Issue 1| 2023

REAL PEOPLE | REAL STORIES | REAL HOPE 

KEYS TO TRANSFORMATION 

DAR VUELTA 

PARA VER 

EN ESPAÑOL 

SEE YOURSELF AS A 

CHAMPION 

Y O U R 

L I F E 

H A S 

PURPOSE 

A magazine 

on a mission: 

see page 2 

Issue 01 / 2023

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ISSUE 1, JANUARY 2023 

“God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was 

his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 1:9 NLT 

Publisher & Executive Director 

Kristi Overton Johnson 

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Denise San Miguel 

Story Contributors 

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Danny R. Cox 

Linda Cubbedge-Smith 

Kory Gordon 

Ronnie Hopkins 

Gerald B. Hurst 



Andre Lightsey-Copeland 

Juliana McFadden 

Latoya Williams 

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Artwork 

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Jared Emerson 

Victorious Living magazine is a publication of Kristi Overton Johnson Ministries, a 501c3 

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contact us at admin@vlmag.org. 

DISCLAIMER: The articles featured in Victorious Living are designed to inspire and encourage 

our readers by sharing powerful testimonies from people who, we believe, have been transformed 

by God’s grace, love, and power. The articles are focused on each individual’s testimony. 

Although we conduct some independent research, we rely heavily on the information provided 

to us by those we interview. Our articles are not intended to be an endorsement of the views, 

opinions, choices, or activities of the persons whose stories we feature. The statements, views, 

and opinions of those persons whose stories we feature are purely their own, and we do not 

control and are not responsible for any such statements, views, or opinions. 

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VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM 

Issue 01 / 2023 

3

THE VICTORIOUS LIVING STORY 

One visit with an incarcerated friend in 2013 opened the eyes 

of Victorious Living founder, Kristi Overton Johnson, to the 

hopelessness of life behind bars. It also birthed in her a desire to 

deliver hope to the souls of incarcerated men and women. 

Soon after, God opened doors for Victorious Living magazine to 

be distributed in the prison system. He then led Kristi and the VL 

team onto prison yards to share His message of hope in person and, 

more recently, digitally through prison tablets. 

Before that prison encounter, Kristi had 

spent 35 years water-skiing competitively 

worldwide, never considering those 

who had lost their freedom. But God 

had a plan for this world champion 

water-skier to go behind bars to 

encourage hearts with God’s love 

and His message of redemption 

and to equip people to get up and 

experience victorious living for 

themselves. 

Since 2013, Victorious Living 

magazine has impacted the lives of 

over one million incarcerated souls... 

and the story is still being written. 

BE A PART OF THE 

VL STORY 

Victorious Living is a great 

way to carry out God’s 

command to remember the 

prisoner (Matthew 25:34–40; 

Hebrews 13:3). Here’s how 

you can help us deliver hope 

to the incarcerated. 

SHARE 

Share VL with your local church, 

chaplain, jail, or prison. VL is a 

great mission to support and a 

good tool to use too! 

SUPPORT 

VL is partner supported. Your taxdeductible 

gift sends copies of 

VLMag into jails and prisons, where 

it saves lives. And when you give, 

we’ll send you a copy too. 

SPONSOR 

Sponsor jails and prisons to receive 

quarterly cases of VL. It costs us 

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SOCIAL MEDIA 

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PHOTO BY MIKE BARBER MINISTRIES PHOTO BY JOEY MEDDOCK PHOTOGRAPHY 

VISIT VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM OR CALL 352-478-2098

ISSUE 1, JANUARY 2023 

CONTENTS 

8 

9 

19 

STEPPING FORWARD 

God, Be with Me 

BY GERALD B. HURST WITH KRISTI 

OVERTON JOHNSON 

Flourish in His Care 

BY LINDA CUBBEDGE-SMITH 

Benched by God? Use Your 

Time Wisely 

BY CHRISTINA KIMBREL 

14 

28 

TRANSFORMED 

LIVES 

Commitment and 

Consistency: Keys to 

Transformation 

BY SHERIDAN CORREA 

When the decisions you’ve made have 

destroyed the life and relationships you 

once treasured and love and trust are 

gone, is there hope for recovery? 

See Yourself as a Champion 

10 

16 

FEATURES 

From Guns to Grace 

THE STORY OF ANDRE 

LIGHTSEY-COPELAND 

Found guilty of murder at age 28, Andre 

experienced the life-changing goodness of 

God when he finally surrendered his will and 

his way to the perfect plan God already had 

in place. 

Graced for Success 

THE STORY OF LATOYA WILLIAMS 

31 

32 

Your Pain Has Purpose 

BY KORY GORDON 

You Don’t Have to Go Back 

BY DANNY R. COX 

BY KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON 

Do you see yourself as champion or a 

loser? If you’re a child of God, He sees 

you as a champion, no matter what 

your circumstances or past actions. 

Come on, He created you. You are 

champion material! 

“Have it your way” might be a good slogan 

for a burger joint, but when Latoya applied 

it to her life, she found it only brought hardship 

and pain. 

COVER STORY 

20 

You Have Purpose 

THE STORY OF JULIANA MCFADDEN 

PHOTO BY ARIZONA PORTRAITS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 

ON THE COVER 

After experiencing 

the grace of God 

for herself, Juliana 

McFadden was able 

to extend grace to 

her brother, Charlie, 

and her husband, 

David. 

God’s divine grace 

restored their 

relationships and 

brought them into 

His purposes for 

their lives. 

24 

“Can Charlie stay at your place for a few days? 

The cops are looking for him.” That Christmas 

morning phone call changed Juliana’s 

previously normal life. From that day on, she 

struggled with the shame of being the sister of 

a murderer and a growing resentment toward 

God. But God had purpose in her pain, and 

today she uses her experience to help others 

see Christ in their circumstances as well. 

More of Jesus, Less of Me 

THE STORY OF RONNIE HOPKINS 

Years of anger and self-pity kept Ronnie from 

recognizing anything good in his life—and 

led him straight into prison. With no other 

choice, he finally stopped long enough to 

hear God’s voice, quietly saying, “Trust Me, 

Ronnie.” 

IN EVERY ISSUE 

6 

Publisher’s Note 

More Than a Magazine 

33 

Want to Know Jesus? 

I’m Saved...Now What? 

34 

Ministry News/Resources 



5

PUBLISHER’S NOTE 

More Than a Magazine 

If you’d like to partner with 

our magazine to deliver God’s 

hope and to impact the lives of 

incarcerated men and women, 

visit victoriouslivingmagazine 

.com. Your gift enables us to 

send this magazine into prisons 

around the nation. Each 

magazine impacts many lives 

for years to come. 

God never ceases to amaze me. It’s 

mind-boggling how He works behind 

the scenes to bring to fruition 

the plans He has uniquely purposed 

for us. Day after day, God patiently pursues 

us and lovingly draws us onto His path, 

even though we fight hard against Him. 

You’re about to read stories of people 

who resisted God’s love and plan. Some 

refused Him out of anger, blaming Him for 

the pain that existed in their lives. Others 

rebelled against Him, wanting to do things 

their way, not His. 

Years of living apart from God took 

the subjects of our feature stories down 

dark paths that brought much pain. But 

God’s love pursued them, and everything 

changed when they turned to Him. 

There was a time when I didn’t trust His 

love for me either. My young mind thought, 

“If God sent His own Son to die—a Son who 

was perfect—then what will He do to me?” 

I couldn’t live up to His perfect standard 

on my best day (Romans 3:23). 

I didn’t understand the sacrifice He’d 

made for me. Nor did I comprehend His 

grace or desire to be part of my life. God 

wanted my heart, not perfection or performance. 

He wanted to give me a better, 

purpose-filled life. 

I grew up in the church and heard the 

Gospel of Jesus Christ—how God had sent 

His Son to die for my sin so that I could go 

to heaven (John 3:16). I believed it wholeheartedly, 

and at the age of eight, I accepted 

Jesus as my Savior and was baptized. But 

I did that out of fear of being sent to hell, 

not because I understood God’s love for 

me and not really because I loved Him. 

For years, I imagined God sitting on His 

throne of judgment, watching my every 

move and analyzing my every thought. I 

saw Him sitting on the edge of His seat, 

gavel in hand, ready to bring forth punishment. 

Being warned that “God’s watching 

you” and listening to regular sermons on 

God’s wrath and my need to be good helped 

shape my unhealthy view of God. 

When you’re afraid of someone, you 

either try desperately to please them or 

you keep your distance. I did both. Every 

week, I went to church in my Sunday best. 

I prayed at bedtime and before meals, and 

I worked hard in school and sports. Oh, 

and of course, I tried to be kind to people. 

Yet, because I was determined to maintain 

control of my life, I kept my distance 

from God. If I surrendered my life to Him, 

where would He take me? What would He 

ask me to do or give up? I was too afraid to 

find out, so I kept my faith in a nice, neat, 

safe religious box. I wanted Jesus to be my 

Savior, but not my Lord. 

In my midtwenties, I faced bigger trials 

than I could handle. Suddenly, my safe, 

boxed-up religion wasn’t cutting it. Nothing 

the world offered was helping either. 

Finally, I cried out to God, and through 

His Word, His Holy Spirit, my circumstances, 

and other people, He revealed His true 

nature and love for me. I quit stiff-arming 

God and let Him draw me close (James 

4:8). Understanding the depths of His 

love gave me the courage to trust His plan 

(Ephesians 3:18–19). And like everyone 

else in this issue, my life has never been 

the same. 

God changed me; He made all things 

new. Once I tasted and saw how good He 

truly was, I couldn’t keep it to myself. Now, 

I help others understand the goodness of 

God, and this magazine is part of how I 

do that. 

It’s been more than 27 years since I 

surrendered my life to the lordship of 

Jesus Christ. I am so glad I did. Just look— 

God’s plan has enabled us, you and me, to 

cross paths! And I believe He wants to reveal 

something about Himself to you today. 

If there is anything our ministry can 

do for you, please don’t hesitate to call. 

Victorious Living is more than a magazine. 

It’s a family. 


Publisher & Executive Director 

PHOTO BY TY JOHNSON 

6 Issue 01 / 2023 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

Through the stories of Victorious Living, 

men and women behind bars 

meet the God of another chance. 

Testimony of Victorious Living 

Impact: Alberto H. 

Biblical characters are imperfect, regular 

people just like me and everyone featured in 

this magazine. Their lives reveal how God deals 

with our human weaknesses and leads us to our 

potential. That’s why I love reading Victorious 

Living. Every testimony here is a contemporary 

example of what I’ve read in the Bible. 

Of all the stories shared in VLMag, Melisha 

Johnson’s (Issue 02/2022) touched me the most 

deeply. Her devotion to Jesus enabled her to go 

through many trials, each of which God used to 

strengthen her character, refine her, and lead 

her to a new path that He had prepared for her 

long ago. He’s doing the same in me. 

Melisha taught me the importance of 

consistency. I won’t give up or give in as the 

Lord molds me into who He wants me to be. 

Thank you, Melisha, for being vulnerable and 

sharing your story with those of us still behind 

bars. I’m sending you this portrait (displayed on 

the right) as a token of my appreciation. 

I wanted to capture the spiritual fruit—peace, 

passion, love, and kindness—I see in your face. 

I used dense, intense colors to express your 

passion and determination; pastel and bright 

but subtle hues to denote the light the Holy 

Spirit has poured into you. 

May the Lord continue using you, Melisha, 

and everyone featured in VLMag, as examples 

of His transformative glory. Let your light shine 

before men and bring glory to our Father. 

ARTWORK BY ALBERTO H. 

SPONSOR A PRISON IN YOUR STATE AND IMPACT LIVES TODAY. 


Visit victoriouslivingmagazine.com. 


7


God, 

Be with Me 

BY GERALD B. HURST 

WITH KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON 

I’VE SEEN GOD MOVE IN MIRACULOUS 

ways in my many years. Like when I was 

Above: This photo of the wreckage of his plane 

is a constant reminder to Gerald of God’s grace. 

flying combat in Vietnam in the late 1960s. 

The air force assigned me to the F-105 

Thunderchief aircraft and sent me to the 

Right: Major Gerald Hurst in 1970 with his plane 

at the Takhli RTAFB prior to the crash. Major 

Hurst retired in 1982 as a full colonel. 

Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. After 

three days of orientation, I flew my first 

combat mission. 

I was more than anxious as I headed to- 

another prayer, and pulled hard. Wham! 

ward my assigned target, but I took the time 

The ejection seat fired, and my head 

to pray. “God, please be with me.” Praying 

slapped down hard on my knee. My chin 

to my heavenly Father brought peace and 

strap went into my voice box; I couldn’t 

comfort. I would repeat that short prayer 

breathe. Disoriented, I fell from the air- 

on all 91 of my subsequent missions. 

craft. When I finally got my bearings, I 

On my 38th mission, my aircraft suf- 

realized my chute hadn’t automatically 

fered enemy fire and lost all oil pressure. 

deployed. I quickly grabbed the D-ring and 

Ejection was imminent, and that didn’t ex- 

manually opened the chute. I breathed a 

cite me. At that time, ejections were only 

80 percent successful. So I prayed. 

