"Really? You're Going Back?"

Psalm 119:9
How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.

Rainy, rainy day....
Turned off H'way 77 and started down that stretch of road I've driven countless times. I was going home.
Not home as where I live, but home where my heart is.
Rapha....
It's been a back and forth relationship with the men who come into treatment there. There have been seasons where God leads me back to teach and serve, and then after a time, He will tell me to pull back and wait. But even in the "pulling back" seasons, I still go out to Rapha to stay connected.

Back in 1998 when I started going out to Rapha, It was about the program. My allegiance was to the program...to share what it meant to those first coming in to receive treatment. In 2004, i was asked to join the staff as the pastor over the facility.  But in 2013, after God led us back to Gadsden Vineyard to start Vineyard ReCovery, things changed. The focus was now on the men. Funny part in all of this, at that time, God put me in a position to be there for the staff also. To make myself available to pray for, counsel with, and encourage those who worked for Rapha.

Yesterday, Barry Hooks and I met at Rapha to begin teaching afternoon classes three days a week. 

Using the material from the series "SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE"....we have taken 7 weeks of material and boiled it down to 7 sessions. This had to be done in order to make sure everyone got at least a start to learning what really is their addiction "problem." 

We met in the chapel and it was a good start. Barry taught the first session, and I think the one point that set the table and standard for this teaching is the simple fact that Barry shared....
He said, "This is where I got sober, referring to Rapha. And this is where I found God."

It let the men know that Barry knew exactly what they were going through. That Barry had fought his battles over in Dorm # 2 /  Room #2. 

Today, I will teach the sessions, and I'm looking forward to it. I guess today's posting is my way of keeping you up to date on what's going on, as well as asking you to please pray for Barry and I as we establish ourselves once again at Rapha. 

How long will be do this? Only as long as God tells us to and gives us grace to carry it out. Oh yeah, by the way.....just to let you know. Six men were saved in our first session. That God!!!! He's something else isn't He?

God on you...
mbb