This Sunday we are starting a new series:  James - The other sacrifice.  In our recent series on Romans we have seen that righteousness is received, not earned.  God’s mercy has been poured out on us through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  Then in Romans 12 we have another sacrificial offering described:  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship.  In other words, we are the “other sacrifice.”  On the Old Testament altars the sacrifices made to God were basically sin offerings or thanksgiving offerings.  Now, Jesus is the sin offering.  Now, we are the thanksgiving offerings.  Our lives are to be a pouring out of ourselves in gratitude and thanks to God for all He has done for us.  James challenges and encourages us to be that living sacrifice of thanks.  In James 1:1-18 we see this life is one of perseverance, seeing through to the end what we have started.