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Dora spent her early years in Cuba before her family moved to the United States. She was raised with a blend of Christian faith and the Santería religion. In this episode, hear how the Lord called Dora to turn fully to Him, how that choice transformed her life, and how Christ has carried her through the pain of a difficult marriage and single motherhood. Dora’s testimony is a powerful reminder that God is enough, even in hard times. Her story will encourage you to keep going and follow His calling—even when it feels impossible. “I was trying so hard to be enough for all my children, and the Lord quietly told me one day, ‘You are not enough, and it is supposed to be that way, because I am the one who is going to be enough for them.’”

Raised in a Christian home, life felt normal for Joe until one night everything changed after losing his Brother. Listen to the story of how a caring church community supported Joe and his family and helped him on his journey to commit his life to Christ. The son of a pastor and worship leader, hear how the Lord has used his unique experiences to equip him in service to the Church. 

"If you're in the thick of it, and you feel like there's no hope, trust that all things, including the season of life that you're in right now, are working together for your good." - Nathan Carter Kristen and Nathan had upbringings that were very different, but the paths they took were similar enough that when they met, they had the most important factor in common - Jesus. As much as they had both settled their belief in Jesus as God's Son, their issues were far from solved. In fact, their journey had just begun. As our third season comes to a close, we welcome a couple with a story reminding us how we can model an "Abraham and Sarah" faith in our own lives. What self-serving sacrifices must we give up to have a faith that strong? What notions do we lay at the feet of Jesus? What addictions do we stop holding onto so the Lord can turn us into who we are meant to be?

"I think we all sometimes stumble or fall or break, and you have to have strong godly people around you to pick you up." - Ben Whipple Ben and Nina were an unlikely match when they first met. Both with a traumatic past, they knew they had obstacles they were determined to overcome. Soon, a firm, foundational friendship turned into more, and that bond ushered Ben toward a path he never knew existed. Once Ben made the eternal discovery that Jesus is the Light of the World, he became starving for The Word. He soon determined that he would never be the same, his family would never be the same, and the generations long after him would never be the same. Listen with us, as we hear a story of how two people discovered Jesus Christ as The Light of the word, The Breaker of chains - The Savior. When we discover Jesus, we discover His Church. What is it about the Bride of Christ that is so special that The Savior was willing to die for her? If you come from a past with darkness and generational sin, can Jesus sanctify even that?

"I didn't want to disappoint God in the sinful life that I was living. But yet that need to feel loved was great. It was so powerful; that need. I did not know at that time that God was the source of that love!" - Kimberly Slater Kimberly's upbringing did not foster a sense of belonging. After a lifetime relying on her own strength and merit, she thought love came with conditions. Eventually, self-reliance was how she attempted to find the unconditional love she craved. Things started to change when she found an unconditional love in her Savior - Jesus Christ. Trusting Jesus with her salvation was the best decision she ever made. But was trusting Him with more than that something she would be ready to do? When we realize God is a loving God who loves us, and cares about our circumstances unconditionally, we are faced with a choice. Do we fully surrender, or do we remain in what we perceive as a self-reliance form of control?

"When you accept Jesus into your life, you're free. You're free to live in what He wants for you and in His design for you." - Tony Stegall After both Tony and Breanna spent a lifetime looking for love in the wrong places, it was not apparent to them what true love was. Even more so, why did love always seem out of reach - or destructive? Coming from a past that faced childhood divorce, illness, love lost, broken promises, and disappointments, their search for true love seemed to lead to an empty road. Everything changed when they found themselves being courted by the One who is love. When the Lord revealed himself to Tony and Breanna, they became showered with the only love that ever mattered all along - the overwhelming, everlasting, eternal love in Jesus Christ. This testimony shows us how chasing Jesus leads to a changed heart. What happens when the sinful desires of your heart are brought to light? Can the heart's desires change? If so, can God fulfill the desires of your heart when the heart becomes surrendered to Him?

"You don't know how many years you're promised. So what are you going to do with it?" - Daniel Knowing Jesus is Lord, and knowing Jesus as Lord changes everything. After years of having the understanding that they knew Jesus, both Daniel and Megan tell us their story, and what followed when they fully surrendered to Jesus as Lord of their lives. After facing many of life's obstacles, we hear a story of loss, depression, sickness, anxiety, and global mystery. Being rooted in Scripture from a young age, Daniel and Magen knew that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him. This testimony shows us that sometimes, things are never as they seem. Sometimes our plans can be just that - our plans. Is the mission, the mission? Or is the mission simply obeying God with the next thing He puts in front of us?

