Should There Be More to the Christian Life?

Here’s the third of six testimonies I promised you in the previous blog from one of my Lifestyle of Learning™ mom friends who went through the five mini coaching programs “Making Heart-Level Connections”.

After reading Michelle’s thoughts about her life, I’d like to encourage you to check out the short introductory video at the bottom of this post. It’s only 15 minutes long, and along with my own commentary, you will get to hear the voices of several moms openly sharing their thoughts with you. My team and I wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to hear this message, so if you’d rather read the contents of the video instead of watching it, you can download the script here.

Here’s what Michelle G. says about her life since participating in the coaching programs:

“I’ve grown more in the Lord going through these five programs than in 25+ years of church attendance, Bible study and Christian service. Concepts presented in these programs have dramatically impacted how I relate to life including my relationships, sin, conviction, repentance and responsibility. I have grown in my understanding of God’s love for me and how He sees me, and He’s drawn me into a real, vital, living and dynamic moment-by-moment relationship with Him. I feel like I’ve been personally discipled and received practical and spiritual training in growing closer to the Lord on His terms.

Now I see how He wants to work in me and my family. My husband and children are starting to receive more love from me and I can tell our relationships are really improving and deepening. False standards have fallen off me so fast, I can’t even keep track of all of them. The Lord has done so much! I feel such a strong sense of belonging with Him! I belong to Him and with Him and have a deep sense of connectedness with Him like never before. I feel DELIGHTED and HOPEFUL about the purpose the Lord has for my life and I’m really excited to see how He reveals more of what it is!

I’ve been freed from many fears and empowered to live an overcoming life in a way I was never able to previously. The Lord continues to just TAKE AWAY fears, ah, thank You, Lord. Things I used to get twisted up about just don’t even cause my heart to flutter anymore. WOW. I used to rehearse in my mind all the things that could go wrong; this was something I probably did everyday and applied it to many parts of my life. I’d worry about my husband’s job, dwell on the safety of my children, fixate on the potential for a major disaster in our area, think about where our leaders are taking our nation and fear all the things friends and family might say about my life or homeschooling that I might not be able to answer to their satisfaction. Now I know that the Lord will sustain me through anything, and I am filled with assurance.

As a result of these programs, the Holy Spirit did a deep, cleansing work in my heart that, frankly, I find difficult to describe. He has removed the struggle I have had against my habitual sins. One day, it was literally just gone and I felt a freedom to love. I no longer battle with unloving thoughts, or struggle with impatience or irritation that had seemed to resurface; it was like the inside of me has been washed out. I feel light and FULL of love for my family and also full of the ability to sacrifice even more for them.

I no longer have to constantly “monitor” myself or be “on alert” against my sinful ways like I used to. The struggle to obey is nearly non-existent. I can see how I’ve become more and more surrendered to what He wants to do. Glory to God! I did not know before this program that one could be freed like this! Hallelujah, what a relief! My intimacy with God is deeper than it ever was in the past and I now initiate worship to Him from my heart. Now I’m able to concentrate on telling Him how much I adore Him and telling Him what is true about Him and verbally gush gratitude about all the good He is bringing me. Worshipping Him is so much deeper.

I’m so grateful for these programs which have intensified and directed my growth in the Lord and would highly recommend them to anyone seeking to know God.” ~ Michelle G

Can You Identify with Michelle?

If you are like Michelle, you may want to be closer to God than you are, but somehow inner growth seems to elude you. Maybe you’ve been plagued with fears and don’t know what to do with them, or you may just recognize a constant inner struggle against your own sinful habits that you can’t seem to get past. The overcoming life in Christ is a reality that is available for you to step into, but you may not know how.

The heart-level changes and overcoming life that Michelle describes have been impacting her whole family! God has been teaching them how to love as they receive His correction and instruction for the personal dynamics of their family relationships. He is helping Michelle to create the environment that serves a whole-life education like Lifestyle of Learning™ promotes.

Beginning to Connect with God

I remember when I came to see the sorts of things Michelle is seeing. The poor fruit of my relationships was born out of years of self-centered, dysfunctional relating. For the first time in my life, I saw my life for what it was, and it was a mess! As I quieted my soul, God began to re-educate my conscience, and as I cooperated with Him I began the Spirit-led life in Christ. I surrendered as fully as I knew how during those few years, not knowing just how much of my own ways still needed to be yielded to the Lord, but due to this one positive action—quieting my soul—I was positioned to hear the Lord so I could practice obedience. There were so many changes I made in how I related with my own husband and children, and even in my imperfect efforts, the fruit of my relationships began to change and I was securing my children’s hearts. I still didn’t fully understand what it was God was after in me, and so it would take three and a half years before I got to the end of myself and surrendered all to Him.

However, I’ll always remember the day that marked my spiritual birth! It was the day I knew for certain I was born again; the day when I began to trust God for my life, to restore what had been lost, and to help me create a better future. God worked providentially in my life before I knew Him. He set me free to turn my heart toward Him. This was a one-way relationship, but He wanted a two-way relationship, and it all began with an awakening and education of my conscience that God Himself performed in me so I could see my need for Him in my life. Conscience certainly is the most sacred of all personal property. I’m so forever grateful He awakened mine, rescuing me from my own destructive ways, and marked the day as my spiritual birth when I received Jesus as my merciful Savior and Lord.

Neglecting Education of Conscience

I find that many believers have neglected the education of their conscience. They fall short of receiving the mercy and forgiveness of God that leads to repentance and reconciliation with God, which would heal their family relationships and strengthen their parental influence.

In Making Heart-Level Connections mini coaching program, “Your Conscience”, you will learn what happens when a child is left to his own resources and the results of ignoring the conscience in child training. You’ll be given six actions you can begin to take right now to reset your conscience and help your children to do the same. I will also help you to understand four primary disconnects you may be experiencing in your attempts to set things right with God and with your family relationships. Through a personal story you will be shown how you may have neglected a key action in your relationship with God and with family members that will—when taken—chase condemnation away forever, and begin to bring the healing process to your family relationships that will support a whole-life education. This program will leave you no doubt as to what God wants to do and how He chooses to work in your life so you can begin to cooperate with Him……(This is an excerpt from the free article “My Personal Testimonies”. You can sign up to receive it below.)

Continue reading the testimonies here. And don’t forget to go get your complimentary gifts from me! There’s an article and my own personal testimony that you can get in pdf to read or as an audio if you’d prefer listening.

And just in case you haven’t heard about my most recent book, I wanted to provide a way for you to read more about it. Empowering the Transfer of Moral Values and Faith provides a background understanding of how God wants to parent you at the heart level. Participants in “Making Heart-Level Connections” agree that reading this book prepared their hearts to get the most out of the coaching programs. Go here to learn more about this book:

http://transfermoralvalues.com

So grateful to be in the Lord’s service,
Marilyn Howshall for Lifestyle of Learning™ Ministries

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