Generally, with no oil, a jet engine will 

continue to run no more than a minute. 

I’ve even heard the time be as short as 15 

seconds. Miraculously, my engine ran for 

over six minutes, allowing me to get away 

from enemy territory. 

I told the electronic warfare officer in the 

back of our F-105G to prepare for ejection 

sigh of relief and then focused on where I 

was going to land. 

The chute was drifting toward obstacles, 

I tried to steer clear, but I went down hard 

and broke my ankle. Twelve minutes later, 

a rescue chopper was right above me. 

I’d never been happier! The other officer 

survived as well. After rehab, I, like many 

others who served, went back to fly 53 

more missions. I took more gunfire, and 

Those moments are disappointing, and 

they can shake our faith if we aren’t careful. 

I’ve said my share of “unanswered” 

prayers too. But I don’t give up on God 

or doubt His ability to hear and answer 

prayer. Instead, I trust His love for me and 

keep asking, seeking, and knocking on the 

heart of God (Matthew 7:7). 

It helps when I think back on the times 

I’ve witnessed God at work. Those mo- 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HURST FAMILY 

and headed for the closest airbase. 

you can believe, the words, “God, please be 

ments serve as powerful reminders of 

As I started my descent, the aircraft 

with me,” were always forth coming. I had 

God’s power and grace and give me hope 

accelerated to over 450 knots (518 mph). 

no better protection than the Lord’s help. 

that if He did it then, He can do it now. 

I retarded the throttle and expended the 

I believe God hears all our prayers. He 

Whatever you are facing today, I encour- 

speed brakes—and the engine seized. 

knows our hearts. He hears us when all 

age you to pray about it (Philippians 4:6–8). 

My wingman came over the intercom. 

we can say is “help,” and He welcomes our 

When you give your situation to God, He 

“You’re on fire! You need to get out.” 

longer prayers too, when we pour out our 

will give you His peace and enable you to 

I pulled up the nose to slow the airplane 

hearts to Him. 

face the difficult thing before you. 

and ordered the officer with me to eject. 

Two orders and some not-so-religious 

words from me later, he finally obeyed. 

Smoke filled the cockpit. It was my turn 

to eject. I grabbed the ejection lever, said 

Of course, God doesn’t always answer 

our prayers the way we think He should. 

Sometimes, for reasons we’ll never know, 

He chooses not to perform a life-saving 

miracle on this side of heaven. 

GERALD B. HURST served in the US Air Force for 

26 years and has also served as a representative in 

the NC Legislature. Colonel Hurst has been married 

to his sweetheart, Amelia, for 65 years and still 

enjoys flying. He has flown over 5,300 hours. 



Flourish in His Care 

BY LINDA 

CUBBEDGE-SMITH 

LINDA 

CUBBEDGE-SMITH 

was Victorious 

Living’s Prison 

Correspondence 

Outreach Director 

from 2014 until June of 

2021. She is currently 

working on a book 

about the goodness 

of God and remains 

passionate about 

leading others to Him. 

I LOVE SPRINGTIME! Sprucing up my yard and 

home with colorful flowers and beautiful plants is a 

favorite pastime that makes me smile. 

A couple years ago, I added some pygmy palm trees 

to our home’s landscape. They are known to do well 

with proper care and a little pruning. I planted two 

in the yard and two in large planters. I was excited to 

watch them grow. 

I thought I did a good job looking after them, but 

I soon noticed distinct differences between the ones 

in the yard and the ones in the planters. The trees I 

regularly pruned were noticeably taller and healthier 

than the ones that had not had as much attention. They 

were also producing tender new palm branches from 

the top center of the trees, each one reaching toward 

the sun. I marveled at how they knew to stretch toward 

their source of life. The two palms that received less 

attention were not exactly living their best lives. 

My gardening lesson reminded me of Psalm 92:12– 

13: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they 

will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house 

of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God” 

(NIV). 

The repetition of the word “flourish” in this passage 

piqued my interest, and I searched for its meaning. 

Merriam-Webster defines it as “a period of thriving” 

and “to grow luxuriantly.” The Hebrew definition, 

the original language of the Old Testament, refers to 

a “breaking forth” and “blooming.” In the New Testament, 

the word appears once and means “to put 

forth anew.” 

God’s loving intention for His people is that we grow 

in maturity and fruitfulness as we shed our old nature 

and bloom anew. 

I can’t speak for my palm trees, but in my human 

experience, growing is hard work. Flourishing doesn’t 

just magically happen for plants or for people. It 

requires a pruning process that can be downright 

painful and sometimes make you question the Lord’s 

goodness. 

But I’ve learned that in those times, we must take 

our cue from the palm trees and keep stretching for the 

“Son.” Jesus’s light will sustain us and cause our faith 

and love for others to flourish (2 Thessalonians 1:3). 

God’s pruning process comes in different forms. 

Sometimes it requires the removal of selfishness, pride, 

stubbornness, bitterness, hate, and jealousy. As we 

submit our emotions to God and renew our hearts and 

minds with His Word, we experience God’s perfect will 

for our lives (Romans 12:2). His Holy Spirit will help 

us grow in love, grace, and humility. He will develop a 

desire in us to walk in obedience to His Word. 

At times, pruning requires the removal of people 

and things. Hebrews 12:1 says we are to cut away anything 

that hinders our steps. Sometimes even beautiful 

things must be cut away to make room for God’s better. 

Those are the hardest things to release. 

You can trust the pruning process to the hands of 

the Master Gardener. Pruning is evidence of His love 

for you. God knows which branches to cut off so you 

can be fruitful and experience an abundant life (John 

15:1–8). Whatever He removes will make space for 

something more beautiful than you can imagine. 

Let His promises sustain you as you bloom into the 

person He intends you to be. God will help you grow, 

produce fruit, and remain full of life even into old age 

(Psalm 92:13–15). 

Now that is some much-needed hope, isn’t it? May it 

nourish your soul as you flourish in your relationship 

with Jesus. 



9

F R O M 

GUNS 

T O 

THE STORY OF 

ANDRE LIGHTSEY-COPELAND 

GRACE 

MMy childhood is shrouded in mystery. I’m 41 years old, 

and I still don’t have answers, but this much I know: God 

wasn’t confused. He wasn’t absent. He’s always had a 

plan and purpose for my life (Jeremiah 29:11). I just had 

to come to the end of myself before I could receive them. 

No one has ever explained why my biological mom 

didn’t raise me or why I lived with another family. I’ve 

always had more questions than answers. My mom battled 

something great; whatever it was, she ended her 

life when I was ten. Everyone worked hard to protect 

me—from what horrible truth, I’ll never know. 

After my mom passed, the family I lived with adopted 

me. They let me choose my last name. I decided to 

use both surnames and joined them with a hyphen: 

Lightsey-Copeland. 

Even though Mom wasn’t around much, she always 

made sure I knew she loved me. No matter what had 

happened, she would always be a part of me, so I wanted 

to honor her. But I also wanted to honor Mrs. Copeland, 

the woman who ensured I never wanted or needed any- 

thing. She was my mother now, and I even got three big 

brothers out of the deal! 

In the Copeland home, I experienced love and positive 

male role models. But I took them for granted and became 

vulnerable to the world’s influences. My thoughts 

were quickly shaped by the lies of an enemy I was not even 

aware of, much less equipped to fight. Satan was prowling 

around like a roaring lion, and he was about to try to devour 

me (1 Peter 5:8). 

I remember playing outside our apartment one day, when 

this guy walked by with sagging pants, a cocked baseball 

cap, and a gun in his pocket. I admired the confidence in 

his stride and thought, “Wow! He’s cool.” 

I didn’t know who he was, but I wanted to be like him. I 

stopped playing with Legos and digging holes in the dirt 

and headed into high school with a new style and attitude. 



My new look quickly attracted the wrong kind of attention. 

The colors I wore insulted gang members in my 

neighborhood, and I had to deal with them daily, even 

though I wasn’t in a gang. I was in their territory, and 

that’s all that mattered. 

I couldn’t even walk to the bus stop without having to 

defend myself, but I didn’t back down, no matter how 

many fights I had to endure. I stood my ground and 

did what I wanted, and eventually, the bullying and the 

fighting stopped. 

My rebellion grew rapidly, as did my ego. I started 

messing with drugs, using first and then selling. Once 

I tasted that fast money, I couldn’t walk away. It made 

me feel powerful, accepted, and like I was somebody. 

I kept my grades up so my mom wouldn’t think things 

were off with me. Plus, I didn’t want to disappoint her. 

I followed the house rules, did my homework, and excelled 

in sports. After I graduated from high school, I 

went to college. But that didn’t last long. 

I lived a double life, walking a tightrope between two 

opposing identities. My street ego grew and grew, and 

I felt invincible. Giving in to the lure of the fast life, I 

dropped out of college and hit the streets full time. 

And then, one day a drive-by shooting happened in 

front of my mom’s house. No one was hurt, but it was 

quite the reality check. Those bullets had my name on 

them. I was ashamed as I realized the danger I’d brought 

to my family, not to mention the heartbreak. 

But there was more disappointment ahead, and there 

was nothing I could do to prepare my family for it. I didn’t 

even see it coming until it was too late. 

Something told me not to leave the house that day, but 

with full-blown arrogance, I ignored the warning and 

headed out, looking for trouble. I found it in a strip-club 

parking lot. Before the night was over, a man was dead, 

and his blood was on my hands. 

I fled the scene and hid in a shed in the backyard of 

an abandoned house. Adrenaline pumped through my 

racing heart as I heard police sirens and a helicopter 

in the distance. I was twenty-eight years old and on the 

run for murder. 

I’d never prayed before or even thought about God, but 

as reality sank in, I somehow knew He was my only hope. 

“God, please help me.” 

I didn’t expect an answer. At that moment, I felt as 

far away from God as a person could get. Why would He 

even listen to my prayer? I had just murdered a man! 

But He heard it, and He didn’t waste any time responding. 

“Are you ready to surrender your life to Me, Andre?” 

It was a gentle but direct question, and I knew without 

a doubt that it was Him. I wasn’t one to hear voices. 

What caught my attention was the use of my name. To 

think that God would know me by name! Suddenly, His 

presence was tangible, and I realized I wasn’t alone. 

Frightened, I continued to run from the authorities and 

evaded capture for two weeks. But as I ran, that encounter 

never left my thoughts. 

What could God possibly want with me? The thought was 

confusing. As far as I knew, my life was over. 

When the cops finally caught up with me, I was relieved. 

They booked me into Pima County Jail and charged me with 

first-degree murder. The weight of what I’d done hit me with 

such force that I could barely breathe. I became numb and 

was unable to process what was happening. 

Mom came to see me, utterly shocked by the charges 

against me. She had no idea the 

depths of my rebellion. “Son, I 

know you didn’t do this terrible 

thing,” she said. “Tell me what 

happened so we can straighten 

this all out.” 

There was no fixing the situation. 

I had to tell her the truth. I 

was totally to blame for what had 

happened. 

Alone in my cell, God’s question 

kept coming to mind, “Are 

you ready to surrender your life 

to Me, Andre?” 

Fear. Shame. Guilt. Grief. Anger. 

Confusion. Waves of emotion 

washed over me. What did I have 

to give God? 

“I don’t have anything to give 

you, God.” I finally told Him. “I’m 

a mess, and I’m probably in prison 

for the rest of my life.” 

I knew nothing about the Bible, 

but when I picked one up, the 

Lord wasted no time speaking to 

I K N E W 

NOTHING 

A B O U T T H E 

BIBLE, BUT 

WHEN I PICKED 

ONE UP, T H E 

LORD WASTED 

N O T I M E 

SPEAKING TO 

MY HEART. 

my heart. He showed me Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates 

his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, 

Christ died for us” (NIV). 

I couldn’t wrap my head around what I was reading. Jesus 

died for me even though He knew I was a sinner? Why? I 

had never paid attention to Him. Why would He care about 

me? But that’s what it said. 

Wow. 

I kept reading the Bible and learned so much. Jesus was a 

perfect man and also God. He died a horrible death so that I 

could have my sins forgiven. That blew my mind. I became 

hungry to learn all I could about Jesus, the resurrected 

Savior. I was fascinated by His teachings and the people He 



11

ROM G 

chose to be His disciples. What a motley crew! Then I 

learned about King David and how God used him even 

though he was an adulterer and a murderer (2 Samuel 

11–12; Psalm 51). 

As soon as I could, I got baptized and committed my 

life to follow Jesus no matter what, even if I had to spend 

the rest of my life in prison. 

My case dragged through the court system for two 

and a half years. As I awaited my sentence, I leaned into 

God’s Word for courage and comfort. I discovered who I 

was in God’s eyes. Satan had been feeding me lies about 

my identity since my youth. 

