What does it take to keep going in faith when the road has been long and complicated? In this deeply personal message, Rev. Bert Cloud traces his own winding journey, from a childhood baptism in a small Baptist church in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, through a painful church split, a season away from faith, and an unexpected return that eventually led him to ordained ministry. Drawing on the image of the race in Hebrews 12, Pastor Bert invites the congregation to picture the great cloud of witnesses cheering them on: church fathers, Sunday school teachers, mentors, and loved ones who have gone before.

With honesty, humor, and warmth, he reminds River Road that faith is rarely tidy or perfectly resolved. It is a race run with perseverance, surrounded by those who believe in us, with our eyes fixed on the one who leads the way.