God is moving in CR

By: Carl Kimbro, Fellowshp Bible Church CR brother, 12/27/2017 Do you have Childlike Faith? My granddaughters pray trusting that God answers prayer. They don’t pray hoping He answers, they  expect  He will answer. I don’t want them to be disappointed, so I say things like “God hears you, but He  doesn’t  always answer the way we want him too”. Yet, their simple faith has proven me wrong. Camp War Eagle drop off day came and it was raining. I told B. that I was sorry her first day at camp was  ruined . She replied “It won’t rain all day. I asked God to make it stop so all the campers could have fun”.  Once again, I tried to soften the blow. Drop off time came and it suddenly (and I mean suddenly) stopped raining. It stayed that way the rest of the day. I was excited for B. and had already forgotten her  prayer . But she told me “God answered my prayer.” No doubt in her mind at all. Her faith in prayer  made  me re-examine my pr...

By Carol Holmstrom,  Celebrate Recovery  National Assimilation Coach, December 20, 2017 A little over 25 years ago, we were anticipating the birth of our first child. It was a difficult pregnancy and there were many concerns that he would be born prematurely. Even though he was born a little before his due date, I remember being so thankful that the timing of his birth was perfect. Looking back, the months we waited for the birth of our son were short, but at that time, it seemed like an eternity. I can't imagine the anticipation of Elizabeth and Zechariah awaiting the miraculous birth of their son, John. They knew that he would  " be called a prophet of the Most High, for you (John) will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him."  ( Luke 1:76 ) . As a parent, I have had many days of anticipating what my children would become. How incredible it must have been for Elizabeth and Zechariah to know that their so...

B y Kareena Holloway, Fellowship Bible Church NWA, CR Women's Encourager Coach, 12/13/2017 “ No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other,  or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money . Matthew 6:24 NIV How's your heart this Christmas season?  There's so much going on with all the parties, the celebrating, the gifts, the decorating, the cooking....so how's your heart?  Are you feeling  H URT E XHAUSTED A NGRY R ESENTFUL, or  T ENSE? If you are feeling any of these, take a moment and pray about it with God.  Ask Him to recenter you around the "why" of Christmas.   The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with G...

By: Carl Kimbro, Fellowshp Bible Church CR brother, 12/06/2017 What's YOUR Net Worth? When asked this question, we add up our bank account, stocks, home value, and any other assets we have. We review our jobs and our earning potential. It's the natural reaction living in a society that values success and physical appearance above all else. As a result, we might feel like we don't measure up because we don't have those things society views as important. Or maybe we have been put down by others and have low self-esteem. Maybe we just plain feel unloved and unlovable. When we feel like we don't measure up, we can quickly turn to destructive habits and addictions to find the satisfaction and happiness we seek. Soon we find ourselves locked in a destructive behavior that leads to isolation and loneliness. The feeling of failure keeps us from seeking help because we think that  "no one cares anyway" So we might as wel...

By: Carl Kimbro, Fellowship Bible Church CR brother, 11/29/2017 “How is your soul”? Chip Jackson often asks this same question. It’s an important question and one that we need to think about. Every person was created for a relationship with God. A lost world who ignores God does not believe this. So they search for something to fill the aching in their soul. They try finding it in relationships, jobs, money, drugs, alcohol, and a host of other things. They never find happiness, and continually search for that “thing” that will bring peace. But what about Christians who believe in God? Do we have true fellowship with God, or do we also look for ways to fill the ache in our soul outside of God? Most of us could say we use “things” to fill that ache. The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way, and a healthy prayer life is one of the easiest ways to have a close relationship with God. Be Humble and Seek God in Prayer God wants us t...

B y Kareena Holloway, Fellowship Bible Church NWA, CR Encourager Coach, 11/22/2017 With Thanksgiving fast upon us, it's a time when there are get-togethers, good food, and lots of reminiscing.  Some of that reminiscing is good and some of it bad..some of it may even be mostly bad right now considering what you're going through.  It's tough times like that when you may catch yourself having trouble feeling very thankful.  Your feelings are valid.  Your anger may even be righteous.  What is important, though, is that we don't set up camp and get "comfortable" with the negativity that comes with not being thankful.  The enemy would rather have you focus on your hurts and angers rather than focus on anything good ..at all!  It's time right now to quiet those voices and invite God to assure you of a few things.   Truths to be thankful for: Even in the darkest of times,   HE IS THERE    Whe...

