posted by Chad Paine • 7:22pm • July 24th, 2008
Before the Journey, I was an average American Christian. I had prayed and even had some good fruit, but I wasn’t growing. I wanted to do great things spiritually, but I did not know how.
I tried having consistent quiet times with the Lord, although I never really made God my first priority. I also tried starting a Bible study, which helped a little. Then I learned that in order to “love God with all my heart” I must remove all competing affections.
Throughout the week, God would reveal competing affections to me. As He brought each one to my mind I would confess them and give them to God. After I confessed all of my competing affections and hidden sins to my father and repented, I began to experience a new life in my walk with God. As I continue to grow, I find a new interest in reading His word, a desire to let nothing come between God and a dedication to live out God’s best rather than my best.
~ Steven
June 2008 Guys’ Journey
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posted by Chad Paine • 8:19am • May 22nd, 2008
When I came to go on the Journey to the Heart I was thinking I would come, get it over with, go home, give a testimony and act the same. But God had different plans. The first few days my plan went great, but after that God started working on me. He showed me areas of sin and moral failure in my life. So I called my Dad and told him about these areas and asked him to forgive me for times I had lied and been disrespectful to him. I asked God to forgive me and I felt like a load had fallen off and the Lord began to speak to me from His Word. It was great.
~ Lance
March 2008 Guys’ Journey
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posted by Chad Paine • 1:31pm • September 18th, 2007
“At first I did not want to come…but now I am glad I did! There are three major highlights/ things God did during the Journey. The first was the time we spent praying…the power of speaking with God Himself, especially with sisters in Christ was amazing! Also all the time we had in the morning to spend alone with Him! Through our prayers and cries, God answered, showed Himself, and taught us wonderful things. Before now, I had never realized the power of prayer when two or more are gathered together in His name!
The second thing that I got from this journey, is the freedom that comes when we confess our faults to one another (and pray for one another) and to God. Realizing that I have sinned before God (in many ways I had never realized before) and that my heart was full of things that hinder and cut off my communication and love for God. Getting rid of these things and surrendering the many rights that I have/had, have brought me closer to the Lord and given me greater love for Him and a tender heart that can actually detect when I have done something which displeases God.
The third thing I understand better now as a result of this Journey, is the reality and workings of spiritual warfare. All this week, I have been in a constant battle against Satan and his powers of the flesh. I would feel great heaviness in my heart, hindering me from sweet fellowship with my Lord and those around me. Every time I felt this or another hindrance I would ask the girls to pray for me and each time, Satan would leave and I would experience extreme joy and great love. It is hard, though, to fight and struggle against Satan…when challenged to be a soldier in active duty (2 Timothy 2:1-5), I told the Lord “yes”. God told me that He would give sufficient grace for every trial. One of the girls on my team encouraged me in the truth that, through Jesus Christ, the victory has already been won! We just need to CLAIM that victory before Satan!!!
The Lord, MY God, is powerful and mighty! I praise Him for what He has done this week. I have been greatly blessed through this Journey and I pray that God would knock His way through the remainder of my heart, convicting me of His grace and power that to be free from a hindered heart, convicting me of what I need to change and then give me His grace and power to be free…so I can impact the world for Him and be a bright light!!! Blessed be MY God and Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is worthy to be praised!!!!”
~ Bethany
September 2007 Girls’ Journey
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Before the Journey, I was an average American Christian. I had prayed and even had some good fruit, but I wasn’t growing. I wanted to do great things spiritually, but I did not know how.
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