H7 Story: Let God Have All Things
As a teen, Valerie looked for love and acceptance in different relationships. “I did drugs to hide my pain from sexual and mental abuse and to numb my feelings,” she writes. Needing a fresh start, she moved to a new town where she only knew one person.
Trying to start over, Valerie managed to stop doing drugs but continued to drink. “I met a man who would become my husband and who made me a mother, but I felt worthless as a mother, step-mother and a wife. I was angry all the time and would yell at my son for just being a kid. That's when I knew I needed to change something,”
That change was Re:generation – a Bible-based and gospel-centered discipleship training focused on deeply understanding new life in Christ by applying God's grace. "When I began Re:gen,” Valerie recalls, “I thought I was beyond hope. I was depressed, angry and had no idea what it looked like to just be happy.”
However, God revealed to Valerie that she could have peace and that people could love her without strings attached. “He showed me that I can forgive the unforgivable and the world won't stop spinning. He showed me how love can break all the walls, even if it is slow.”
Re:generation uses a small group recovery model to lead through the process of deeply applying the gospel of God's grace to all areas of life using 12 steps which include:
Steps 1-3 – Realizing Your Need for God's Grace: Admit, Believe, Trust
Steps 4-6 – Receive God's Grace: Inventory, Confess, Repent
Steps 7-9 – Respond to God's Grace: Follow, Forgive, Amends
Steps 10-12 – Regeneration Because of God's Grace: Continue, Intimacy, Regeneration.
For Valerie, her life now is completely different. “I know how to talk to my kids, husband and others in my life, not just by yelling.” He’s also shown her that family doesn’t have to be only blood and that she can find Christian friendship and relationship from people in all walks of life. “God was there even when I wasn't with Him or accepting Him, I can see how he protected me and loved me in so many situations.”
Re:gen is essentially hardcore training in spiritual growth with a consistent dose of theological truth throughout. By working through these Biblical steps in authentic community, you can not only learn about the power of the gospel, but you can find freedom from substance abuse, codependency, pornography, eating disorders, depression, fear, control, emotional/physical/sexual abuse, same sex attraction, anger, obsessive thoughts, and any other personal struggle, whether your own sin or the sin of others against you.
Valerie explains that her time in Re:gen has given her a peace in her heart that is only there because she let God into the darkest places. “I kept those places hidden from everyone and tried so hard to numb,” she explained. “I'm not finished; God is still changing me by opening my heart to those that shine his light so bright.”
God has put people in Valerie’s life to help her learn about Him and what He wants for her. “He puts me in places that make my heart leap with joy and in tough places to allow me to trust in him and lean closer to him. If I can encourage you with one thing, I say let go and let God.”
Far too many, both Christians and non-Christians, think they are somehow exceptions to the rule that we all experience and live out of the brokenness of sin more deeply than we understand. But if you are 18 or older, Re:Gen is for you. Even if we are Christians who are positionally saved from the penalty of sin, we all have progress to make in separation from the power of sin.
Re:gen has not only changed the lives of hundreds of people, delivered freedom from addictions, brokenness, and sinful patterns, brought healing from abuse, saved marriages, and reinvigorated stagnant spiritual disciplines, but it has initiated a long-term change in the culture of our church, from feeling threatened by sharing real struggles to the safety of “leading with vulnerability.”
In fact, we at FCC believe so much in Re:gen that when people ask where to start at First Christian Church, we say, “Start with Re:gen first!” It's not only where you learn the tools for a lifetime of applying the gospel of God's grace to your life and how to deeply root your identity in the work of Christ for you, but it's leadership training because we require it for our leaders! It's foundational vocabulary at FCC for the gospel and soul care, not just for yourself but for others! Re:gen is training in disciple-making!
This is how Valerie sees it now. “The anger, pain, hurt, disconnect, and the emptiness can be less. With each chain you allow God to break that holds all bad things, God replaces with good. Let God have all things. Even when you give God the good, He can make it better.”