By Susan Nichols, Fellowship Bible Church CR sister, November 15, 2017 “ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to  him, ‘So shall your offspring be. ’ ” (Romans 4:18, NIV) Forgotten.                 Forsaken.   These are the two words I used to describe how I felt during a difficult time of my life.  One hardship followed another until I felt absolutely buried by circumstances. Where was God? It seemed as if He had abandoned me. I looked and looked for some sign of Him but saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing. Did He even hear my prayers? Why wasn’t He answering me? I know we all sometimes feel overtaken by troubles. We all have moments when mobilizing our faith is a struggle. Even Abraham at first laughed inwardly at the thought of he and Sarah having a child (Genesis 17:17), but let’s look more closely at Abraham, whose faith God cred...

By Kareena Holloway, Fellowship Bible Church NWA, CR Encourager Coach, 11/8/2017 ​ "Train up a child in the way he should go;  even when he is old he will not depart from it." -Proverbs 22:6 "I love being able to learn about the Bible at Celebration Place. We learn lessons from the Bible which teaches us about Jesus's love, forgiveness, and grace. I  also love to sing songs and help lead worship with Miss Melanie and Miss Madilyn. I LOVE CP!" That's a direct quote from my 9-year old daughter who has been with CP since she was 2 years old.  My husband and I are so incredibly thankful for  Celebrate Recovery being a family ministry which offers care and helpful, Biblical life-teaching for all ages.  Many men and women can come and freely give their hurts, habits, and hang-ups to God   here  while knowing that their children of all ages are much more than just cared for.  They are accepted and loved, cherished and taught Biblical ...

By Carl Kimbro, our brother in Christ at Fellowship Bible Church NWA Celebrate Recovery “Before I bring my need I will bring my heart and seek you. Before I lift my cares I will lift my arms. Before I speak a word, let me hear your voice. In the midst of pain let me feel your joy.” I love music because so many songs tell my story. These words from the Lauren Daigle song “First” are very convicting for me. I pray often to God, but almost always seeking something. Very little of my prayers seek a strong relationship with Him. I feel justified to pray in this manner. After all, life can be overwhelming. I didn’t ask to have my life turned upside down with the girls. I had big plans that may never come true. I’m not happy at times and if God wants what’s best for me, then He should be only too happy to fix it for me. But is that what scripture tells me my prayer life should be like? 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us: “ Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing; give thanks in all cir...

By Tim Kelley: Fellowship Bible Church NWA Celebrate Recovery Training Coach ​ To me, this is one of the most powerful verses in God’s Word. It speaks to me so loudly of the Father’s love for us.   First He has “blessed us with every Spiritual blessing” (from the NLT version) because we are in Christ.  Second, it speaks of the Father’s desire for us.  Before He created anything else you and I were on His mind. Say that to yourself right now “Before anything else was created, I, was on the Father’s mind”.  There is so much weight behind that statement. You and I were not “afterthoughts” or a secondary idea.  No!!  There was intention from the beginning, before there was a beginning, for us  by  the Father. He wanted you and He wanted me to know, to experience His love you and me.  You and I were the Father’s choice!!  We are not Plan B, were are what He has been focused on before everything began.   Third, thi...

By Susan Nichols, Fellowship Bible Church CR sister, October 18th, 2017 “ After dark, I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal’s Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but my donkey couldn’t get through the rubble. ”—Nehemiah 2:13-14 (NLT) “ Then the people of Judah began to complain, ‘The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves. ’”—Nehemiah 4:10 (NLT) The book of Nehemiah tells the story of a defeated Jerusalem. The holy city has fallen, its walls destroyed and gates burned. Nehemiah, a cupbearer to the King of Persia, hears of the desolate condition of the city and its inhabitants. He is distressed by the news and returns to Israel to begin the work of rebuilding the walls that once protected the children of God. I imagine that Nehemiah watched the peop...