Today we begin a new series of sermons on the Epistle of James. If I were to give a subtitle to this epistle, I would call it "A Manual of Practical Christianity."

All of us should be able to identify with the thought. We are always asking that everything be made practical. Speakers are admonished to use the "kiss principle": "Keep it simple, stupid."

There is a sense in which the Epistle of James is a "how to" book, and any bookstore has a large section of such books, from How To Build a Patio to How to Repair Your Motorcycle. We are a sort of "do it yourself" people. Many who can afford to have anything and everything done by others like to do it themselves.

The Epistle of James is a kind of "How to" manual for the Christian life. That's appealing, isn't it? We hear a lot in church ab…