Kary Oberbrunner will be sharing an encouraging message about “Your Secret Name” in the Friday Evening General Session at the upcoming Exodus International Freedom Conference. For more information about Kary and his book entitled “Your Secret Name” visit karyoberbrunner.com. We’re very honored to have Kary joining us at this year’s International Freedom Conference. He looks forward to meeting you and is very excited about being a part of this conference. Please visit exodusfreedom.org for more information and to register for the 2012 Exodus International Freedom Conference.
My Identity: His Daughter – Real Stories for May 2012
May 15, 2012 by
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My Identity: His Daughter by Meleah Allard
Shortly after September 11th, 2001 I found myself at a crossroads. It had been almost 10 years since I left my lesbian relationship of 8 years, after having embraced a gay identity for over a decade. Leaving my girlfriend and my way of life was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Resurrendering to Jesus was one of the easiest. His love overwhelmed me, drew me, in a way nothing else ever had. So almost 10 years later, I was now married and raising a family. Yet my marriage was on the rocks, and I had a mediocre Christian life: proof that marriage and family doesn’t fix everything. Even surrendering to Christ doesn’t resolve every problem and heal every hurt, wound, or situation. I knew in my soul after those towers came crashing down and my heart came crashing down with them, that there had to be more. All of sudden the immediacy of life had slammed me against a wall. I knew that I was Made for More than what I was living.
I began to pray, asking God for help. He led me to a book, The Purpose Driven Life. I began to learn that there was more to this Christian life than I had been experiencing. Over the next several years God began to teach me. He cleared up many wrong perceptions I had developed about him. He showed me the joy that comes from using my gifts for his kingdom. Unfortunately, I did what my perfectionistic, worker bee personality always did. I became a workaholic for God and was more focused on serving him than knowing him. While my new focus was much more rewarding and the mediocre of my Christian life fading, I was quickly reaching exhaustion and burn out.
All that began to change in 2005 after my first Exodus conference where I experienced the most amazing worship. It truly was relationship altering. It completely changed how I related to my God and set me free in such a surprising way. I grew up in a very conservative Christian environment in the 70’s with beautiful hymns, but honestly the worship part of church services was just tradition. At the Exodus conference, I learned what it means to commune with God through music. I felt his presence in a way I never had before. [Read more...]
Made for More – Letter from Alan Chambers for May 2012
May 15, 2012 by
Dear Friends:
As we approach the 37th annual Freedom Conference, I am filled with great expectancy of what God is going to do in and through each one of us. Year after year, in our weakness and humility, Jesus shows up mightily in both our personal and corporate time. Who among us doesn’t leave changed?
Our theme this year is Made for More. I think most people would admit that at some point in time in their lives they have wondered if there is anything more to the life they are experiencing. For many, something seems to be missing. Often there is a deep void in our hearts that goes unfilled and unsatisfied.
During the early days of trying to figure out my struggle with SSA I remember thinking that what I truly needed was the love and affirmation of a man to fill that need. I was consumed by a need to heal the ache inside because the ache was all I paid attention to. The focus and direction of my desires was also in direct conflict with my biblical beliefs. But what I perceived as my deepest and most overwhelming need suppressed those feelings of conflict and I chose to act on my SSA.
I know of others who have experienced that same level of intense desire for a member of the opposite sex. Regardless of how we choose to meet our own needs through our overwhelming sexual desires, the fact remains that such efforts will fail to satisfy at the deepest core. I believe that Proverbs 13:12 (NAS) speaks perfectly to this:
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Any way that we seek to meet our own needs instantly rather than allowing God to meet them (or to help us survive when needs go unmet) is deferring hope. I truly believe that seeking to meet my needs sexually, or in other ungodly ways, served as a counterfeit and made my heart sick.
When individuals come to Exodus for help they are looking to resolve the conflict they feel between their faith and the directions of their attractions and desires. I understand, as that was my initial motivation for pursuing help, too. But attempting to change the direction of your sexual attractions is not the solution. While God absolutely gave me a new and complete desire for a woman, that was after many years of pursuing Christ as I lived out the truth of Matthew 16:24, denying myself and following Him. [Read more...]
