Transformative Power of God's Grace in Recovery

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we had the privilege of hearing from Every Brown, whose life story is a testament to the transformative power of God's grace. For 38 years, Every was ensnared by the chains of addiction, beginning with drugs at a young age and later battling approval addiction and pornography. His journey was marked by numerous attempts at rehabilitation, yet it was not until he encountered the spiritual truth that he began to experience true freedom. Every's story is a powerful reminder that our struggles often have deep spiritual roots, and addressing these is crucial for genuine transformation.

Every shared how his desire for acceptance, stemming from familial pressures and feelings of inadequacy, led him down a path of self-destruction. However, a pivotal moment came when he heard a message that emphasized the spiritual nature of his struggles. This revelation was life-changing, as it shifted his focus from merely addressing the physical symptoms of his addiction to tackling the spiritual causes. By immersing himself in the Word of God and seeking spiritual healing, Every found the strength to overcome his addictions.

A significant part of Every's recovery journey was his time at America's Keswick, a place dedicated to helping individuals overcome addictions through the power of Scripture. There, he learned to rely solely on God's Word for transformation, which reinforced his belief in the spiritual nature of his struggles. This experience, coupled with his newfound understanding of the importance of surrendering to God, has empowered Every to live a life free from the chains that once bound him.

Every's story is not just one of personal victory but also of a renewed purpose. He now dedicates his life to helping others find freedom from their own strongholds, understanding that everyone faces battles, whether visible or hidden. His journey underscores the truth that while we may face ongoing challenges, true freedom is found in surrendering to God and allowing His Word to transform us from the inside out.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Power of Spiritual Insight: Every's journey highlights the importance of recognizing the spiritual roots of our struggles. By understanding that our visible challenges often stem from invisible spiritual issues, we can begin to address them effectively through faith and reliance on God's Word. [06:05]

2. The Role of Surrender: True transformation begins with surrendering to God. Every's story illustrates that when we acknowledge our inability to control our lives and fully submit to God's will, we open ourselves to His healing and transformative power. [12:12]

3. The Impact of God's Word: Immersing oneself in Scripture can lead to profound change. Every's experience at America's Keswick demonstrates that the Word of God, when embraced wholeheartedly, has the power to break strongholds and bring about lasting freedom. [09:48]

4. Helping Others as a Path to Healing: Every found that by helping others, he was able to distance himself from his past lifestyle. This principle of serving others not only aids in personal healing but also fulfills a greater purpose in God's kingdom. [13:00]

5. Freedom Amidst Challenges: Despite ongoing health issues, Every experiences freedom through his faith. His story is a testament to the fact that true freedom is not the absence of problems but the presence of God's peace and strength in the midst of them. [17:16]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:25] - Introduction to Every Brown's Story
- [00:58] - The Beginning of Addiction
- [01:43] - The Desire for Acceptance
- [02:38] - Encountering a Life-Changing Message
- [03:37] - The Role of Spiritual Warfare
- [05:18] - The Power of God's Word
- [06:05] - Understanding Spiritual Roots
- [07:03] - The Turning Point
- [08:14] - America's Keswick Experience
- [09:48] - Transformation Through Scripture
- [10:53] - Breaking Free from Strongholds
- [12:12] - The Importance of Surrender
- [13:00] - Helping Others as Healing
- [17:16] - Freedom Amidst Challenges

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Ephesians 6:12 - "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
2. James 4:7 - "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
3. Romans 12:2 - "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Observation Questions:
1. What were the main struggles Every Brown faced in his life, and how did they manifest? [00:39]
2. How did Every's understanding of his struggles change after hearing a particular message? [03:07]
3. What role did America's Keswick play in Every's journey to recovery? [08:14]
4. How did Every's perspective on helping others contribute to his own healing process? [13:00]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Ephesians 6:12 relate to Every's realization about the spiritual nature of his struggles? [06:05]
2. In what ways did Every's story illustrate the principle found in James 4:7 about submission to God? [12:12]
3. How does Romans 12:2 reflect the transformation Every experienced through immersing himself in God's Word? [09:48]
4. What does Every's journey teach us about the importance of community and support in overcoming personal battles? [08:14]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a personal struggle you face. How might recognizing its spiritual roots change your approach to overcoming it? [06:05]
2. In what areas of your life do you need to surrender more fully to God, and what steps can you take to do so this week? [12:12]
3. How can you incorporate more of God's Word into your daily routine to aid in personal transformation? [09:48]
4. Identify someone in your life who might be struggling with hidden battles. How can you offer support or encouragement to them this week? [13:00]
5. Despite ongoing challenges, Every found freedom through faith. How can you cultivate a sense of peace and freedom in your own life amidst difficulties? [17:16]
6. Consider a time when helping others brought you healing or growth. How can you intentionally serve others in the coming month? [13:00]
7. What practical steps can you take to resist the temptations or strongholds in your life, as encouraged by James 4:7? [12:12]

