James is full of practical and pastoral challenges to the emerging New Testament church.  Right from the get go James calls his hearers to growth and maturity in Christ:  Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4 - NIV)  He returns again and again to this call to maturity and completeness.  Now is chapter 3 we have:  We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect (mature, complete) person, able to keep his whole body in check.  Are we maturing in Christ when it comes to our speech?  On the night Jesus was arrested Peter was also confronted by a bystander… and it was his speech that gave him away.  (Matthew 26:73 - NIV) After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away."  May our speech also betray us to the world as being one of Jesus’ disciples.