No matter where you are on your faith journey, you are invited to kick it up a notch with Serving the Lord, an evangelical Bible study guide on the book of James. There is no better way to grow in spiritual maturity than faithfully serving God and His people, and no better example of a devoted servant than James, the brother of Jesus.

James makes it clear that serving the Lord means putting faith into action in tangible ways that produce healthy fruit. Faith that consists merely of good intentions or intellectual assent is incomplete or dead. Authentic faith always produces evidence of holy living and good deeds by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, such as:

• Mercy ministry to the poor

• Protecting the defenseless

• Rejecting worldliness

• Praying for the sick ... and much, much more.

Christians are to let all kinds of trials become tests that strengthen their faith and yield righteous works-not to earn salvation but to give evidence of it. The result is spiritual perseverance that leads to eternal glory. It may not make sense to the rest of the world, but believers count troubles as pure joy because in Christ their troubles ultimately have a redemptive purpose.

Today is the day to see for yourself what a practical difference Serving the Lord can make in your walk with God.