We don't like it. We don't want it. We don't prefer it, but you can't live without it.

Dr. Tony Evans says with God's help, we matured through life's troubles.

You cannot hope to become a doctor and say, I'm not going to medical school.

And you can't be a strong Christian and skip trials.

This is the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans.

Author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas,

and president of the Urban Alternative.

Are the tough times in your life going to take you apart

or put you back together better than ever? Today, Dr. Evans shows that even in the midst of hurtful circumstances,

God promises there's a point to your pain.

Let's join him as he helps us grasp a biblical understanding of our trials.

James is the half brother of Jesus Christ.

They shared the same mother, but not the same father.

James's father was Joseph Jesus's father was God based on the Virgin birth.

James struggled with his older brother growing up, struggling with,

is he this unique person that the proclamation was declaring him to be?

But after the resurrection, James came to commitment to Christ

and was elevated to become one of the leaders in the Jerusalem Church.

He is the author of the book that will serve as the foundation of our time together over these many weeks.

James is writing to the 12 tribes scattered according to verse 1.

These are the Jewish Christians that were scattered around the periphery of Palestine,

and he wants to write them to tell them, don't be fake, be real.

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