James shares his heart regarding living in The Way of New Life. James, Jesus' half brother and the leader of the early church in Jerusalem penned this message to encourage the scattered tribes of Israel that were under severe religious persecution and fled to the surrounding pagan nations.  James' heart challenge remains to this day for those who claim the name of Christ, is our belief merely word deep, or does our allegiance to Christ literally change how we do life surrendered even to the point of death, your will not mine Lord?

We will spend the next few weeks hearing the words that, if acted on, in God's grace, by His strengthen and in His ever Present Power will lead to a continual life of change and transformation.  So much change, that we too, like James might call ourselves "slaves" of Christ.

Clement of Alexandria writes of James, "When he bore strong testimony to Jesus as the Son of Man, they flung him down from the gable of the Temple, stoned him, and beat him to death with a club."

Is Jesus truly the name above all names in your life?  Lord, may we all become, like James, slaves of Jesus Christ.