I attended church with my Spanish-speaking cellie, 

who was also a Christian. I didn’t understand much 

because the service was in Spanish, but it didn’t matter. 

God’s presence was there as those men sought the Lord. I 

soaked it in like a plant that hadn’t been watered in years. 

God showed me that He had pursued me since I was 

a kid. He revealed people He had used to sow seeds in 

my heart about Jesus. God knew that, eventually, I would 

turn to Him, and just like the father of the prodigal son, 

He waited patiently for me (Luke 15:11–32). 

I remembered a picture my mom had hanging in her 

house. As a child, I wondered who all those people were 

sitting around a big table sharing a meal. Now I know 

it was a painting of the Last Supper with Jesus and His 

disciples (Matthew 26:26–29). Thinking of that picture 

now comforts my heart. I think maybe Mom knew Jesus too. 

Waiting for trial was exhausting. I had no plea bargain, so 

when my court date arrived, I expected to get the maximum 

sentence. I thought I was dreaming when the jury found me 

guilty of a lesser charge, second-degree murder. 

The judge’s voice was kind but firm on sentencing day. 

“Sir, I believe that you are a decent man who lost your way 

when you started hanging out with the wrong people.” She 

then handed me a 12-year sentence. It was nothing short 

of a miracle. 

God’s hand touched my life that day in a way I will never 

forget, and I came to understand grace and mercy in a way 

many don’t. I was receiving a gift that I could never earn or 

deserve, and I knew it. 

Within a week, I walked through the gates of Arizona State 

Prison to begin serving my time. I connected immediately 

with other men of faith. Wanting to be a true disciple of 

Jesus Christ, I surrounded myself with those whose lives 

were testimonies of His transforming power. God worked 

through them to help me change. 

Before long, I felt God calling me deeper. My salvation, a 

reduced prison sentence, and this new life weren’t for me to 

keep to myself. God wanted to use me for His purpose and 

glory (Ephesians 2:8–10). He wanted me to tell others about 

His grace and to help them avoid the mistakes I’d made. 

Helping others was something I’d never considered before 

giving my life to Christ. To better prepare, I took advantage 

Left: Mama 

Copeland has 

always provided 

for Andre and 

been a source of 

encouragement 

and comfort. 

Right: Andre 

(in sweater) 

experienced the 

blessing of family 

in the Copeland 

home. Shown 

here with his 

nephew. 



UNS 

THE BLOOD JESUS 

SHED FOR YOU 

ON THE CROSS O F 

CALVARY CAN WASH 

AWAY THE BLOOD 

ON YOUR HANDS. 

of the education available behind bars and obtained 

an associate’s degree in alcohol and substance abuse 

disorders. I also worked as a peer support facilitator, 

helping to prepare men for their release. 

It was a privilege to pray for them and introduce them 

to Jesus, the true Friend who would be there every step 

of the way (John 15:13–14). So many people want to leave 

prison, enter the world, and live right, but it isn’t easy 

to do. With Jesus, these men could succeed. 

Still wanting to deepen my roots in Christ, I signed up 

for a discipleship training program offered by Alongside 

Ministries in Phoenix. A mentor journeyed with me while 

I was still in prison. He became my friend and prayer 

warrior and met me at the gate the day of my release. 

He even took me out for a delicious breakfast before 

dropping me off at the ministry’s residential program 

that I still call home. 

It felt great to be out from behind those bars, but Jesus 

had already set me free long before I walked out of 

prison. He freed me from the wages of my sin and gave 

me eternal life the day I believed in Him (Romans 6:23). 

And not only was I free, but I was rich beyond measure. 

I didn’t have any worldly possessions, but I had 

eternal life, joy, peace, worth, and purpose. 

Today, I work with and encourage men coming out of 

prison who are learning to walk with the Lord. It’s only 

been a few years since I was where they are now. Only 

God could have rewritten my story. 


Genesis 50:20 says that God can take what the enemy 

meant for our harm and use it for good. Romans 8:28 promises 

that God works all situations for good for those who 

love Him and are called to His purposes. God has kept these 

promises and more. His undeserved kindness will remain 

beyond my comprehension. 

I’ll never forget that I took a life and brought pain to undeserving 

people. I wish I could go back and make it right, 

but I can’t. All I can do is live my life in thankfulness, serving 

others and sharing the hope of Jesus. I want to honor God 

so He can bring purpose out of the pain I caused. 

God offers this same chance to you. I hope you’ll accept it. 

If you’re like I was, you’re wondering what God could 

possibly want with your life. And why would He bother? 

Let me tell you: God doesn’t look at what you’ve done. He 

looks at who He knows you can become. 

He is calling you by name, inviting you to come, right 

now, just as you are. God loves you no matter what you’ve 

done. The blood He shed for you on the cross of Calvary 

can wash away the blood on your hands. 

Brothers and sisters, the forgiveness of sin is a gift of 

true freedom that no one can ever take away from you, no 

matter where you find yourself (John 8:36). 

ANDRE LIGHTSEY-COPELAND, having experienced God’s 

faithfulness and grace for himself, seeks to share that message of 

hope and victory with everyone he encounters. He enjoys the fellowship 

of his Alongside Ministries community and uses his testimony to 

encourage his family and students at St. Mary’s Skill Center in Phoenix. 


O GRACE 

13

TRANSFORMED LIVES 

BY SHERIDAN CORREA 

Commitment 

+ Consistency 

KEYS TO TRANSFORMATION 

IN JULY 2012, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL 

saying my soon-to-be ex-husband had 

been awarded full temporary custody of 

our two sons. Two days later, my children 

and I were separated. My heart broke into 

a million pieces. 

My sadness turned to rage, and I took on 

the victim role. Roots of bitterness grew 

deep, and I hurt many people (Hebrews 

12:15). Intense shame and depression set 

in, and I slid into a hopeless pit. I lost all 

sense of who I was and my life’s purpose. 

I had no one to blame but myself. Seven 

years of poor decisions caused by drug 

and alcohol addiction had led me into dark 

places where I had neglected my children. 

The court ordered that I would have supervised 

visitation, pay full child support, and 

attend family drug court for a year. 

I set out to avenge my motherhood, but I 

was quickly overwhelmed because I didn’t 

know the Lord and I was fighting my battle 

alone. Four months into the court program, 

I failed a random drug test. The court took 

disciplinary action, but I didn’t have the 

courage or strength to follow through with 

the requirements. 

My shame and selfishness kept me from 

taking responsibility and fighting for my 

life. I gave up and gave myself over entirely 

to my addiction and a life of lawlessness. I 

became homeless, revolving in and out of 

psychiatric hospitals and jail for years. My 

children were distant memories. 

If you read my story in Issue 03/2022, 

you know that the light of Jesus Christ 

overcame the darkness of my life (John 

1:4–5) while I was in jail awaiting a prison 

sentence. Right there, Christ made 

me new—He gave me a new heart, a clear 

mind, new desires, and a new will to live 

and love again. His presence and Word 

gave me strength, courage, and hope for 

future reunification with my children. My 

heart clung to the promise that with God, 

all things were possible (Matthew 19:26). 

Then He stepped in and made a way for 

me to go to the Phoenix Rescue Mission, a 

Christ-centered facility providing solutions 

for people trapped in cycles of homelessness, 

addiction, and poverty. There, I committed 

my whole self—heart, mind, body, 

will, emotions—as a living sacrifice to God 

and renewed it daily (Romans 12:1). I laid 

my relationship with my children and their 

father on God’s altar. Only God could bring 

the healing we needed. 

The first few months I was at the Mission, 

I wasn’t allowed to have contact with the 

outside world except through writing to 

approved people. Each week, I wrote my 

two sons. I didn’t know if they were getting 

my letters, but I continued to pursue them 

in faith. 

Three months into the program, I received 

permission to call them twice weekly. 

God planted the words commitment and 

consistency in my mind. Commitment and 

consistency were new ideas for me, but I’ve 

since learned they are critical components 

for life transformation. 

A couple months later, my boys were 

approved to visit me. I loved those weekend 

visits! We would talk, laugh, and play 

games. I was grateful their dad allowed 

these interactions. 

Eventually, I got a car and gained even 

more freedom. I felt hopeful and eager. I 

was ready to be their mom again and to 

have unsupervised visits. But their father 

said, “Not yet.” 

This delay hurt, and I felt rejected. I’d 

worked hard and made significant progress. 

But my addiction, actions, and brokenness 

had betrayed the trust of many, especially 

my sons’ father. It would take time to unravel 

and reshape the mess I’d made. I had 

to trust God’s timing and His ability to heal 

and change hearts. If I rushed the process, 

I might cause more delays. 

“Commitment and consistency, Sheridan.” 

The Lord kept urging me to stay the 

course, to not react to my hurt feelings, and 



PHOTO BY LYSSA YATES 

to keep my eyes fixed on Him. His plans 

were good (Jeremiah 29:11); I just had to 

trust them. 

And then I learned my ex and his family, 

including my boys, were moving to Georgia. 

My heart broke as my reunification 

plan fell apart. “No, God!” I cried. “Why 

would You save me and change me, only to 

let my boys move away from me?” 

I wrestled with my emotions for a hot 

minute but returned to the truth—God had 

a plan, and I could trust it. I saw that I had 

two choices. I could either succumb to the 

crippling heaviness of this news and the 

uncertainty of my reconciliation process, 

or I could “lean not on my own understanding” 

(Proverbs 3:5–6) and “be still 

and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10). 

Leaning on my minimal and faulty understanding 

had consistently led me to 

destruction. I had to remain committed 

and consistent in my relationship with 

God, no matter what my emotions were 

telling me. God knew the end of my reconciliation 

from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). 

His plan would prevail. “Many are the plans 

in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose 

that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21 NIV). 

I was amazed at the peace in my heart. 

Before giving my life to Jesus, a circumstance 

like this would have taken me out. 

I would have played the victim card, used 

drugs, fought for my rights, and been depressed 

and filled with despair. 

Instead, because of God’s presence, power, 

and promises in my life, I was able to 

receive this news without sliding into that 

hopeless pit. He had transformed my heart 

and mind and made me a new creation (2 

Corinthians 5:17). This new creation was 

no longer doing old things. Praise God! 

My sons often asked me when I would 

move near them. I wasn’t able to answer 

them definitively, and that hurt. I still had 

to complete the program at the Mission 

and finish three years of probation before 

I could go anywhere. 

“Whenever God allows it,” I’d reply. I 

had to surrender to the unknown and trust 

that God was working behind the scenes to 

bring about His plan. And you know what? 

That’s all God asked me to do. 

All things are possible for God, 

even the restoration of once 

broken families. Sheridan 

is pictured here with her 

husband and two sons. 

While I waited, I strove to remain faithful 

to the Lord. I started working in ministry, 

completed my probation, restored my civil 

rights, and returned to school. 

God impressed on my heart to pay the 

child support I owed, including seven years 

of arrearages. I had no idea how to do this— 

the bottom line didn’t add up. I was already 

working two jobs and didn’t have enough 

money to meet my personal needs. But God 

soon blessed me with a promotion. “Commitment 

and consistency” kept ringing 

in my ears. 

I flew back and forth from Arizona to 

Georgia to visit my children for the following 

year. Before too long, their father 

agreed to unsupervised parenting time. 

I burst into tears of joy at the news, and a 

year later, I moved to Georgia. 

Today, my husband and I are coparenting 

with my ex-husband and his wife. Only 

God could restore such brokenness and 

bring forth such beauty (Joel 2:25). Only He 

could transform my messed-up self into a 

mother who is now part of the solution and 

not the problem. And only He could have 

softened my ex-husband’s heart to bring 

us into this arrangement. 

You know, God can do the same for you. 

You have to realize, however, that transformation 

and restoration take time. It’s 

a process that starts with surrendering 

your heart, mind, life, and desires to God. 

It requires unwavering commitment and 

consistency to God and doing whatever is 

necessary to move toward your goal, no 

matter how difficult or long it takes. 

Along the way, God will give you His 

strength, peace, and contentment for the 

journey. Trust Him. 

SHERIDAN CORREA is a biblical counselor who 

is trained in trauma-informed care. She’s a wife, 

mother of two teenage boys, singer, and avid runner 

who has been radically changed by Jesus. She 

joined the Victorious Living family in 2022 as digital 

content manager. 



15

Graced for Success 

THE STORY OF LATOYA WILLIAMS 

In the early 2000s, I began a long journey of 

redirection. It started with one step, then a series of 

steps until finally, I arrived in a spacious place where 

today, I am passionately living out my God-given 

purpose and helping others do the same (Psalm 18:19). 

God’s love and grace rescued me from the powers of 

darkness that had held me captive since my youth 

(Colossians 1:13). 

Did I deserve His kindness? No. I had 

rebelled early in life and trampled His 

gifts, especially the gift of loving parents. 

