Many of us struggle with control issues. Take a good look at the relationships around you. Do you try to manipulate or influence others by what you say and do? Or do you feel like you are the one being constantly manipulated? This week, we dove into the subject of control, and sorted out what we should surrender control of, and what we should grab control of. The answer my surprise you.
Get Real – Be Intentional
The final message on how to be real, concludes with this thought. Real people are INTENTIONAL, and they encounter a real God who is EMPOWERING, and they experience real restoration that includes NEW LIFE!
Are you passively waiting for restoration? Wait no more! Receive all the power you need from a real God who cares for you, and has the power to change your life!
Get Real – Be Open
Last week, we shared how a real person is imperfect, a real God is forgiving, and real restoration takes the form of new purpose. Unfortunately, we had some technical difficulty, and the recording quality was poor.
This week, we focused on how a real person is open, a real God is caring, and real restoration takes the form of new relationships. Again, the technical difficulties raised their ugly heads, and the first two minutes of this message was poor. A huge thank you to our sound guy who worked his magic to save the rest of this week!
Here is what you are missing from the first part of this message:
A Real Person Is Open
If you really knew all of my own story of addiction, and the roots of my fears of judgment and rejection, you would have a totally different view of me. You certainly wouldn’t respect me. And you definitely wouldn’t value anything I had to say. At least, that is what tempts me to keep my past hidden and secret. However, each time I have seized the opportunity to share my story with someone else, I have had amazing experiences! I have received encouragement, and acceptance. And I have given other people “permission to heal” by sharing their own stories with me.
There can be many reasons to keep your past a secret. But remember, we are only as sick as the secrets that we keep. If you want to continue to heal, then begin to shine some light on your past. Share it with someone safe. The healing you receive is limited only by your willingness to share openly about it.
That will catch you up to hear the rest of the message. Also, towards the end of this week’s message, I invited others to share a bit of their experiences while at Restoration Fellowship. The response was overwhelming! I have edited them, to protect their anonymity, and for time, but I think hearing them will bless you – it certainly was encouraging and uplifting for me!
I hope that you have a blessed week. Remember – be open. It’s time to get real.
Curtains
It is with great joy in my heart that I share this message with you! I still have goosebumps from Saturday night (it’s Tuesday now). This weekend was by far my favorite Easter EVER!
I shared how I experience Good Friday, and then transitioned to visit the empty tomb – I was shaking!
What ever it is that you are carrying – pains, hurts, guilt, addiction, fears, doubts – you can listen to this message, and lay them down at the cross. Then journey with us to the empty tomb, the EMPTY tomb! Your problems are not buried, stuffed, or hidden. They are FORGIVEN! They are GONE!
Steps of Growth #11: Grow with God
Does your Spiritual Well seem to have run dry?
Don’t miss this message, and remember:
- God comes to you WHERE you are.
- God comes to you AS you are.
- God comes to give you what you NEED.
Steps of Growth #10: Personal Growth
Now that we have covered the Steps of Hope and Healing, it is time to move on to the Steps of Growth. Just because you have made it this far, don’t stop! We all have areas in our life that need our attention. Don’t get stuck, apathetic, stagnant, or full of false confidence. Those are dangerous places to be. Be intentional about pursuing your sobriety and healing. If you are not actively pursuing your sobriety, you are by default in the process of relapse.
This week, we looked at how to grow our personal lives, by being encouraged to run the race that is laid out for us, and by intentionally taking an ongoing inventory on our daily, quarterly, and annual growth. Growth doesn’t just happen by accident – it takes continual work. But you are not alone. At Restoration Fellowship, you are surrounded by many who are just like you, pursuing a life of sobriety, and on the adventure of their lives!
Steps of Healing #9: Forgive
This is it. Do you want healing? It comes thought the power of forgiveness. There is no stronger power than God’s love at work to forgive you, and empower you to offer forgiveness to others.
As you begin this process, remember:
Who you are: Chosen and Loved
How to be: Compassionate, Kind, Humble, Meek, and Patient
As you share forgiveness as God has forgiven you, you are about to experience healing like never before!
Steps of Healing #8: Willing
Do you feel like you are being held back from healing that you so desperately need? There is a good chance that it is because there is an unresolved relationship from your past or present. Are you willing to do what is necessary for you to heal?
This week, you will learn what do to to become more willing to do the difficult task of resolving broken relationships. This week is not about HOW to do this task, but how to become more WILLING to do it.
God bless you on this journey. You are not alone!
Steps of Healing #7: Replace
You have identified your characteristics that need to be replaced. You’ve prioritized which ones you want to work on first. Now what?
Go to God. Let him replace all of your negative characteristics with his LOVE.
1) Humbly ask him.
2) Expect the miracle!
Remember – DON’T QUIT BEFORE THE MIRACLE HAPPENS!
Steps of Healing #6: Prepare
Are you ready?
You know you need healing.
You know you want healing.
But are you ready?
This message takes a look at the “Day of Preparation,” and relates some simple thoughts about how we get ready for the healing that God has in store for us.