Greeting From Another Freedom Conference Speaker: Christopher Yuan!
May 8, 2012 by
Christopher Yuan will be speaking in the Thursday morning general session at this year’s “Made For More” Conference in St. Paul, MN. Christopher Yuan is passionate minister with a heart for those working through issues of sexuality and those living with HIV/AIDS. He teaches at Moody Bible Institute and speaks locally and internationally to youth, on college campuses, in churches and in prisons. His speaking ministry – where he testifies about how God has changed his life from that of a drug dealer and a homosexual to a sought out speaker and bible teacher – has reached four continents worldwide. Christopher also serves on the Love Won Out conference team. Christopher co-authored a book with his mother, Angela Yuan, entitled Out of a Far Country. Watch his greeting below and join us for this year’s Freedom Conference from June 27th through June 30th at Northwestern College St Paul, MN!
You can register today, or get more information, by clicking here.
Brain, Don’t Talk Like That!
May 2, 2012 by
Who you are determines what you do. But so many times we view it backwards—what we do and what others say about or do to us determines who we are. At birth we have about 2500 synapses per neuron in the cerebral cortex—which plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness. A few years later there are about 15,000 synapses per neuron. As we age, these growing synapses are pruned—eliminating weak connections and preserving stronger ones. In essence, our brains are literally molded by our experiences and are capable of change throughout our lives. It makes sense why name-calling, rejection, abuse, alienation, and a host of other painful events sear negative data onto the synapses of our brains. Yes, the molding capability that experiences have on our clay-like brains can be detrimental. But the good news is, our brains are ever changing, and with new experiences our synapses change and get pruned. (What great evidence of God’s power to renew our minds in biology!)
What happens to us informs who we are (although, we often allow circumstances to dictate who we are). I can’t tell you that life events—painful or joyful—won’t impact your identity, because they do. Sexual abuse, peer alienation, a distant father, spending a summer in amazing Utah, and receiving several accolades for vocal performance have all informed who I am today. I’d look a bit different if none of these occurrences had happened. I’d relate to and sympathize with others differently, and my perception of the world would vary slightly. But, though my life experience has informed who I am, it does not dictate my identity.
I stayed away from deep connection for several years. Sometimes I wondered how I had any friendships at all. I didn’t trust people and I thought I was equivalent to waste—only meant for a garbage heap. I called myself worthless, so why would I pursue relationship I didn’t deserve? I called myself effeminate, so why would I even attempt to try “manly” things? I called myself insecure, so why would I take risk at all? These were all names I called myself based on a build up of embedded negative data in my brain from all the painful experiences that hurt me. The synapses grew stronger and stronger, and I gave in to believing nothing could change. I called myself unchangeable and continued on with the same old broken experiences, constantly molding my brain into its same old defeated self. [Read more...]
A Lamenter’s Hope
May 1, 2012 by
My feelings have gotten me into trouble numerous times. Feelings of envy influenced bad purchasing habits. Sadness and depression nudged me to forms of medication that left me emptier than before. Hopelessness and fear made me want to throw in the towel so often. Constant battles with temptations and attractions I didn’t want called for me to give in to them and embrace their power. I spent many days and nights lamenting what I lacked, suffered, and couldn’t push through. The hopelessness and dead-end solutions came from an unsteady foundation. I stood shakily in adversity—relying on human solutions instead of God as my portion.
I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:19-24
The poems of Lamentations were written at a time when the Jews had witnessed massive destruction of Jerusalem and their lives. Nebuchadnezzar, the Chaldean king, captured Jerusalem and ordered it to be demolished. Mixed with grief and sadness over the devastation, the Jews felt utterly rejected by God. The author of Lamentations, presumed to be Jeremiah, lamented of all the strife and pain his people had experienced up to this point in the book. Affliction gave way to hope as Jeremiah remembered the boundless mercy and compassion of God. Hope was ignited in the revelation that God was his portion—nothing else. Because of God’s great love, he had hope.
Hope is unwavering when placed in the right person. [Read more...]
Boasting in the Cross
April 25, 2012 by
Last week we posted a link to a video of Jon Tyson and the cross in culture. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to check it out. At one point, Tyson said this:
Because of the cross we hear God say, “I loved you when you were my enemy.”