Devotional

Day 1: Recognizing Spiritual Roots of Struggles
Understanding the spiritual roots of our struggles is crucial for true transformation. Often, the visible challenges we face are manifestations of deeper, invisible spiritual issues. By acknowledging this, we can begin to address them effectively through faith and reliance on God's Word. This insight allows us to shift our focus from merely treating symptoms to seeking healing at the source. Embracing this perspective can lead to profound change and freedom. [06:05]

"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." (2 Corinthians 10:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a recurring struggle in your life. How might this struggle have spiritual roots, and what steps can you take today to address it through prayer and Scripture?


Day 2: The Power of Surrender
True transformation begins with surrendering to God. When we acknowledge our inability to control our lives and fully submit to God's will, we open ourselves to His healing and transformative power. This act of surrender is not a sign of weakness but a pathway to strength and freedom. By letting go of our need to control, we allow God to work in and through us, leading to a life of purpose and peace. [12:12]

"And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" (Luke 9:23, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?


Day 3: Transformation Through Scripture
Immersing oneself in Scripture can lead to profound change. The Word of God, when embraced wholeheartedly, has the power to break strongholds and bring about lasting freedom. By dedicating time to study and meditate on Scripture, we allow God's truth to permeate our hearts and minds, transforming us from the inside out. This practice not only strengthens our faith but also equips us to face life's challenges with confidence and hope. [09:48]

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12, ESV)

Reflection: How can you incorporate more time in God's Word into your daily routine? What specific passage will you meditate on this week to seek transformation?


Day 4: Serving Others as a Path to Healing
Helping others can be a powerful path to personal healing. By serving others, we distance ourselves from past lifestyles and fulfill a greater purpose in God's kingdom. This principle not only aids in our own healing but also allows us to be a source of hope and encouragement to those around us. As we focus on the needs of others, we find that our own burdens become lighter, and our lives become more meaningful. [13:00]

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." (Hebrews 13:16, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone in your life who could use support or encouragement. How can you serve them this week in a way that reflects God's love and grace?


Day 5: Experiencing Freedom Amidst Challenges
True freedom is not the absence of problems but the presence of God's peace and strength in the midst of them. Despite ongoing challenges, we can experience freedom through our faith. This freedom is rooted in the assurance that God is with us, providing the strength and peace we need to navigate life's difficulties. By trusting in His promises, we can face each day with courage and hope, knowing that we are never alone. [17:16]

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:27, ESV)

Reflection: What current challenge are you facing that feels overwhelming? How can you invite God's peace and strength into this situation today?

Quotes

"we're here with every brown amen and we're glad to be able to be with you and to be able to highlight your story because I think when people hear the journey that God is taking you through that they'll be encouraged and see that there is hope no matter where their situation is and where they're starting from that that God gives hope he gets victory and they give deliverance because you can't experience all of that so it's good to be with you thank you" [00:13:50]

"this has been a lifelong journey I've been um stronghold bound for 38 years 38 38 years uh I first started doing drugs in I was 14 15 and it progressed and got worse and worse and worse but um the major part with me was um I was in a rehab one time a lady told me I would never get sober until I identified with what I was going through and um one thing that I had did identify which was approval addiction I wanted people to like me I wanted to be like 20 part the crowd and that puts detrimental to me because it had me doing all kind of things that worked one write was out of character but um I feel good now that I found out that um it was all screwed and I say that lightly but is very heavy because it was all as good as something that was speeding me up let him know was there" [00:44:26]

