Everyone loves a good story. Stories have always been and continue to be central to human cognition and communication. Through a story, you can teach, persuade, and even bring understanding of oneself. Since each person’s life is a story, we are drawn to stories because we see ourselves reflected in them. For that reason, stories can have a powerful impact on human beings.

Over the last few years, we have shared how The Story of Hope, which traces God’s redemptive story through Scripture, has been used by God to powerfully change lives and bring genuine faith responses to the gospel. From agnostics to pastor’s wives, prisoners to military servicemen, Little Leaguers to businessmen, and even those in the deaf community have been given a clear understanding of God’s big story and their place in it. Grandparents have shared it with their grandchildren and children to their parents, some of whom were at death’s very door.

Having been translated into almost 40 languages, The Story of Hope has been told and taught on six continents in almost every type of surroundings and situations imaginable. All manner of worldviews have been penetrated and God’s message of salvation has been warmly embraced by dozens of people groups. We praise God for the way He continues to use Good Soil training and resources to further His kingdom.

I have observed first-hand the effectiveness of Bible storying. At the coffee shop we opened across from a college campus in Brazil, we held a game night once a week. Once we had a good group attending, we began to take a break part-way through the evening and would recount a couple of the events using The Story of Hope visuals. Carlos was a young, computer technology professor who had been invited by one of his students because he loved American board games. He came for a couple of months regularly and then was absent for a long time. Toward the end of their school year in December he called me and asked to meet. He was having some real challenges in his marriage and his mother had been diagnosed with cancer. After talking for a while, he said, “You know that story you were telling us during game nights? I missed most of it, but it has been on my mind ever since. Could you tell me how that story ends?” I told him the rest of God’s great redemptive plan that Saturday morning and he began to return to the coffee shop and attend our Sunday night Bible study, eventually making a faith response and being baptized.

We share this story and all the others so that you will be encouraged and uplifted by the way God is working to bring men, women, and children from around the world into His story. We also share them so that you might realize that God can use you the same way. Just this week we got the following message on our website:

These resources look so engaging, colorful and clear. I love the Lord but feel I struggle to witness with unsaved family and friends. I connected with the story of the grandfather and also hope to share the complete picture of God’s Amazing Story with my young grandsons when they visit me for two weeks this summer (they also attend VBS which they love). Thank you for your efforts! May God continue to bless your ministry.

That is a big part of why we do what we do. We have a passion to help motivate, train, and resource God’s people to share the gospel in a world of competing faiths and cultures. God’s story of redemption is the best and most powerful story that could ever be told. What a joy to be the one who shares it with those who so desperately need to hear it.