CASTIMONIA

Sexual Purity Support & Recovery Group

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Unfair

Keith B. – NotUnknown.com

Life isn’t fair. Shocker, right? Maybe we should approach life with this philosophy. We can only trust God. Only, God doesn’t operate under my definition of fair either. Trustworthy, yes. Fair, not so much. Well, not my definition of fair.

Webster defines fair as “marked by impartiality and honesty : free from self-interest, prejudice, or favoritism.” That explanation of fairness doesn’t align with my view of the world. I have come to expect to NOT be treated honestly and with impartiality. Whether at work, personal relationships, and in any interactions with other people.

Joseph knew all about being treated unfairly. His own brothers sold him into slavery, lied to his father about him being killed by a wild animal, and held on to that story for years. His employer’s wife accused him of sexual misconduct, protecting herself and her own depravity. His fellow prisoner whom he helped forgot him for two years, despite the promises he made to Joseph to remember him when released.

This week, my oldest son learned about unfairness. He came face to face with the harsh reality that all who tell you they have your best interests as their top priority can’t be trusted, even university professors and leaders. Even leaders in those positions will take credit for your work and seek to profit from it.

How do we respond when we know life is unfair? We turn to the only one we can trust. Genesis 39:21 states, “But the Lord was with Joseph and Joseph lived like he knew the Lord was with him.” Joseph knew all about unfairness. His circumstances testified to skepticism and lack of trust for others, including family. So Joseph trusted God.

Step 3 reminds me that God is the only one to whom I can trust with my life and my will. Romans 8:28 reminds us why: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Who can you trust today?

By

Prodigal Tonight!

We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God, as we understood God. – Step 3

Turning my life and will over to the care of God, for me, requires actual engagement with God. Spending time together. Getting to know Him. And being open with Him. Something new for me these past three years. Like with my wife and kids.

For much of my marriage, especially the last years before recovery, I would describe my participation as a husband, father and friend as…disengaged. That’s probably being kind. That kind of disengagement led to relationships with my wife and kids that stagnated, suffered, and didn’t grow. 

My relationship with God deteriorated as well. Not participating, not engaging, led to one way communication – God trying to get my attention, me not listening. 

What is the state of your relationship with our Father? Are you nurturing it, being transparent? Making yourself available? 

Join us this week as Brian H leads us.

What to expect: we are a service of recovery and a community of hope. Expect impactful worship songs, a time of celebration and sharing of our milestones, and a testimony of spiritual awakening. 

When: Every Saturday at 5:30 pmLocation: The Fellowship (in the Loft), 22765 Westheimer Pkwy, Katy, TX 77450Childcare is available. Pre-notification is not necessary but is requested. For more information about childcare, email us info@theprodigals.org.

Give:  We need your support! Give to the Prodigal. Use your smart phone and text your donation. Send a text to 28950, and type the keyword PROD, a space and the amount you wish to give. You will receive a text response for your name, address and account information for one-time registration. An email confirmation will be sent to confirm your donation. Next time, you simply send a text with the amount – and it’s complete.

Come home, prodigals! – Keith B.Copyright © 2019 Prodigal, All rights reserved. 
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. 

Our mailing address is: 
Prodigal22765 Westheimer Pkwy,Katy, TX  77450
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Volunteer for Prodigal – NEED YOUR HELP

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT!!!!!!!!! 

We only need 18 more peeps….. COME JOIN US!!!!  If you can recruit some family/friends to come that would be awesome…  WE NEED BODIES!!!

  • There is NO COST
  • It’s a FUN Time
  • It’s MAKING a DIFFERENCE!

Please respond to me at sean.granere@creativeplanning.com and let me know if you can join me WE MUST HAVE 50 FOLKS!

Event: Feed the Hungry

When: Friday March 1st

Time: 7:30 – 9:30

Location: The Pavillon – Katy ISA in Katy TX, 6301 S. Stadium Lane Katy, TX 77494. 

 “SHINE”  video to see an overview of the Feed the Hunger Mission.

 https://vimeo.com/253321000

 Katy Packathon – Feed the Hunger

www.feedthehunger.org

As you have likely heard, the Feed the Hunger Packathon is coming back to the Katy area February 28–March 2, 2019!  PLEASE mark your calendars now and rally your teams! There are five shifts taking place over three days at The Pavillon—Katy ISD in Katy, TX.  You are invited to once again come help us package nutritious meals for hungry children around the world and, more importantly, help spread the Gospel! 

Session 3: Friday, March 1st, 7:30pm-9:30pm

Each participant will serve for about two hours and package around 200 meals, which is enough food to feed one child lunch for up to an entire school year!  Each meal costs only $0.28, so your $56 contribution will also help sponsor the meals and ensure they get on the plates of those who need it most. You can purchase a station with a team of 25 people for $1400.00.

