If you are writing a letter on the theme of practical Christian living – on what it is to live out real Christian faith – where do you finish? What is the final emphasis that you leave with your readers? For James, the answer to that question is simple; the answer is prayer. As James closes his letter, he emphasizes that Christians should be, above all, a people of prayer.

Have you ever walked through times of difficulty and opposition—even seasons of mistreatment--at the hands of unbelievers? Christians have faced injustice for centuries. How should Christians respond to pressure, to trial, to difficulty?

Imagine the following scene: A man enters a church wearing an expensive Swiss watch and an elegant wool suit. The ushers immediately notice the tailored suit and the fine watch. They seat the man in a prime seat in the front row, with a good view and visible to everyone else. Then, a man wearing shabby clothing enters the church.

Abraham Lincoln once famously said, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” It is no small challenge to hold our tongue. Multiple studies show that people tend to speak at least 7,000 words per day (some studies suggest the average exceeds 10,000 words).

When a finance manager in a large organization goes through the accounts at year-end – or when an auditor works through the books to prepare the audited report – there can sometimes be a stray item in the accounts (an unfamiliar or unexpected line) that needs to be identified, explained and put in the right column. Is it an asset or a liability? Should it be colored red or black?