Today, I want to pick up and continue the series of sermons I have been sharing from the Book of James. I have preached on the Tongue from James 3:1-12, on Troubles as a part of our faith journey from James 1:3-11, and now I want to share another sermon that begins with the letter "T"--Temptation.

One of my colleagues tells the story about a church in Kentucky that demonstrates the ancient but ever present power of evil and temptation. It seems a certain contractor had done some much needed repair work for a church in Kentucky but had not been paid for his services. He had written to the pastor and the Board of Trustees, but there was no response.

Finally in desperation, the contractor decided to take matters into his own hands. During a worship service, he dressed up in a devil''s costu…