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Inspiring Voices - Kelli Kossel

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153 pages

English

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Forty ordinary people intersected and transformed by an extraordinary God.Something was missing from their lives; something more was available to them. Intersected shares the journeys of forty people who found that somethinga personal relationship with God. The transformative power of Gods love comes alive in these inspiring stories of the difference God has made in the lives of people just like you.God intersected forty lives in the midst of fear, depression, addiction, selfishness, pain, and emptiness, and invited them to discover a life of freedom. He offered them a choice: choose to continue on the broad road of destruction or choose to follow the narrow path toward heaven. A few came to this intersection as young children, but most didnt see their need for a Savior until the pressures of life became more than they could handle. All made the most important decision of their livesto follow Jesus. Author Kelli Kossel brings the forty testimonies to life with warm clarity in Intersected. The compelling stories express how God brought healing, love, joy, and peace into their lives. Hes waiting to do the same for you.

Sujets

Philosophie et théologie

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Publié par	Inspiring Voices
Date de parution	13 juin 2012
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781462401758
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0240€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Copyright © 2012 Kelli Kossel

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Inspiring Voices books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

Inspiring Voices
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.inspiringvoices.com
1-(866) 697-5313

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4624-0176-5 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4624-0175-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012940360

To my forty brothers and sisters in Christ. “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world” (Romans 1:8). The wisdom imparted through your stories has increased my faith and brought me even closer to the Lord Jesus. Thank you for sharing your lives with the world so that God may be glorified!

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them” (Isaiah 42:16).
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Introduction

1. June ~ Age 65— From Terror to Unfailing Trust
2. Don ~ Age 71— Disability Is a Small Price to Pay
3. Brenda ~ Age 44— Stepping out of the Boat
4. Josh ~ Age 22— A Despairing Agnostic Finds Hope and Love
5. Ann ~ Age 51— Brought Closer to God by a Sacrificial Lamb
6. Roger ~ Age 38— Bad Boy Turns Godly
7. Lauri ~ Age 51— Rejoicing in Suffering
8. Kirk ~ Age 45— Living Completely Surrendered
9. Dianne Marie ~ Age 70— Overcoming Mental Illness
10. Jen ~ Age 25— An Orphan Who Found Home
11. Jim ~ Age 64— Giving in to God’s Sovereignty
12. Tricia ~ Age 36— A New Attitude
13. Carol ~ Age 65— From Fear to Faith
14. Vin ~ Age 41— Pursued by God and Satan
15. Trudy ~ Age 24— Big or Small, Sin Is Sin
16. Chris ~ Age 51— The Power of God’s Unconditional Love
17. Mike ~ Age 58— Surrendering Sexuality to God
18. Kristen ~ Age 37— Sacrificing Fertility Led to Adoption
19. Andrew ~ Age 20— Deep Depression and Fear Dissolved by the Truth
20. Darlene ~ Age 68— Trust Is the Key
21. Steve ~ Age 53— Beelzebub to Servant
22. Judy ~ Age 67— Renewed by God
23. Gordon ~ Age 47— Wholehearted Obedience
24. Rebecca ~ Age 33— Learning to Live Each Day As Though It Were the Last
25. Brett ~ Age 25— From Ladies’ Man to Man of God
26. Tami ~ Age 47— A Rebel Who Found a Worthy Cause
27. Jeff ~ Age 60— Saved by Grace
28. Katy ~ Age 43— Strengthened by a Thorn in the Flesh
29. Michael ~ Age 48— One Step at a Time
30. Dianne ~ Age 65— Hope in God’s Word
31. Jessica ~ Age 34— Stubbornness Transformed into Submission
32. Jason ~ Age 39— Surrendering a Dream to Fulfill God’s Purpose
33. Sandy ~ Age 54— Forgiven, Healed, and Restored
34. Jesse ~ Age 43— Saved by a Flickering Candle in the Dungeon
35. Sharon ~ Age 58— Surrendering the Self
36. Gary ~ Age 59— Strengthen Your Brothers
37. Michele ~ Age 62— Healed by the Love of Her Life
38. Courtney ~ Age 22— A Heart for Social Outcasts
39. Ken ~ Age 74— Dying Is a Gain for the Believer
40. Donele ~ Age 11— Childlike Faith

