Media / Press
I was mad when I got arrested. I was just like the Prodigal Son who squandered his father’s inheritance. He wasted everything on pleasure, trying to fill the void in his soul until he had burned through all his options. At the end of his rope, he could no longer pretend he was in control. Consequences chasing him down, he finally had to face life’s hard reality. He was a mess. A total failure. He needed to come home.
Nearly 800K followers flock to Cristina Baker’s TikTok account each day to be encouraged by her fast-paced, energy-filled 1-minute preaching and prayer videos, which have racked up more than 9.7M likes.” TikTok trends have come and gone, but what drives followers to return to Baker’s account day after day is her Bible-based messages of hope.
The book of Luke tells the story of an outcast, a leprous man who cried out to Jesus as He ministered to people. The leper knew that he was in violation of Levitical law but ran toward Jesus and, in an amazing declaration of his faith, acknowledged Jesus as Lord. “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean” (5:12). He fell on his knees, imploring Jesus to heal him from his disease. Jesus touched the man, instantly healing him and making him whole.
I was an outcast. Worthless. Surviving and escaping. My life was hopeless — until I met Jesus, just like the woman at the well. Like her, I wasn’t exactly sure what had happened; I just knew I believed.
By the time I showed up in Pennsylvania, I’d exhausted every option and was more than my family members could handle. I felt lost and confused, and the deeper my pain and isolation went, the less often I spoke. I found communication with people painful. I completely lost my voice. By this point I had totally shut down and refused to let anyone in — it was just easier that way.