I was first introduced to Courage For Life in 2018 when I interviewed Ann White at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. She shared about her personal testimony that led to the founding of Courage For Life and introduced the Courage For Life Study Bible.
Since then, Ann has been hard at work helping women and men to draw nearer to God through the study of the Bible. I’m excited now to share her latest endeavors with prison ministry, a new devotional book, and a female voiced audio Bible.
Ann White Interview
Ann, you spent the first 40 years of your life navigating on your own terms. What led to your turning over the reins to God?
God allowed me to reach the end of myself (the end of my self-sufficiency). I finally realized that my efforts to fix my circumstances and the people around me were fruitless. That there was only one way to achieve true healing and a healthy future, and that was to let God lead the way. So twenty-two years after surrendering my heart and soul to God, I truly surrendered my life to Him.
What role did Bible study play in your transformation?
Everything. In my early 40’s, I turned to God’s Word for guidance, comfort, and answers. I always knew the Bible was special, but I didn’t realize, until I began to read and study it regularly, that it was truly the living, breathing, words of God —that could change and influence my life every single day.
How do you study the Bible today? Do you have specific methods or resources you use?
I prefer to study and teach the Bible book-by-book, chapter-by-chapter. This helps me keep God’s Word in its proper context and I can remain focused on one complete account, message, or teaching at a time.
Tell us about the Bibles and Bible studies you’ve worked on.
For more than 18 years I have read, studied, and taught the in-depth study of the Bible. In 2014, I founded a ministry, Courage For Life, that focuses on discipleship.
Since that time, I have written, published, and distributed resources that help people grow spiritually closer to God and His Word, while overcoming at the same time, any emotional barriers that hinder their relationship with the Lord.
The first book and Bible study I published was Courage For Life and the Courage For Life Study Guide. The book tells my personal story going from fear-based reasoning to faith-based decision making. In the book, I also introduce 7 practical steps (The Seven Steps to COURAGE) that have become a foundation part of our ministry and discipleship. The Courage For Life Study Guide is an in-depth study of God’s Word and provides Bible study exercises that correspond to the Seven Steps to Courage.
In 2023, I released two study Bibles with Tyndale House Publishers, the Courage For Life Study Bible for Women and the Courage For Life Study Bible for Men.
And recently, I published my second devotional, Courage For Today, with BroadStreet Publishing.
Tell us about the female-voiced audio Bible.
In 2016, after spending countless hours ministering to hurting women, our team at Courage For Life recognized a critical void in the audio Bible field; the market was void of a fully-female voice audio recording of God’s entire Word.
Since 2018 I have also been recording video teaching of God’s Word. My first chapter-by-chapter video series was on the book of John. I also have teachings on the books of Esther and Philippians, and very soon, we will release my chapter-by-chapter video series on the books of Daniel and Romans. My teaching series air on our YouTube channel, our website, and twice weekly on InTouch+. Next week I begin recording the books of Ezra and Nehemiah that will be available this summer or early fall.
We realize that many women and girls are eager to take in God’s Word, but some, who have experienced trauma, are reluctant to listen to a male voice. So in 2017 we raised the funds to produce and release for free, an amazing recording of the Bible in all female voices. We produced and released the English version in 2017 and the Spanish version in 2021.
What is your preferred Bible translation? Why?
I love the New Living Translation by Tyndale House Publishers because it is both easy to read and understand and theologically sound.
Who is your favorite woman in the Bible?
I admire all women of the Bible, but I do love Priscilla. She was a passionate Bible teacher and a co-worker of the Apostle Paul (Romans 16:3), and even risked her life (alongside her husband Aquila) for Paul. She lovingly and boldly shared God’s Word with others (Acts 18:26). She and her husband, Aquila, held church in their home (Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19), and they also opened up their home to Paul when he was in town (Acts 18:18). I admire her love for the Lord, her passion for God’s Word, and her dedication to teaching and ministering to God’s people.
Tell us about your prison ministry? How are you ministering to the women and men in prison? What’s been the response so far?
We began ministering in a local Jail in Georgia in 2016. Since that time, we’ve had over 9000 inmates participate in Courage For Life programs and resources.
We currently work in partnership with correctional facilities in 10 states to offer our Courage For My Life discipleship program, a faith-based class that encourages both male and female attendees to address emotional health issues and grow spiritually stronger in their relationship with both God and His Word.
Our all-female-voiced audio Bible is available on inmates tablets in 34 states, allowing hundreds of thousands of incarcerated men and women to listen to God’s Word for free.
In just the first three months, since the Courage For Life Study Bibles were released, Courage For Life has distributed, for free, more than 4500 Study Bibles to inmates.
At Courage For Life, we believe that every person is created with a purpose and potential, and we are committed to empowering individuals to live fulfilling lives through the transformative power of the gospel and God’s Word.
If you could go back to your earlier self, before you turned your life to the Lord, what would you tell yourself?
A life lived in God’s will and with God’s daily instruction is an abundant life, a life of adventure, —not one free of difficulties and challenges, but one of great purpose and possibilities, that is much easier to navigate with the power and guidance of God and His Word.
Anything else you’d like us to know?
Yes, please check out our Resources, Bible Studies, and Discipleship programs at CourageForLife.org.
Download our free Audio Bible on any Apple or Android device at Courage For Life Bible.
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