“It was devastating for me to leave knowing that was the plan I had for my life. God has rescued us from things we couldn’t have predicted.” - Megan Schell When Justin met Megan, they were ready to take the Great Commission to the world. With the desire to “GO”, and a call to missions, they assumed their lives were completely mapped out. God continued to open doors for their family, but a looming self-reliance soon turned to something much more crippling. In this couple's testimony, we hear a story about obedience, and a journey from self-reliance to a faith that surrenders all. Even in our obedience to answering the call on our lives, do we sometimes aim to take that same obedience into our own hands? When self-reliance produces a crippling anxiety, what will happen to everyone that you are responsible for? If independence and self-reliance becomes toxic, will God in His goodness still provide for you - pave the way for you before you get there? Then there’s the biggest question yet; even if you do nothing at all, does God still love you?

“Prayer is very strong - a very powerful thing that affects lives. Just how it does, now that I don’t know." - Warren Good From a young age, Warren Good walked closely with the Lord. He aimed to live righteously, and looked to the Lord for guidance. Eventually, Warren enlisted in the military. Even in the military, his life looked different, and people noticed. It was clear Warren was in the world, but not of the world. Then, things took an interesting turn when Warren lived to testify not one - not two - but three near death experiences. Throughout these experiences, Warren realized that even though he may not know what was happening, God knew. Ultimately, he had to put his trust in God. Warren's testimony takes us through lessons about prayer, blessings, and provision. If God is directing, does he have a reason? Is it our job to understand, or simply obey?

“If we pray according to His will, He hears our prayers. He answers our prayers.” - Robert Devadhas As Christians in a Hindu country, Robert and Joy began their prayer life simply because they enjoyed being in God’s presence so much. Little did they know, God would show His favor toward them and their faith in miraculous ways.

“I remember just being absolutely broken over my sin, and that I could find myself in this place again.” - Zach Dietz Zach and Shanna Dietz are not strangers to the physical, emotional, and spiritual battles of this broken world. However, their story began as many do; happy - perfect - a picture of the all-American family. This story serves as a reminder that none of us are immune from the catastrophic results from mind-consuming sin. Hidden sin can play nice for a little while, but eventually, it will wreck you and everyone around you. When your sin absolutely breaks you and the person you love most in the world, do you dare turn to Jesus in your darkest hour? How do you guard your heart, your mind, your spirit? Can your relationship with those around you be restored? In this episode, we hear the story of how our guest was faced with the Truth - only Jesus can save you from your sin - and He’ll do it again, and again, and again.

“When we get to where the Lord wants us to go, and we turn around and look, the path is so clear.” - Joy Gabbert In our season opening episode, we hear from our podcast hosts, the couple bringing you ‘The Grove Podcast’, Andrew and Joy Gabbert. What happens when you find yourself battling lies from the enemy? How do we contain the spiral of self-doubt? If there’s one thing we’ve learned from each guest so far, it's that things are never quite as they seem. In this episode, we hear the story of our hosts finding faith, battling sin and temptation, betrayal, strength, self doubt, and the journey towards leaning on Jesus in a personal and intimate way. Despite the human trials in this testimony, we witness the Truth. God is personal. God is sovereign over all things. God always works on purpose; on both the mountaintops, and in the valley.

For our season finale, our podcast host, Joy Gabbert, joins a table talk discussion featuring Kailey Carter and Stephanie Eckman with returning guests Monica Allen and Olivia Watkins. Each of these women found themselves faced with circumstances that left them feeling hopeless, which led them to a quick decision bringing them to a place they never imagined. Join us for one of our most intense episodes yet as you witness first hand healing, redemption, encouragement, celebration, sisterhood, and most importantly - Jesus working in the lives of His people.

For Nigel and Monica Allen, it was love at first sight. In fact, it seemed as if they met at just the right time. Both with very different backgrounds, they met amidst a time of healing. With Nigel escaping a traumatic upbringing, and Monica facing some dark decisions in her past, they discovered unconditional love in each other when they needed it most. Surely the worst part was over. This was their happily ever after. That is, until one of them discovered a real, unconditional love in an unexpected way. What if your beautiful love story all of a sudden has a different chapter? What if your love song has the other reading from a different sheet of music entirely? Would your marriage survive? This episode features a wife who finds strength in Christ even in pain, through promises, and 24 years of a persevering prayer all to witness the forging of a mighty man of God?

After experiencing trials and pain starting as early as birth, joy was simply not something Olivia Watkins was too familiar with. Sure she grew up in church surrounded by loving people, but in other areas of her upbringing, joy was not her song. After walking through trials and addictions that eventually led to an abortion, Olivia felt she had no way out. Her outlook on the value of life - including her own - felt hopeless. What if you believe that Jesus is mad at you because of all of the awful and terrible things you’ve done? If Jesus is perfect, how can He possibly see you? Or, what if you’re confronted with the real, life-altering Truth? Listen to an incredible testimony filled with Christ-led sanctification, the breaking of chains, and an experience of Jesus putting joy back in song. You can find more from Olivia and her music here: Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/o-joy/1644575963 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/wrapped/share/share-d22372abc60a4e459c558b65a679cc7e?si=QQgBbJUgTZOCe0oeQCZMFQ&artist-id=6JA4oK7PYSyc8ETusqVy7j