From the desk of
®
JOHN BRADSHAW
November 2025
Dear Partner in ministry, One of the truly wonderful things about evangelism is learning the stories of people who have been impacted by the gospel. And one of the exciting things about these stories is that they happen thanks to you.
“You’re hurting me when you hurt yourself.”
The testimony I’m about to share with you might be difficult to read as it deals with tragedy and brokenness. As you read this story, you will see that lives were transformed because of your support of It Is Written and because the same saving grace I’m about to share with you is impressing hearts around the world to turn to Jesus in faith. When James’ father died, his life spiraled out of control. James was not the sort of person you would expect to develop a substance abuse habit, but life can be difficult when it feels as though the bottom has dropped out of your world. An attempt at ending his life resulted in James being hospitalized for 40 days. During that time, he had dreams about God, but not knowing what to do next, and with no one to help him, he wasn’t able to escape the emotional torment he had been experiencing. After another attempt to end his life, James went through the anguish of losing a beloved uncle to illness. After his uncle’s funeral, James was experiencing a new low. A third attempt saw James spend a year recovering in the hospital. During this time, James sensed God saying to him, “James, you’re hurting me when you hurt yourself.” Although James did not come from a strong religious background, he was now convinced that there was a God who cared for him. Determined to no longer harm himself, James left the hospital with a strong desire to get to