Eliza | Recovering Grace

Personal testimonies of finding true freedom through God's matchless grace.

Living and thriving through the grace of God.

A closer look at the teachings of Bill Gothard by the Elders of Calvary Bible Church in Fort Worth, TX

Articles about how Bill Gothard mishandles the Bible to support his legalistic viewpoint.

The truth about what happens behind the scenes in IBLP.

Our response to Bill Gothard's November 2011 letter addressed to "all past and present ATI students."

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Author Archives: Eliza

Commitments, Vows, and Promises of Greatness: The Art of the Spiritual Con

25 March 2013, 06:00

Eliza

…The above memory (albeit a bit foggy with the years) is a typical example of how Mr. Gothard spoke to apprenticeship students at various IBLP and ATI (Institute in Basic Life Principles and Advanced Training Institute) functions I attended. One of the effects of this type of spiritual manipulation was that I began to have unrealistic [...]

Moving On

4 March 2013, 06:00

Eliza

Those of us who have left the IBLP/ATI (the Institute in Basic Life Principles and the Advanced Training Institute) background have often heard things similar to the following: “Why can’t you just get over it already?” “Just move on and leave the past in the past.” “Let it go and just enjoy your life.” This [...]

Another Letter from a Friend

25 January 2012, 06:00

Eliza

You do not walk this journey alone. You may be asking what books will help as you seek healing from the emotional and spiritual trauma you have been through. There are a few books that stand out in my mind as having been really helpful to me. I am sure there are many other resources [...]

Letter From a Friend

5 November 2011, 05:00

Eliza

I know you have been through some rough times recently. Your family does not understand why you have done what you have done. Most of your friends are probably avoiding you. But deep inside, you know you did the right thing by leaving. You can no longer be a slave to other people’s opinions–opinions that [...]

Eliza’s Journey

26 October 2011, 23:06

Eliza

I wish that I could tell you the whole story of how God rescued me and healed me, but that would take at least ten posts. I will say this: it was personal, intimate, and totally tailored to where I was each step of the way. God kept bringing the right friend, the right book, [...]

The Fifth Mile

22 October 2011, 05:00

Eliza

We are probably all familiar with the “second mile” principle. Jesus, referring to the law that a Roman soldier could require a Jewish man to carry his heavy backpack one mile in any direction, said, “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.” Matthew 5:41 The Jews had no choice but to [...]

No Fun Allowed

8 October 2011, 01:00

Eliza

I have a really hard time having fun. I’m not talking about mischief–just plain fun. Relaxing or playing games is difficult for me. I’m much more comfortable working hard until I collapse into bed at night. I remember listening to Mr. Gothard one time in a session in Knoxville. He was sharing a story that [...]

The “Joy” and Power of Guilt

13 August 2011, 12:00

Eliza

Humble and proud. Guilty and righteous. Loving and judging. They sound like opposites, don’t they? Maybe that is because they are. However, during my time in ATI, they often were so mixed that I was a bit confused as to their meaning. It was totally unacceptable to be proud, of course. God resists the proud, [...]