James 1:1-15 - Trials & Temptations

James comes out swinging as he starts his letter. After a one-verse introduction, he jumps right in, encouraging seemingly-backwards responses to suffering, pain, trials, tests, and temptations: trust in God, and joy. In this Salt & Light teaching, we flesh out why and how those responses are even possible. And in doing so, we see James lay a foundation for the rest of the book: in trials and temptations, we discover faith, steadfastness, wisdom, and humility. Each of these reflects and points to Jesus, who suffered (as the author of Hebrews tells us) “for the joy set before him,” and for God’s glory and our good.