After eighth grade, I ran away from home 

and dropped out of school. I wanted to do 

things my way. 

My parents tried desperately to get me 

back on track, but I ignored them. My 

only focus was making money. I imagined 

it would give me the freedom to do 

whatever I wanted. So I found a place to 

live with a relative and got a job at the local 

Burger King. 

Every morning I rode my bike to a place 

that tells its customers to “have it your 

way.” Well, having it my way might have 

been desirable for a hamburger, but not 

in life. I needed God’s way, but it would take 

years of hardship for me to figure that out. 

Selfish desires, irrational decisions, and 

a lack of direction carried me into dark 

places where I experienced much physical, 

emotional, and mental pain. It still hurts 

to revisit that time of my life. 

By 17, I was pregnant with my first child. 

I had an on-and-off relationship with the 

baby’s father and gave birth to two more 

children with him in the next couple of 

years. As often happens to baby mamas, 

the father gave no support. 

I did my best under the circumstances, 

but the weight of raising and providing 

for three children was a lot to carry. 

Not to mention I was far too emotionally 

im mature to care for them properly. 

How thankful I am for immediate family 

members and community programs that 

provided support. 

One day, a case worker knocked on my 

door and told me about a program that assisted 

parents with young children. This 

program would allow me to attend a local 

community college and obtain my GED 

PHOTO BY GERI SIMPKINS PHOTOGRAPHY 


while my children participated in a Head 

Start program. 

The thought of getting my GED kindled 

new hope in me. For years, my educational 

status had prevented me from obtaining 

jobs outside of food service. I was only 19, 

but my future had already seemed set in 

stone. Suddenly, I could see a way to take a 

step toward something positive in my life. 

Maybe there was a future for me after all. 

I entered the program excitedly and set 

what I thought was a reasonable goal to 

pass one test a month. Obtaining my GED 

took longer than expected, though, as I 

had trouble staying focused. I would get 

inspired, then fall away. 

Math slowed me down. It took three attempts 

for me to pass that exam. I didn’t 

know it then, but depression was contributing 

to my inability to stay consistent. At 

the time, all I knew to do was push my feelings 

down and keep trying. 

My teachers noticed my determination 

and asked me to be a guest speaker at the 

basic skills recognition ceremony. I was 

surprised when my speech and a picture 

of me in my cap and gown were published 

in the local newspaper. It was my birthday, 

and I couldn’t have received a better gift. 

The newspaper article and picture 

proved that good things are possible to 

those who work hard and believe. I showed 

it to my children with pride and encouraged 

them those good things were possible 

for them, too. 

From that day forward, I set more goals 

and entered the local community college 

to pursue my college education. Filled with 

newfound confidence, I refused to count 

myself out or be content with just getting 

by and relying on others. I wanted more out 

of life and was determined to defeat every 

challenge that came my way. My children 

were looking up to me, so giving up wasn’t 

an option. 

I began pursuing a degree in human services 

technology. I wanted to help people, 

especially women like me who struggled to 

make ends meet. It felt good to take daily 

steps to better myself. But in 2005, I lost 

focus when the father of my children came 

back around. I got pregnant again and had 

to put my education goals on hold for nearly 

a decade to care for my four children. 

Looking back, I see that continuing a 

relationship with a man who didn’t stay 

and didn’t care enough to provide for his 

family was unwise. But I couldn’t see past 

the moment. Insecurities and an unhealed 

heart led me to make many choices that 

resulted in hard consequences. 

Don’t get me wrong. I love my children 

and would make every sacrifice again for 

them. But being a single mom and living 

in poverty was hard—for my kids and me. 

I often felt discouraged by my circumstances 

and would isolate myself as I 

fought depression and suicidal thoughts. 

I’VE FOUND THAT 

SERVING OTHERS 

HELPS ME AVOID 

BECOMING CONSUMED 

WITH MY OWN 

STRUGGLES. 

Only by God’s grace were my kids and I able 

to survive that long, dark season. 

The church was the only place I experienced 

a sense of relief. I started attending 

with the kids around the same time I 

got my GED. We’d walk down the street to 

church each Sunday, and there, I’d find the 

strength to make it through another week. 

Being in the presence of God, His Word, 

powerful worship music, and fellowshipping 

with other believers lifted a heavy 

weight off my shoulders. I knew no matter 

what, I needed to cling to my faith. And I 

did. But I didn’t yet understand the importance 

of living in Christ daily. 

God used my children to draw me closer 

to Him. My children have always been my 

motivation to live a better life. I wanted 

them to be proud of their mother and see 

that they could achieve their goals if they 

focused and worked hard. 

But God showed me that it was even 

more important to teach them to live a life 

of faith daily. Worldly success is worthless 

if they don’t know Jesus Christ as their Lord 

and Savior (Philippians 3:8). 

I began to seek God daily through prayer 

and studying the Bible. I was determined 

to give Him more than church attendance. 

Soon, God’s Holy Spirit convicted me of my 

life choices. He showed me that my going 

to church and then hitting the clubs and 

hanging out was sending mixed messages 

to my kids. 

Having one foot in the world was also 

causing me to be unstable. James 1:8 says 

that a person who divides their loyalty 

between God and the world is unstable in 

all they do. 

Setting a bad example for my children 

was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted 

to live a life of faith that honored God 

and exhibited character worth imitating— 

and God gave me the power to accomplish 

it (Philippians 2:13). 

I returned to school again, and in 2014, 

I finally graduated with my college degree. 

My older self told my younger self, 

“Girl, you did it!” I thanked God for this 

joyous day. Later that year, I got married— 

something I never thought I’d experience. 

But the honeymoon didn’t last long as my 

kids and I tried to adjust to our new family 

unit. We all struggled, and soon, my children 

rebelled. 

I kept pushing down my emotions and 

pressing through situations as I’d always 

done. It seemed to be paying off when 

in 2016, I started a job at East Carolina 

University in an administrative role. I 

could hardly contain myself when I sat 

down at my very own desk in a private 

office. I rejoiced in the Lord and thanked 

Him for bringing me so far in life. He had 

helped me overcome so many obstacles 

(Philippians 4:13). 

But things fell apart in the fall of 2018. 

My husband and I separated, and my son, 

arrested for double homicide, was facing 

the death penalty. (Instead of death, he is 

now serving a 38-year sentence in prison.) 

His arrest took a toll on my mental state. 

Life had thrown me many curves in the 

past, but I’d always managed to bob and 

weave and keep moving. This time, I was 

drowning in sorrow. 



17

Satan had a heyday with me while I was 

down. He reminded me daily how I had 

missed the mark as a mother and wife. He 

told me God’s plan would never come to 

fruition for my kids or me and that I had 

experienced all the good I ever would. It 

didn’t take long before I was engulfed again 

in a hopeless pit of despair and self-pity. 

All I could see was an endless dark tunnel 

with no light, closing in on me. I lost sight 

of all the progress I’d made. 

A good thing happened during this dark 

season though. For years, I had refused to 

talk to anyone about my mental health or 

seek medical help. I’d used God as an excuse, 

telling myself that He alone was my 

Healer; I didn’t need anyone else. 

Don’t get me wrong—God is the Great 

Physician, and He can heal anyone of anything. 

But I wasn’t actually receptive to His 

help because I didn’t want to confront the 

painful issues of my past. Finally, I realized 

that unless I faced my past with God, I had 

no hope of breaking free from the darkness 

that held me captive. 

It wasn’t easy, but I started sharing my 

pain, first with God and then with other 

trustworthy people. I took the cap off the 

place in my heart where I stored my emotions 

and painful traumas and let them 

rise to the surface. One by one, I gave them 

over to God. 

First Peter 5:7 (NIV) invites us to “Cast 

all your anxiety on him because he cares 

for you.” As I realized the depth of God’s 

love for me, I trusted Him more with my 

pain. As the old traumas, disappointments, 

emotions, and my sinful behavior came to 

light, I would write them down, pray, and 

then release them to God. It helped me to 

remember that God’s love was unconditional 

and that no matter what I shared, He 

would not reject or judge me (John 3:17). 

With time, the light of His love overcame 

the darkness that had tormented 

me (Psalm 18:28; Matthew 4:16). The Lord 

also gave me strength and peace to seek 

professional help. I am grateful for those 

He put in my path to help me. God never 

gave up on me, even when I wanted to give 

up on myself. 

Today, praise God, my mental and emotional 

health is more stable. In 2020, God 

graced me to launch a nonprofit called 

Striving with Vision. I now have the privilege 

of helping women discover their worth 

in Christ and encouraging them to strive 

toward a better future. My past victories 

with God have equipped me for this journey. 

In the process, I’ve found that serving 

others helps me avoid becoming consumed 

with my own struggles, especially my son’s 

incarceration. 

There’s a saying, “Nothing worth having 

is easy.” I know this is true. My life has 

been one fight of faith after another. But 

the “good fight of faith” is what we must 

all face if we want to be victorious over our 

circumstances (1 Timothy 6:12). 

Satan and this world are not just going to 

roll over and let you experience the goodness 

of God’s plan. You must be willing to 

face the fight! God will strengthen you for 

the journey and grace you for success. 

It may not seem like it now, but there is 

hope for your tunnel’s end. Keep casting 

your cares over to God. Remind yourself 

daily of the victories you’ve already experienced 

and cling to your faith that more 

will come. And then rise, aim, and move 

forward with purpose (1 Corinthians 9:26). 

In Christ, you are a conqueror over every 

situation (Romans 8:37). No circumstance 

or person has the power to stop what God 

has purposed for your life (Isaiah 54:17; 

Jeremiah 29:11). Well, no one except you. 

Your unbelief in God, refusal to believe in 

yourself, and unwillingness to keep going 

will stop you in your tracks every time. 

Right now, maybe you’re fighting that 

good fight of faith. You’re taking steps with 

God toward a better future. I’m so glad. 

Keep going; you’re going to make it. You 

can be victorious. 

But maybe, like I often did, you’ve gotten 

sidetracked, knocked down, or delayed. 

Friend, it’s time to get back up. It’s not too 

late. God’s love is big. Nothing you’ve done 

or experienced has disqualified you from 

the good things He has for you. 

Get your eyes off your circumstances, 

your failures, and those deceitful emotions. 

Instead, give them to God. He will help you. 

Then rise and take the next step He has 

for you. 

Don’t know which step to take next? Ask 

Him. He’ll show you the way (Proverbs 

3:5–6; James 1:5). And when He does, move 

in faith and purpose with tightly secured 

boxing gloves. 

You’ve got this because God’s got you! 

Above left: Latoya and her children approximately 15 years ago. Above right: Latoya 

and her mother, Sarah Grady, at Latoya’s ordination ceremony. 

LATOYA WILLIAMS is the founder of Striving 

with Vision, an empowerment support group, and 

an ordained minister. To find out more about her 

nonprofit or to invite Latoya to speak at your event, 

visit strivingwithvision.com. 



BENCHED BY GOD? 

USE YOUR TIME WISELY 

BY CHRISTINA KIMBREL 

I HAVE NEVER CARED ABOUT SPORTS 

of any kind. Then I got married. 

For the last two years, I have been in 

boot camp, learning to be the wife of an 

avid sports lover. Any game involving a ball 

makes my otherwise attentive husband 

oblivious to the world around him. 

To keep harmony in my home and avoid 

being a nagging wife, I sometimes sit with 

him through the games, absorbing more 

information than I will ever need or use. I 

have learned about teams, players, touchdowns, 

field goals, offense and defense, 

and good versus poor sportsmanship. 

Players who spend time on the bench 

consistently catch my attention. Whether 

they’re there because of injury, poor performance, 

or not following the game plan 

or their coach’s lead, being benched is a 

big deal. It can be a temporary setback, 

or it can define their career. 

The player’s attitude and ability to receive 

correction and instruction is what 

makes the difference. Those who decide 

to use the experience to gain wisdom and 

guidance are likely to emerge as better 

players and possibly even better people. 

The same principles apply to our life and 

our walk with Jesus. My ultimate bench 

experience happened the third time I went 

to prison. The first two times I got locked 

up, I didn’t know the Lord, and I wasn’t interested 

in trying to do better in life. 

I didn’t see myself as the problem. I 

blamed other people and my circumstances 

for where I had wound up. The chaos 

and dysfunction of my life had become 

comfortable, so it didn’t even occur to me 

that I should try to change. 

But after 25 years of repeating the same 

cycle, I was barely alive and exhausted 

from doing things my way. In His grace 

and mercy, God put me on the bench, and 

I finally realized my need for Him. There, 

I surrendered my life to Jesus and decided 

to let Him be the head coach of my life. 

I spent the rest of my prison time immersed in my Bible. 

It’s God’s playbook for a meaningful life (Hebrews 4:12). If you 

want lasting transformation, God’s Word is where you’ll find it. 

