MatthewS | 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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Author Archives: MatthewS

Giving Thanks

27 November 2014, 10:32

MatthewS

Thanksgiving and distress—these two experiences make an odd couple. If you are in distress, giving thanks might seem like adding soap bubbles instead of milk to a pumpkin spice latte: frothy, unhelpful, and leaves a bad taste. On the other hand, if you are in the mood to give thanks, being reminded of distress may […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse: Overview

16 August 2014, 18:29

MatthewS

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Concluding Thoughts The first post in the series is here. We come to the end of this road together. This has been rewarding for me, and I hope it has been for others as well. All the way back in the introduction, the authors asked us to handle […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 5: Identifying the Abusive System

12 August 2014, 10:50

MatthewS

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 5: Identifying the Abusive System We continue our series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. What are the common characteristics of spiritually abusive systems? This chapter looks at the unhealthy dynamics that commonly dictate how people function […]

A Tale of Two Abigails: Part Two

8 August 2014, 10:28

MatthewS

This is the second of two re-printed articles examining the biblical character, Abigail. To quickly summarize the first article (found here), Abigail was a hero. Her quick thinking and action saved lives. David praised God for using her to save him and others from needless pain. From the Pages of Scripture This article looks […]

A Tale of Two Abigails

5 August 2014, 12:21

MatthewS

The first Abigail is a wise and beautiful hero, an inspiration to women and men everywhere. Her quick thinking, deliberate action, and diplomatic speech saved many lives. We meet this Abigail in a delightful story told in 1 Samuel 15. Sadly, many of us raised under the Institute in Basic Life Principles and ATI’s […]

The Unfair Bonus

14 July 2014, 06:00

MatthewS

Jesus must have enjoyed short stories. He used parables frequently. One of those stories appears in Matthew 20:1-16. It arrested my attention recently and I wondered how someone would tell the story in today’s world. Perhaps something like this: The strangest bonus Jim ever received was for a large project he worked on for six […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse: Concluding Thoughts

13 December 2012, 06:35

MatthewS

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Concluding Thoughts We conclude our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. We come to the end of this road together. This has been rewarding for me, and I hope it has been for others as well. All […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 21: A Second Response: Fight

6 December 2012, 09:41

MatthewS

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 21: A Second Response: Fight We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. If it seems the Lord is leading you to stay in a difficult situation, this chapter has some wisdom for you. Decide […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 20: One Response: Flight

28 November 2012, 10:30

MatthewS

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 20: One Response: Flight We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. If you find that you are currently involved in a religious system that is abusive, should you stay or go? Chapter 20 looks […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 19: Recovering Right Focus (Part 2)

23 November 2012, 06:00

MatthewS

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 19: Recovering Right Focus We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. Chapter 19 is about resetting our focus. The last part of the chapter has a discussion about sin that I found thought-provoking. First, […]