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Franklin Graham shares hope message in exclusive interview on Easter special: 'God hasn’t forgotten them'
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In a powerful Easter message filmed from the smoldering remains of fire-ravaged neighborhoods in California, Rev. Franklin Graham is calling the nation to remember that even in devastation, hope is not lost.
Filmed in the ashes of homes lost to the Southern California wildfires, “Easter from the Ashes” premieres at noon ET Sunday on Fox News.
“Can there be hope in the place of ashes?” Graham asks in the special, standing amid the rubble of the Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles. “This is a message of hope for people who feel forgotten.”
The program, which also features performances by Grammy-winning worship leader Michael W. Smith and artist Charity Gayle, was recorded in and around areas still scarred by flames.
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The music portion was filmed on the campus of Pepperdine University, just miles from neighborhoods that were leveled.
The broadcast is the latest in a long tradition of Easter messages from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, but this one is grounded quite literally in the ashes of loss — speaking not only to spiritual need, but also to physical and emotional pain felt across the country in the wake of natural disasters.
Volunteers with Samaritan’s Purse search for meaningful personal items for members of the Alvarado family in the rubble of their home which burned in the Eaton Fire on Feb. 5, in Altadena, Calif. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
In just the last several months, Americans have endured a string of catastrophes: wildfires on the West Coast, floods and tornadoes across the Midwest and South, and Hurricane Helene in the Southeast. In each case, Samaritan’s Purse — the international relief organization led by Graham — has mobilized to help.
“Easter is not the same for many people this year,” Graham told Fox News Digital. “So many have gone through devastating tragedy and loss. But I want people to know that God hasn’t abandoned them.”
Samaritan’s Purse has deployed disaster relief teams across the U.S. to provide everything from physical labor to moral support.
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In California, volunteers have been helping families sift through ashes to recover treasured belongings. In one especially memorable case, a woman was searching for a porcelain vase — her grandmother’s heirloom brought from overseas. The team found it unbroken, tucked in a basement corner under piles of ash.
“It wasn’t cracked. It wasn’t chipped,” Graham said. “To anyone else, it was just a vase. But to her, it was priceless. That’s the kind of healing we’re trying to bring.”
In other parts of the country, Samaritan’s Purse has helped restore mobility and shelter by replacing cars and rebuilding homes. Partnering with Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Automotive Group, the organization has been supplying vehicles to families who lost everything.
“When people lose their cars in a disaster, they’re stuck,” Graham said. “We’ve seen people walking to the store or relying on neighbors. We just felt called to help however we could.”
Currently, Samaritan’s Purse has more than a dozen homes under construction, with plans to continue rebuilding for at least the next three years.
While physical rebuilding is vital, Graham’s Easter message centers on spiritual renewal through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He draws attention to the biblical reality of both heaven and hell — a theme often overlooked, but one Graham said he believes is urgently needed today.
“In this special, I talk about how Jesus preached on hell. And how He also gave us a way out,” Graham said. “He died for our sins. He was buried. And on the third day, He rose again. That’s the hope we have.”
Volunteers with Samaritan’s Purse pray with Manuel and Emma Alvarado after helping them search for personal items in the ashes of their home in Altadena, Calif. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
He recounted stories from disaster survivors who described their experiences as near-death or even miraculous. One woman, caught in a flood, managed to grab a branch that later couldn’t be found —something she believes was divine intervention.
“Some people say angels saved them,” Graham noted. “Things happened that just don’t make sense otherwise.”
Graham also spoke about his recent visit to the White House during Holy Week, where he joined around 40 pastors for a private dinner and worship service with President Donald Trump. He described the President’s remarks as “the clearest gospel message I’ve ever heard from a U.S. president.”
“I don’t think we’ve heard anything like it since maybe George Washington,” Graham said. “He not only believes, but he’s not afraid to say it.”
“We have a president that is not afraid of his faith,” Graham said Friday on The Ingraham Angle. “He doesn’t shy away from it. He’s very bold about it and clear about what he believes.”
Graham described Trump’s message at the dinner as one of the clearest public affirmations of the Gospel he has heard from any U.S. president. “He talks about Jesus Christ, talks about his own faith,” he said. “He’ll tell you that when that bullet went through his ear in Butler, Pennsylvania, it was God who spared his life.”
Volunteers with Samaritan’s Purse pray with Manuel and Emma Alvarado, both 86, after helping them search for personal items in the ashes of their home which burned in the Eaton Fire, Feb. 5, in Altadena, Calif. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The day after the dinner, Graham participated in a service for White House staff, including lawyers and administrative professionals, joined by Pastor Greg Laurie and Pastor Jentezen Franklin, who administered communion. “It was a wonderful time of worship,” he recalled.
Graham credited the Trump administration with helping cut through bureaucratic red tape that often slows recovery efforts in disaster zones.
“California has been very difficult,” he said. “We’ve faced a lot of delays at the state and local level. But the President pushed FEMA to act faster. That helped open doors.”
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As the interview closed, Graham returned to the core message of the season.
“Easter is a very special time because Jesus Christ conquered death,” he said. “He took our sins to the cross. He died. He was buried. But on the third day, He rose from the dead. And He will come into any heart that is willing to accept Him by faith. That’s the miracle of Easter.”
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SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — According to a new audit, the San Francisco Zoo violated city rules by spending $12 million on projects without required approval.
