📝 In Today’s Edition

What is your view of God? This boost-filled newsletter will focus on recovery insights in the area of spiritual growth. Spiritual growth gives us the chance tap into the power of God at work in our lives - God’s strength can make up for our weakness. A growing, authentic relationship with Jesus is our best shot at finding lasting freedom!

🗓️ Important Date

📚️ Be Inspired

The Ragamuffin Gospel

A Few Impactful Quotes and Thoughts from the Book

• “However, only the discipline administered out of love is corrective and productive.”: I generally viewed God as either happy or mad with me depending on what was happening in my life or what choices I was making. I thought God was mad at me when I would face trouble or consequences for my sin. I viewed the discipline of God as punishment in my life for the wrong I had done. However, I have come to realize God’s discipline comes from a place of love and has the goal to correct and protect me. When I am face consequences for my sin, I now understand it is out of love God is correcting me that I may be spared from more consequences in the future.

• “In Christ Jesus freedom from fear empowers us to let go of the desire to appear good, so that we can move freely in the mystery of who we really are.”: The first time I read this, I felt discouraged because I did not like who I really was. I did not think the real me was of any value. Now that the grace of God permeates my daily life, I have found freedom in my ability to let go of the need to appear a certain way to others. My perspective changed when I got into a community of men that I could be honest and transparent with. These men showed me the value in my real self and were models of Jesus grace in my life.

• “Gerald May, a Christian psychiatrist in Washington DC, writes: ‘Honesty before God requires the most fundamental risk of faith we can take: the ristk that God is good, that God does love us unconditionally.’”: In my recovery it has been important to allow Jesus into my mess. In other words, be completely honest and vulnerable with God about all of my thoughts and feelings. When I invited Jesus into my inner world by sharing it with him in prayer, I experienced His unconditional love for me in a way I had never experienced before. This has laid the foundation for my core belief that God is truly good and for me.

• “We must never allow the authority of books, institutions, or leaders to replace the authority of knowing Jesus Christ personally and directly.”

Encouraging Scripture Verses

• “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 12:46

• “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

• “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14

🎵 Song Spotlight

What Mercy Did For Me

A Few Lyrics I Found Impactful

“I was hopeless. I knew I was lost.”: Can you relate to feeling lost? Maybe today is that day for you. The opening of this song reminds us where we all came from. We came from a place of brokenness in our lives where we came to the realization we were lost and needed help. If your feeling lost today, please reach out and share your story with me. For others, can you remember that feeling of being lost?

“You gave me beauty for my guilty stains. And now I'm living day to day by his grace.”: Living day by day in God’s grace is a choice to turn from shame and invite Jesus into our daily experience. God offers us forgiveness of our sins and gives us beauty in exchange! One of the beautiful things God has exchanged my sin for has been the redemption of my marriage, family, and career!! God’s redemption is available for you too!

“You gave me your real love. I thank you Jesus. You washed my sins away. Oh now I'm living like I'm forgiving.”: When we receive God’s real love that washes our sins away, we cannot help but respond with gratefulness. Thank you Jesus for removing my sins as far away as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12)! What does it look like to live like we are forgiven? I would love to hear your thoughts! Reply to this email or fill out this form:

🔥 In Case You Missed It…

Transparent Recovery Update

• Held our SECOND board meeting, April 17! Our board members are fired up to help more men find lasting freedom and authentic community.

• Follow me on social media. I am back to using Instagram as a tool to reach more men and their wives. Your likes, comments, and follows do help.

• We will soon become an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization! We have submitted our application and expect to hear back within two months. Once we receive this status, supporters will be able to give tax-deductible donations.

📰 Noteworthy News

Are you living in the daily experience of God’s grace in your life? For me, this began when I allowed other men to know the real me and was offered grace, love, and support by them. There love for me was a direct reflection of God’s love for me and was the catalyst to finally knowing, experiencing, and living in that love each day!

Do you have a safe place for you to be fully known by others? Freedom can be found when bring our darkness into the light of Christ. Often this starts with authentic community. Join a group study to learn about a proven pathway for finding healing from compulsive sexual behavior while experiencing authentic community. Groups start May 6 and 8. Groups will happen virtually Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-8pm CST.

Till next week,

TR Weekly Boost