Transition and Transformation

Welcome! My name is Dave. I’m a grateful child of our Lord God, being led out of addictions to the Internet – pornography, gaming, and shopping, and other compulsive behavior. I’m also the new webmaster for CelebrateRecoverySLP. Wild, huh? That is the power of Christ over our hurts, habits, and hang-ups, and I’ve very grateful to serve Him, and you, in this ministry.

I love the response of Joseph to his brothers, in the book of Genesis: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20.

It’s my hope and prayer that my walk with God from these hurts, habits, and hang-ups, will become a blessing to others, as He works through me.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Transition like this; a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another. Yep, that pretty much sums up what’s been happening around Celebrate Recovery, here at the St. Louis Park Free Church. Let me tell you about it.

In July, Dean, our CR Ministry Leader, and one of the founding members of the CR-SLP group, following God’s calling for his life, pulled up stakes and moved to sunny Florida to begin Seminary on his path to becoming a Pastor. This certainly wasn’t a quick decision, but one that we watched Dean wrestle with for many months prior to his acceptance to the school. God took Dean through many trials and times to bring things around to His good and perfect plan, but He supported and supplied Dean throughout. It may have been selfish, but I was praying that he would be led to a school here in “sunny” Minnesota, but God has better plans.

Dean had things planned out to make a smooth transition of leadership in our CR Ministry here, and had been talking with a variety of us, when a number of items changed that required him to accelerate his move, to prepare things for the rest of his family to make their move. We pray for God’s greatest blessing on Dean and his family, as they follow His path.

Teri has blessed us by taking up the Ministry Leaders position and is now directing the ministry with the assistance of several other men and women. She continues the commitment to helping people find recovery from their hurts, habit, and hang-ups, through the saving power of Jesus Christ.

Our evening schedule has also taken a bit of a transition as well. We had been starting off with 30 minutes of Worship (starting at 6:30 pm on Thursdays), followed by announcements, then a lesson or a guest testimony. Through a small fluke one day, (ok, my mistake after being gone for a couple of meetings J), we did the announcements first, then went into worship and our lesson. It was great to go right from the worship into hearing God’s word through the lesson of the night, and the schedule has since stuck. Please feel free to join us at 6:30 Thursday’s at the St. Louis Park Ev. Free Church.

Unlike Transition, Transformation, is the complete change of one thing, into another. The definition is: to change in character or condition. The mission of CelebrateRecovery – SLP is to help people in their Transformation – through the power of Jesus Christ. We aren’t here to “fix” one another, but to point people to the source of strength that has already defeated the Sin and damage of our additions.

As I type this, I see the Verse from Isaiah posted on my Monitor; Isaiah 41:10

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

This is the source of our Higher Power, the strength over the addictions and Sin that drives people to admit they are not strong enough in themselves and need help. Thankfully, that’s the purpose of Celebrate Recovery.

We have monthly opportunities to hear testimonies from people from other CR groups, as well as some from our own “family”, share the path that led them to Christ and his power over their hurts, habit, and hang-ups. We often hear and see the transformation of their lives.

So many times the stories are of great distress and sorrow, of almost unbelievable depths of darkness, yet there is a strength that calls to reach out to someone, something… our Creator. The heart knows. In almost each testimony, you can hear or feel that their heart knows where to turn for help.

In His discussion with Nicodemus, Jesus said;  ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  John 3: 16-17.

This is our Hope, our Transformation.  From darkness to Light, from dead to Life, from sin to Salvation.

Philippians 3:20-21 - New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

What a great Transformation – Thank you Lord!

Come and see what Jesus Christ does in people’s lives through Celebrate Recovery.

I would like to hear from you too. What things are relevant to your life? What are you looking for in this Blog? Leave me comments on this webpage and I will do my best to share God’s truth with you. Blessings on your day!