Thanks,

Sean 

Sean Granere

Managing Director

sean.granere@creativeplanning.com

By

Prodigal tonight at 5:30 pm

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. – John 15:2
 
I am a Southerner. I wear shorts 10 months out of the year. I love college football. Ole Miss and Oxford, MS are just short of heaven. The only really good writers and musicians are from the South. Do I really need to make a list? When my wife and I lived in the Northeast US for a period of time, people would ask me to repeat things like “orange juice” and “y’all,” which I would happily do because I knew they were thinking “dumb redneck.” We Southerners like being underestimated.
 
As a true Southerner, we like our yards, flower beds, plants, and especially our trees. Walk through the piney woods of Mississippi and tell me you don’t see God. My wife and I are especially fond of crepe myrtle trees. We both think they epitomize beauty and hospitality. Crepe myrtles are the subject of a very contentious debate among we Southerners (we like feuds). The debate hinges on whether you should prune them or not. Pruning “deniers” call this crepe myrtylcide. I happen to agree with the authority on all things Southern, Southern Living Magazine, which states:
 
“Late winter (right now) is the best time to prune a crepe myrtle, because it’s leafless and you can easily see all of the branches. It also blooms on new growth, so pruning now won’t reduce blooming. In fact, it may increase it.”
 
To produce new growth, to bear new fruit, to bloom – I have to subject my life to God’s pruning. Throughout my years of separation from Him, I found only He could restore me to sanity. Living in recovery means opening my life daily to His pruning…and His restoration. 
– Keith B.

Join us this week as Kim leads us through John 15:1-8, Nick D. shares his testimony, and as always, expect some incredible music …all from a heart for recovery in Katy.
What to expect: we are a service of recovery and a community of hope. Expect impactful worship songs, a time of celebration and sharing of our milestones, and a testimony of spiritual awakening. 

When: Every Saturday at 5:30 pmLocation: The Fellowship (in the Loft), 22765 Westheimer Pkwy, Katy, TX 77450

Childcare is available. Pre-notification is not necessary but is requested. For more information about childcare, email us info@theprodigals.org.

Give:  We need your support! Give to the Prodigal. Use your smart phone and text your donation. Send a text to 28950, and type the keyword PROD, a space and the amount you wish to give. You will receive a text response for your name, address and account information for one-time registration. An email confirmation will be sent to confirm your donation. Next time, you simply send a text with the amount – and it’s complete.

Come home, prodigals!Copyright © 2019 Prodigal, All rights reserved. 
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. 

Our mailing address is: 
Prodigal22765 Westheimer Pkwy,Katy, TX  77450
Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. 

By

Pruning

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. – John 15:2

I am a Southerner. I wear shorts 10 months out of the year. I love college football. Ole Miss and Oxford, MS are just short of heaven. The only really good writers and musicians are from the South. Do I really need to make a list? When my wife and I lived in the Northeast US for a period of time, people would ask me to repeat things like “orange juice” and “y’all,” which I would happily do because I knew they were thinking “dumb redneck.” We Southerners like being underestimated.

As a true Southerner, we like our yards, flower beds, plants, and especially our trees. Walk through the piney woods of Mississippi and tell me you don’t see God. My wife and I are especially fond of crepe myrtle trees. We both think they epitomize beauty and hospitality. Crepe myrtles are the subject of a very contentious debate among we Southerners (we like feuds). The debate hinges on whether you should prune them or not. Pruning “deniers” call this crepe myrtylcide. I happen to agree with the authority on all things Southern, Southern Living Magazine, which states:

“Late winter (right now) is the best time to prune a crepe myrtle, because it’s leafless and you can easily see all of the branches. It also blooms on new growth, so pruning now won’t reduce blooming. In fact, it may increase it.”

To produce new growth, to bear new fruit, to bloom – I have to subject my life to God’s pruning. Throughout my years of separation from Him, I found only He could restore me to sanity. Living in recovery means opening my life daily to His pruning…and His restoration. Drawing close to Him by recognizing God as the only one who can restore me means openness to His authority.

What insanity is running unchecked in your life? Have you realized you are powerless to control it? Does it control you? Have you tried to stop over and over again only to slide right back into what you swore you would never do again. Don’t let that shame rule your psyche. Admit you are powerless, your life has become unmanageable. Then take the second step. Realize only God can restore you to sanity by pruning the unmanageable from you. His intervention is often painful but always necessary…so that you will bear more fruit.

Keith B. – NotUnknown.com