Sometimes you do everything right. You live your life to serve God. And yet, things don’t go as you had planned. Peter Chin and his family moved to a new city to plant a church, but the trials smacked them in the face until they were just plain desperate. “I didn’t know who God was after that point,” Peter said. “Even after years of seminary and walking…

Angel believed the lies the world told her. She felt worthless and ugly. Her life became a swirling mess of men, booze, and drugs until one day she cried out to God, “Kill me or save me. But don’t let me live like this anymore.”

“When we’re challenged; when we’re in a difficult situation, what do we do? We turn to God.”

Whether it’s physical or spiritual, a new heart brings new life. John was a healthy, active person until shortness of breath led to a diagnosis of an extremely rare heart disease that required a transplant. The spiritual insight of Jesus giving all who believe a “new heart” became very real to John as he awaited his physical transplant.

Dave Dietz was a man who attended church but really didn’t understand the love of Jesus. After reading a book about truly loving God and people, his eyes were opened and he began caring for people and restoring relationships. Other traumatic events—a job layoff and serious car accident—also changed his outlook.

Deanna was over the moon when the pregnancy test was positive. But when genetic testing indicated the little girl growing inside her had Down syndrome, Deanna was certain that God had gotten it all wrong. “There was a storm inside me. I felt like all my dreams were gone,” Deanna said. “My mind went to a very dark place wondering, ‘Why me?’” But God knows what we…

It’s not always easy to know what God wants us to do. Sometimes we have to wait. And through prayer and wise counsel we find confirmation and open doors . . . just as Steven did. His Maasai people wanted him to become their leader, but he was very reluctant. He prayed and waited. After confirming the Lord’s calling for him, he now boldly leads because “if…