Testimonials

Anxiety has been a natural part of my adult life because of associated emotional disturbances and disruptions accumulated throughout the years. Various pharmaceuticals offered symptomatic relief from panic attacks, and they were the only cure to numb the worry and fear that seemed to always be lurking, but it was a prison with no bars. I could never find freedom from the anxiety or the pills.

Since my experience began three years ago in Divine Discipleship, I have been freed from both anxiety and pills. It sounds impossible, but it’s true. Divine Discipleship has brought me closer to God, and I have learned how to cope with life and its potentially worrisome circumstances with prayer and commitment to biblical principles.

Jesus commanded: ‘Do not be consumed with thoughts’ (worry),and I’ve proved its possible. Obedience to Jesus’ commandsproduces peace every time.

-Cathy

Retired Business Owner

Who I am as a Disciple of Christ? I am holy. My desires are not of the world as they were before. I was lost in the world, socializing, partying, drinking, smoking, drugs, looking for acceptance in the wrong places; you name it I’ve done it. I am now separate from these things, holy. I never thought in a million years I could call myself holy, that I can walk with my Lord Jesus, be an extension of His body, discern in obedience to His will (separate myself from old habits). Even with the struggles and distraction of temptations, I can come to Him in the mornings again and again and know I will finish my race with Him.

-Cynthia

Business Owner

The Twenty Commands from Jesus found in Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7 are my way of life now, and there is a command for every moment of my life. For instance, the command of “pluck out a sexually immoral eye” has absolutely changed what I watch on tv and stream online. The command, “do not be consumed with thoughts of this world (worry)” is one I have been able to master. Boom! I am a much calmer and peaceful person. These are just two small but significant examples of how life can change with Jesus’ Twenty Commands.

-Susan

Retired Nurse

What did Jesus mean when He gave the command, “Your yes is yes and your no is no?” He meant, tell the truth! But first, there has to be some fear of the Lord, because lying is too easy to do, and I had no fear. I had a license to lie. What was I lying about? That is another testimony about the freedom I now have from a 45-year-old addiction. The lying was needed to cover that up. My wife used to tell me that God despises lying and that He won’t put up with it much longer, and He didn’t. One day, about three years ago, I found myself completely flattened, from head to toe. My brain function went on the fritz, my shoulder, back, knee and ankle all suffered decline. My wife forced me into Divine Discipleship, and with nowhere else to turn, I gave in. It took about three and a half years, but over the course of that time spending every morning, learning from the anointed teaching of the Holy Spirit, I now know who God is, and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of my new ‘wiser’ life.

-Steve

Retired Business Owner

The Lord has been so gentle with me in my weakness. I know for years that He tried to guide me into a more disciplined life. I loved. I served. I taught. I did it with all my heart and in the power of the Holy Spirit; yet, I could not overcome some areas of my life. I struggled with a daily devotion time. I struggled with my weight and food. I tried all kinds of things—but nothing lasted. Finally, 2024 was my year of surrender. My “word” for this year was ‘self-discipline,’ which had been the chink in my armor. Much of my testimony is the Lord’s working in just the last four months.

I had learned and was intrigued at what was happening in some folks at our church who were part of Divine Discipleship, one of whom I had baptized last summer. She was being dramatically changed by her experience in Divine Discipleship. Originally, I wanted to participate in Divine Discipleship to see how it all worked and how so much spiritual growth could happen in people’s lives so quickly.

In God’s perfect timing, my Divine Discipleship experience began as the answer to my own cry for self-discipline. It’s been four months, and I haven’t missed a morning with Jesus. Believe me, that’s not the old me, and I state that from a place of humility and gratitude! God is crucifying my flesh day by day. I’ve also sought His counsel daily in how I eat and what I eat and, so far, He has taken 24 pounds off me without dieting and exercise. Who knew obedience was the key?

I am so grateful for the way the Lord is using the concepts in Divine Discipleship to mold me more and more into the image of Jesus. What an amazing Lover of my soul!

-Pastor Carrie

Vocational Minister

For the first 22 years of my life, I was living for the world, in sin, separated from Christ. After being baptized and joining Divlne Discipeship, I learned how to receive meditations on the Word, which has radically changed the way that I live; no longer for myself, but for God; His Kingdom and Glory.

Being consistent in Divine Discipheship has allowed for the Spirit to convict and correct my actions of how I was living. I was using such foul language, smoking marijuana, riddled with anxiety, and I had no standards for myself as a woman because I didn’t think I was worth having any. None of this has been easy to overcome, but Jesus has overcome all of these things, and it was taking the time to learn to trust in someone greater than myself. Learning to trust that my debt had been paid on the cross and I could fail and still be valued in the eyes of God. Talking with God helped build that trust. As a stubborn person, I needed the one on one connection that is built within Divine Discipleship.

