The Newport, Tennessee, couple had no choice but to abandon everything to save themselves.

>> Read more trending stories

"Pretty much everything that we own is gone," Wagner said to the TV station.

Everything except for the Bible.

A friend who was helping the couple clean up the fire Wednesday found the remains of a Bible in the ashes. He found the book opened to a passage from John 3:16 that said, "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

About the Author

Featured

Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez