CASTIMONIA

Sexual Purity Support & Recovery Group

worship

By

Recovery as Worship

By KW

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1 (NIV) 

For so long, recovery and sexual purity (for me) was all about what not to do with my body. Don’t lust with my eyes. Don’t watch pornography. Don’t feel sexual feelings. It makes sense why I thought that, after all, sexual addiction is an act of worship of sex with my body — just not worship of God but of pleasure; I can’t worship God and sex at the same time. But Romans 12:1 seems to be instructing me on what to do with my body when it comes to worship. It’s showing me how in the same way I used my body to worship pleasure, I can use my body to worship God — with my words, meeting attendance, physical exercise, reading the Bible, journaling, acts of service, and yes, even my sexual sobriety. When I choose to not take a second glance, that recovery moment becomes my sacrifice to God. When I choose to resist the urge to watch porn and reach out for help, that recovery moment becomes my fragrant offering. When I choose not to shame myself for being created as a sexual being, but rather give thanks to God for redeeming my sexuality, that recovery moment becomes an act of worship. 

Prayer: Today, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will offer every part of myself to you, O Father, as an offering of gratitude, and I thank you that when I surrender my body to you, my recovery, more than a burdensome checklist, becomes an act of worship. 

By

Prodigal – Saturday at 5:30 pm

Inbetween
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7

After I hit my own rock bottom, God gave me a choice: obey Him or don’t. No inbetween. I spent so much of my life skirting the edge, giving an overt nod to God in appearance but not in reality. When God brought me to the end of myself, He didn’t give me any wiggle room. My only options were to obey or not. 

So I did. I disclosed all my junk. I started attending recovery meetings. I found a sponsor, began working the twelve steps. Actually went to counseling with a counselor who would hold me to my word, even when my word sucked. I recognized my powerlessness. Agreed that only God could restore me to sanity and then promised to turn over my life and will to Him. To obey. 

Step four required that I take a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself. By doing so, I faced all my flaws, my defects of character, and my ingrained fears. I obeyed God by opening myself up to Him. So what now?

My counselor, Ken, drew a chart for me. A cross, actually. He put me right at the center, with my wife on the right and my kids on the left. He explained that God’s love for my wife and family flowed through me to them. When my vertical relationship with Him was broken, it negatively impacted my wife and kids. Damn, that didn’t feel good to hear. Ken reminded me to obey God and repair that vertical relationship. Only then would I see God’s impact on my wife and kids through me. 

The inbetween time stunk. I had to build trust in Him, even when I couldn’t see the results or know the timing. After three years, I’m a work in progress. He didn’t take my character defects, fears, flaws all away. A lot of them remain, but some of them don’t. Some of them disappeared over time…my pride, selfishness, identity in my job. Others require me to trust Him and depend on His strength. Things like my economic insecurity, concern for my boys and their relationship with God, my deep seeded resentments. 

Life for me continues inbetween…inbetween my obedience and His deliverance. In that time, in the now, my trust grows. Notice I said grows…not finished. Grows…still in progress.

How do you handle the inbetween? Do you trust Him without seeing the results? Have you decided to obey and develop trust later? 

This week, Sean leads us in a message of the inbetween. Join us on Saturday in expectation of His deliverance on Sunday.

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 pm
Location: 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! – Keith B.

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

Prodigal tonight at 5:30 pm

Join us Tonight at 5:30 pm 

Join us tonight as we continue examining how only He can restore us to sanity!

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. Tonight, Cedric will lead us in teaching, we will have impactful worship, and a time of exploring His love for us.

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.

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

Prodigal tonight at 5:30 pm

Who do you report to?

What do you do when you wake up? My wife grabs her phone and starts reading the news. I usually check my phone calendar to see what my day looks like. Then I check the weather so I can plan on what to wear. After I do that, I thumb through my overnight emails, wondering if I will actually get to follow what is on my calendar or if some other issue is going to take over my day. That’s how we start in my house. I think a lot of people start the same way. 

Sunday, my pastor talked about God. Shocking, right? A pastor talking about God! I digress. He reminded me, along with everyone else there, of Genesis 1:1.  

    “In the beginning, God…”

Yeah, the beginning. The same God who spoke the world into existence. The one who owns everything. He also reminded me of God’s purpose from John 3:16. You know, that whole part about sending His only Son for me, to bring peace and life. 

I expected the normal pastor speak, an invitation, an altar call. The usual urging bordering on guilt to just say yes to Jesus…NOW…before it’s too late! Sorry, I can be a bit cynical. Thankfully, this guy continually surprises me. He took it another direction. He asked us the same question I asked at the beginning.  What do you do when you wake up? Weird, huh?  He continued by pointing out that how you start your day usually decides who controls your day.

Who controls your day? Who controls your life? Who do you report to? As I thought about my day, my priorities, my life…I had a whole host of answers. The answers weren’t always God. Sometimes my schedule controls my day. I am a freak about time. I hate being late. Schedule and time become God to me. Sometimes my job is my God, sometimes it’s my self. Many times it’s myself. When myself is my God, my God isn’t. 

Step one reminds me that when my self is in charge, my life is a mess. Unmanageable. Powerless to addiction. I have a great history of reporting to my self and falling flat on my face. Hurting my spouse, family, loved ones…and yes, myself. 

God doesn’t fall flat. He doesn’t damage us. He keeps His word. He can’t lie, steal, manipulate, disappoint. He’s God. Since the beginning. Since always. So who do you report to…and who can you trust? Certainly not me. God. He’s God, after all.
 Join us this week for incredible music, a testimony of redemption, and great teaching from God’s Word…all from a heart for recovery in Katy.

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! 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.