First Christian Church - Elizabethtown, Ky

Have you ever started to read the book of James and in the first chapter, second verse find the following: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds?” Having been through a few tests or challenges in your own life, you think “Who would ever consider it pure joy?” Think back, though, to what you learned, what you gained from those trials. Did you have a serious health crisis which caused you to take better care of your body, God’s temple? Did a broken relationship cause you to depend more on your relationship with Jesus? Did a financial downfall cause you to realize that material things are not as important as you once thought? You may be more than a little curious about why James considered trials pure joy. James 1:3 says that the tests you go through are really tests of your faith, that they produce perseverance, which, in turn, helps us to be “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James even goes ahead to tell us what we need to do when we’re facing lif