📝 In Today’s Edition

Another exciting weekly boost from Transparent Recovery! This boost-filled newsletter will focus on recovery insights in the areas of leadership and growth. Growth skills give us the chance to grow into the men we were created to be. Leadership skills give us the best shot at making an impact in the lives of others.

🗓️ Important Dates

📚️ Be Inspired

The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth

• Author: John C. Maxwell

• Synopsis: World-renown leadership author and guru, John C. Maxwell, shares his tried and true principles for maximum personal growth. Many of these principles of growth can be applied to our recovery journey as well.

• Dustin’s Reaction: These laws of growth are solid and time-tested principles we can rely on to grow ourselves in every area of life! For example, the Law of Intentionality teaches us that growth is not automatic but takes effort on our part to grow. The same is true in recovery, just because you avoid acting out does not mean you are growing in your awareness and recovery tools. It takes an intentional effort to do the work of recovery in community with other men.

  • Another example, is the Law of Reflection, which teaches us that growth requires us to pause and learn from our experiences if we want to grow. In recovery, reflection allows us to process life from our new perspective because life happens fast. It forces us to slow down and be honest about what was happening inside of us leading up to our last slip. Then we can take what we learn and apply it to future situations we face.

What Jesus Taught Us About Leadership

• “So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.” Matthew 20:25-28

• Leaders go first. According to Jesus, the greatest among us is the one who gives his life up to serve and benefit others. In leadership, this means that leaders are willing to do what they require others to do. Leaders are willing to model the way and go first when it comes to taking risks, being vulnerable, and owning mistakes. As a father and husband, do not wait for your wife to organize a time to pray together, organize it yourself the first few times. Lead the way with your actions so your family and others can see what is truly important to you.

• Leaders succeed when those around them are growing. Servant leaders are not obsessed or defined by their image, name, reputation, or notoriety, but rather are successful when those they lead are growing and successful. You will be amazed at how people grow when you simply believe in them, encourage them, equip them, and give them space to try. Your impact grows when others grow alongside you because we can accomplish more together than we can alone.

• How are you consistently, specifically encouraging and equipping those you lead? What is one way specific way you authentically, consistently appreciate the work and effort others are putting in? Noticing someone doing something right and calling it out has great impact on the person!

🎵 Song Spotlight

Reckless Love

A Few Lyrics I Found Impactful

“Reckless love of God, oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found", leaves the ninety-nine”: The picture of the God of the universe pursuing each one of us relentlessly reveals how great His love is for us! There is nothing you have done, can do, or will do that can stop God from loving and pursuing you.

“There’s no shadow you won’t light up, mountain you won’t climb up, coming after me”: There is no darkness or sin that God cannot light up, expose, forgive, and heal!

“And I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it”: God’s love and forgiveness is a gift to be received, not something to be earned. Have you allowed His love for you to sink in deep into your heart?

🔥 In Case You Missed It…

Transparent Recovery UPDATE

• Our SECOND board happens this week, April 17! We will be looking over an initial budget and fundraising strategies as we prepare to launch.

• Social Media. I am back to using Instagram as a tool to reach more men and their wives.

• It’s getting real! When I saw mail addressed to “Transparent Recovery,” I was filled with joy and excitement for what God wants to continue doing in the lives of people!

📰 Noteworthy News

Transparency Leads to Freedom

Transparency is being willing to bring your struggles with unwanted sexual behaviors into the light of Christ (Ephesians 5:6-21) and confessing your sins to trusted believers (James 5:16). True and lasting freedom comes only when we are willing to take responsibility for our actions and then we can experience God’s mercy (Proverbs 28:13).

Recovery is the process by which we allow the light of Christ to shine on all of our darkness and allow God to redeem us day by day. Redemption is about being freed from the power and penalty of our sin. However, while our eternal consequences are wiped away, we may still suffer natural consequences in this world as a result of our actions. God wants us to grow through these challenges so that He can produce in us a lasting character and hope (Romans 5:3-5).

Are you keeping secrets that you hope no one will ever find out? Transparent Recovery is a safe place for you to bring those things out into the light of Christ. Join our group study to learn about a proven pathway for finding healing from compulsive sexual behavior. Group starts May 6 and will happen virtually Tuesdays from 7-8pm CST.

Till next time,

TR Weekly Boost