Once released, I surrounded myself with like-minded people 

who were invested in my success. Five years later, they still 

take the time to walk with me, share their wisdom, and cover 

me in prayer as I learn to live for Christ. When I mess up or 

when my thinking is skewed or I misbehave, they don’t just 

tell me what they think I want to hear. They tell me the truth 

about myself and lovingly redirect me to God’s Word. 

No matter how you get to the bench, trust that God knows 

what’s best for you. He may require you to sit it out with Him 

several times throughout your life. Our heavenly Father deals 

with us individually according to what we need (Hebrews 12:7). 

If He puts you on the bench, sit there and learn! 

Is yours a physical bench or an invisible one? Are you in a 

season of correction? Maybe God wants you to be still for a 

while and get your priorities straight. Pay attention! Look for 

the lessons and the wisdom around you. More importantly, 

listen for God. 

Spend your time on the bench wisely. Ask the Lord to show 

you in His Word how to change, how to break old habits and 

behaviors, and how to become more like Him. God disciplines 

you because He loves you (Proverbs 3:12). He wants you to 

become everything He created you to be—for your good and 

His glory (Ephesians 1:4–6). 

No matter 

how you get 

to the bench, 

believe that 

God knows 

what is best 

for you. 

CHRISTINA KIMBREL 

serves as Victorious Living’s 

production manager. Once 

incarcerated, she now 

ministers hope to those 

held captive by their past 

and current circumstances 

while sharing the message of 

healing she found in Jesus. 



19

YO U 

H AV E 

PURPOSE 

THE STORY OF JULIANA MCFADDEN 

It was Christmas morning 1982, and my phone would 

not stop ringing. I snuggled up in my warm bed, willing 

the phone to hush. But it kept on until finally I gave in, 

grabbed the receiver, and muttered an irritated, “Hello?” 

It was my mother, and she got straight to the point. 

“Can Charlie stay at your place for a few days? The cops 

are looking for him. They want to talk to him about some 

murders that happened last night.” 

I was horrified and tried to clear my head. “Murders! 

What? Oh, Mom, I can’t.” 

“Juliana, he didn’t hurt anyone.” She took a drag off 

her cigarette, but not even the nicotine could hide the 

shaking of her voice. I agreed to come over and meet 

with Charlie but committed to nothing more. 

This was not my brother’s first brush with the cops. 

He had already been to prison twice. My gut was telling 

me which way to lean. 

But we did what most families would do—we protected 

our own. Charlie came to stay with me while my parents 

arranged to send him away. We didn’t talk about what 

had happened; we couldn’t. The dark cloud hanging over 

us was too thick. Nothing would ever be the same again. 

Dad and I took Charlie to the airport, and he boarded a 

plane for Dallas. I took a train to the city. 

I rode the entire day aimlessly. I didn’t know what to 

do or where to go. I desperately needed to talk to someone. 

I thought about going to the church we’d attended 

growing up, but those people had not been part of our 

lives since Charlie’s first time down. Besides, all they’d 

do was tell me to pray. Forget that! 

But then I remembered Father Baseheart. He had given 

me my first holy communion at St. Gregory’s Church. 

I bussed my way to the old neighborhood, walked to the 

parish, and knocked on the door. 

Father Baseheart reached out and welcomed me. He led me to an 

office, and I sat down. “Now, how may I help you?” he asked gently. 

Tears flowed as I passed him a tattered newspaper containing 

the story of the murders. “My brother did this, and I don’t know 

what to do.” 

Father Baseheart read the article. “We need to pray,” he said. 

I left the parish soon after, walked to the nearest bus stop, and 

rode home. “Pray?!” I yelled internally as the bus bumped along. 

“Did You not see what happened, God? Why didn’t You stop it? 

Where were You? Nowhere to be found, that’s where! And now, I’m 

supposed to pray to You? I don’t think so.” 

I was so angry. My family had been falling apart for years, and I 

had asked God to step in more than once. He didn’t seem to care 

enough to intervene. And now this? I couldn’t wrap my head around 

the pain and horror of the murders and the hopeless reality of my 

life. And so, for the next 16 years, I cut off communication with God. 

It didn’t matter that I hadn’t hurt anyone. My brother had, and he 

was family. We were the same. I deliberately set out to escape my 

reality. I was embarrassed and ashamed of my life, my family, and 

of what my brother had done. I had no one to talk to. 

I tried to blend into society. I didn’t want to be identified as the 

sister of a murderer, yet I felt such remorse for Charlie’s victims. 



It was too much to bear, and I stepped into the fast lane. Men. 

Cash. Coke. Jack. I spun quickly out of control. 

When Charlie was given a triple death sentence, I vowed I 

would never speak to him again. I was done with Charlie and 

Chicago, and I decided to move. 

I set off to live with my older brother in Dallas. There I met his 

best friend, David. He was another bad boy—but boy, was he cute. 

Daily life with David was one big party—until I found out I was 

pregnant. My maternal instincts kicked in, and I stopped doing 

drugs. I returned to Chicago. David followed me there, and we got 

married. Three months later, our daughter Jennifer was born. 

We remained in Chicago for the next 13 years. During that 

time, I didn’t think once about God. I was doing just fine without 

Despite the wreckage of my 

life, I could feel His presence. 

He was still here. 

Him. We had another little girl, Kelly, and set out to give our girls 

an incredible life. 

When our oldest daughter was starting middle school, we decided 

to move to Phoenix. I was excited about this new adventure 

and proud of the family David and I had built. 

But one day, as I mentally patted myself on the back for the 

incredible life we had given our girls, God spoke loud and clear. 

“But you have not given them the most important thing they need—Me!” 

Once close, Juliana and her brother, Charlie (above left), 

didn’t speak for 20 years due to hurt and unforgiveness. 

The gift of forgiveness not only restored Juliana’s relation ship with 

Charlie, but with her husband, David (above right), as well. 

You could have heard a pin drop inside my head. I 

hadn’t spoken to God in decades, but I recognized His 

voice. Conviction gripped my heart. “You’re right,” I 

replied. It’s all I could say. 

Reluctantly, I promised God I would take the girls 

to church. But I made it very clear that I wasn’t going. 

Drop off and pick up, that’s all He was getting from me. 

Of course, God knew better. 

One night as I was preparing to pick the girls up from 

Wednesday night church, the telephone rang. It was the 

police. David had been in a head-on collision. He was 

okay, but they were holding him in custody. The victim, 

they said, had been hospitalized with injuries. 

Custody? Victim? I was bewildered. The officer continued, 

“Ma’am, it appears Mr. McFadden may have been 

under the influence at the time of the crash. We need 

you to pick him up at the station.” 

Turns out, David had fallen asleep at the wheel while 

under the influence of opiates and hit a Mercedes headon. 

On May 16, 2000, just a year and a half after moving 

to our new home in Phoenix, David was charged with 

aggravated assault and given a two-and-a-half-year 

prison sentence. 

Once again, a man I loved and trusted had turned my 

world upside down. First Charlie, and now my husband. 

Really, God? Still, I pressed on and tried to do the right 

thing. I kept my end of the bargain and kept taking the 

girls to church. But inside, I was devastated. 

Week after week, I dropped them off, went home, and 

then back again. But I was a single mom 

now, and I was tired. So I began staying at 

the church with the girls. I thought it was 

a matter of convenience, but God knew it 

was a matter of connection. 

One night, my friend Joanne invited me 

to go with her to hear someone named 

Anne Graham Lotz. I had no idea Mrs. 

Lotz was the daughter of the great evangelist 

Billy Graham until Joanne told me. 

I agreed to go. 

Perhaps, I thought, if I went to the service, 

God would tell me whether I should 

stay with my husband or if He would give 

me the green light to walk away from my 

marriage. I was hurt, betrayed, exhausted, 

and emotionally done. 

Funny thing, Anne Graham Lotz didn’t 

say one word about whether I should stay with David, but 

I still came away from the event with an answer. Can you 

believe God used a statement on a bookmark inserted 

in the event program to convey His message? On it were 

the words: “I have decided to .” 



21

At the close of the event, we were each instructed to 

write down what God was leading us to do based on the 

evening’s experience. My eyes fell to the blank line, and 

I thought about my life. It was a mess. 

For years I had sought comfort, hope, and peace but 

had always come up empty. I dropped my head to my 

hands and cried. I needed Jesus. And I knew it because 

I had once personally known Him. 

I’d accepted Him long ago as my Savior. When I was 

little, Jesus had been my friend, and I’d loved Him. Then 

life happened, and I got angry and walked away from 

Him. But God had never walked away from me. Despite 

the wreckage of my life, I could feel His presence. He 

was still here. 

I laid down my anger and prayed a true prayer of surrender. 

This was different. No longer was I acting like a 

spoiled little girl with arms folded defiantly across her 

chest. My arms and heart were open. I was ready to go 

wherever God would lead me. I had no hope without Him. 

That night, in the blank spaces of the bookmark, I 

wrote, “I have decided to surrender my life to God— 

my will for His will. I commit myself to serve Christ.” 

This bookmark is still in my Bible today. Like in Joshua 

4:21–24, it serves as a stone of remembrance of my 

commitment to the Lord. 

Through spending time with the Lord, I knew I was 

to remain with David. I did, and God renewed my love 

for my husband and our marriage. He also led me to 

serve Him in a place I’d never dreamed—prison. It all 

happened because of my attending Al-Anon meetings. 

Al-Anon provides support to people who have been 

affected by another person’s alcoholism. I started attending 

meetings after David was incarcerated. One night, 

about a year in, there was a request for volunteers to 

host Al-Anon meetings at Perryville Prison for women 

in Goodyear, Arizona. God poked my heart and would 

not relent about this new thing I could do to serve Him. 

“But, God,” I protested. “There is no way I’m going to 

visit anyone in prison, especially people I don’t know!” 

God shocked me with His reply. “But you love people 

who are in prison.” 

“Actually,” I said, “I do not.” I hadn’t talked to Charlie 

in nearly 20 years, and I still wasn’t happy speaking 

with my incarcerated husband. 

“Try it,” He said. “If you don’t like it, you can quit.” 

I spent the next five years hosting Al-Anon meetings 

at Perryville. I loved the ladies and being able to serve 

God in this way. In Al-Anon, you share your experience, 

strength, and hope. I wasn’t shy in telling the ladies that 

I’d found all these things in God alone—the great I Am 

(Exodus 3:14). 

And then, it occurred to me, “How can I love these 

Above: The 

bookmark 

that serves as 

Juliana’s stone of 

rememberance. 

Right: After 

seeing the need 

for formerly 

incarcerated 

people to receive 

reentry support, 

Juliana founded 

SISTER Ministries. 

ladies and not even speak to my brother?” I felt a deep sense of 

guilt. God was preparing my heart for what was to come. 

Not long after that, my younger sister called. “Juliana,” she 

said, “Charlie tried to commit suicide. He’s been transferred 

to Statesville.” Charlie’s death sentences had been commuted, 

but he would spend the rest of his life in prison. I had not seen 

him in 20 years, and I knew I had to change that. I could not live 

with myself if he took his life and I had not reconciled with him. 

I had just finished reading The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick 

Warren (Zondervan, 2002). I was particularly inspired by these 

words, “God wants you to have a Christlike ministry on earth. 

That means other people are going to find healing in your 

wounds. Your greatest life messages and your most effective 

ministry will come out of your deepest hurts” (275). 



Charlie needed to know that God had a purpose for his life. I 

immediately mailed the book to him, asked him to read it, and 

told him I would visit him in January. I booked a flight to Chicago 

and contacted the warden at Statesville with a request to allow me 

extra time with Charlie since I was traveling such a long distance. 

God granted me much favor. I was allowed to visit two days in 

a row, two hours per visit. My heart leaped when I saw him. All I 

could think was that he was the most beautiful thing I had ever 

seen. I couldn’t help but think that that is how Jesus sees us, no 

matter what we’ve done. We are beautiful and precious in His 

eyes, and His heart is full of love for us. (See John 3:16.) 

Charlie and I hugged each other tightly. Neither of us wanted 

to let go. Afterward, we stared at each other with tear-filled eyes. 

We had so much to catch up on. I asked Charlie to forgive me for 

abandoning him for so long. I told him I loved him and begged 

him never to hurt himself again. He accepted my apology and 

jokingly apologized for beating me up when we were kids. We 

both had a good laugh. 

On our second day’s visit, I asked Charlie if he had read the book 

I had sent. He was halfway through it. I encouraged him to keep 

reading. “Juliana, you don’t understand,” Charlie interjected, “I 

don’t have a purpose. I’m in prison. There is nothing here for me.” 

“God gives everyone a purpose, no matter where they are or 

what they’ve done,” I told him. “God has a purpose for your life 

even in here.” He looked confused. 

“You are an OG, Charlie, and God wants to use you. Imagine if 

some OG on your first time down had befriended you and taught 

you about Jesus. Think about how different things would be. 

