It was a number of years ago that I read this story that really caught my attention,

and I have never forgotten it.

And it's about a man who was 63-year-old in New York City.

He had never had a job not even once in all his 63 years.

He spent all of his adult life as a professional student.

He earned one degree after another. Probably got more degrees than the alphabet.

Why did he spend all these years on college campus? The answer is very simple.

When he was young, his very wealthy uncle made him the beneficiary of his estate, and the stipulation in the will went something like this, that he is to receive this very

generous monthly stipend as long as he stays in school. And the money will be discontinued

when he finishes his education.

So to meet the conditions of his uncle's estate will, he spent all his life in college.

I mean, he spent thousands and thousands of hours listening to professors, reading books, but never worked today in all his life. His education benefited no one. It works the same way in the Christian

life. It works the same way. There are life. It works the same way.

There are so many people who are professional listeners to sermons.

So many people who are professional readers of Christian books.

They watch Christian television programming, and I'm not against them.

But they live all of their life literally in disobedience to the Word of God. And James is so adamant about those who have faith

or claim to have faith is to prove it. He is adamant that the person who claims to have faith

must show evidence of that faith.

We have begun a series from the Book of James on the 12 evidence of faith.

We saw the very first evidence of faith. Count it all.

That is showing joy in the midst of the trials of life.

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