Bad Things Happen to Everybody

In the book of James, we find a bold call to believers: live out your faith with conviction. His pressing question still hits home today—“If you claim to believe, why do you live as if you don’t?” James demands a faith that transforms daily life, not just beliefs. Writing to Jewish Christians facing fierce persecution—hated by Gentiles for being Jews and by Jews for following Christ—he doesn’t offer comfort; he offers challenge. Reframe your suffering. Trust God in the trial. The idea that faith guarantees an easy life would be laughable to James. We face the same question today—not “How can I dodge trials?” but, “How can I glorify God in them?” We can’t avoid hardship, but we can be transformed in how we face it. Tonight, we’ll explore five principles from James 1:1–12 that reshape how we respond when life gets hard.