Living
Waters is a Christ-centered
discipleship/ministry program for men and women seeking healing in areas of
sexual and relational brokenness including pornography addiction, codependency,
sexual addiction, homosexuality, sexual ambivalence, childhood sexual abuse,
transgender issues, and difficulty in establishing and sustaining healthy
relationships.
Here are some powerful testimonies from participants who had their lives changed in the Living Waters program through the power of Jesus Christ. These quotes are used with the permission of the participants.
I no longer feel like a disappointment to God. I run to Him instead of from Him when I’m struggling.
A male participant
It is a process, but God brought me awareness and healing beyond anything I could hope for.
A female participant
I didn’t know what to expect. I learned things about myself that I never knew. The teachings were very relevant and well planned. I now have the relationship with God that I have always strived for.
A male participant
One
of my main goals in Living Waters was to eliminate and recognize relationship
triggers that cause me to do self-destructive behavior. I now recognize my
triggers and see ways that I set myself up to fall. I can change directions
now.
A female participant
For me, the most powerful part of Living Waters was having the opportunity to have a look at myself and my life and really ask the difficult questions I have been afraid of asking. I understood things about my upbringing that gave me an “ah-ha” insight as to where certain patterns originated. It is a great step towards self-awareness in areas that are instrumental in breaking down intimacy barriers between others and God.
A male participant
I came to Living Waters once again skeptical about how it could really work for me. Since I was an alumnus I knew it would help me to an extent. After committing myself to going, I once again felt healthier and on a road to healing. The small group especially encouraged me in my walk with the Lord by listening and praying me through many difficulties I had. After recently coming out of another broken relationship I could meet people who had “Jesus on” weekly. These guys came along side me to exhort, encourage and direct my steps in Christ. Without the structure of Living Waters in my life I could have easily stayed in my sin consistently, probably over long periods of time. But Jesus worked through the teachers in the program once again to bring me to a whole place. Praise Jesus.
A male participant
Learning More the Second Time through Living Waters…
This was my
second year in Living Waters. Last year, I stood up and spoke about the
wonderful healing and freedom God brought me during my first experience in
Living Waters – freedom from the shame of sexual abuse that was so painful. For
years I had pushed the incident down rather than let that painful memory into my
thoughts. During the second or third meeting
last
year, God completely delivered me from that shame. I can now talk about that
incident boldly and share it with others as a way of telling them, “Jesus set me
free, and He can set you free too.”
God took me to a deeper level this year. He really challenged me to relinquish so much ground to Him, particularly in the areas of addiction and how I relate with my husband. What I learned last year, God asked me to embrace, internalize, and apply more deeply to my life this year. I want to tell you, I fought it! I’ve been told I have a “warrior spirit”, but sometimes our strengths are also our weaknesses, and I fought it, especially in the beginning.
And so it went… when I resisted, God was faithful to show me the truth of myself. Sometimes this was painful. Especially painful is the truth of the anger and disrespect I have shown toward my husband, a pattern of behavior I learned as a child from observing my angry mom and my alcoholic dad. But no matter where I learned it, I am an adult and responsible for my own behavior. This was a new revelation last year, and this year I was able to ask for prayer to be freed in this area of brokenness. This year God has shown me my inability to trust and fully love my husband. God is teaching me to stay in the conscious awareness of my thoughts and words. My reactions and responses to my husband are better now than a year ago, but I know this is an ongoing process and I need to continue to daily seek God’s help.
A female participant
Read more testimonies on the “Life Stories” section at www.recmin.org. To find out how you can join others who have found freedom in Christ through Living Waters, call 586.739.5114.
What
Is Living Waters?
Craig Beickelman, Troy Living Waters Coordinator
Living Waters is a 24-week program that focuses on the root issues behind sexual and relational problems. Most of the time people focus on the surface problem like an addiction to pornography and miss the underlining issues that are driving the addiction. It is like weeding your yard or garden. If you simply pluck the surface plant, it will come back again. To get rid of a weed, you have to dig it out by the roots. It is the same way with the sexual and relational issues in our lives. It is not enough to just address these behaviors; we have to get to the roots behind the behaviors.
Living
Waters is for men and women who are struggling with sexual and relationship
issues like
codependency, pornography addiction, promiscuity, homosexuality,
sexual ambivalence, childhood sexual abuse, transgender issues, difficulty in
establishing and sustaining intimacy in relationships, and more. Whether you
are struggling with heterosexual or homosexual issues, you can find the help you
need in the Living Waters program and beginning to walk in Biblical sexual and
relational wholeness.
The Living Water’s program focuses on the Cross of Jesus Christ as our hope and source of change as we look at the root issues that are behind many of our struggles. At each Living Water’s session we have a time of worship, a time of teaching, and a time of small group ministry and support. Healing comes as we honestly face the issues of our lives and embrace Jesus as our healer. The safe and supportive environment of Living Waters helps to facilitate the openness and transparency needed in the healing process.
Living Waters was truly the catalyst to start my own healing process. I had tried counselors, deliverance, pastors, and more to get some help for my same sex attraction issues. It was not until I went through the Living Water’s program that I found people who understood me and gave me the hope that I could change. It isn’t an easy program, but it is well worth the challenges and difficulties that you have to walk through.
If you would like more information about Reconciliation Ministries, or any of the ministries we offer, visit us on the Web at www.recmin.org, or call (586) 739-5114. You may also e-mail us at info@recmin.org. All correspondence will be kept strictly confidential.
Our office is located at 25410 Kelly Road, in Roseville, Michigan 48066.
Reconciliation Ministries is an affiliate ministry of Exodus International, and uses many of the programs written by Desert Stream Ministries.
© Reconciliation Ministries 2011