From smuggling Bibles into closed countries to surviving dangerous situations to losing his marriage and ultimately finding grace in the midst of it all, Mark Buchanan shares his incredible journey in this episode of What's The Story.

Tune in to hear how his perseverance and determination, coupled with God's redeeming power, helped him overcome obstacles and live a life of purpose.

Here’s a summary of this week’s story:

• Mark became a Christian at the age of three after he realized that his naughty behavior was not pleasing to God. His parents explained to him the concept of Jesus and salvation, which led Mark to give his life to God. Despite occasional doubts and struggles, he has never looked back since then, and believes that the grace of God is what keeps him on track.
• Mark, who grew up as a pastor's kid, shares his story of being beaten up every day for six years due to his Christian faith and his father being a pastor. Despite the violence, Mark persevered and was determined to speak up for his beliefs.
• Mark believes that bullying has shaped him, but he doesn't feel bitter about it. Growing up assuming that everyone didn't like him has made him less impacted by people's opinions of him. Despite the difficult experiences, he had a good childhood and a strong theological framework that helped him understand the purpose of suffering in life.
• As part of his work with Derek Prince Ministries, Mark shares how he would smuggled Bibles into the Middle East, where many people did not have access to them due to legal restrictions and the risks and life-threatening situations he had to encounter as part of that.
• The extreme tension and busy lifestyle broke his marriage. He learned that sometimes the biggest threat to a relationship with God is being too busy working for Him. He left as a divorced man and found God in a less traditional and showy way, which was earth-shattering and destabilizing but ultimately transformative.
• Mark talks about God's forgiveness and the need to keep moving forward despite past mistakes. He emphasizes the need to keep going and never give up, and that God is in the business of redemption.
• Mark's one message is about perseverance. It is a collaborative process between our efforts and God's redemption. We need to acknowledge and confront sin, but not give up because God can redeem anything and anybody.

ABOUT MARK:

Mark has been a Christian since he was just three years old. He's done it all - from Bible College to preaching on the streets, planting a church, and leading worship. He's preached to over 20,000 people, organized conferences worldwide, and even smuggled Bibles! Currently, he is working on a Christian response to poverty in the world of Fair Trade.