As a child, Sarah grew up in a Christian home. She attended church every Sunday, went to youth group, and even went on mission trips. However, as she grew older, she began to question the teachings of the Bible. She couldn’t understand why God would create someone to be gay, and she couldn’t reconcile the idea of a loving God with the fact that there was so much suffering in the world.
Sarah began to distance herself from the church and the people in it. She started to experiment with drugs and alcohol, and she began to engage in unhealthy relationships. She felt lost and alone, and she couldn’t see a way out of the darkness.
One day, Sarah found herself in a deep depression. She had hit rock bottom and didn’t know where to turn. In desperation, she cried out to God. "If you’re real," she said, "show me a sign. Show me that you’re there, and that you care about me."
As she prayed, she felt a peace wash over her. She knew that God was with her, and that everything was going to be okay. She started to read the Bible again, and as she did, she began to see things in a new light. She realized that the Bible wasn’t just a book of rules, but that it was a love letter from God to his people.
Sarah started attending church again, and this time, she was able to see the beauty in the community of believers. She found friends who loved and supported her, and she began to understand that everyone struggles with sin. She started to see that God’s love was bigger than any of her mistakes, and that he had a plan for her life.
In Romans 1, Paul talks about the power of the gospel to save us from darkness. He says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). Sarah realized that this was true. The gospel had the power to transform her life and to bring her from darkness to light.
Sarah’s journey wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. She found hope and peace in the gospel, and she knew that God had a purpose for her life. She was grateful for the grace and love that God had shown her, and she knew that she would never be the same again.