I have spent most of my life struggling with self discipline. It’s so that all the Christians we are impressed with have tremendous self discipline resulting in what seems like an amazing lifestyle. We all look up to such people, wondering why we struggle just to read our Bibles with little consistency. My personal walk has been a constant failure of struggling with self discipline.I don’t read my Bible on a regular basis. I don’t have a specific time that I pray. I almost never fast. Yet, I am currently very satisfied with where I’m at in Christ. I no longer beat myself up over not being consistent. All of my own growth has come from necessity or hunger. And, I have discovered that God is happy with how I have grown. That being said, I do which I had had a sponsor and a group I could be real with. What took years and decades could have been accomplished in months. I have always longed for a family atmosphere where everyone was on the same page and chasing the same goal. I have always wished for a sponsor who could come alongside me and provide needed encouragement and challenge. Instead, I have always felt alone in my walk. Sometimes I just wanted to have another person who was just ahead of me on the path, who could say, “you are alright, keep pressing forward, you are doing fine,” or just have someone tell me what I should focus on instead of stumbling blindly. I’ve had to do it all alone while trying to lead others. This has deepened my dependence on Christ, but it has also made everything take so much longer. I needed the body of Christ.
I realize that you can probably exactly relate to what I’m talking about.
While FGF suggests the best way forward is to partner with other believers, the concepts, steps, and tools within this book can be used by anyone. Any person who desires to become more like Christ would benefit greatly from the principles given here even without joining with others, but such a person might slow down their progress.
To fix this struggle, we suggest that the Father God’s Freedom Groups develop a system for sponsors and group intimacy. Much of the Traditions are meant to help facilitate this goal.
Get A Sponsor
The gospel was never meant for us to have to struggle alone. We need friends who are walking this path with us and who may have experience in areas we lack. A sponsor is someone who is walking the same path we are and has the same goal. It is someone who has overcome in areas we are struggling with, they are ahead of us on the path. They provide wisdom and encouragement. Sometimes they are our strength.
But, they will always challenge us to hear God.
A sponsor is not someone who condemns us. Every person has to wrestle with condemnation at some point. It is easy to slip into condemnation, especially when we are being challenged to change, or to deal with something that seems way too big for us to handle. You may feel condemnation when a sponsor talks to you. Don’t assume that they are giving it, for it may be coming from you. But, a sponsor should not talk down to you. They should not be dismissive. They should not actively be accusing you, blaming you, or releasing an identity of failure to you. A good sponsor may do many things that cause you to feel condemnation, but they will walk you through it. If you are honest about how you feel, they will help you identify the real source, and even speak against it. A good sponsor will speak into your identity and destiny.
Some may believe that they don’t need a sponsor. This is pride. I realize that I progressed without one, but that is only because I never found one who was available. Very few people actively pursue deep intimacy with God. Please don’t use my struggles as an excuse. We don’t want you to have to face failure in your walk with God; I had to face it alone. You don’t even have to like your sponsor, so long as they have your best interest at heart they will bless you. We encourage each sponsor to always be promoting hearing God. Every person can hear and every person should be encouraged to seek God first for answers.
One of my greatest breakthroughs came as I was seeking to be ordained. The head pastor had placed me under the leadership of another pastor and was making requirements of me that seemed unreasonable. I complained to God that they were “holding me back” with requirements that they hadn’t placed upon the other ordained ministers. God told me, “what is it to you if they require you to be better, it will only make you better.” Sponsors provide this kind of demand that challenges us to rise into a level that we are afraid of. I have even done the same when I told a prophet that I highly respect, “I won’t ever ordain a prophet who can’t hear God the way only a son hears.” I put out this requirement because of how important the sonship relationship is to me, and there are far too many prophets who can’t hear God speak to them as a son.
We desire that these groups empower their members to sponsor newcomers; females sponsoring females, and males sponsoring males. Every person should have at least one sponsor. And every person should be looking to sponsor another (once they start seeing breakthrough). If you can hear, then you can help another hear. If you have overcome a stronghold, then you are ready to help another overcome. If you have been experiencing the power in abiding, then you can show the way to another who is moving into that step. Sponsoring helps us in our own growth.
Sponsors are the backbone of success for another generation. Never let us dismiss their importance.
Groups are the power of consistency.
They say it takes 10,000 hours of practice before we become a master at anything. Two years of 16 hours a day of consistent negative thinking will make you an expert at hating yourself. If we are to develop a lifestyle of releasing Life from a place of deep intimacy, then we will need time to change how we have been thinking. You cannot memorize these steps and think they will work. The steps must be applied over a duration of time. We want you to master knowing God and operating from the Spirit rather than from the flesh. This will take practice.
We all have experienced the frustration of trying to lose weight or gain muscle. I’m sure every person has thought that if they could just be a part of a group of friends, doing it together, it would be so much easier. The self-doubts, and feelings of failure and uncertainty about whether or not you would ever achieve your goal, all lie in opposition to our success. Overcoming the darkness that we have lived with all of our lives requires a similar type of focus. Fortunately, it does not require the same level of self-discipline. Because we are dealing with self doubts and fears of failure, having a group of peers around you on the same path has tremendous power. Even if you feel that the groups feel mundane at times, their power is that they keep you focused and headed in the same direction where if alone, you would probably suffer from drifting and apathy. The groups are not meant to replace worship services but rather they are meant to keep you motivated to press into a deeper walk with God personally.
Basic Instructions for the Groups
We desire that the groups function as a small meeting where we discuss the steps, discuss the traditions, encourage each other, give testimonies, and discuss aspects of sonship and relationship with God. They do not require any leadership. It is recommended that a volunteer chair the meeting and provide direction. Any person may chair a meeting. The steps and traditions should be discussed often, and members given the opportunity to share, express concerns, and ask questions.
Never should a meeting dissolve into an argument. We suggest that the groups stay away from controversies and politics. We discourage discussing doctrines that are not related to sonship. We have chosen to limit the doctrines we endorse in an attempt to keep the meetings about the things that matter to personal growth. We discourage discussing other doctrines unless it is relevant to someone’s personal growth.
There is no oversight placed on these groups. They are accountable to their own group conscience alone. Each person is also responsible for their own growth. The only requirement for membership is one’s desire to become fully like Christ. No one must agree with our positions, or even our doctrines as laid out in this book. Sponsors are for encouragement and limited accountability. We don’t believe these groups need a hierarchy. God is the best teacher, the best father, and the best mentor. The purpose of these groups and these steps is to connect a person to God’s leadership rather than connecting them to men. If any member feels they need further leadership, then we encourage them to speak to their local pastor and become more active in their local church.
The biggest reason that we ask that FGF groups be set up this way is because humans have a tendency to look to leaders for their growth rather than take personal responsibility. Such a way of looking to someone other than God will keep such people from ever achieving God’s desire for their life. There is a tremendous level of authority that a son of God carries. This level requires a strong identity and the confidence that they can walk through any difficulty leaning solely on God, if necessary. Each sponsor is encouraged to always direct those they sponsor to ask God their questions. We are always looking to encourage each member to hear for themselves. Prophecy is not discouraged. But we desire that prophecy take a back seat to the importance of a person hearing God for themselves.
The ultimate goal of the FGF groups is for individuals to step fully into sonship. This is a laid down life of deep surrender. In most organizations, members are always looking to get promoted. There is no promotion to be found in these groups. Even the founders are just members. Becoming who God created us to be is enough for us. We are discouraging self promotion. It is never needed. Surrender and self denial is needed. We want to look like Christ in all facets.