Lost Then Found

“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears.” Psalm 18:6

These celebrities were lost in the world, and the ways of the world. Even in some of the toughest of circumstances, they turned to God and their lives have been transformed because of it. While some celebrities will praise God for publicity, these celebrities appear to have truly been changed by entering into a relationship with God, and becoming a person of faith. Here’s our list of celebrities who found God in unexpected ways.

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg had what many would call a rough past. After a period of drug dealing and going to prison for an attempted murder charge, he was at his lowest points. He turned to God to get him through. As his relationship grew, he began to see his life turning around. He is very honest about his Christian and faith, openly speaks about his transformation, and shares how God is at the center of everything he does. “For me to sit down and ask for material things is ridiculous. It’s a much bigger picture than that. I want to serve God and to be a good human being and to make up for the mistakes I made and the pain I put people through,” Wahlberg said.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie’s belief in God was restored when she began directing the film “Unbroken”. Given her relationship with the film and the desire to better understand his character, Jolie spent a lot of time with Louis Zamparini, the World War II veteran and devout Christian who the film was based on. His stories about his faith and beliefs had a profound and life-changing impact on her that she now believes in God.

At one point during the production of the film, she dropped on her knees and prayed. Zamperini’s daughter Cynthia was so moved by her transformation. “She was not a person of faith and had never prayed before but she found herself at the very last scene of the movie…they needed sunlight to shoot this very important scene and there had been a storm that had veen going on for awhile…She said, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do so I’ll do what Louis would do.’ She got on her knees and prayed for a miracle…everybody saw it. It stopped raining. She was moved by my father’s faith to try that….I think maybe in God’s plan for Angelina, she was supposed to find Louis and make this movie to find her way to a life that would encompass the Almighty.”

Joseph ‘Rev. Run’ Simmons

As a pioneering member of the hip-hop group Run DMC, and earning major acclaim with a series of multi-platinum albums, he discovered that material things wouldn’t earn him happiness. He began to seek God for greater fulfillment and later became ordained. Today, he uses his very public platform and influence to share his faith. “Be happy,” Rev. Run says. “No problem ahead of you is greater than the God behind you.”

Jane Fonda

Growing up, Jane Fonda had little exposure to the church and even classified herself as an atheist. It was until her friends in her home-state of Georgia invited her to church, that she was able to find comfort in the church. There, she was exposed to Christ’s love and began to rethink the way she had looked at life, and became born again. She is now a devout Christian and openly speaks about her faith. “My faith is a work in progress (as am I),” said Fonda. “But I will plant my flag on the belief that God lives within each of us as Spirit (or soul).”

Michael Vick

After serving his prison sentence connected with his illegal dog-fighting ring and a lot of public and media scruitiny, Vick took responsibility for his actions and sought Jesus, turning to him for forgiveness. At one of his lowest points, he turned to God and is now closer to him. He credits his former football coach Tony Dungy for aiding in his restored relationship with God.