James wants to help us practice God's Word, so he gives us a simple test.  He sent two visitors to a church service, one who is obviously doing well for himself, and one who is not doing so well, and he watched to see how they were treated.  If we don't get anything else this morning we must get this... The way we treat people is a reflection of what we really believe about God.  We mustn't separate human relationship and divine fellowship.  1 John 4:20 makes it clear... if we say we love God but hate our brother we are liars.  If we truly believe that Jesus is God, that God's Grace is good, that the Word of God is true, and that the judgement of God is coming then that will be made clear through the way we accept, care for, and love people of all walks of life.  James makes it clear we cannot claim to be Christians and play favorites, show partiality, or discriminate.

James a servant of God has been impressed upon by the Holy Spirit to share with the church a letter which really speaks to a myriad of issues and themes but at the center of it is this... God is big and we are small and yet God cares about the big and the small. I want you to think about this... the God of the universe who governs all there is; how hot the stars burn, how far the planets travel in orbit, the speed of light, the depth of the oceans, the amount of food needed to feed China today, and the amount of rain needed to grow that food, the same God that governs all of that Big stuff... is the same God who cares about you. To quote Bill Paxton's character in one of my favorite movies, Tombstone; he says, “look at all the stars. You look up and you think, God made all of this and He remembered to make a little speck like me. It's kind of flattering, really.” It's more than a little flattering... it's downright scandalous. The Big God of Big things... who runs all that Big stuff... so Big we can't even comprehend... cares for us specks. It doesn't make a lick of sense. For example Luke 12:7 tells us that even the hairs of our heads are numbered.  Psalm 139:16 tells us that God knew us before we were formed and wrote down every one of our days. He put together your personality, your humor, your IQ, EQ, ADHD, and IBS. He knit you together and made you alive, a unique, a specific awesome individual! He cares about the Big stuff and the Small stuff! The universe and your hair!

But why? Why does God care about your hair? Why does he care about you intimately and specifically? So he can lead you to walk in the fullness of Joy while at the same time bringing him the most glory possible.  He wants to see your faith work.  This is the story of James.