James, the brother of Jesus, confronts us with strong words designed to call us to live out a bold and active faith in Christ. James 1:2 begins with, “Count it all joy... when you face trails of various kinds.” In our culture where we strive for ease, comfort, prosperity, and do all that we can to avoid trials. Yet we all experience them at many times and in many ways. In this sermon Pastor Seth Winterhalter seeks to answer three questions: 1) Why do we face trials? 2)How should we face trails? 3) What is the purpose of the trials we encounter in life? As we encounter trails, we should consider them, whether large or small, to be a gift to be received with joy, knowing that God is using all of it to deepen our faith and increase our trust in His goodness, grace, and sovereignty.