Instead of wanting to fit in with a gang, you would have been a 

disciple for Christ. But you can do that for someone else now. You 

might be sentenced to prison for life, but that doesn’t prevent 

God from using you. Don’t cheat yourself, Charlie. Keep reading 

the book. God has a plan, and you’re about to discover it!” 

Not long after, Charlie rededicated his life to Christ. He remembered 

the God of his youth just as I had done. And in March 

2006, he was baptized. It’s been more than 16 years since that 

visit. Charlie has persistently pursued a relationship with Jesus, 

just like Jesus pursued him—with his life. 

Charlie’s thirst for learning about Jesus has been unquenchable, 

and his heart is on fire. Though incarcerated, he has completed 

multiple Bible courses, three college degrees, and earned 

a doctorate in theology. 

Through the power of Jesus in him, Charlie has turned his 

deepest hurt into his Christlike ministry on earth. Once low and 

despised, he submitted to Jesus, and as promised in 1 Corinthians 

1:26–28, God has used what the world would call weak and 

foolish to teach righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 

Just days after my initial visit with Charlie, God brought a new 

friendship into my life. Cheryl lived in Tucson and hosted a weekly 

Bible study called SISTER (Spiritually in Step to Encourage Restoration) 

Connection, for women recently released from prison. 

I was intrigued for many reasons by this unique ministry. 

First, I knew that if Charlie had had a Christian friend 

come alongside him the first time he was released from 

prison, he might have surrendered his life to Jesus 

sooner and experienced a different life outcome. And 

his victims would still be alive. Second, I realized that, 

while many programs existed behind prison walls, few 

existed that were willing to help formerly incarcerated 

people upon their release and in subsequent years. 

Interested to learn more, I visited Cheryl and observed 

her ministry in action. 

Not long after, God opened doors for me to mirror 

Cheryl’s SISTER Connection in Phoenix. My friend 

graciously mentored me for nearly five years. In April 

God gives everyone a purpose, 

no matter where they are or 

what they’ve done. 

2012, I incorporated SISTER Ministries, Inc. as a 501(c)3 

nonprofit outreach to formerly incarcerated women. 

In addition to its weekly Bible study and support meetings, 

SISTER Ministries maintains a pen-pal ministry 

for currently incarcerated women and a gatekeeper 

program to assist with transportation upon release. In 

November 2022, SISTER Ministries celebrated 16 years 

of serving formerly incarcerated women. 

I recently asked Charlie, “What did you feel when I 

told you that God has a purpose for your life?” He told 

me he was shocked. But then, I was surprised God had a 

purpose for my life, too. No, I hadn’t murdered anyone, 

but I had rebelled against God and rejected His love. 

There’s no difference. 

How thankful we are that God is rich in mercy, and He 

pursued us. His goodness brought us to surrender (Romans 

2:4). God loves to shock us with exceedingly more 

than we could ever hope or ask (Ephesians 3:14–20). 

Does God really have a purpose for your life? Yes, 

He does. 

God has a purpose, no matter what you’ve done or 

where you are. Don’t think that you’ve messed up God’s 

plans for a minute. You’re not that big. Surrender your 

life to Him—His will, His way. Jesus Christ is a restorer 

of hope. He gives purpose to anyone who will lay down 

their lives to Him. 

Friend, what He did for me and for my brother Charlie, 

He can do for you, too. 

JULIANA MCFADDEN lives out her life mission daily by 

ministering to formerly incarcerated women. To learn more about 

how she serves, go to sisterministries.org. 



23

THE STORY OF 

RONNIE HOPKINS 

for it! Have some fun! You 

deserve this. Everybody has 

it better than you. Your mom’s 

sick. Your dad’s a drug addict. 

God cheated you. Life cheated 

you. Everybody cheated you.” 

Anger and self-pity fueled me 

for decades. It never mattered 

that I knew that what I was doing 

was wrong. My inner voice 

always urged me to move forward. 

I was a victim, and the 

world owed me. 

As far back as I can remember, 

I’ve felt sorry for myself. It 

started in elementary school 

when I began comparing my 

home life to what I imagined 

my peers experienced. I could 

never pinpoint exactly what 

they had that I didn’t, but I 

knew it was better. I lost sight 

of any good thing in my life and 

focused only on the negative. 

I loved my family and knew 

they loved me, but our home 

was dysfunctional and chaotic. 

Dad was a full-blown crack 

cocaine addict and alcoholic. 

His addiction brought much 

grief into our home, especially 

for my older brother, whom 

Dad abused. My brother was 

PHOTO BY SWEETBEE PHOTOGRAPHY 


my father’s stepson; perhaps 

that’s why he targeted him so 

fiercely. Whatever the reason, 

it made me uncomfortable because 

Dad treated me like the 

golden child. 

Dad’s addiction led him in 

and out of jail and eventually 

to prison. It also caused us to 

move a lot. By the time I was 15, 

we had moved ten times. 

My mother was loving, but 

she had her own struggles, 

primarily due to her battle with 

diabetes. I don’t remember a 

time when she wasn’t in intense 

pain or homebound. She 

ultimately became blind and 

addicted to prescription pain 

pills. Her addiction and physical 

misery made it difficult for 

her to be emotionally present 

for my brother and me, but she 

did the best she could. 

Extended family provided 

much-needed support. My 

grandmother, aunt, and uncle 

loved our family well. We often 

attended church together. 

I heard many stories about 

Jesus when I was a kid. Early 

on, I believed that God had 

sent His Son to die for me. I 

even prayed to receive His gift 

of eternal salvation. But as often 

happens, my Christian faith 

stopped at my head and never 

settled in my heart. 

I had no relationship with 

God outside of the church, nor 

was I interested in developing 

one. To me, God was to blame 

for the chaos in my home, especially 

Mom’s sickness. She 

passed when I was 15, and that 

was just proof that God didn’t 

care about us. 

Dad was in prison then, and 

my brother had moved from 

West Virginia to Ohio. I felt so 

alone, lost, and overwhelmed 

by the uncertainty of my future. 

Where was God, and why was 

He allowing me to endure such 

hardships? 

Anger pumped through my 

veins as I recounted how He 

had cheated me. 

My Aunt Kathy and Uncle 

Herb, a kind Christian couple, 

welcomed me into their home. 

They loved, accepted, and supported 

me daily, and they modeled 

God’s sacrificial love and 

faithfulness. Through them, 

I learned the benefits of hard 

work and integrity and experienced 

a stable home life for 

the first time. 

But the anger, resentment, 

and self-pity inside kept me 

from accepting their love or 

God’s gift of a new life. I spent 

the best years of my life at my 

aunt and uncle’s home, yet I 

wasn’t satisfied. By focusing 

only on the things I didn’t have, 

I forfeited the very things I had 

longed for in a family. 

During my two years in 

their home, I partied, smoked, 

cussed, and messed around 

with girls. I occasionally dabbled 

in weed. Tired of their 

watchful eye, I devised a plan 

for my brother to obtain legal 

guardianship of me. Because I 

was 17, I could make that foolish 

choice without my aunt and 

uncle’s permission. They knew 

it would not end well for me as 

my brother was involved with 

drugs too. 

The court granted my request, 

and I moved to Ohio. 

My brother enrolled me in 

high school, but after only six 

months, I dropped out and dove 

headfirst into a life of destruction. 

I traded weed for methamphetamines, 

and for the next 13 

years, I served a harsh master. 

I did whatever I had to do to 

satisfy my addiction, including 

manufacturing and selling the 

drug myself. My choices caught 

up with me when I was 30, and 

My Christian faith 

stopped at my head and never 

settled in my heart. 

I was arrested. It was the first 

time I’d ever been in serious 

trouble, and there I was, facing 

prison time. 

While in solitary confinement 

in jail, I came across a 

Bible. I opened it a few times, 

but my heart of stone couldn’t 

receive anything it had to offer. 

I still blamed God for my miserable 

life. 

The day before my sentencing 

hearing, my lawyer visited 

and told me he was getting 

me a great deal. His promises 

brought me a sense of hope. 

That night I decided I’d better 

make one more deal. “God,” I 

said, “if You’ll come through for 

me tomorrow, I’ll follow You. Do 

this for me, and I’ll trust You. I’ll 

even read the Bible.” 

But God wasn’t playing my 

Let’s Make a Deal game. 

The lawyer didn’t show 

up for court. Instead, some 

wet-behind-the-ears, state- 

appointed attorney represented 

me. This new guy knew 

nothing about my case, and 

the judge sentenced me to a 

mandatory three years in prison 

with no possibility of early 

release. I sat in disbelief as life 

as I knew it came to an end. 

The officer took me back 

to solitary confinement. The 

clanging of the chains connected 

to my hands and feet was the 

only sound in the corridor. As 

I shuffled, I searched for some 

emotion but felt numb. 

Back in my cell, I punched 

the wall to feel something. Anything. 

Nothing. I turned on the 

small 5-station radio in my cell. 

I couldn’t stand the silence. 

“Drunk on a Plane” by Dierks 

Bentley echoed through the 

cell. I quickly changed the station. 

I wasn’t in the mood. Suddenly, 

“How He Loves” by David 

Crowder Band rang through the 

emptiness. It’s a song about 

the unconditional love of God, 

and the words brought me to 

my knees. 

It was a surreal moment. 

Years of anger and resentment 

toward God drained from my 

heart in tears. I was so tired of 

fighting for my rightful place 

A rebellious spirit led to Ronnie’s 

arrest. Pictured above is his 

mug shot from 2014. 



25

in this world. It had only led 

to one painful, lonely, rockbottom 

place after another. 

In that humble posture, I 

heard God’s voice. “Trust Me 

anyway.” 

I reached toward the small 

window at the top of my cell 

and surrendered to the love of 

Jesus. “Okay, God. I will trust 

You anyway!” 

Immediately, His presence 

engulfed me and the space 

around me. Peace replaced 

years of frustration and fear. 

Love replaced hatred and 

bitterness. Suddenly, unexpectedly, 

I no longer felt like a 

victim. It was an instantaneous 

transformation of the heart. 

Back in general population, 

the guys immediately knew 

something was different. 

“What in the world happened 

to you?” they asked. Just a few 

days before, I’d been dealing 

Ronnie began his 

education behind 

bars and received 

his degree from 

Ashland University. 

Pictured here with 

his Aunt Kathy and 

Uncle Herb. 

Ronnie and his 

wife, Kaitlyn, on 

their wedding day 

in 2020, with Uncle 

Herb and Aunt 

Kathy. They have 

always provided 

support for Ronnie, 

even at his lowest. 

and stealing. Now, I wasn’t even 

cussing. 

The moment I died to myself 

and my perception of life, 

God raised me. 

“Jesus happened.” 

From then on, I read the Bible 

daily and sought God’s will. I 

was about to spend three years 

in prison and—I must admit—I 

was afraid. But knowing God 

would be walking through those 

prison doors with me brought 

comfort, courage, and confidence 

(Deuteronomy 31:8). 

I wanted to honor the second 

chance God was giving me and 

do my part to better myself. If I 

wasn’t willing to invest in myself, 

I certainly couldn’t expect 

anyone else to care. 

I sensed God telling me, “If 

you’ll commit yourself and do 

the work, I will help you get to 

where you need to be.” Now that 

was a good deal! 

My first commitment was 

to obtain my GED. Since math 

had always been a difficult 

subject for me, I asked another 

inmate to tutor me. Every 

day after lunch, this former 

doctor helped me. It wasn’t 

easy preparing for the GED, as 

the test had recently become 

more complex. I studied for 

hours daily. It’s like they say: 

Nothing worth having is easy. 

I scored so high on the test 

that I was asked to tutor other 

inmates for the GED. I couldn’t 

believe it. For the first time, I 

was a leader. That alone was a 

testament to what God can do. 

Not only had He saved my 

soul, but He helped me understand 

things I had struggled 

with before. He was changing 

me, making me a better man. I 

found the confidence to pursue 

a college degree from Ashland 

University. They offered an 

associate’s program to incarcerated 

people that other universities 

would accept. 

I studied hard and was 

amazed when I made the dean’s 

list. I’d never cared to apply myself 

in school, so I’d had no idea 

what I could do academically. 

Once released from prison, I 

completed my education and 

received my associate’s degree 

from Ashland. 

God’s Spirit continually reminded 

me, “You’re worth the 

work, Ronnie.” 

I had never felt worthy of 

anything good. Nor had I believed 

I could ever be anything 

other than a drug addict. But 

God thought differently about 

me. He didn’t see an addict or 

a boy raised in poverty who’d 

lost his mom and dad. He saw 

a son whom He loved. 

Believing I was worthy 

helped me continue down this 

new path. It wasn’t always easy. 

There were many times, especially 

after I was released from 

prison, that I was tempted to 

quit college and return to where 

I’d been. But God kept spurring 

me on. “You’re worth the work, 

Ronnie! Keep pressing forward 

with Me.” 

After I graduated from Ashland 

in 2018, I became a youth 


Above: Ronnie had John 3:30 tattooed on his forearm 

to remind him of John the Baptist’s message that 

Jesus must increase and we must decrease. 

