With this message, we begin a new sermon series looking chapter-by-chapter at the Letter of James to the early Christians. Though James, a brother of Jesus, provided primary leadership to the Jerusalem "mother church" of the mid first century AD, his letter follows the patterns & values of Old Testament wisdom literature, focused on practical questions of faithful daily living. James calls the people of God to demonstrate unity, fairness, temperance, patience, & perseverance. In the first chapter of James, we get special insights into living single-mindedly for the purposes of the Lord, seeing even our trials as opportunities for joy.