church of the week
Abba's House: Celebrate Freedom Ministry
By Randy Rudder
The 700 Club
CBN.com
– The Celebrate Freedom ministry at Abba’s House in Hixson, Tennessee, is seeing people set free. Director Mary Beth Starnes says that what began as a substance abuse program has evolved into something much greater.
“We wanted to get more involved with people that were dealing with not necessarily substance abuse, but dealing with depression, anger, and unforgiveness and bitterness.
If you’re depressed, you know, you are just as bound as someone who is dealing with alcoholism or drug addiction,” Mary Beth said.
Cheryl Evans was deeply depressed after her 30-year marriage ended in divorce.
“I thought my only hope was suicide,” Cheryl said, “that I would not have any relief from the pain that I was going through, the mental anguish that I was going through. I was really believing a lie. And through this class, I found out that there was someone that did love me, someone that made me, someone that knew me and created me. He gave me such an awesome peace, and he gave me a promise in Jeremiah 29:11: ‘For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’”
Josh and Samantha Steinmann are volunteers with Celebrate Freedom and lead worship for the ministry.
“It’s a place where people that are broken and who are struggling with addictions can come and be accepted for who they are; and know the love of God is really there,” Josh said.
“People in the church, I don’t think, want to be vulnerable enough to say, ‘You’re dealing with this issue? So am I.’ This shows them that we are still human, that we still struggle with some things and to know that we have a creator who gave us grace,” Samantha said.
“The Bible calls depression a spirit of heaviness,” said Senior Pastor, Ron Phillips. “In Jesus’ opening mission, in Luke 4, when he was defining his ministry, he quoted Isaiah 61, which later says ‘I will give you the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. And we have seen many in that group delivered from depression.’”
For your Celebrate Freedom ministry in Hixson, Tennessee, The 700 Club salutes Abba's House - America’s Church of the Week!
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