Content Warning – not appropriate for children.   Bruce Van Natta's childhood was filled with abuse and trauma, but he had one encounter with Jesus that marked him.  He knew God was real.  What he didn't understand is why God didn't rescue him. As he got older, he clearly heard God call him into ministry, but he was angry, skeptical, and cynical. As a diesel mechanic, Bruce regularly worked on big rigs.  On a fateful day in 2006, he was lying under a logging truck that weighed 18,000 pounds. What happened on that day can only be described as other-worldly; an accident, a near-death experience, and an encounter with the supernatural. This is a graphic story that is not appropriate for younger listeners. Bruce Van Natta is the author of Saved by Angels and the founder of Sweet Bread Ministries.  Website:  https://sweetbreadministries.com/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SweetBreadMinistries  Book: https://www.amazon.com/Saved-Angels-Expanded-Everyday-People/dp/076844134X

    Tara Sierra Mosely didn't feel equipped when she was asked to pray for a dying woman in a remote village in Uganda. But she said yes, and God used that simple act of obedience as part of a much bigger story of salvation and new life. Tara's new book is House of the Forest: Life-Giving Declarations for Strength and Abundance in Every Season. 

  At seven years old, Lauren Burns was taken by her father from Texas to the Middle East, and her mom had no idea where she was. When the United States government couldn't help, Lauren's mother- supported by private investigators Rick and Beverly Lambert, parents of country artist Miranda Lambert- turned to a team of former military operatives for an extraordinary international rescue.  The rescue made international headlines. But coming home was only the beginning. Lauren still faced childhood trauma, father wounds and a difficult question: She knew God was real, but was He good?  Lauren Burns is the author of Stolen: A True Story of Kidnapping, Rescue, and Redemption, a powerful true crime memoir. Her story later inspired a television movie. Today, Lauren is a speaker on trauma, redemption, and faith, and the host of The Redeemed Podcast  Learn more at laurenburns.net.  This episode discusses childhood abduction and trauma and may not be appropriate for young listeners.  Show Notes:   Website:  https://www.laurenburns.net/  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/laurenburnsredeemed/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LaurenBurnsAuthor  Book:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GT9VMK3Z?lv=shuf&channelId=520&plpRedirect=mhFallback 

Before Roland Warren became CEO of Care Net, one of the largest networks of crisis pregnancy centers in North America, he was just a scared 20-year-old college student facing an unplanned pregnancy with his girlfriend. The pressure to choose abortion was intense. But they made a different choice. And that one decision changed everything.  Roland's story is a powerful reminder that when we follow God's way, something good always comes from it.  He has a new book you can check out, called "The Alternative to Abortion: Why We Must be Pro Abundant Life".

  Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, two remarkable World Trade Center survivors tell the story of the day they met as strangers and walked out as brothers.  Brian Clark and Stanley Praimnath were both inside the South Tower on September 11, 2001. Stanley was on the 81st floor when United Airlines Flight 175 came directly toward him. Brian was on the 84th floor when the tower was hit. In the chaos that followed, Brian heard Stanley calling for help and made a decision that would change both of their lives forever. Only 18 people survived from the impact zone or above in the South Tower. Brian and Stanley were two of them.  In this special 9/11 25th anniversary episode of The Unfolding, they share what they saw, how they escaped, the extraordinary moments they still cannot fully explain, and how 9/11 transformed their understanding of faith and God's presence in the darkest moments.  Their story is more than a remarkable account of survival. It is the story of two men who entered the World Trade Center as strangers and came out as brothers.

    Joshua Broome spent years trying to outrun rejection and prove he was worthy of love, but success in the pornography industry only left him more broken and ashamed. Then Jesus met him in the middle of his mess, and today Joshua is a husband, a father of four, and a son who found the freedom to forgive his own dad. In his latest book, 7 Lies That Will Ruin Your Life, Joshua exposes the empty promises that once shaped his life and points others toward the redemption he found in Jesus.

  It was a story that made national headlines. In April of 2019, a five-year-old boy was thrown from a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America by a stranger. Landen Hoffman's injuries were catastrophic, and his survival was uncertain. But his mother, Kari, responded with unshakable faith. Drawing on what she'd learned growing up in church, Kari immediately turned to prayer, refusing to give in to fear or hatred.  Landen spent four months in the hospital, facing multiple surgeries, serious complications, and long, painful nights. There were setbacks that baffled even his doctors. Yet Kari never stopped believing for complete healing. Kari Hoffman is sharing their story through her book, Miracle at the Mall. This is the incredible account of a mother's fierce faith, a miraculous recovery, and a God who still moves mountains.    Show notes:  Miracle at the Mall Book:  https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Mall-Hoffmann-Survived-39-Foot-High/dp/B0DZBX3XNK  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kari_hoffmann_5/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kari.hoffmann.52 

    When Jacob Coyne saw his father transformed by Jesus, he wanted that same hope for himself. That decision began a chain reaction that would bring hope to others facing some of their darkest moments.  Jacob's book, The Secret Life of Christians 

We'd love to hear what God has done in your life. Share your story.     After experiencing sexual abuse, the death of her father, a move from New York to Puerto Rico, and years of bullying and rejection, Christine D'Clario was angry with God. She blamed Him for her pain and wanted nothing to do with Him.  But that wasn't the end of her story.  In this episode from The Unfolding archives, Christine shares honestly about the encounter with Jesus that changed her life, as well as her later battle with postpartum depression and thoughts of suicide. Today, she is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and worship leader whose music reaches millions around the world—and she uses her story to offer hope to others facing depression and mental-health challenges.  Content note: This episode includes discussion of sexual abuse, postpartum depres sion, and suicidal ideation.  Show Notes:  Website:   https://christinedclario.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinedclariomusic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinedclario/

After four years of infertility, Debbie Simmons was shocked and ecstatic to learn she was expecting four babies. But when complications came much too early, she lost all four of her sons. As Debbie walked through unimaginable grief, God gave her enough light for each next step. Exactly seven years later, five children entered her home through adoption, turning April 1 into a day of God's faithfulness and redemption.