"so the meetings wasn't working none of that stuff was working but some kind of way when I listen to your message that day and I know right now today I've heard that message about seventy times seven zero seven zero but I still listen to it but it helps me because you says something about what you do to help somebody death that's how you up youth so the more I help me people to my new the better I was getting further away from the whole lifestyle was giving me so I felt better doing that but this was wicked it was very wicked my lifestyle was very wicked and I felt like you said you're not God you're Tony Evans but you helped me immensely well thank you one God one God Missy because I can if my wife would show you i put the earphones in put on a message and that could pick play continuously next message next messages and i wake up three or four o'clock in the morning and you'll be talking about fasi or the next thing you'll be talking about something else and then be drilled in my brain but what you drilled into me was that this is all spiritual is not natural we can't beat it up without fists we can't do anything with it" [03:35:20]

"the encouraging part of what you're saying to me now is that the word of god works all mine cuz because you were hearing the word of god we have met yet no and and yet the the word of god coming through through i guess was a CD no I have your oh yeah okay okay so ever stack of CDs but mostly they're listening and night is on the app okay and so and you know that's I hate you every day and oh so we hang out daily hang out very it's amazing how you work and get down in your heart you're done in your spirit and if you want it if you accept it it's coming for you so what kind of drugs were you doing I basically crack cocaine crack cocaine okay but I'm gonna tell you something doctor crack cocaine cigarettes for forty years and a very little lifestyle but my biggest stronghold was well - my biggest with pornography and approval addiction I wanted people to like me okay so let me ask this question you hear the tape you find out that you start with the spiritual you know my big statement is everything visible and physical is preceded by something invisible and spiritual so if you want to deal with the visible physical you got to address the invisible spiritual you said you even though you see what you see you have yet seen all the all you see is what you see you do not see all there is a B so you said that twice as there were the two services and that was wonderful because it's a lot to see it's like I'm looking for I'm searching for" [04:58:46]

