I want to talk with you today about anger. Anger, you know, is only one letter away from Danger. Have you ever noticed that? Anger does not accomplish God's will in our lives. It does us no good. It does others no good. It dishonors God. I'm sure you agree with this, and though I realize that not everyone has an anger problem, I also believe all of us have been touched by anger in some way. Maybe, "touched" isn't the right word. Maybe I should say, "slammed" by anger.

What we need is wisdom. Wisdom is applying knowledge to our lives. Wisdom is knowing why these things happen so that we can respond appropriately. But we don't always have wisdom, do we?

In my previous message, I identified five kinds of trials. They are the normal circumstances of life, the trials we bring on ourselves, the trials God brings on us for our good, the trials others bring on us by their sin against us, and the trials that come to us because we are followers of Jesus. It is this last kind of trial, persecution, that James mostly had in mind as he wrote this letter.

Could there be any better expression of the truth that Jesus Christ has come to turn people and society upside down than these words in James 1:9-11? The one who is low is made high. The one who is lofty is brought low.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial. It doesn't say he perseveres when times are good or even a little difficult. He perseveres under trial. He keeps going. How can we do this?

Why do we persevere? Why do we keep following Jesus? It is because of his promises, his blessings at the end of the road. James says that those who stand the test receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.

We have learned there are five kinds of trials, but the one I want to focus on today may be the most difficult. I am talking about the trial of temptation, the trial of temptations that come our way when we want something that is not good for us, and the desire for it seems overwhelming.

You know what would be the most frustrating experience? It would be to get to the last day of my life and realize, "I wasted my life. I lived for the wrong things. My life is over and I have nothing to show for it." How can we change that?