David Smallbone is the father of Luke and Joel Smallbone (For King and Country) and Rebecca St. James. In today's short story, he shares about his family's journey from Australia to Nashville. After losing everything on a large Christian tour, David's family moved to the U.S. to pursue greater opportunities. But when they got there, they faced even more hardship, until they finally found provision in faith and community, through the generosity of a local church. From humble beginnings in...

  Helen Smallbone and her husband David were living in Australia when his business unexpectedly collapsed.  With six kids, they took an enormous leap of faith and moved to the United States with everything they had in 16 suitcases.  Within a couple of months, David’s new job fell through.  They were forced to live by faith and trust God in ways they never had before.  Helen is the mother of Grammy-winning artists Rebecca St. James, and Joel and Luke Smallbone of For King & Country,...

Rebekah Albaugh recounts the rich legacy of faith that precedes her, beginning with her grandparents, who first met at a Moody Bible Institute rally in the 1940s. This legacy continued with her parents, who remained steadfast in their devotion to Jesus until their final moments. Tragedy struck when Rebekah lost her father at the young age of 18, yet her mother never stopped praising God. Even as her mother battled cancer and endured suffering and memory loss, she recalled the hymns from her...

  True, lasting change is hard.  When we are trying to change in our own strength, it can feel impossible. Christopher Cook is a pastor, leadership coach, podcast host, and author who is passionate about transformation.  As a young man, he experienced great adversity that resulted in depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.  For some people, those challenges could have resulted in losing faith in God.  But God used those experiences to teach Christopher about true transformation. ...

Johnathon Eltrevoog shares how God has remained faithful, even when he's felt undeserving or unworthy.

  Jenn Pooler had always tried to play by the rules.  Like many of us, she believed if she did all the right things then God would protect her from bad things.  For Jenn, it was about trying to be in control.  When she was 17, she was in a bus accident that altered her life forever and left her angry. Why would God allow this bad thing to happen? She never imagined God could take something bad and use it to change her life for good. 

Ally shares her and her family's journey of adding Grace (Baby Snow) to their family through an adoption in China. God provided, grew their family, and even gave Ally a dream that wowed her when it all came to pass.

Abby Mingus says torment is the best way to describe her mental state during decades of addiction.  For years she was chasing the next high, driven by desperation to keep the feelings of torment at bay. During one of her lowest moments, she jumped off an overpass onto a busy interstate, trying to quiet her demons.  At first, drugs helped her escape from fear, depression and loneliness.  But what started as fun, soon became bondage. It stole years of her life.  Now, Abby Mingus loves to tell...

  After Andrew Ripp’s family broke apart, he moved to California just to get away.  His alcohol addiction eventually led to the destruction of every important relationship in his life.  He had grown up in religion, but never had a relationship with a god who could help.  He was alone and desperate.  But Andrew says even the broken and difficult things in life can be a blessing if they steer you toward the God who loves you.  Today Andrew is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, known for songs...

Alexandra Hope Craig courageously shares the journey she embarked on while navigating her husband John's brave battle with cancer, which ultimately ended in his passing.

  By the time Christine D’Clario was a young girl, she had experienced more than her share of brokenness. She suffered sexual abuse, the death of her alcoholic father, her mother’s remarriage, moving from the only home she’d known in New York to Puerto Rico, and then bullying and rejection. By the time Christine was a teenager, she was angry with God.  She couldn’t imagine He would take the broken pieces of her life and write a story that would become a source of hope for the nations. Today...

Ken Guidroz is the author of "Letters to My Son in Prison".  At one point, Ken was a pastor, and he never thought he'd have to worry about his kids ending up in serious trouble, let alone prison. After his middle son, leading a wayward life, became addicted to heroin, this led to a car crash resulting in the taking of another man's life. That led to a series of letters to his son in prison, a road for their own reconciliation, and a rebirth and strengthening of faith for both. 

