God is moving in CR

By Amanda Allen, Celebrate Recovery Devotional team member, 10/31/18 I’ve been attending Celebrate Recovery for nearly 7 months and am so grateful for the impact it has already had on my life. When I first made the decision to come, I was absolutely terrified. I had no idea what to expect and was very reluctant to let my guard down. As I started attending large group, I began seeing how open and transparent the leaders and pastors at Celebrate Recovery were. I had never heard people in a leadership position be so open about their struggles. They taught lessons on things I had never heard talked about in church before. We discussed things I had always tried to mask in public, such as battles with addiction and pornography. Or even past abuse and feelings of insanity. On alternate weeks of learning lessons, I heard some truly touching testimonies of how Celebrate Recovery had impacted the people who committed to working the 12 steps and I began believing that if I kept working the prog...

By Susan Nichols, Fellowship Bible Church CR Devotional Team 10/24/2018 I don’t know where I got the idea that once I gave my life to Christ my problems would disappear.  Certainly, no one ever taught me that.  Maybe it’s because I felt so good and so relieved about finding the love and acceptance I’d been looking for.  Regardless, throughout the years it’s been an issue that I’ve had to deal with repeatedly before God, even when I’m 100% sure I’m smack dab in the middle of His will.  Maybe you’ve felt like that before? “Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through,  as if something strange were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12, NLT) Let me be specific here.  I recently returned to school to finish my college degree.  I prayed, talked with my husband, and waited for confirmation from the Lord.  Everything lined up and I was so excited to start.  One month into the semester, however, I was fall...

By Carl Kimbro, Fellowship Bible Church, CR Devotional Team, 10/17/2018 “I am a grateful believer in Jesus Christ….” I have said those words to introduce myself in a meeting  hundreds of times. They roll of my tongue quickly and easily. They are meant to show how thankful I am that  my addiction no longer controls me. These words should be said with conviction and a strong feeling of  gratitude . But are they? Safe places surrounded by fellow strugglers help me in my recovery. They provide a weekly routine that I  need. But sometimes that routine becomes more repetition then spiritual action. I have said the words “I am a  grateful believer” so many times that I say them without thinking. But recently I heard the testimony of a man  who was really grateful and it showed. It made me think about the word "grateful" more than I have in a long  time .  I asked myself: Am I truly grateful?  Do I understand what it means to be gratefu...

By Kareena Holloway, Devotional Team and CR TEAM Encourager Coach for women at Fellowship Bible Church NWA 10/10/18 Proverbs 3:5-6 says to "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight".   I think, no matter how far any of us have been in recovery, there have been those  times when we think "Oh yeah, I've TOTALLY got this!"  We start off THINKING "WOW!  I'm doing pretty well.  I've got this! " , and then .. BAM!!! Something else gets us!      " So if you think you're standing firm be careful that you don't fall ".   1 Corinthians 10:12   Now don't get me wrong here!  It is fine, even GREAT, and TOTALY ENCOURAGED to celebrate where you are and how far you have come in your recovery!  I know just as well as you do, that real lasting life change ...

By: Eric Hutchinson, Fellowship Bible Church NWA Celebrate Recovery Ministry TEAM Training Coach 10/3/18 “ Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside.  9  As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses.  10  When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents.  11  Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. ” Exodus 33:8-11 Wow, what a scene the above scripture paints.  Moses would meet God in a tent.  As he did the people of Israel would stand at the entrance to their own tent and watch.  When God descended down to the tent where Moses was waiting, the people would bow and worship God from afar....