-Sarah

Vocational Ministry

Ever since I got my driver’s license, I was a nasty driver. I’m not sure why I had such a short fuse, but it didn’t take much for me to flip other drivers off. Many years later, after I accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, flipping people off seemed like inappropriate behavior. I stopped that outward demonstration of anger towards other people, but the heart-aggression was still there. I wasn’t ‘for’ my fellow-drivers; I was ‘against’ them.

Daily driving became like the Indy 500, aggressively watching out for my opponents, making sure that no one was getting in front of me and always trying to get in front of them. Judgment towards other drivers and cursing through the inside of my car window was daily routine.

Then Divine Discipleship happened. Twenty Commands happened. That was it. Jesus’ commands changed my life and changed me as a person and a driver. I learned to turn the other cheek when someone else offended me on the road. I am no longer judgmental towards other drivers, and now I happily look for ways to help my fellow-drivers.

I am for my fellow-drivers, not against them. Basically, I’ve learned to value my neighbors.

Susan

Founder of Divine Discipleship

Sin in secret, as if that were possible. But that is how I viewed my sexually immoral behavior, as if God couldn’t see or God didn’t know. Any relationships I tried to establish ended up in this not-so-secret-sin, and sexual sin was blocking me from growing spiritually. Then I joined a Divine Discipleship, which ultimately changed everything. My daily practice put sexual sin into its holy perspective, and I was faced with an ugly truth. I wasn’t holy. I was an evil hypocrite who talked the talk but couldn’t walk the walk because of this dirty little secret. Then, one morning, during meditation, the Holy Spirit convicted me to end it. And I did. And in the weeks / months to come, the Holy Spirit convicted me to be completely celibate, which meant I had to block dating apps and eliminate self-pleasure and porn, with all of its assorted wickedness. Even going to the gym at peak times proved to be a place of various temptations, so stopped wearing cut-off tank tops, and I started going at non-peak times. Since then, I’ve been in ‘holiness’ training, treating women as sisters as opposed to potential wives. And wow, the freedom I have found is indescribable. Through Divine Disicpleship, I have learned that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit hate a divided heart. I am no longer divided.

Chris

Former College Professor

I lost my husband 2 1/2 years ago - unexpectedly and tragically- It shakes me to even write those words.

I felt shattered and broken beyond repair, I didn’t want to be repaired and lost my hope, I had no words for God, no prayer, I could not speak to God, I could not feel His presence, He abandoned me, He didn’t answer my prayers, I begged and pleaded every moment of everyday until there was nothing left. I struggle with trust and contentment of where this has left me. Being consumed by worry of what’s next.

I know that God is with me in the deepest, darkest, painful parts of life. When I felt abandoned, He was the one who made my feet move under me. He held me up and made me move. He still loved me when I had nothing to say, nothing to pray. He brought me to Divine Discipleship to show me who He is and who I am in Him. I’ve always believed but believing is not enough. He gave me support in this flock. Guidance to a more disciplined spiritual life. To trust completely in Him- being stripped of everything changes everything.

I have hope and a renewed spirit. God is good, kind, gentle and so patient with me. He meets me where I am. I am learning to trust and go to Him with everything. I am no longer consumed with worry. Although not so patient when things aren’t in my timing.

It’s not easy to be exposed, to see yourself as you really are but He is the God of restoration, beauty from ashes. Jesus lived to show us how to live, to be obedient to His word and the 20 commands.

-Jen

Business owner

I think I have been like other young women, consumed with my physical appearance and trying to fit in with the crowd. I wanted attention as much as the next person, which only fed my pride and ego, leaving me feeling broken and defeated inside. I know that the world can’t make me feel valued; only God can do that. I know that now, but a lot had been in the way. I felt judged and criticized by those around me, and I allowed emotional burdens drag me down. I claimed to know Jesus, but I didn’t have enough connection with Him to overpower my struggles. I didn’t know His love for me and I didn’t love myself. Feeling like I couldn’t be loved resulted in pleasing my own flesh. That addiction started as a young child and has been my biggest stumbling block as far as God is concerned. Self-pleasure was my way of coping with hurt and rejection and felt like the only way to feel comfort. I didn’t know how destructive this activity would be in my walk with Jesus. Through prayer, I realized I was a slave to sin. God answered my prayer. I was introduced to Divine Discipleship as well as other women who were in Divine Discipleship, and my life really began to change. I was connecting to God, and I could feel the sin being pulled from me. I felt delivered from it all. I no longer have that urge to go to those places of darkness, and I am learning to forgive myself. God values me, and that alone has changed the way I view myself and how I treat my temple. He is forming me into the woman He has called me to be and who I know I am.