2012 | Recovering Grace

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

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

Living and thriving through the grace of God.

Stories and accounts of the destruction caused by the teachings of Bill Gothard.

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2012

Yearly Archives: 2012

Designed to Be a … Finger?

1 October 2012, 06:00

Moderator

“Females who enjoy horseback riding have a problem with rebellion.” — Bill Gothard I remember reading years ago that Bill Gothard allowed families to have one small pet dog, but not to give it too much love as it might become an idol. Just reading that made me cringe as I thought, “Boy, […]

Recovering from the Most Subtle of Lies

27 September 2012, 06:00

Moderator

Over the last few weeks, I’ve felt compelled to write down my experience with the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) and the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). I think this desire comes from the fact that I want to show that the effects of Gothardism are not always as drastic as one may be led […]

The Elephant Effect

24 September 2012, 06:00

WendyA

Reporting and evaluating life’s experiences often reflects the same “blindness” that is illustrated so aptly in this old Indian poem. Or, as marriage counselors would say, there are at least three perspectives of every situation: what he says happened, what she says happened, and what actually happened. And it can be nearly impossible to determine […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 14: “No Admittance”

20 September 2012, 10:30

MatthewS

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 14: “No Admittance” We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. Jesus broke the “can’t-talk” rule. He stood up against the religious leaders on behalf of those who were being spiritually oppressed when he cleansed […]

The Raising of a Christian Narcissist

17 September 2012, 06:00

Moderator

My family joined the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) in the early ’90s, shortly after attending a Basic Seminar, at the invitation of a family which has in recent history become a household name. I was in my early elementary years at the time. I didn’t really understand why we were making so many abrupt changes […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 13: The Weight of Religion

13 September 2012, 06:00

MatthewS

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 13: The Weight of Religion We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. What about the backlash of too much grace? What if we give people too much grace and not enough pressure to perform […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 12: Straining Gnats, Swallowing Camels

6 September 2012, 13:30

MatthewS

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 12: Straining Gnats, Swallowing Camels We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. Jesus used an evocative word picture when he told the Pharisees that they strained out gnats even as they swallowed camels. Gnats […]

Free to Worship!

3 September 2012, 09:30

Moderator

Listening to a CD of praise and worship songs as I worked in my kitchen one morning, I found my heart rejoicing in Jesus and my body dancing in joy and worship to Him. The CD I was listening to was an old one that a friend recently gave me with popular worship songs from […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 11: Image Is Everything

30 August 2012, 06:00

MatthewS

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 11: Image Is Everything We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. Jesus talked about the false leaders who did their deeds to be noticed by people and who desired to be seated in the […]

Bill Gothard’s Tornado That Didn’t Happen

29 August 2012, 06:00

Moderator

164

May 2, 2008, marked a major milestone in my life. It was the end of my first year of college, and I had long planned a 50-mile bike ride to celebrate. That morning, however, tornado sirens started wailing and I was obliged to seek shelter. I didn’t think much of those tornado sirens until weeks […]