>>> WELCOME BACK TO "GMA3." IT IS TIME FOR "FAITH FRIDAY." OUR NEXT GUEST IS A BIBLICAL STUDIES PROFESSOR AT EASTERN UNIVERSITY AND THE AUTHOR OF OVER 20 BOOKS THAT COVER EVERYTHING FROM THE BIBLE TO RELIGION TO DEEPENING OUR CONNECTION WITH GOD. >> YEAH, HE'S THE MAN. NOW HE'S TEACHING READERS HOW TO PIVOT DURING LIFE'S CHALLENGES AND STRENGTHEN THEIR FAITH IN HIS NEW BOOK, "CURVEBALL." PLEASE WELCOME PETER ENNS. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR FIRST CURVEBALL WHEN YOU DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE BIG LEAGUES. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW YOU SAY CURVEBALLS ACTUALLY BRING YOU CLOSER TO GOD WHEN YOUR FAITH IS TESTED? >> CURVEBALLS HAPPEN TO EVERYBODY. THERE ARE CHALLENGES TO LIFE THAT YOU DON'T SCRIPT. YOU DON'T ASK FOR THEM. THEY JUST SORT OF SHOW UP. AND WHAT THEY DO IS, AT THE END OF THE DAY, FOR ME, AT LEAST, THEY'VE BROADENED MY UNDERSTANDING OF GOD, RATHER THAN THE LIMITED SORT OF LITTLE VERSION OF GOD THAT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH, LIVING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES CAN ACTUALLY BROADEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD, AND I THINK GIVE YOU MORE PEACE. >> YOU SAID SCIENCE IS ANOTHER CURVEBALL THAT CAME TO THE YOU. YOU GOT INTO QUANTUM PHYSICS. A LOT OF PEOPLE GET INTO SCIENCE AND IT SHIFTS THEM AWAY FROM GOD. HOW DID THIS REAFFIRM YOUR BELIEF? >> WELL, IT CHALLENGED IT AND THEN REAFFIRMED IT, BECAUSE THE UNIVERSE IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE PLACE, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE MULTIVERSE AND WE HAVE A GOD, WE SAY, THAT'S CONNECTED TO THAT, AND THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF GOD THAN MANY PEOPLE GROW UP WITH, THE MAN UPSTAIRS MICROMANAGING EVERYTHING. WE HAVE THIS UNIVERSE WHICH IS EXPANSIVE AND IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND. I JUST LOOKED AT IT AND SAID, LISTEN, MY FAITH IN GOD THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW CAN'T HANDLE THIS BIG UNIVERSE, SO I HAVE TO SORT OF CHANGE HOW I THINK ABOUT GOD, NOT AS THE ONE WHO SORT OF ORDERS EVERYTHING AND MAKES EVERYTHING WORK OUT BUT THE ONE WHO'S IN CHARGE OF SOMETHING THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND. SO, IF THE UNIVERSE IS SO DIFFICULT TO GET A HANDLE ON, I THINK GOD IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO GET A HANDLE ON TOO. GOD IS BEYOND OUR THINKING, AND FOR ME, THAT'S A VERY COMFORTING THING. THAT'S THAT EXPANSIVE VIEW OF GOD THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. >> BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN TO PIVOT, WHEN YOU'RE BEING TESTED OR YOU'RE BEING TOLD TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, GIVE UP ON THAT, HEAD IN ANOTHER DIRECTION? >> YOU DON'T ALWAYS KNOW. THAT'S PART OF THE FUN, CAN I SAY, OF THIS, OR THE JOY OR THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DISCERNING, LIKE, I THINK AN ADJUSTMENT IS NEEDED HERE, BUT MAYBE NOT HERE. TALKING TO PEOPLE. PASTORS WHO UNDERSTAND THAT. NOT ALL DO, BUT MANY DO, OR JUST HAVING FRIENDS IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU CAN SAY, "LISTEN, I'M WORKING THROUGH SOMETHING HERE, AND I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHERE TO GO WITH THIS." FOR PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THAT JOURNEY, THAT CAN BE A VERY LIFE-AFFIRMING CONVERSATION TO HAVE TOO. I GET THAT. I HAD TO MAKE CHANGES TOO WHEN I HAD THAT EXPERIENCE. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT FOR ME. THIS IS AN ENCOURAGING THING TO SAY, GOD'S NOT IN MY BACK POCKET. GOD IS BIGGER THAN I AM, AND I WANT TO LIVE INTO THAT REALITY AND GET TO KNOW THIS GOD BETTER AND BETTER. >> WE DO THIS WITH EVERY "FAITH FRIDAY" GUEST. GIVE US SOME WORDS OF WISDOM AS WE HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND. >> WELL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHAT IF IT'S OKAY TO NOT BE SURE? WHAT IF IT'S OKAY TO NOT KNOW? WHAT IF IT'S OKAY TO HAVE THESE CHALLENGES IN LIFE THAT JUST -- AND LET THEM IN AND LET THEM HAVE THEIR WAY WITH US. WHAT IF THAT'S THE WAY THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE? YOU KNOW, THEY SAY THAT FAITH GROWS BEST IN WINTER, AND I THINK THAT'S TRUE. IT DOESN'T GROW WHEN THINGS ARE GOING WELL. IT GROWS WHEN THINGS ARE NOT GOING WELL. THOSE ARE THE TIMES TO CONNECT WITH THE GOD WHO'S OUTSIDE OF OUR EXPERIENCE, WHO'S BIGGER THAN WE ARE. AND I THINK THE ROOT OF THAT, FOR ME, AND THIS IS MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR ME, THE ROOT OF THAT IS IF, WHAT IF GOD ACTUALLY IS LOVE? WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT MAKE? WHAT IF GOD LOVES YOU? WHAT IF GOD EVEN JUST LIKES YOU AND IS NOT AGAINST YOU? WHAT IF GOD IS ACTUALLY FOR YOU? THESE EXPERIENCES CAN PROPEL US FURTHER IN ON OUR JOURNEY OF FAITH. >> I GOT A GOOD FRIEND WHO SAYS, FAITH IS STILL BELIEVING WHEN COMMON SENSE TELLS YOU NOT TO. >> I THINK THAT'S TRUE. VERY OFTEN. AND I THINK THAT'S THE WAY OF FAITH. THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH IS NOT DOUBT. THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH IS A RIGOROUS CERTAINTY. WE DO DOUBT. DOUBT IS A PART OF FAITH. DOUBT IS THE ENGINE THAT MAKES FAITH GO. AND WE ALL EXPERIENCE IT. WE CAN'T GET AWAY FROM IT. >> ALL RIGHT, PETE. >> WHAT IF GOD GETS THAT? THAT'S THE POINT. >> I LIKE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH,