Moving Foward Testimonies
“What keeps me going, and prevents me from giving up, is embracing the truth that I am not defined by my struggle with any sin in my life. I used to find myself trapped in a cycle of sin. If I acted out I allowed shame and guilt to weigh me down. I saw myself as a loser for falling and breaking my sobriety. I had to shift from that paradigm to one of truth. I once allowed my attractions to define me. That followed me into the early years of my healing. But now, I allow Christ to define me, and He sees so much more than who I’m tempted to look at lustfully or how many times I fall. Embracing my identity as a saint rather than gay has propelled me into a life of freedom, not fully from homosexual temptation, but to live as a saint of Christ, obediently denying my flesh daily.”
- Chris Stump
“It becomes a daily battle to make right choices. When we fall, we have to remember that we are not starting over from square one, with no victories to claim as our own. When we fall, we pick ourselves up and start over exactly where we left off, perhaps a little wiser and more dependent upon God. Experiencing temptation and the desire to sin should not condemn us, for we all struggle with temptation. It is the giving into our temptations and desires that brings such shame, despair, and heartbreak. Instead of giving in, we must honestly tell God about our feelings and temptations as they strike us, immediately submitting them to Him before they have a chance to take hold in our minds and hearts. The more we resist meeting our needs for love and identity in sinful ways and allow God to meet these needs, we find that our desires become one with God’s will and our struggle lessens considerably.”
-Kristin J. Tremba
“Seventeen years ago the leaders of an Exodus Member Ministry – Living Hope in Arlington, TX – imparted a personal goal that has carried me through the difficult, discouraging, rewarding and joyful times of my walk away from homosexual behavior and gay culture. That principle is to seek to be content in Christ regardless of circumstances.
Real life brings real problems, temptations and ups and downs that come and go. But, the difficult times have been some of the most significant milestones I cherish. Milestones that have only been made possible by those hard to resist reminders of temptation and the humbling need for ongoing sanctification.
Being intentional in my relationship with the Lord, holding onto the ground gained, and believing in faith that God is good and true to His word, has been significant for me. While life is far from easy, He is faithful to bring out the joy of contentment to those seeking Him above all else.”
- Randy Thomas
“We would not trade the struggles we went through for anything. Our ‘real’ marriage is so much better than the marriage we dreamt of for ourselves. God has blessed our family with three beautiful children and has grown in Stephanie and me a pure and beautiful love for each other and for the Lord. We know we have not arrived, but we also know that the end of the journey will be beyond our imaginations.”
-Mike Goeke
“The bottom line for me is that I wanted God more than my homosexuality. It took every bit of tenacity I had to move forward and away from lesbian relationships. Exodus helped me tremendously to move forward. My first Exodus conference was life-changing and where I began my journey out of homosexuality and into a life of holiness.”
-Christine Sneeringer
“Believing in God’s sovereignty and His good plans for me and my prodigal son is what helps me continue moving forward”.
-Terri Brown
Moving forward is daily recognizing and embracing the freedom Christ has already given me and sharing the hope of the gospel that is available to all who desire to live a life that pleases the Lord.
-David Fountain