The report looks at the zoo’s finances from 2019 to last year. It claims the zoo was operating under a budget deficit for years while dealing with failures in management and financial planning.
Zoo officials must get permission from the city’s Park and Rec Commission for projects worth more than $50,000.
The report also details claims from zoo employees, saying the zoo has a toxic work environment because of favoritism and discrimination.
KRON4 received the below statement from the zoo’s CEO.
We appreciate the thorough work of the audit team and welcome recommendations that will strengthen the Zoo’s operations and long-term sustainability. Many improvements are already underway, and we are committed to implementing the remaining recommendations. We are grateful to the Mayor, Supervisor Melgar, and Rec and Park for working with us on a responsible loan structure that gives the Zoo the ability to continue this progress and fully deliver on the audit’s recommendations.
San Francisco Zoo CEO Cassandra Costello
The zoo is facing a more than $6 million budget deficit.
Ken Roczen led Hunter Lawrence into Round 16 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver with a four-point advantage and a newly acquired red plate. With Lawrence’s win and the reduction of three points, the two riders head to Salt Lake City in a winner-take-all scenario.
Lawrence won his heat, while Roczen finished third in Heat 2.
Lawrence took the feature lead early, and once he sniffed clean air, he steadily increased his gap on second.
“It’s good,” Lawrence told Peacock’s Will Christien. “[At the] five-second board, I’m just so excited. Let’s go out, have fun, and do what I love to do. It couldn’t have been much better than that.”
Lawrence cut the championship deficit to a single point heading into the season finale. The two riders each have five victories.
If Lawrence and Roczen manage to tie in points, which will happen if they finish in the middle of the pack with Lawrence on spot ahead of Roczen, the tiebreaker would come down to second-place results. Lawrence finished second five times early in the season; Roczen has two runner-up results.
Meanwhile, Roczen had a modest start and had to come through the pack. Once he settled into second, he lost the tow of the leader, and ultimately lost more than 12 seconds to Lawrence.
Returning from an injury suffered in Cleveland, Eli Tomac thrilled the hometown crowd with the final podium position. He stalled his bike in sand in the opening laps but executed Beast Mode in the middle stage of the feature.
Fourth-place Malcolm Stewart and Chase Sexton rounded out the top five.
In-Race Notes
Jorge Prado earned the holeshot, but Lawrence took the lead quickly.
Roczen slotted into fourth on the opening lap. There is a five-point gap between first and third in Supercross scoring.
But Roczen secured second from Prado on Lap 3, and trimmed three points from the gap.
Roczen lost 4.5 seconds to Lawrence as he made his way into second.
The third title contender, Cooper Webb, took third from Prado on Lap 5.
Lawrence had the flow in the opening laps. He extended his lead to 6.2 seconds on Lap 7.
Tomac stalled in the sand and fell outside the top five, but found his rhythm and climbed to fourth on Lap 8. Webb lost a position to Prado earlier in that lap.
Lawrence was on a rail, forcing Roczen to ride on the edge of his comfort zone.
A little further back in the field, Justin Barcia was sixth on Lap 10 in his second race back.
Tomac secured third from Prado on Lap 12.
Roczen fell to eight seconds behind on Lap 13. Eight minutes remained on the clock.
The top three settled into a rhythm with seven minutes on the clock. The gap between them was slowly widening.
Cooper and Dylan Ferrandis tangled while challenging for sixth.
One lap later, Webb tangled with Jorge Prado, and both riders lost momentum. Webb hit the dirt and dropped outside the top 10. That ended his dim hope of securing a fourth Supercross championship.
Malcolm Stewart moved into fifth.
One lap later, Stewart grabbed fourth from Sexton.
In all the chaos, Justin Barcia (eighth) climbed into the top 10 in his second race after returning from a scary crash in the season opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.
Seattle Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh is day-to-day with “general soreness” after being pulled from the lineup before Saturday’s game, manager Dan Wilson told reporters after a 3-2 loss in 10 innings against the Kansas City Royals.
Wilson said Raleigh underwent imaging, though he did not specify what on, and the team will assess their star catcher’s status Sunday.
“We’re trying to be as cautious as possible,” Wilson said.
Raleigh was originally slated to start at catcher and bat second in the middle game of the three-game series, but he was scratched from the lineup about 90 minutes before first pitch.
Mitch Garver got the start in place of Raleigh and went 1 for 4 at the plate and struck out three times, including to lead off the 10th inning.
Saturday’s game was the first Raleigh has missed this season. He had started 32 of the previous 33, including 25 at catcher, and came in as a pinch-hitter in the only game he didn’t start.
Raleigh is batting .186 with a .652 OPS, seven homers and four doubles this season. He has hit five home runs in his past 10 games.
Raleigh finished as the American League MVP runner-up during a record-setting campaign in 2025. He led baseball with 60 home runs, setting single-season MLB records for most home runs by a catcher and switch-hitter, as well as the Mariners’ single-season homer mark. Raleigh also drove in an AL-best 125 RBIs while hitting .247 with a .948 OPS.
The Mariners added a third catcher to their 26-man roster shortly after Raleigh was scratched from the lineup. Jhonny Pereda was called up from Triple-A Tacoma and infielder Will Wilson was placed on the 10-day injured list with fractured left thumb.
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