Afterword
About the Author

Foreword
Kelli Kossel has a remarkable personal story about her life intersecting with God. That experience set her out on a quest to discover how others came to establish personal faith in Jesus Christ. Contained in Intersected is story after story of people who followed their own path but ended up at the same place Kelli arrived.
Reading these stories unveils what God is doing in the lives of people—all kinds of people. The beauty is that God never gives up on us … He has given Himself for us. In Robert Frost’s famous poem, “The Road Not Taken,” he wrote:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost wrote those thought-provoking words in 1916, yet each of us who has come into a relationship with Christ has approached that intersection and chosen the less-traveled path. I took the one less traveled, and it has made all the difference in my life. I often think back to when my life intersected with Christ in 1972. It seems both so long ago and also like yesterday. There is no other date or decision that has impacted my life more.
Intersected is about the adventures of God’s love pursuing people and inviting them to enjoy the life He has always intended for them. You will find one compelling story after another showing how the irresistible love of God, when combined with empty and broken hearts, can transform people into new creations. The result is love, passion, healing, forgiveness, and joy.
What I love, as I read the stories, is the realization that countless others will be inspired by what God has done in and through the lives of those who have shared their story. There is a warm welcome to not only read about others, but also to join the family.
Enjoy the stories and then look in the mirror and ask, “God, is there more of me I can offer? Is there more of You I can experience?”
I’ll be waiting for the next book, in which I read your story. Thank you, Kelli!
Steve Johnson, pastor and cofounder of 2xGlobal
Preface
The idea for Intersected came to me upon awakening one morning in mid-October of 2010. I knew the instant I woke up that God wanted me to start interviewing Christians to obtain testimonials of how they came to Christ. From the beginning, I felt a sense of urgency—God’s assignment would have to take precedence over my other writing projects.
Within one week, God led me to the first person—a man at church whom I knew by face only. When God put it in my heart to approach him and ask if he would share his story with me, my heart started pounding. Thinking, I will do this for You, God, but You need to give me the right words , I walked up to the man. Several minutes later, we had a meeting scheduled for the following week!
Over the course of a year, God guided me to various churches to meet new people. He continued leading me to people by giving me a compelling feeling to approach them. Additionally, people I told about this project often referred others to me. In many cases, the day of the interview was the first time I ever saw the person. From the beginning, I stayed out of the way and let God guide me to each person. I did not interview family and friends. In fact, most of the time I didn’t even know what a person’s story was prior to the meeting. Being saved was the only criterion I looked for. I relied solely on faith that God handpicked every person—only He knew whose stories needed to be included.
I obtained the stories verbally. Before writing each one, I prayed for God to guide my heart, mind, and hands to write the story exactly the way He intended in order to have the most impact. Sometimes that meant contacting a person a second time to get more details. Each person has read the final draft of their story to ensure accuracy and completeness, and each person has granted written permission to include his or her story and other items, such as song lyrics or poems.
I would like to offer sincere thanks to Carol, Erik, and Tami for editing the manuscript. And I would also like to thank Erik and Vin for help with marketing copy.
Introduction
“Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf!” (Psalm 66:5)
I can imagine sharing stories in heaven of the great things God has done in our lives. But … we don’t have to wait until then! The world needs to hear them now more than ever. Sharing our stories is a powerful way of revealing God’s glory and power. Seeing how God has transformed others gives us hope that He will do the same for us. No one is too bad to come to God—His light outshines even the darkest past. Nor is anyone too good not to come to Him.
There is little we can be sure of in our world. Bad things will happen. People will let us down. Change is inevitable—in the world, that is. But God is a constant—He never changes. And He never goes back on a promise. God’s children can be certain He will never leave them. If we feel abandoned, it is because we have momentarily walked away from Him. He is still at our side, waiting for us to reach out our hand to Him once more. Even though life is hard, God can use any circumstance for His good.
Reading the stories of people who have strong faith can help us catch the same fervor for God. Seeing how alive others are since embracing Christ makes us want the joy that comes from really knowing the Lord. Whether you have been a Christian for many years, are new to the faith, or are simply curious about how God has been at work in people just like you, Intersected will provide nourishing food for your hu