If you didn't bring a Bible, hold up your hand real high.

The ushers have extra Bibles.

We'd be glad to let you use one of these.

And let's all go to James, the first chapter, and then we'll go to Hebrews, the sixth chapter.

For some weeks now, we've been on a subject called the power of patience.

The power of patience.

And I want us to continue on that this morning, and I'd ask you to believe with me

because there's some specific things you might not have thought as much about that I believe we should get into.

In James the first chapter, a second verse, he said, my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers' temptations.

Knowing this, this is how you count it joy because you know something.

Knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Time tries trust.

It tries it.

The passage of time will try your faith.

And that's where patience comes in.

Patience is the companion force with faith.

Should you be interested in patience?

Patience has gotten a bad rap, if you will, in a lot of churches.

I've heard preachers say foolish things about patience. I'm not judging. I'm not knocking. Notice I'm not calling any names. Because I've said some foolish things myself. But I've heard people say, whatever you do now, don't pray for patience.

Who, never pray for patience. Well, that's a foolish thing to say.

Why not?

Well, it doesn't just come by praying for it, but what they're talking about is, oh, man, all kind of bad stuff's going to happen, you know.

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