3:30 tattooed on my arm. It 

than you ever imagined possi- 

helps me remember the im- 

ble. I know. I’ve been there. But 

portant words of John the 

I’ve learned that with Christ, 

Baptist about Jesus. “He [Jesus] 

rock bottom is a great place to 

must become greater; I must 

lay a foundation for your new 

become less” (NIV). 

life (Matthew 7:24–27). 

PHOTO BY SWEETBEE PHOTOGRAPHY 

pastor at a local church. I wanted 

to help kids discover their 

worth in God. 

For so long, I had wanted 

nothing to do with Him, and 

now, I was bringing the Gospel 

of Jesus Christ to others! 

People used to cross the street 

to avoid me. Now parents and 

tion after promotion as I stayed 

faithful. It’s just like Luke 16:10 

promises: “Whoever can be 

trusted with very little can also 

be trusted with much” (NIV). 

Today, I am over the training 

and development of more than 

300 employees. 

This incredible new life 

John knew the secret to life: 

more of Jesus, less of self. It’s 

the only way to experience the 

abundant life Jesus promises 

in John 10:10. 

How about you? Will you 

choose to trust God anyway? 

Will you lay down your anger 

and disappointments, uncurl 

God’s got good plans in store 

for you (Jeremiah 29:11). How 

can you experience them? Remember 

John 3:30. More of 

Him and less of you. 

Trust God today. When you 

do, He won’t waste any time restoring 

and rebuilding your life. 

I won’t promise His plans will 

youth were coming to me for 

started with a simple: “Okay, 

your fists, and open your heart 

be easy. But no matter what you 

advice. It was incredible. 

God, I’ll trust You anyway.” 

to the One who loves you—even 

face, God’s goodness will meet 

Only God could transform 

The moment I died to myself 

if life hasn’t happened like you 

you there. And His grace will 

this dirty, lying, and conniving 

and my perception of life, God 

thought it should? And will you 

help you move forward to great 

manipulator into a man other 

raised me. He gave me new 

believe that you are worth a bet- 

heights. 

people trusted. 

eyes and a new heart (Ezekiel 

ter life? 

Don’t focus on that thing you 

New doors began opening for 

36:26) and set my feet on a new 

Right now, your experiences 

never had. You’ll miss the better 

me, and I left my youth pastor 

path (Proverbs 3:5–6). And as 

might have brought you lower 

thing God has for you today. 

position to travel nationwide, 

I humble myself before Him 

sharing my story. I also took 

a job at Christian Healthcare 

Ministries. God brought promo- 

daily, God continues to lift me 

(James 4:10). 

Not too long ago, I had John 

RONNIE HOPKINS is the training and development coordinator for Christian 

Healthcare Ministries. He is also a spokesperson and advocate for educational 

opportunities in prison. 



27


VL Publisher, 

Kristi Overton 

Johnson, after 

capturing the 

1999 women’s 

World Slalom 

Title in Milan, 

Italy. 

BY KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON 

RECENTLY, WORLD-CLASS ATHLETE 

Vennesa Vieke asked me what I thought it 

takes to be a champion. For the next year, 

she and I spent time together talking about 

how I had achieved my success. It was fun, 

going back and sharing my 35-year athletic 

journey with my new friend. (See her story 

in Issue 03/2021.) 

What I’ve learned is that if you want to be 

a champion in anything—sports, relationships, 

careers, ministries, you name it—the 

principles are the same. If you want victory 

in your physical, mental, and emotional 

health, you must apply these principles. 

But here’s the kicker: mentally agreeing 

with them won’t get you anywhere. You’ll 

have to do the hard work, make sacrifices, 

and persevere daily. 

If you want to be a champion for the 

kingdom of God, you have to use the same 

principles. 

Let’s talk about that phrase, a champion 

for the kingdom of God. I chose those words 

deliberately because I’ve realized there 

are many champions of God who are not 

actively being champions for God’s kingdom. 

There is a profound difference. 

As believers, we are all champions in 

God’s eyes. And our champion status 

isn’t based on what we do. It’s based on 

the simple fact that we are God’s children. 

There are no chumps in God’s family, only 

champions. 

Right now, maybe you’re thinking, “No 

way am I a champion. I’ve never succeeded 

at anything. You have no idea what I’ve 

done or what has happened to me. God 

couldn’t possibly see a champion in me.” 

The Bible says otherwise. 

If you’ve put your faith and trust in Jesus 

for salvation, then you are His champion. 

The blood of Jesus has made you one. 

Romans 3:25 says, “For God presented 

Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are 

made right with God when they believe 

that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his 

blood” (NLT). 

While we were still sinners—not after 

we got it all together and had a champion’s 

success record—God sent His Son, Jesus, 

to die for us. Jesus’s blood makes us right 

in God’s sight (Romans 5:8–9). Because of 

Jesus, God can’t even see our failures. It’s 

the work of the cross that makes us His 

champions, not what we do. 

There is nothing we can do to become 

PHOTO BY ROSS OUTERBRIDGE 



more of a champion to God. He loves us just 

as we are for one simple reason: we’re His 

kids. There are no conditions to our heavenly 

Father’s love. You can’t earn it, and you 

can’t lose it. It just is, and it’s everlasting. 

There aren’t different degrees of God’s 

love either. His love doesn’t change. He 

can’t love you any more than He does right 

now. And He doesn’t love one person more 

than He does someone else. This is great 

and amazing news. 

So if we’re already champions, isn’t that 

all there is? No. Even though God loves us 

and even though He sees a champion when 

He looks at us, that doesn’t mean every 

believer will live the life of a champion. Not 

every believer will determine to be a champion 

for God and His kingdom. 

I didn’t for a long time. 

I was all about championing my kingdom. 

I was focused on using my gifts and 

talents for my glory, not His. I didn’t realize 

there was more to being a Christian than 

asking Jesus to forgive me of my sins and 

give me eternal life (John 3:16). 

I knew I was supposed to go to church, 

pray, and read my Bible, but I didn’t understand 

that God wanted to partner with 

me in life and use me for His kingdom 

purposes. I had no idea someone could 

be a champion for God’s kingdom, and I 

certainly didn’t know how to be one. 

Let’s look at the life of Moses to understand 

this better. God created Moses to 

lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into 

the Promised Land. God knew Moses was 

the right person for the job—even after 

he’d killed a man and had to hide out in 

the wilderness shepherding his father-inlaw’s 

sheep. (Check out Exodus 1–2.) Does 

that sound like someone who’s a champion? 

A wanted man, a murderer, living in 

obscurity? 

Thankfully, when God chooses people 

to champion His causes, He doesn’t look 

at their outward appearance, their past, 

or where they live. He looks at the inner 

qualities He put in us. 

God created Moses to lead. He allowed 

Moses to have unique and even painful 

experiences to prepare him for the task. 

He wanted to journey with Moses to help 

him develop those leadership qualities. 

In Exodus 3–4, we see God inviting His 

champion to go on this adventure with 

Him. A voice from a burning bush? You can 

believe God had Moses’s attention as He 

began to reveal what He wanted him to do. 

God was like, “Moses, I’ve chosen you 

to champion the cause of My people. I’m 

going to use you to save them from the 

Egyptians. I want you to lead them, protect 

them, and teach them how to live and 

love Me.” 

But Moses couldn’t imagine himself 

leading anyone. Maybe before, but now? 

No way. So he began to object. 

“Me?” he said. “Appear before Pharaoh? 

But, God—! Who am I to lead the people of 

Israel out of Egypt? What if they don’t believe 

me? What if they won’t listen to me?” 

It’s the work of 

the cross that 

makes us His 

champions, not 

our works. 

Even after God promised to be with Moses, 

even after He gave him instructions 

and the words to speak and supernatural 

powers, Moses still refused to accept God’s 

call. He only saw his limitations: “I–I can’t 

be Your mouthpiece, God. I st–stutter.” 

Do you ever feel like Moses? Do you 

have trouble seeing yourself as someone 

God can use? When you think of the word 

“champion,” do you have difficulty seeing 

yourself in that category? Or do you see 

yourself as the least of the least, when God 

is saying you are a mighty warrior? 

Well, I have some good news. God uses 

the least of the least to champion His causes! 

Consider 1 Corinthians 1:27–28: “God 

chose things the world considers foolish 

in order to shame those who think they are 

wise. And he chose things that are powerless 

to shame those who are powerful. God 

chose things despised by the world, things 

counted as nothing at all, and used them to 

bring to nothing what the world considers 

important” (NLT). 

Have you ever been called a fool? Worthless? 

A big fat zero? Have you ever felt despised 

or rejected? Well, you are who God 

wants to use. 

Your past doesn’t matter; neither do your 

limitations. All that matters is that you are 

willing to be used by God. Friend, God is in 

you, and Christ in you is the hope of glory 

(Colossians 1:27). 

You can face anything and do anything 

God has called you to do (Philippians 4:13) 

because God’s Spirit lives in you. The very 

power of God, the heart of God, the mind of 

Christ is in you (1 Corinthians 2). His Spirit 

empowers you to do what He asks you to 

do. It’s not by your might or power; it’s by 

His (Zechariah 4:6). You are a champion 

because God, the greatest Champion of all, 

lives inside you! 

It’s time to start walking with your head 

held high. I love Leviticus 26:13, where 

God says to His children: “I am the Lord 

your God, who brought you out of the land 

of Egypt so you would no longer be their 

slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your 

neck so you can walk with your heads held 

high.” 

We aren’t to walk in shame or be overcome 

with guilt. We aren’t to walk burdened 

down by the weight of sin or the words of 

others. God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for 

us. And in doing so, He freed us from the 

penalty and power of sin. He broke the yoke 

of bondage. 

Now, I am not suggesting that we get all 

puffed up with pride and become overconfident 

in our abilities. No. Our confidence 

is in God and His love for us. God declared 

our worth when He created us, and He has 

promised to be with us every day since. 

Have you ever thought about the moment 

you were created? According to Psalm 139, 

God was at work in your mother’s womb, 

fashioning and forming you with His very 

hands. Maybe you think, “God didn’t plan 



29


me. I was an accident. I was unwanted, a 

product of violence.” 

There is no life outside of God. He is the 

Creator, Giver, and Sustainer of life. (See 

Job 33:4; Acts 17:28; Colossians 1:17; and 

1 Corinthians 8:6.) Negative circumstances 

around your conception or birth do not 

negate the fact that God created you, He 

loves you, and that He has a good plan for 

your life that He wants you to fulfill. 

You, no matter who you are, are God’s 

masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). He created 

you on purpose and for a purpose. Your 

earthly parents might have cursed the day 

you were born, but God didn’t. He wanted 

you to be born because He values your life. 

Not only that—He took great delight in 

forming all the delicate parts of your body 

(Psalm 139:13). God knit you together. You 

are wonderfully fashioned, and when He 

looks at you, He smiles. He has precious 

thoughts toward you that outnumber the 

grains of sand (Psalm 139:17–18). 

You’re His prized possession, worth even 

the life of His only Son. 

It’s hard sometimes to remember that. 

The world likes to remind us of our shortcomings, 

as does Satan, the enemy of our 

soul. But God thinks differently, and it is 

time we align our thoughts with His. We 

can’t live the life God intends us to live 

without doing so. 

Let’s do an exercise. Write down the 

negative words your parents, spouse, children, 

so-called friends, or coworkers have 

spoken over you. Write down the negative 

thoughts you’ve had about yourself too. 

How many are there? Ten? A hundred? 

Maybe a thousand? 

With a pen, place a dot of ink on your 

paper to represent each countable thought. 

When you’re done, compare those dots 

against all the grains of sand in the world. 

The sand represents God’s thoughts toward 

you—His good, precious, innumerable 

thoughts. Remember Psalm 139? No 

matter how many negative statements you 

came up with, there’s no comparison! 

Friend, God thinks you are the bomb, 

and it’s time you realize it. You can’t be the 

champion He has created you to be if you 

don’t believe you are champion material. 

God does not create junk! He doesn’t 

make mistakes. He created you—you!—on 

purpose and with a purpose. Why should 

it matter what other people think or say? 

Let’s continue our exercise. Dive into 

God’s Word and discover His thoughts toward 

you. Write His words next to the negative 

ones you listed. For example, if you 

wrote, “You are a failure,” write next to it, “I 

am not a failure. I am the righteousness of 

God.” If you wrote, “You will never amount 

to anything. You are just like your father.” 

Write down this truth, “My Father is God 

Almighty, and I was made in His image. He 

has great plans for me and will help me accomplish 

them. I can do all things through 

Christ who gives me strength!” Exchange 

each lie for the truth of God. 

Search the Bible daily and renew your 

mind with God’s thoughts toward you. If 

you want to know God’s will for your life, 

you have to renew your mind. Change the 

way you think about everything, including 

yourself. As you do, God will transform you 

into a new person—the champion He created 

you to be (Romans 12:2). 

