As I spoke with the team just prior to our team prayer meeting one evening late in the summit, I announced… “Guys I have never said this in a summit before...but here, apart from a miracle of God, it is hopeless!” Laine and I had met with the staff and the division lines were drawn right down the middle. The pastor and youth pastor on one side and the music pastor and C.E. pastor on the other. After hours of intense consultation at our staff meetings, it seemed to only get worse. In fact, one of the pastors would not even talk. When pressed he would just say, “I am not going to talk about this.” To this the pastor would just lean back in his chair in great frustration and exclaim…“See what I mean.” But then, God took over!! During the first night of testimonies, the senior pastor’s wife stood and sought forgiveness for her part in all the division. You see, she is the worship leader for the contemporary side of this church’s “worship wars” and had great division with the more traditional side headed up by the Minister of Music. Immediately, the Minister of Music rushed to the platform and embraced his sister in Christ. He then stood and apologized. The picture you have of the church standing together was after a deacon suggested they all be unified behind the pastor. I had to stand the next night, apologize to the team for my lack of faith and declare “A miracle was what was needed and that is what God sent.” This church, formerly in the liberal strain of the SBC, is now healing. There are still battles to be fought and won, but thanks to our Lord we believe our time at 1st Baptist, Mansfield, LA, was not in vain!

“I thought God had removed Himself from our church. We were fractured, bitter, and judgmental. God once again showed me how He is in control. He worked through the team to reveal our pitiful state and many of us responded with repentance.”

Testimonies of God @ Work...

IN CHURCH STAFF…
“As much as I wanted to see true revival in the overall church, I know that it had to begin in me. My heart had grown cold and calloused because of my own pride, unforgiveness, and personal failure. The Holy Spirit impacted my heart with the Word of God and broke up the hardened ground—so that the stones of resentment could be removed and fresh seed was planted and nurtured. I now have a renewed hope and faith and [am] excited about being a part of what God is doing in my life, my marriage, my family, and my church.”
-Pastor

“This summit God found me at my wit’s end on my duties AND responsibilities as a deacon of this church. Our deacons and our staff are divided over the music at our church. My heart had been turning cold and I was not having Christ-like feelings about certain individuals. My heart was softened and I now have a different outlook at my church and my fellow Christian brothers and sisters.”
-Deacon

IN WIVES AND MOTHERS:
“God showed up at our church in such an AMAZING way! He began His work FIRST in me! I felt the Holy Spirit’s leading to quit my job and stay home and to be able to disciple my daughters and the liberty to minister with my husband. SECONDLY, after many prayers and perseverance, God began to break our church from the bondage of pride, bitterness, and unforgiveness.”
-Pastor’s wife

“We knew God was at work the first Sunday of the revival. My husband and I cried over our sin in our lives and a new importance and responsibility filled our thoughts and hearts each day as we sought God. I had wanted to come home from work for many years, yet never had the courage to. My husband...came home one day and told me how God had convicted his heart about me staying at home and being the mother and wife that I so longed to be. We’re now stepping out on faith and believing in God for all things and very happy to do so.”
-Youth Pastor’s wife

IN FORGIVENESS…
After twenty years of harboring bitterness towards a family member who had abused her, this woman has chosen to call out for God’s grace to forgive: “This is a memory I have wrestled with everyday. I have honestly never given a moment’s thought to forgiving this man. Until the Lord brought you into my life. Bro. Laine’s sermon on unforgiveness hit me hard. Almost too hard. It brought me to my knees. Truthfully, I thought to myself, ‘There is no way that I can do that!’ But gradually, the Lord began to slowly peel those layers of hate and unforgiveness. Although I cannot honestly say that I forgive him, I know that with God’s help, I will. I’ve even began to pray for this man, something that I never thought I would do. So, I thank God! My heartache is slowly starting to ease.”

IN TEENS...
“The past few weeks I was really struggling with whether or not I was saved. After Monday our Bible study about purity really got to me and I realized my sins...and that night I got saved! I was so relieved and now I know for sure.”

“God challenged me this week to deal with unforgiveness in my heart towards my rapist. That would have to be the most important thing to me because God gave me hope that I can forgive.”

“Over the past few days the Lord has shown me how selfish and prideful I was. God told me to stop and he broke me from my shackles of this life. I also gave everything to God because there were some areas that I would not give to Him but now it’s all in His hands.”

IN CHILDREN...
Dear God,
Thank You for teaching me:
“that I need to spend more time with him. I also need to obey my parents. Mostly to read from His book. I need to give more praying time to the Lowrd. To play less video games on my computer. Also to spend more time with my family.”