God is moving in CR

By: Kareena Holloway, Fellowship Bible Church NWA, Celebrate Recovery, Women's Encourager Coach 4/25/18   ​ "Let's pray real quick."  I've said that before,  many times.  One day,  though,  I got to thinking about that,  and wondered "Why am I making prayer something seemingly shoehorned into my life?" I like it when God gives me those little wakeup calls.  He wants me to remember the importance ,  the significance ,  and the preciousness of prayer.   Prayer is  important  because it is a communication line between us and God that can even be understood if all you have is groanings.  Romans 8:26 (ESV)s ays : "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."   Prayer is  significant  because it is how we request help from our Heavenly Father ...

Written by:  Rodney Holmstrom, Celebrate Recovery National Director West,  Fellowship NWA Celebrate Recovery Ministry Leader What Are You Chasing? "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   Jeremiah 29:11 Someone once said,  "When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you."  I was reflecting this AM on how blessed we are to have the tools of Celebrate Recovery in our life that help us to stop chasing the wrong things that only lead to dead ends in our life. And boy, did I chase some ugly toads in my day. Sure, they promised a hope and a future, but all those  "wrong"  things I chased for so long only led to greater pain and destruction in my life.   Today, through CR, we can now choose something better, can't we? We can choose Christ every ...

By Carl Kimbro, Fellowship Bible Church CR Devotional team member 4/11/2018 Is God at the Center of my Recovery? Usually, we start our sharing by saying something like “I am a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who struggles with (fill in the blank) and my name is (fill in the blank)”. What does it mean to us personally when we say “I am a grateful believer in Jesus Christ”? We know it signifies that He is in control of our lives and our recovery. But I have to ask myself (and maybe you can ask yourself, too), do I really approach my recovery as grateful? Addiction, depression, divorce, and other things can send our lives spinning out of control. Coping becomes a full-time job. We try to hide it from others and just attempt to make it through the day. In desperation and fear, we call out to God for help. With Jesus at the center of our recovery we can put our trust in God as David did in Psalm 28:7 when he said “ The Lord is my strength and my shield, in Him my heart trusts...

By Susan Nichols, Fellowship Bible Church CR Devotional team member 4/4/2018 Learning How to Wait Well I once knew a couple who wanted a baby more than anything. They prayed earnestly and waited patiently for God to provide. There were times when they stood firm in their faith and times they wondered if they'd actually heard God promise them a child. Finally, when God decided the time was right, they had a son. They waited 18 long years to hold the answer to their prayers. Have you ever dreamed of something that seemed forever out of your reach? Have you felt the sting of the delayed answer to prayer? The Bible is packed with stories of people who waited on God. Here are just a few: 1 Samuel tells the story of Hannah, whose womb had been closed by the Lord. "... year after year ..." Hannah remained barren until, at last, God allowed her to have a son--Samuel (vv. 3-8). David waited 11 years from the time of his anointing by Samuel (1 Samuel  16:13 ) till he be...