Capturing negative thoughts, rebuking 

condemning words (2 Corinthians 10:5), 

guarding your mouth (Psalm 141:3)—it’s 

a full-time job. But it’s worth the effort. 

Far Left: Vennesa is all 

smiles after winning the 

2022 Moomba Masters in 

Melbourne, Australia. 

Below: Vennesa and Kristi 

formed a close friendship 

as Vennesa pursued her 

championship title. 

KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON encourages and equips people for victory through her 

writings, speaking engagements, and prison ministry. To learn more, go to kojministries.org. 

PHOTOS BY HOLLY STRATFORD AND NOAH VIEKE 



Your Pain Has Purpose 

BY KORY GORDON 

I’VE SPENT MANY YEARS LYING ON 

bunks in jails and prisons, staring hopelessly 

at the ceiling. At the time, I’d bought 

into the lie that I had gone too far and it 

was too late for me. 

Fear, regret, and defeat convinced me 

that I had wasted the best years of my life. 

Those thoughts overshadowed any positivity 

about my future. The emotional pain 

was so intense, I could feel it physically. 

I tried to escape the weight of these 

emotions with drugs, pornography, and 

gambling, but those things only took me 

deeper into darkness. I would have died of 

an overdose if Christ hadn’t responded to 

my cries, but He did. He jumped into my pit 

and pulled me out (Job 33:28, Jonah 2:6). 

Not once did He chastise or condemn me. 

Instead, He wrapped His arms around me 

and set my feet on solid ground. He traded 

my prison blues for His robe of righteousness 

and resurrected my life into one with 

meaning. Because of Jesus, my life is now a 

testimony of powerful restoration that leads 

others to freedom. (See Psalm 40:1–3.) 

As a redeemed son of God, I now walk 

confidently through gates that once held 

me prisoner. I am a seasoned veteran with 

many battle wounds, but I am also an overcomer 

through Jesus Christ. He alone has 

given me the keys to freedom, and I am 

committed to sharing them with my incarcerated 

brothers and sisters. 

It never ceases to amaze me how my 

painful past helps me get eye level with 

others. They have hope when they hear 

what God has done and is doing in my life. 

They realize if He could set me free, He can 

set anyone free! 

With Jesus, nothing in my life is wasted— 

not even my biggest mistakes. Every experience 

has become an opportunity to learn 

and a powerful testimony of the goodness 

of God. 

Did you know that the Apostle Paul wrote 

two-thirds of the New Testament from a 

prison cell? Paul rejoiced in his suffering 

and wanted everyone to understand that 

his time in chains had a divine purpose. 

He said, “Now I want you to know, brothers 

and sisters, that what has happened to me 

has actually served to advance the gospel” 

(Philippians 1:12 NIV). 

I can relate to Paul here because my 

incarceration has also served to advance 

the Gospel. Of course, my incarceration 

was due to my disobedience to God, not 

my loyalty to Him. But God’s mercy is for 

people on both spectrums—the sinner and 

the saint. He brings beauty from ashes for 

His glory, no matter how our ashes were 

formed (Isaiah 61:3). 

It’s time to look at your past through 

God’s lens of purpose. Give Him those ashes. 

Don’t buy into the lie that your life is a 

waste; God never wastes anything. 

Every broken road you have traveled 

has uniquely equipped you to help others. 

Through your life story, you may reach 

people for Christ that others cannot. And 

every time you find the courage to share 

the goodness of God, your testimony defeats 

the enemy’s hold on someone else 

(Revelation 12:11). 

Purpose, though, begins with surrendering 

your broken life to Christ and then courageously 

journeying through it with Him. 

Despite all the pain you’ve been through, an 

overwhelming victory can be yours through 

Christ, who loves you (Romans 8:37). 

Your testimony holds the key to someone 

else’s freedom. Please don’t keep it to 

yourself. 

KORY GORDON spent 11 years in incarceration, 

where he gave his life to Christ. He is now an 

evangelist, sharing the Good News that set him 

free. In 2021, he founded Damascus Road, a 

nonprofit residential discipleship program battling 

addiction, recidivism, and homelessness. Email 

damascusroad2021@gmail.com for more info. 



31


YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO BACK 

BY DANNY R. COX 

I HAD JUST A FEW MONTHS LEFT ON MY ten-year 

prison sentence when a friend said to me, “I don’t know 

how you’ve been able to do these ten years, Danny.” 

Without thinking, I said, “One day at a time, John.” 

If you think about it, we’re all doing time somewhere. 

The question is, what are we doing, every day, with the 

time we’ve been given? 

There are two things we all do, no matter who we are. 

One, we live till we die, and two, every day we’re alive, 

we make decisions. Good decisions generally lead to 

good results, and bad decisions usually lead to bad ones. 

I’ll admit, I have made more than my share of bad 

decisions—but that doesn’t mean I have to continue 

making them. No way! It took serving time in 12 federal 

prisons and 5 county jails in 8 states for me to come to 

my senses, but I’ve now made it my aim to make the 

best decisions I can. 

I’m in my 70s, and I have been out of prison for 20 

years now, clean and green. I guess you could say I’ve 

“learned a thing or two, about a thing or two.” 

Society has decided that incarceration is a form of 

punishment that will deter an individual from making 

If you think 

about it, 

we’re all 

doing time 

somewhere. 

The question 

is, what are 

we doing 

with each 

day, every 

day? 

the same bad decisions a second time. But does it? 

Recently, I asked the men at a Bible study I 

teach at a halfway house to raise their hands if 

they had done more than one bit. More than half 

of them raised their hands. One man had been 

down 11 times. But then he said, “This is the last 

time, because I’ve found Jesus.” 

Hold that thought! 

What is it about Jesus that can prevent someone 

from going back to prison? Shouldn’t the 

shame, guilt, and financial hardship we’ve placed 

on our families be enough? Or living miles away 

from everything we love? How about living in 

fear and constantly looking over our shoulders? 

For so many, none of those things prevent them 

from going back to their old ways and ultimately 

returning to prison. But Jesus can change things. 

Galatians 3:22 says, “we are all prisoners of sin, 

so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by 

believing in Jesus Christ” (NLT). 

I got right with God during my first two weeks 

in jail by accepting Jesus into my life. In that moment, 

I knew that I was corrected. Sure, I still had 

to serve the rest of my time and work through some wrong thinking, but 

from that day until now, Jesus has been doing time with me. He’s helped 

me overcome every obstacle I’ve met. He’s given me His strength, wisdom, 

peace, and power to face each day. 

Is Jesus doing time with you, or are you still trying to do everything your 

way? Whatever trial you’re facing, are you doing it with Him or on your own? 

I’ve tried doing life my way. It didn’t work. But when I began doing things 

God’s way, everything changed. He is the reason I am an ex-con, an ex-drug 

dealer, an ex-drug addict, and an ex-alcoholic. 

I saw a poster once that said, “Never be a prisoner of your past. It was 

just a lesson, not a life sentence.” With Jesus, you can be free from your 

past, once and for all. His truth and Spirit can set you free (John 8:32; 2 

Corinthians 3:17). 

Stop trying to do things your way. Let Jesus change your heart and mind 

so He can change your ways and future. You don’t have to go back to your 

dead-end ways; you don’t have to be a statistic. 

Life is about decisions, and the most important decision you can ever 

make is to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. Go ahead, make it today. 

When you do, Jesus will come into your life and serve your time with you. 

PHOTO BY GUNNAR RATHBUN 

DANNY R. COX was called by God to be an evangelist while serving time in prison. 

He is now a credentialed evangelist and correctional chaplain and serves on the board 

of KOJ Ministries. Danny shares his story in churches and prisons worldwide. His book, 

High on a Lie, may be purchased on Amazon in English and Spanish. He is the founder of 

Prison2Preacher Ministries. 


WANT TO KNOW JESUS? 

“Come to me, all you who are 

weary and burdened, and I will 

give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28 NIV 

Jared Emerson, Artist, jaredemerson.com 

Do you need rest? Peace? Freedom? Forgiveness? Restoration? 

Call out to Jesus, accept Him as your Savior, and be made whole. 

Pray: “Jesus, I invite You into my life. I confess that I am a sinner in 

need of a Savior. Thank You for saving me from my sins and making 

me whole. Thank You for laying down Your life for me so that I can 

have a new life in You. I receive, by faith, this forgiveness of sin. Take 

my life—my past and my future. Guide my steps and speak to my 

heart, Lord. Use me, God. Amen.” 

Let us know of your decision so we can help you grow in your faith. 

Write to: VL Correspondence, PO Box 2751, Greenville, NC 27836. 

PERHAPS AFTER READING the stories in this magazine, you’ve surrendered your life to 

Jesus. Congratulations—it’s the most important decision you will ever make! But you might 

be wondering, now what? Here are five ways to ensure spiritual growth. Remember, the 

Christian life is a journey that brings lifelong transformation. 

1. PRAY. Talk to God about everything and listen for His response. You don’t need 

fancy words, just a sincere heart. 

2. STUDY THE BIBLE. God’s Word contains all the instructions we need for life. Get 

into a Bible study and discover new revelations daily. Free resources are on page 34. 

3. GET BAPTIZED. Although baptism is not a requirement of salvation, the Bible 

clearly tells us that we are to be water baptized after salvation. Baptism symbolizes 

our dying to sin and being raised to a new life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:4). Prison 

restrictions may make immersion by water difficult, so get creative and let the Holy 

Spirit reveal how you can take this step of obedience until immersion is possible. 

4. FIND CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. Join a local congregation of Christ-followers. If 

incarceration makes attending church difficult, fellowship with other believers the 

best you can. They will help you stand strong and keep you accountable. 

5. TELL SOMEONE. Share your decision to follow Christ and tell them what He has 

done for you. And then, tell us! We’d love to hear from you. 

WHAT NOW? 

I’ve Accepted God’s Salvation. 

Now What? 



33

MINISTRY NEWS/RESOURCES 

Victorious Living Prison 

Outreach Update 

through your prison tablet at hope@vlmag.org. PLEASE 

NOTE: We cannot receive COD emails or phone calls nor 

accept stories for publication or legal documents. 

Because of the Lord, generous financial partners, 

and new digital opportunities, Victorious Living’s 

ministries continue to expand across America. 

• Did you know that VLMag is available on both sides of prison 

walls? It is a gift to our ministry partners and can be delivered to 

anyone in free society. Call 352-478-2098 or visit vlmag.org and 

click the “give now” tab. A gift of any amount is appreciated. 

• We offer inmates discipleship materials on tablet systems. 

Search “Victorious Living” on the prison tablet to discover VL 

broadcasts and podcasts. 

• Family members of our incarcerated family and our ministry 

partners can also enjoy our resources through pandoapp.tv 

and VL’s online platforms like vlmag.org, Facebook, 

Instagram, and YouTube. Our care team is available to pray 

with family members of our inmate family by telephone. 

• We encourage believers everywhere to use our materials in their 

ministry. VLMag makes an incredible witnessing tool and can 

be ordered in bulk copies in free society. 

• We offer fellowship to inmates through personal correspon dence. 

Write to us at PO Box 2751, Greenville, NC 27836, or email us 

• High transitional rates of inmates and new DOC restrictions 

prevent us from mailing individual subscriptions of VLMag to 

inmates. However, bulk copies are provided free of charge, 

with or without staples, at the request of chaplains and 

program directors. Contact us at 352-478-2098 for these free 

resources. Ask about our 2023–2024 VL Prison Tour too. 

RESOURCES 

Below are opportunities for free Christian-based 

resources for both English- and Spanish-speaking 

inmates and chaplains. When you contact the 

addresses below, tell our partners VL referred you. 


Personal correspondence available in English and Spanish. 

Bulk copies of VLMag are available for jail and prison libraries 

at chaplain’s request. 

PO Box 2751 

Email: hope@vlmag.org 

Greenville, NC 27836 

2ND OPPORTUNITY 

Reentry and employmentreadiness 

programming; 

job and housing referrals 

for inmates in 

jails and prisons 

upon request. 

PO Box 3411 

Peachtree City, GA 30269 

CLI PRISON ALLIANCE 

Personal discipleship 

studies by mail for inmates 

in jails and prisons; 

free Christian books and 

Bibles for libraries at 

request of chaplain or 

authorized personnel. 

PO Box 97095 

Raleigh, NC 27624 

RESCUED NOT ARRESTED 

Free NIV Bibles, Bible study 

correspondence course, and 

NIV Life Application Study Bible 

upon completion of study for 

inmates in jails and prisons. 

Call: 602-647-8325 

PO Box 90606 

Phoenix, AZ 85066 

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP 

SUMMIT 

Bring world-class 

leadership training 

and tools to your facility 

through the GL Summit 

and GL Network. Write to 

GlobalLeadership.org. 

PO Box 3188 

Barrington, IL 60011 

34 

WWW.VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM 

VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

Issue 1| 2023

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