It’s so hard to grasp the magnitude of God’s love for us. In many ways it doesn’t make sense. We try so often to bring everything down to an earthly level so we can understand and grasp ideas or beliefs. But God’s power and love is so transcendent of our current reality that the heavy dosage of love He pours out for us can be hard to swallow.
But if ever we needed actual proof of the love He so constantly professes, we find it in the cross. I love Tyson’s statement. We were enemies of God—separated, cut off, and rebellious. However, knowing His own creation, He knew we couldn’t cross enemy lines and surrender completely without a sacrifice. Out of God’s infinite love for us, even while were still sinners, Christ—God in the flesh—died the most horrifying death on our behalf.
The cross is not only a proclamation of love. It’s also a definition of value and worth. Christ died not only to save us, but because He wanted us for himself. He wanted us to be restored to right relationship with God. He wants us.
Do you ever struggle with feeling wanted? Wondering if someone really cares? Just remember the cross and what it means for you. It’s a violent showcase of God’s desire and love for you in spite of your sin. Though God’s love is so transcendent, He brought it to our level of human understanding with the very real sacrifice of His son on a criminal’s cross.
That is worth boasting about! If ever in doubt of feeling loved or wanted, always look to the cross. What happened there is THE most loving thing ever to be done on your behalf. Boast in the cross, boast in the merciful hand of God, and boast in the fact that if you claim Him as Savior you have new life. All of this done because you are LOVED.
Greeting from Freedom Conference Speaker Mary DeMuth!
April 24, 2012 by
Mary DeMuth will be speaking in the Thursday evening general session at this year’s “Made For More” Conference in St. Paul, MN. She’ll be talking about what it means to be living an uncaged freedom-loving life. Mary has authored several books, one based on her personal story of surviving sexual abuse called Thin Places. We are excited and honored to have her join us this year. Watch her greeting below and join us for this year’s Freedom Conference from June 27th through June 30th at Northwestern College St Paul, MN!
You can register today, or get more information, by clicking here.
The Cross In Culture
April 19, 2012 by
“The cross is one of our most robust, timeless, cultural symbols. No matter how dark our culture may grow, it just won’t go away. Artists mock the cross, Christians boast in it, others ignore it. But after 2000 years, it continues to define our faith. Is it a sign of offense, grace, or a window into a whole new order of things? Jon Tyson, author of Rumors of God and Pastor of Trinity Grace Church NYC, helps us see the counter-cultural message of the cross in a new way.”
Focusing on the true meaning of the cross and why we should boast in it, Tyson exhorts us to live out of the reality of the cross through the way we view ourselves, each other, the world around us, and even the mission field for the Kingdom. The cross not only eliminates our shame but is a testament to God’s affirmation the He chose us! It’s a 20 minute video, but definitely worth watching. Check it out here.
Delusion of Strength
April 17, 2012 by
I have been reading a book on the topic of marriage called, “What Did You Expect?” by Paul David Tripp. The portion I read recently said that we do not suffer in our marriages due to an acknowledgment of weakness, but due to a delusion of strength. Wow! You see, we were not created to be autonomous; we were created to be dependent—dependent on our Creator God.
This is a principle that applies to all areas of life. Whether you are trying to have a successful marriage, lose weight, excel in your work or even trying to find victory in the midst of ongoing same-sex attractions, we need help.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5
BUT, we do not like to acknowledge that we need help. Sounds like pride, doesn’t it? Weakness is not something that is valued. We don’t want to be perceived as weak or needy. But, we then place ourselves in a situation where we don’t get the help and support we really DO need. As a result we also don’t allow people in our lives the opportunity to bless, support and love us. How many times have you heard about someone who was really hurting, but refused to call because they didn’t want to bother you? Doesn’t that upset you? As if we are too self-absorbed to reach out and care for someone other than ourselves.
So, in this season be released from a pressure to go it alone—to “white knuckle” it in isolation. Ask for help and, most importantly pursue God. We were made for communion and fellowship with Him. And yes, for dependency. Self-sufficiency will not get you where you want to be. Trust, depend and rely on the Lord. He can handle the weight of your situation or challenge. Let His strength sustain you.
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