Legacy Church Blog

Finding Hope in Trials: Wildfires, Floods, and the Gospel Story

The wildfires in Los Angeles and the flood damage in Western North Carolina have left countless lives shattered. For those directly impacted, it can feel impossible to make sense of the loss. James offers a striking perspective: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2). At first glance, this seems absurd. How could anyone find joy amid devastation? Yet James isn’t asking us to celebrate the trials themselves; he invites us to see them through the grand story of the gospel—a story that gives context, hope, and redemption to even the deepest suffering.

The Gospel: A Framework for Trials

Without the gospel, trials can feel random and meaningless. A fire that consumes a home or a flood that destroys a livelihood might seem like cruel, purposeless events. But the gospel provides a different narrative. It begins with creation—when the world was good, whole, and free of suffering. Then came the fall: humanity’s rebellion against God fractured creation, introducing sin, brokenness, and all the pain we now endure.

But the story doesn’t end in brokenness. Through Jesus, God stepped into our suffering, bearing the ultimate trial on the cross. His death and resurrection redeemed creation and set into motion the restoration of all things. This gospel framework places our trials into a larger context: though we live in a broken world, God is actively at work, redeeming what is broken and restoring it to wholeness.

This perspective changes how we view events like wildfires and floods. Instead of seeing them as irredeemable, we can trust that God is using even these tragedies to shape us, refine us, and point us to the hope of ultimate restoration.

Trials That Transform

James teaches that trials test our faith, producing endurance, character, and hope. He’s not saying that losing a home to fire or flood is inherently joyful, but that trials can lead to joy when viewed through the lens of God’s redemptive work.

Without Jesus, trials can disfigure us. They leave us bitter, hardened, or hopeless. But with the gospel, trials reconfigure us, shaping us into people who trust in God’s unchanging goodness. As James reminds us: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

This doesn’t mean the pain isn’t real or the loss insignificant. Wildfires and floods are devastating. They expose the fragility of life and remind us of our deep dependence on God. But through Jesus, even the worst trials are not wasted. They are part of a larger story in which God is making all things new.

Living in Light of the Gospel

The gospel not only redeems our individual trials but also reshapes how we endure them. Jesus’ death on the cross—the ultimate trial—brought the ultimate redemption. Through His suffering, He gave us hope, not just for eternity, but for the here and now.

This hope doesn’t erase the pain of wildfires or floods, but it anchors us in the truth that God’s plans are still good. It reminds us that the same God who turned the cross—a symbol of defeat—into a symbol of victory is still working in our lives.

Finding Joy in the Grand Story

When James calls us to consider trials “pure joy,” he’s not asking us to ignore reality. Instead, he’s urging us to trust that God is using these trials to bring about something greater. Just as creation was broken but redeemed by Jesus, so too can our lives—scarred by fire, water, or pain—be transformed and reconfigured by God’s grace.

For those affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles or the floods in North Carolina, know this: your pain is real, but it is not purposeless. Through the lens of the gospel, trials are not the end of the story. They are part of a larger narrative in which God is redeeming, restoring, and making all things new.

Let us lean into this truth and trust that God is present, even in the ashes and the floodwaters. In Him, our trials can produce a hope and joy that transcend our circumstances.

Celebrating Quitter's Day

Happy Quitter’s Weekend! If you’ve never heard of this day and think I’m making it up—I didn’t, but someone did a few years ago. It’s a new holiday, because apparently, we need more holidays. Studies, including data from Strava, show a precipitous drop in activities—80% by the second Friday of the year—as so many bail on their resolutions. We don’t just fail; we fail fast.

Every year as a lead pastor, I’ve preached on why resolving to change is something we should all pursue throughout our lives. But today, let’s look beyond resolutions to something equally critical: How do we handle our failures to change?

The Gospel: Perfect for Quitters and Failures

The Gospel is perfect for quitters and failures. It’s truly a story meant to be enjoyed by those of us who, through our best attempts or no attempt, are deeply loved by a God who has never quit on us or failed. He has an unwavering commitment to us, even when we lose commitment and waver.

In fact, the Gospel stands alone in this regard. Every other world religion pushes us to be better or do better, but the Gospel says, “Come, all who are weary. Come, all quitters, rebels, and failures.” Quitters Day reminds us of our frailty and finite boundaries. It reminds us that we’re not enough in and of ourselves—that we need help. This is where the Gospel becomes even more fascinating.

The Prodigal Son: A Story of Grace

Some of you might remember that last fall we walked through the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. We examined the Younger Brother and the Older Brother, seeing how we can find bits of ourselves in both. Ultimately, it’s a story about how God cares for both legalists and rebels.

The younger son begins his journey full of confidence, eager to pursue life on his own terms. But before long, his plans collapse. He finds himself in a famine, feeding and even eating with pigs. In short, he was a failure. Yet, at his lowest moment, he decides to return to his father—to come close.

What happens next is astounding. The father doesn’t chastise him, demand restitution, or require an explanation. Instead, he runs to meet his son, throws his arms around him, and welcomes him home as a beloved child. The son’s failure wasn’t the end of his story; it was the turning point. Failure is not final.

Peter’s Redemption

The Gospel is the good news that failure doesn’t define us. Our culture often says the opposite: that we are defined by our successes and failures. But the Gospel tells a radically different story: we are defined not by what we do but by what Christ has done.

Consider John 21, where Peter encounters Jesus after the resurrection. Peter, who denied Jesus three times, essentially quit when it mattered most. Yet, when Jesus meets Peter on the shore, He behaves like the Prodigal Father. He doesn’t dismiss or abandon Peter or demand an explanation. Instead, He reinstates him. Peter’s story, like the Prodigal Son’s, shows that in the hands of Jesus, our quitting isn’t the end. It can be the very place where God begins to write something new. Failure is not final.

Why Celebrate Quitters Day?

In our endeavors to change, we will find the edge of failure—and we’ll find it often. Whether you hate making resolutions (like 60% of people) or love it, 100% of us know what it feels like to fall short of where we want to be. We all know what it feels like to fail or quit. In those moments, we’re often tempted to avoid God and wrap ourselves in shame. We believe we’re not clean enough or solid enough to approach Him. We think we need to unfail ourselves first. But nothing could be further from the truth.

This year, whether your resolutions are formal or informal, put this at the top of your list: When you fail, come close to God. Find Him fast. Wear that path down and carry confidence with you. When the voice in your head says you have no right to be close to God, appeal to Jesus, who never failed and yet brought us close to the Father. As the hymn Before the Throne of God Above says:

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see Him there,
Who made an end of all my sin.

Your proximity to the Father is built on Jesus’ merit, not yours. So when you fail again, run—don’t walk—to a waiting Father who wears compassion and joy.

Fresh Mercies Every Morning

Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us something fascinating:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

Every single morning, God’s mercies are new. Not recycled, not rationed, not leftovers from yesterday—new. Think about that. For the people of God, every day is New Year’s Day. Every morning, God declares over you: “Here’s a fresh start. Here’s brand-new mercy. Let’s start over. I’ve got you. All of yesterday’s failures are swallowed up in My faithfulness.”

God’s mercies are inexhaustible. They have no shelf life. While we imagine Him growing weary of us, His grace and mercy never run dry.