Coming from a family with an abusive father, Bart Millard, aged 10, arrives in a Christian camp left by his mother. Here she meets Shannon. Eventually she gets into custody of her father, Arthur, her mother decides to leave. A few years later, Millard is a student at Lakeside High School and Shannon is his girlfriend. Hoping to impress his father, he plays football. But hurts and the sports career ends. He soon enrolled in music lessons. He contacts the MercyMe band and manages to impress a known producer, Scott Brickel.