Francis of Assisi and an apprentice went to a certain village to preach. They visited with many people, encouraging them in the faith and sharing Christ with others. Francis said that it was time to return home and the apprentice said, "But we have not yet preached." Francis said: "We did preach as the people watched, listened and responded to us. Every word we have spoken and every deed was a sermon." This illustration sums up the emphasis in the Epistle of James, which is practical and not doctrinal. The epistle teaches us that a living faith is evidenced by righteous living. It is an important book for us to study as the believer's belief is matched by his behavior. This will be the emphasis of our study together in James.