| |
Grace Walk Fellowship
The Purpose:
To build a non judgmental fellowship base for support where each
member is accepted and affirmed for who they are so that they may be
firmly rooted and built up in Christ in order to live a free and
productive life in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Objectives:
To love one another (see 1 John 4:11).
To accept one another as Christ has accepted us (see Rom. 15:7).
To affirm one another according to who we are in Christ (see 1
John 3:1-3).
To encourage one another to walk by faith (see 2 Cor. 5:7,8).
To speak the truth in love as members of one another (see
Ephesians 4:25).
To walk in the light as He is in the light in order to have
fellowship with one another (see 1 John 1:5-9).
To pray for one another (see Ephesians 6:18).
To establish trust and confidentiality (see Proverbs 20:6, 2
Timothy 2:2).
To stand together against the father of lies (see John 8:44, 1
Timothy 4:1).
To care enough to confront one another in love (see Matthew
18:15).
Some Cautions:
Don’t play the role of the Holy Spirit in another person’s life.
It is not our ministry to change one another. Our ministry is for
reconciliation with God who has the power to change anyone (see 2
Corinthians 5:17-21).
Don’t focus on the problem; focus on the solution (see Hebrews
12:2, 3). This is not a secular therapy group that helps people cope
with their problem or become comfortable with their sin. The goal is
to resolve personal and spiritual conflicts in order to be free in
Christ.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will
set you free. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free
indeed.
(John 8:32, 36).
For we know that our old self was crucified with
him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer
be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from
sin. (Romans 6:6,7).
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
(Galatians 5:1).
How great is the love the Father has lavished on
us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The
reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1).
Questions You May Have About Grace Walk
1. What is the purpose of Grace Walk Fellowship? To
provide a safe, non-judgmental fellowship where you learn the truth
that sets you free from life-controlling problems and addictions and
get positive encouragement to walk free and experience all that God
has for you as His dearly loved child.
2. I don’t have an addiction, how can it help me? The
Fellowship is for anyone who wants to know and experience freedom in
Christ. It is believed that 85% of Christians are not free in Christ.
Most of these are struggling with problems that are not considered
addictions, such as perfectionism, materialism, codependency,
work-a-holism, anger, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, fear and
guilt.
3. Why don’t you have a group for different addictions? We want
to focus on the solution, not the problem. We believe that "Then you
will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32).
God doesn’t have a different answer for the person struggling with a
drug addiction or a problem of codependency. The truth of what Jesus
accomplished on the cross understood and believed will set anyone
free, regardless of their problem.
4. Why do you put so much emphasis on knowing who you are in
Christ? Because we always act in accordance with how we perceive
ourselves. If I believe I’m an alcoholic, what do alcoholics do? But
if I believe I’m a child of God who is dearly loved by Him, am dead to
sin, freed from it and alive to God, I can learn to act in a way that
is consistent with who I am in Christ. It has been our experience that
anyone who learns who they are in Christ will not engage in
self-destructive, addictive behavior as a life style.
5. Why do you say that it’s not how you behave, but what you
believe that sets you free? First of all we believe that Christ
has done everything necessary to set us free. "It is for freedom that
Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be
burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1). We do not need
to do more or try harder but to believe that what God says is true,
and that He has done everything necessary for us to be free and live
fulfilled and joyful lives.
6. It almost sounds too easy. Surely it’s not that easy to get free
of addictions or life controlling problems, is it? No, it’s
definitely not easy, but it is simple. The hardest thing any of us
will ever do is to take God at His Word and believe that God loves us
unconditionally and accepts us just the way we are, and that we are
dead to sin and freed from it. The purpose of the Freedom in Christ
Fellowship is to help us walk by faith in the truth that sets you free
and keeps you free.
7. What about deep issues that I have had since childhood?
Every issue you have that is keeping you from being free is based on a
lie. Jesus says we are set free by the truth, so it is lies that are
keeping us in bondage. These lies are based on what happened to us
growing up, such as disappointments, tragedies, traumas, failures,
etc. We will not be able to deal with these lies unless we know the
truth of who God is, what He has done for us and who we are in Christ.
8. Are you saying that all I have to do to get free is come to
these meetings and learn the truth that sets you free? No, but
that will help greatly. We recommend that you also read Freedom
From Addiction, get in a group and work through One Day at a
Time and then one that works through the Freedom From Addiction
Workbook. You might want to consider a Steps to Freedom in
Christ appointment, a process that enables you to deal with
specific issues that are robbing you of your freedom.
For more information on the Steps, contact
Grace Walk Ministry at 770 998-6487 or freedfrom@bellsouth.net
|