ReGen

February 11 – ReGen – Believe

Read Psalm 103:2-5

There is a MASSIVE difference between “knowing” and “believing”.

Growing up in the church, I can never remember a time where I didn’t know about God. On top of that, I went to private Christian school in the same building throughout the week so just about every day of my life included Jesus.

I knew who He was and who He is. I knew what He did on earth. I knew the books of the Bible. I knew the gospel.

I knew Jesus…but I didn’t believe.

Throughout my youth, my surface level faith led to various sins beginning to, not only take root, but sprout in my life. I was at church every Sunday and going on mission trips in the summer. However, behind the scenes, I was, as our reading today says, “diseased” and “in the pit.”

I’m not sure I would call it shock therapy but, at the very end of high school, I was confronted with the hypocrisy of my life and committed to picking up the pieces and believing in God…for the first time in my life.

There’s a difference between “knowing” and “believing.”

The third step of ReGen is “We come to believe that God is the one whose power can fully restore us.”

I had tried over and over again to restore myself. “This isn’t a big deal”, “I can stop anytime” were my excuses. I committed to being sober for a time, only to fail.

By myself, I was failing.

It wasn’t until I picked up the pieces of my life and placed them at the feet of Jesus that my life began to change. It wasn’t until I placed my recovery, not in my hands, but in His that I started to see the light. It wasn’t until I took the junk that I had hid for so long and brought it out into the light that I began to sense that recovery was actually possible.

Do you believe Jesus, alone, can be the Savior, not only for you, but for the world?

Jesus isn’t just some guy who lived in the Middle East who said a lot of cool stuff and gained a lot of followers. Jesus was and is the Son of God. God Himself wants to have a personal relationship with you!

The moment that you turn from your ways and believe ALONE in Jesus, you will see the light of regeneration in your recovery but also in your faith.

Do you need to take the step from “knowing” to “believing?”

Do you find your life diseased and in the pit? What actionable steps are you going to take to get out?

Jake Lawson – ReGen Leader

February 10 – ReGen – Admit

Read Romans 7:18

Coming from a life full of sin and gaining a new life in Christ, I can attest, like most of us, that sinning does not just stop. Our lives do not magically turn from what we once were to a life of perfection, sunshine and rainbows once we choose to follow Jesus.

I was 21 years old when the Lord saved my life from attempted suicide. By His grace I had a second chance and turned my life around. However, when I gave my life to Him, I had no understanding of what it meant to live for Jesus. All I knew up to that point in my life was religion. I turned to “doing the right thing” in order to “be holy”. I didn’t know what a fully surrendered walk with the Lord looked like because I was never taught or shown, but I knew I wanted it.

It wasn’t until I had a mentor come into my life and showed me that I saw what surrender of control looked like. She taught me God’s word and what it meant to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus and that it takes work and practice to begin living like a new creation.

It takes admitting that we cannot do it alone. It takes admitting that we are powerless in the fight without Christ.

You see, I attempted to take control, I attempted to walk the straight and narrow without any help from anyone. I quickly learned, this wouldn’t work.

Just like Paul writes in Romans 7, I continued to struggle. I continued to do things I don’t want to do and don’t do things I want to do. The difference is, if I continue to operate on my own power, then I will continue down a cycle of a constant struggle with no growth gained. However, the moment I surrender the power and control and realize that I can’t just “do” something to make it all better, I learn that I am powerless and find freedom in the grace of Jesus.

Admitting that you are powerless is such an important step of recovery with any sin struggle. 

Sin separates us from God and the only thing that brings us back to Him is Christ.  It is not us, our will, our works, or our way. We must admit we are powerless and surrender it all to God and allow the Lord to take over and take control in those areas of our lives where we struggle most. That’s when we will see victory.

What areas of your life are you still holding onto? What’s holding you back from admitting that you are powerless against the sin in your life? What step(s) do you need to take in order to trust in Jesus for ultimate regeneration in your life?

Kelly Lawson

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ReGeneration is a ministry for people battling the storms of life. From emotional struggles to substance abuse, ReGen is a ministry for those who want to experience healing, recovery, community and accountability in the midst of their storms. Currently, ReGen meets on Tuesday nights (7p) at Grace Church in Wooster. We would LOVE to host you! Text “regen” to 3302649459 if you want more information or want to attend!

February 9 – ReGen

Read Romans 3:23

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

On our own, we are all unworthy of God’s glory. Left to our own ways and attempts at righteousness, we will always come up short.

We need God’s mercy.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way! At the very beginning, God made us in His image, and according to His likeness (see Genesis 1: 27-28), and gave us His blessing. But when the deceiver showed up, Adam and Eve chose to believe a lie, and everything changed (see Genesis 3). Now we join a long line of fallen creatures, in need of rescue, reconciliation, truth, and healing.

On our own, we ALL are broken: not functioning properly, not complete or full, fractured, damaged, no longer in working order. However, we are still God’s creation, made in His image and likeness! He loves us, and wants to restore us! Because of His great mercy, He wants to regenerate us, to restore our relationship with Him through Jesus, and to help us recover from anything that is keeping us from experiencing the full life He has always intended for us.

“There is none righteous, no not one.” – Romans 3:10b

All have sinned, yes. But God wants all to come to repentance and to experience His best (see 2 Peter 3:9, John 10:10)! Friend, no sin and no struggle is too big or too small for our God. He already knows, and He still loves you!

May I encourage you today?

Be brave enough and honest enough to identify what may have you stuck. What is holding you back from experiencing all of God’s goodness? I challenge you to look over this list and see if you can identify anything that might be affecting your ability to enjoy the full life. Then surrender it to God, and consider working through the recovery process with us, so we can all enjoy the full life God wants us to have in Him. Whatever is broken in your life, God wants to heal it, and to grant you full recovery in Jesus Christ!

Re: generation is a recovery program, rooted in Scripture, and intended to help anyone who is wanting any area of their life to be healed, restored and made new. Remember, we all fall short! But we can all experience new life and full life in Christ.

Rachel Franks – ReGen Leader

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ReGeneration is a ministry for people battling the storms of life. From emotional struggles to substance abuse, ReGen is a ministry for those who want to experience healing, recovery, community and accountability in the midst of their storms. Currently, ReGen meets on Tuesday nights (7p) at Grace Church in Wooster. We would LOVE to host you! Text “regen” to 3302649459 if you want more information or want to attend!