"so now you hear the word you hear that in spiritual and as I understand it this led you to a place to help take you further in your victory tell us tell me about that let me to a place um and let me to get down on my knees I'm possible graduated went to college I didn't I wanted peace other dreams but I read right like the normal person in the United States puts up I don't like to read I've came more from it's an audio-visual let's see you know I came more from that so uh just led me to a place I'm reading them yeah I have a book from you no more excuses no one-sided books in 2001 when James Brown was with Fox okay California he did book there can i he said I can have it Tony Ellis handbook ten years never read it I read it recently so but I knew with no more excuses let's take me to another level I know there's God okay then one of the messages I mentioned a place American Kazakh tell me about that tell me about the circus Kazakh was like no other place I've ever been is right now spin their 100 in 23 years helping people with drug addictions or strong hopes as I put it in though they have a series they have like 6 chaplains there and you get assigned a chaplain but it's something the woods in New Jersey to Pineville and no TV we saw one movie a week three squares a day you got a little little work there's not about the work though it's all about they got you through the Bible slowly but surely they give us scriptures we have to memorize every day and you got to come and quote the scripture before your peers and you don't have a right these guys will set you back but this place was very very helpful to me because it gave me a chance to not read so much but to focus on what God was doing in my life and be sick and tired of being sick and tired and then knowing that they said I want to bring Tony over they said no you can't happen but all you need your Bible and I saw the other half we did no meet he's no 12-step none of that all we did was the Bible and his a word to me and miss Sylvia said this morning but God what God was there and God came in there like a flood and he stayed there and seen in my heart and uh Wow America's cuz it was real well the reason that I brought that up because I had sent some other people there because of their view of the work yeah and so the the word the word was is so focused on there they believe the word by itself can produce transformation and so that I resonated because of my confidence and the written word of God and so to hear your story that they just are you gonna tell me my story no no you're talking about Lazarus Lazarus come out right they had to move the stone they had to move so you got to do some work so when he said that was come on he called him by name but he said move the stone but you said when Lazarus came out chuckling and I've heard people get caught up into or was he sadness but you didn't get you need company that you got caught up in the hey the Word of God brought him out well then you told me it was the last miracle Jesus performed before he was crucified I didn't know that so things that you put in little tidbits if I listen to it over and over again but you said but God when I went to Kazik they were I was smoking cigarettes doing drugs watching pornography chasing women up and down the street marry to a beautiful wife one chasing her but all that stopped in one instance Wow I have not looked bad but God took that away from me and because I believe in what you was saying and you you you you you you told it to me but you also took me in a word and showed me and once you did that like I have nothing to do but believe that was America's cousin well you know it is so encouraging to me because sometimes I do wonder is the word making a difference people just listening to sermons so when I hear live real stories of people who've been delivered from something that that held you hostage for 38 years 38 years and God on a dying woman turns it around I mean that that is that is polished this way to doing kissing you come in they have a chest with cigarettes TEFL drugs okay when you come out from outside they test you I went in I had done drugs for two weeks I went in and tested dirty and I know I hadn't done anything but the lady before someone looked at me and said I believe intense I said I know you do and it was her decision but she got me in and I see never regret it and so if you were if you were talking to somebody else who was in the situation you're in or a similar situation what would you say to them coming out of your own experience at render Wow surrender I mean I can't do anything I'm not in control of nothing everything I did I felt that on my face when I surrendered Wow so God has turned every a lot of things around and now you're married to a beautiful wife from Brazil yes we have a home in Pikesville muhrlin your hosts stomping ground yep so what do you hope to do with the rest of your life never mind this new journey on this new journey I would like to help other people I mean the more I help Joe Blow and Sally Jo and what I found out helping other people it's all kind of problems everybody's got a problem just now drugs so a lot of things didn't a strong although was supposed to get worse strongholds don't care who you are where you come from money to his daughter care about his final up and I'm I'm learning my thing to Kingdom men in the kingdom life what with the lease button it's a release button somewhere release button that I can send the right words or showing the right things or watch my walk watch my walk and to put out there like and I was I was I was they gotta hide anyone nobody see me but now I don't care ok so you're not fighting for that acceptance anymore no that was the biggest thing I had to get rid of approval addiction and at one time I was in rehab in Tampa Florida one of my eight and the lady this elderly lady he was a major with Salvation Army and she slammed a book on the table I said she you realize what you're doing you're gonna always suffer from that addiction and I didn't like that you can go through life and I know you're calling and go to life and I know what's wrong with you you go through life and not know what's going on when you find out hmm like a light switch game on so you got this new life now you have some health challenges that your relative Sal tell me about those oh let me start with some I have a list I gave you guys a couple of yesterday but I have a condition called my Phineas gravis it deals with the hot immune deficiency part of your body autoimmune system and it controls the muscles in your body everything's controlled and right now my jacket my eyes so I'm not on steroids or another medicine called paradis demean if my eyes go crossed I can't see I was taking my wife down see the cherry blossoms in couldn't see the labs in the streets ready to pull over if someone can give me next condition would be my bladder cat scan said okay visa goes here urologist and have a città Skippy when he grew up in your bladder and look at it that's looking because the bladder defeated bladder but it's inside with the father work and look like cauliflower and he said there's a tumors and be worn for years and they cut him out but under the tumors were the cancer and his flats end up all around the walls on my bladder okay we go from the Eric's new mom and I have to have bladder surgery to do with that go from there to dab them to keep diabetic trying to keep my diabetes under control um I'll take insulin I'll take a needle five six times a day every day just to remain normal um we go from the diabetes to uh I have heart problem an open artery triple bypass I have something called a field right now which is rapid heartbeat and that feels like heart exactly but it's not as bumpy and it can kill you because it's gonna create blood clots when I had my open-heart surgery my blood pressure dropped low and I had a stroke and no not walk talk just normal function again look I went from a wheelchair to a walker a wheelchair or crutches to walker to a cane and then was this thing started back remise back to a cane again but um I'm free I think what I feel pretty good today who knows what tomorrow but I feel pretty good that's just most feel my conditions but you know what I think all this is a spiritual attack from Satan and when I talk to your people and she said um we're gonna bring you down and would you like hair prayer yeah when the helper and I going yesterday and I'm looking around I see 15 guys and black suits coming around me to lay hands on me man I feel free Wow good that's a little bit about conditions medical conditions well it's it's it's been a joy to begin the process of getting to know you to hear your story and to hear how God where he's brought you from and even though you still have challenges you still say you're free so that is a that is an amazing thing all these problems and you're free at the same time yeah that's great so we are honored that you spent this time with us and we look forward to to seeing what God's going to do next because you said you said two things you said one the fact that you minister to other people helped deliver you and now when I asked you what do you want to do with the rest of your life you said you want to help other people and nothing will make you freer than God using you to be a blessing while you're waiting for a blessing you're experiencing a blessing so thank you for allowing us to be part of your life and thank you for allowing God's Word to infiltrate your life because when people hear your story they will see hope for their story and if your story gives hope for their story you will have ministered to other people so thank you" [06:56:09]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?