The Prodigal Story in my life.
I don’t know an exact date of salvation but I know I was about fifteen years old.
After salvation I just never committed my life to the Lord. I just wanted to do what I wanted to do.Although I didn’t get involved with drugs or drinking I was astray from the Lord. In October of 1974 I moved away from home and met a girl in another city 600 miles away from home. I soon found myself emotionally bound in my ways. Against my parents wishes, I married this girl. Turned out I was married to a girl that had many relationships going while we were married. My heart was torn as I pleaded with her to return. I was sick to my stomach trying to restore the relationship.
In the summer of 1975 I knelt down by my bed and asked the Lord to help me. With tears flowing and a broken heart I told the Lord I was going to flop the bible open and where it opened to I needed him to talk to me. (I never opened my bible other than occasionally in a church service) The bible flopped opened to Luke chapter 15 and my eyes fell upon verse 11 and the Lord began to talk. I was having a hard time believing what I was reading. The tears were making it hard to focus as I was reading but God was cutting through to my heart with overwhelming love. The prodigal was me and The Lord made it plain to me. I made up my mind I was going to follow the Lord from then on.
Although I turned my life over to the Lord my ” x wife ” continued in many adulterous affairs. After 3 1/2 years of pleading I let go and filed for divorce.I remarried to a wonderful girl on March 24,1979. I have been happily married for these past 37 years.
The scars remain and I am limited to what I can do. To some it looks like a never ending blemish hanging over my name but God is still using me. I have been a bus captain for 40 years and took the position as bus director at my home church in 2010. I oversee eight bus routes and sub teach in adult Sunday school classes.
The scars of the past don’t go away but God has been more than good to this
“prodigal son”.Bob Morrissey
PS
If I can ever be of help to any of you men (I don’t counsel women)
feel free to email me at [email protected]
I am a single mother of an adult prodigal son. I used to be an alcoholic and did not start out raising my children right. When my children were still young I got into church and our lives started to change. Thank God we are all now saved and on our way to heaven.
Life for me has always been hard and I have had more questions than answers for the most part. This FIG ministry has opened my eyes to so many things that I couldn’t seem to understand before. It is such a blessing to me to read the articles every day and have God speak to me through them.
Being a part of this ministry also makes me feel like I have another family; people who understand and care. The FIG Ministry is huge in that it is going to help so many hurting people and start a revival for the glory of God.
Love this ministry and love God and my pastor, Dave Baker, for all the help he has been to me and in starting this ministry.
C.P.
During my freshman year at a Christian College, Jesus came into my heart and life as my personal Savior. I remember tingling with excitement as I sat in Chapel and my classes as I wondered what God would do in my life and where He would have me be a Christian Teacher.
Sadly since I wasn’t making my relationship with Jesus my first thing as I needed to do.
Add to that, some heavy emotional baggage that I had from my childhood.
I looked to people around me as my security and well being. As you can imagine, my life became a train wreck.Between my mother’s death, disconnect with my only brother and his family, and a ton of labeling from my church family (and at the time, I thought my closest friends) I became extremely suicidal.
God in His Graciousness as shown me that I need to bring all that hurt and pain to Him and put it at the foot of His Cross.
I am learning that my identity is in Jesus and what He says about me. This is what I can hold on to during those difficult moments.
Another part of this recovery for me is the FIG ministry as I relearn how to reconnect with God first and reconnect in healthy ways with my brothers and sisters in Christ. It is kind’a scary but very safe.
I am learning to share my heart and not fear rejection.
It is still a journey for me as I learn to look to Jesus in my struggles and not hide from Him and others.
If you can make it, then maybe there’s hope for me.
This testimony has been repeated through the years. When the temptation was to “run and hide”, some stand. We hope to champion their cause, through Pastoral Training for local church restoration ministries, online tools, retreats, seminars and in the future one-on-one counseling.
It is our sincere prayer, that “Restored By Grace” Testimonials will offer hope to all those striving to make their way back to a healthy relationship with God.
I thank God for Bro. Dave Hyles. After being caught in the trap of sin and then repenting from my sin; but still reaping the bitter harvest I had sown. I was so broken hearted about losing important relationships to me. When I reached out to Bro. Dave he was able to encourage me to continue living for the Lord and shared with me best way to try to restore broken relationships. Just knowing that he could feel my pain helped to ease the load. His encouragement and compassion helped pull me through the emotional pain of facing the situation that I am in.
James S.
FIG Ministries is a work of God. Bro. Hyles’ friendship, experience, and love for fallen people have personally helped and influenced my life and ministry. Friends, do not take this ministry for granted. Let’s use the precepts from FIG and get involved. We all know somebody who needs a FIG friend. “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.” Luke 12:48
Johnny N.