Re:generation meets at FCC on Monday nights from 6:30-8:30p. Childcare (birth-5th grade) is provided for all participants.
fccgreene.org/regen
Trying to start over, Valerie managed to stop doing drugs but continued to drink. “I met a man who would become my husband and who made me a mother, but I felt worthless as a mother, step-mother and a wife. I was angry all the time and would yell at my son for just being a kid. That's when I knew I needed to change something,”
That change was Re:generation – a Bible-based and gospel-centered discipleship training focused on deeply understanding new life in Christ by applying God's grace. "When I began Re:gen,” Valerie recalls, “I thought I was beyond hope. I was depressed, angry and had no idea what it looked like to just be happy.”
However, God revealed to Valerie that she could have peace and that people could love her without strings attached. “He showed me that I can forgive the unforgivable and the world won't stop spinning. He showed me how love can break all the walls, even if it is slow.”
Re:generation uses a small group recovery model to lead through the process of deeply applying the gospel of God's grace to all areas of life using 12 steps which include:
Steps 1-3 – Realizing Your Need for God's Grace: Admit, Believe, Trust
Steps 4-6 – Receive God's Grace: Inventory, Confess, Repent
Steps 7-9 – Respond to God's Grace: Follow, Forgive, Amends
Steps 10-12 – Regeneration Because of God's Grace: Continue, Intimacy, Regeneration.
For Valerie, her life now is completely different. “I know how to talk to my kids, husband and others in my life, not just by yelling.” He’s also shown her that family doesn’t have to be only blood and that she can find Christian friendship and relationship from people in all walks of life. “God was there even when I wasn't with Him or accepting Him, I can see how he protected me and loved me in so many situations.”
Re:gen is essentially hardcore training in spiritual growth with a consistent dose of theological truth throughout. By working through these Biblical steps in authentic community, you can not only learn about the power of the gospel, but you can find freedom from substance abuse, codependency, pornography, eating disorders, depression, fear, control, emotional/physical/sexual abuse, same sex attraction, anger, obsessive thoughts, and any other personal struggle, whether your own sin or the sin of others against you.
Valerie explains that her time in Re:gen has given her a peace in her heart that is only there because she let God into the darkest places. “I kept those places hidden from everyone and tried so hard to numb,” she explained. “I'm not finished; God is still changing me by opening my heart to those that shine his light so bright.”
God has put people in Valerie’s life to help her learn about Him and what He wants for her. “He puts me in places that make my heart leap with joy and in tough places to allow me to trust in him and lean closer to him. If I can encourage you with one thing, I say let go and let God.”
Far too many, both Christians and non-Christians, think they are somehow exceptions to the rule that we all experience and live out of the brokenness of sin more deeply than we understand. But if you are 18 or older, Re:Gen is for you. Even if we are Christians who are positionally saved from the penalty of sin, we all have progress to make in separation from the power of sin.
Re:gen has not only changed the lives of hundreds of people, delivered freedom from addictions, brokenness, and sinful patterns, brought healing from abuse, saved marriages, and reinvigorated stagnant spiritual disciplines, but it has initiated a long-term change in the culture of our church, from feeling threatened by sharing real struggles to the safety of “leading with vulnerability.”
In fact, we at FCC believe so much in Re:gen that when people ask where to start at First Christian Church, we say, “Start with Re:gen first!” It's not only where you learn the tools for a lifetime of applying the gospel of God's grace to your life and how to deeply root your identity in the work of Christ for you, but it's leadership training because we require it for our leaders! It's foundational vocabulary at FCC for the gospel and soul care, not just for yourself but for others! Re:gen is training in disciple-making!
This is how Valerie sees it now. “The anger, pain, hurt, disconnect, and the emptiness can be less. With each chain you allow God to break that holds all bad things, God replaces with good. Let God have all things. Even when you give God the good, He can make it better.”
Re:generation meets at FCC on Monday nights from 6:30-8:30p. Childcare (birth-5th grade) is provided for all participants.
fccgreene.org/regen