  Nikki Davis discovered her passion for Hip Hop radio when she was in college.  She was good at it. She loved it and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.  But a series of failed relationships and jobs that just didn’t satisfy made it clear, she was longing for more.  Then she started growing in her relationship with Jesus.  Her life and priorities changed.  Nikki realized she couldn’t stay in a job where she was promoting negative things.  But how could she walk away from the safety and...

Speaking on strength in weakness, Karis Meier lives with Lyme Disease. “So I know my story isn't over and it's not the fairy tale ending that I would hope for. But, I can see how God is working, and I know his promises won't fail me and that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living because that is what He promises.”

  One hard event after another marked the childhood and early adult years of Molly Stillman. After serving as an army nurse in Vietnam, Molly’s mother was diagnosed with a fatal disease related to exposure to Agent Orange.  At 21, Molly received an unexpected inheritance which she squandered in less than two years.  Molly’s go-to coping mechanism was humor, so she masked her pain and depression with stand-up comedy and even pursued her dream of making it on Saturday Night Live.  But instead...

Sally Tuxhorn’s Dad rejected Jesus for 85 years, but 9 hours before passing, he accepted Him. Sally praises God for this miraculous change. Sally is a children’s pastor at Trinity Nazarene in Illinois. 

When Samuel Worden was 14 his life tragically changed in an instant. It devastated his family and his faith. Why would a good God allow this kind of pain? The hurt, sadness, and anger seemed like an impossible barrier between him and Jesus. But when he desperately needed a father’s love, Samuel had an encounter that changed him forever.

Bill Sammons wanted to start a Christian radio station, but there was a lot of opposition in his Delaware town. So much so, that Bill was attacked by a man named Spyro. He was beaten and thought he was going to die. That's not the end of the story, though. Through God's help, Bill was able to launch the station, and Spyro did a full turnaround and even requested to be baptized by Bill's father who was a pastor. 

    In a moment your life can change forever.  Bret Beherns was a guy with a dream, a plan, and the drive to make it all happen.  As a teenager, he knew exactly what he wanted to do.  His dream job was to think, talk, and write about sports every day.  He was on his way to achieving that dream when a near-death accident altered the course of his life.  One day while he was working to help construct a cell tower, he fell 6 stories- a trauma very few could survive.  In those few seconds,...

Lindsey Capperune leads the episode with stories of people saying "Yes" to Jesus. There are names you'll recognize, like Michael W. Smith and Matthew West. There are others you might not recognize, like Erin and Ryan. In God's kingdom, we are all equal, and He invites each of us to say "Yes" to a life with Him. Lindsey also shares when she said "Yes" to Jesus at an early age. 

  Waiting is hard.  If you have been waiting, hoping and praying for something, it can be frustrating.  When is God going to answer?  On this Valentine’s week episode of The Unfolding, we are sharing stories of waiting for love.  They are stories about a dream, an urgent prayer, and a one-word answer from God.  No matter what you are waiting for, these stories will encourage you to wait with hope and anticipation that God is doing something good. 

https://www.wowgod.com/podcasts/behind-our-smiles/ Joe and Tara Buchanan host the Behind Our Smiles Marriage Podcast, where they vulnerably open up about their marriage journey, including the struggles along the way. With Valentine's Day coming up, we wanted more love stories to be encouraged and strengthened by inviting you into their story.  Subscribe to the Behind Our Smiles Marriage Podcast today!  

  On February 8, 2023, a normal chapel service for students at Asbury University turned into something extraordinary. A small group of students stayed afterward and began sharing struggles, confessing sin, and praying for each other.  From those humble beginnings, an outpouring of God’s love and presence began and within days thousands had traveled from across the U.S. and beyond to experience it.  Host Meridith Foster traveled to Wilmore, Kentucky to hear about it from the students...

Join Christina Hannan on her new podcast, and discover a new rich prayer life in Praying Through Scripture. https://www.wowgod.com/podcasts/praying-through-scripture/ This week on Unfolding Short Stories, Christina shares what she learned teaching science to her kids as a homeschool mom. A planet that rains DIAMONDS! The God who can make a planet rain diamonds, is also the God who cares for our needs.