Nothing is Impossible: Guarded Heart Ministries

May 8, 2020 | Faith

“For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1”37).

This is the verse that drives Luanne Botta, founder of Guarded Heart Ministries, both in life and in ministry to women and teens.

Luanne came to know Jesus at 22, after spending time in the party scene. Several years later, she began serving in ministry. She served as a leader of a women’s ministry at her local church for many years. Serving women is one of Luanne’s passions. She knows what it’s like to experience weariness in her walk with Christ. As she serves other women she hopes they will find the encouragement to keep going. God has not left them and He is not done yet.

With God nothing is impossible.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Luanne was a teacher in a Christian high school for 17 years. During the 2nd week of her first year, a senior girl came to her for help. The student told Luanne that she was having sex with her boyfriend. Through tears, she admitted that she no longer wanted to do that. Luanne’s heart-broke for this girl. Over the course of the next 17 years, Luanne continued to hear the same story day after day. She realized that God was bringing these students to her in their brokenness.

“On a daily basis, the Lord brought one teenager after another into my office crying out for the truth about their relationship with the opposite sex,” Luanne says.

Luanne saw that these teens needed two things. First, they needed Jesus – His grace and His love. Second, they needed someone who would boldly teach them how to fight against their culture by walking in sexual integrity. God was calling her to be that person.

Luanne began to speak to her students about Jesus. She showed her students that their hearts were really longing for Jesus. Her students began to understand how God saw them. They began to realize that they were worth waiting for and how much God loved them. The importance of purity began to make more sense in light of their relationship with Jesus. Luanne challenged her students to rebel against their culture.

With God nothing is impossible.

Teaching her students about purity in light of the gospel has led Luanne to write 2 books. Young Hearts. Pure Lives reminds young women of how God sees them, how much He loves them, and that they are worth waiting for. The Warrior Within challenges young men to embrace their identity in Christ and pursue sexual integrity. In both books, Luanne uses the Word to deal with issues facing both teenage girls and boys. She is unafraid to deal head first with the tough issues that others avoid, such as pornography and sexting.

Luanne continues to minister to both teens and women today. A move from Pittsburgh to South Carolina has given her more opportunities to do both. Through Guarded Heart Ministries, she is often invited to speak at high schools around the Upstate. She recently had the opportunity to speak at the Beautifully Broken conference, hosted by Life In Abundance.  Life In Abundance is thrilled to partner with Guarded Heart Ministries to present an upcoming workshop for parents and teachers on September 25, 2020. Details for that upcoming event will be posted on both websites.

With God nothing is impossible.

Luanne’s hope is that in the next 5 years teens and parents across the country will be using her books. She wants to see teens all over America choosing to trust in Jesus and choose purity. It is a tough battle. There have been many times she’s wanted to quit, but God keeps her going. She believes it is through His power alone that this battle will be won.

With God nothing is impossible.