the son of Mary, the brother of the Lord Jesus, and the head of the church in Jerusalem. These are remarkable positions, but James mentions none of them. The title he chooses is, “James, a servant”.  The word servant is the Greek word “doulos”. This is someone who is considered to be a bondservant. It means they were …