Legacy Church Blog

Consuming & Being Consumed

Hearing and Doing: The Path to an Unbored Life

What does it look like to live a Christian life in the real world? James 1:19-26 gives us practical answers by emphasizing the importance of not just hearing God's Word but letting it shape us deeply. It challenges us to move beyond passive consumption into purposeful transformation.

Consuming and Being Consumed

James warns us of the danger of “hearing without doing.” He reminds us that the Christian life isn’t about passive listening but active obedience. Otherwise, we’re like someone who looks in a mirror and immediately - and purposefully - forgets their reflection. Yep, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds. 

As we grow in our relationship with God, the Bible does more than inform—it transforms. In the beginning, we might focus on gaining knowledge quickly. But over time, the Bible begins to interpret us, revealing areas where we resist change. James encourages us to let God's Word penetrate deeply, reshaping how we see ourselves and the world.

It's easy to feel resistant when faced with parts of Scripture that challenge us. James confronts this head-on: true transformation comes when we allow God's Word to consume us. This means embracing difficult truths rather than avoiding them. For instance, the call to forgive, give generously, or guard our words can feel inconvenient. But obedience leads to freedom—a paradox James calls the "perfect law of liberty."

The Call to Action

James implores us to be "doers of the Word, not hearers only." What parts of Scripture make you uncomfortable? Is there a passage you'd rather ignore? Often, the most challenging verses are the ones that demand the most significant change. The danger lies in dismissing these commands, constructing justifications for why they don't apply to us, and remaining unchanged.

Jesus exemplified perfect obedience, even when it was most inconvenient and costly. His submission brought freedom to all of us. As we follow Him, we’re called to submit to His Word, trusting that God’s ways lead to life and joy, even when they’re hard to follow.

A Prayer for Transformation

Before diving into Scripture, ask the Lord to prepare your heart:  “Lord, I sit beneath Your Word. I trust that Your ways are good and lead to life. Help me to not only hear but to do what You say.”

As you “intently look” into God’s word, carry these questions with you. 

• How does this change the way I see God? 
• How do I adore him differently or anew?
• How does this change the way I feel about God? 
• How does this change the way I see myself? 
• How does it call me to repent?
• How does this show me Christ and the Redeeming Gospel?
• How does this show me a better way forward?

What about journaling...

Some of us process our prayers best through journaling, particularly as we slow down to consume God's word at a slower pace. Click here for a class we teach on the ACTS method of both reading and praying. A (adoration) - C (confession) - T (thanksgiving) - S (supplication) is a time-tested way of walking through many of the questions listed above. 

When practicing this spiritual discipline, it's still good to preface the reading / writing with a prayer that sounds like "Lord, incline my heart" and "Lord, I submit." 

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.