We are heading to Michigan...

I (Mal) was about to title this post, "We're heading home," but in reality, we're pulling our home behind us. But we are heading to Michigan for a much-needed break, to have some time with family and friends, and to make preparations for our next ministry season which will begin in September. We pulled away from Lakeside Baptist Church half an hour ago, and we're heading up Interstate 81 N in Virginia. It's been a great year and we're praising the Lord for all He has done!!!
Sharing God's heart for the Church,
Ryan and Mal

BITTERNESS
The dictionary defines it as something "difficult to accept" or in describing a person, "angry and resentful." What does this have to do with what we do? We have just ended an 8-day summit at Berean Baptist Church in Mansfield, Ohio and we were overwhelmed this past Sunday with over 50 people coming to share by way of testimony how they were responding to what God was teaching them through the course of the last 8 days.
Many issues were shared, but the one thing that stood out repeatedly was individuals recognizing and confessing bitterness in their lives, either toward a parent, a child, a spouse, or another indivdual. Many of them didn't even realize that they were bitter in their heart. They were unwilling to accept the circumstances or individuals that the Lord had brought into their lives. Many were bitter towards God, and didn't even realize it. God has set so many people free this week, and we are in awe of all that He has done!!
The Life Action staff and the staff of the church met on Sunday afternoon and determined that the Lord wanted our team to carry over one more night, so we actually finished the conference last evening with more testimonies. We have heard over and over again in the past four days comments like "My life will never be the same," and "Our home is changed," and "I am free from the bitterness," and "Our relationship with our kids is sweeter than we ever imagined," and "I sought forgiveness and I now have a clear conscience. I feel like I'm soaring!!," and "We are not the same family today as we were at the beginning of this summit."
One woman came to the microphone and shared that she had not spoken to or seen her parents in 24 years, and they live in the same town!! She didn't know where in Mansfield they were living, so she got online and found her mom, drove to her apartment, and sought her forgiveness for the years of bitterness and anger she had held against her mother. She then drove to the nursing home where her father was, and sought his forgiveness as well. She asked her father, "Dad, do you know who I am?" He said, "Yes." She shared what she needed to, and he forgave her!! She made the comment last evening that she felt as though she was soaring. Free from years of anger, bitterness, and resentment. But now she's free!! Praise God.
85 men come to pray!!!
Tom and Marie Nesbitt from Ames, Iowa, were with us teaching on the family, and Tom met with the men of the church every morning at 6 am teaching them to pray the Scriptures back to God, and then teaching them to take what they were learning back home and pray with their wife and children. Many men came forward Sunday morning and evening sharing how the Lord was using this prayer time to show them that they are to be the spiritual leaders in their homes, leading their wives and children in the study of the Word and in prayer. Many men came in a spirit of humility confessing that they had not been the priest of their homes as God calls men to be. What an awesome time we shared together as a body rejoicing over what the Lord had done!!! We praise His name, and our whole family would tell you, "This is worth livin' in a trailer for!!!!"

Resources that are available...

Through this blog, we not only want to inform you of where we are, and testimonies of changed lives, but also give you resources to aid you in your walk with God. Life Action has several websites full of topical helps based on the truth of God's Word. The websites are listed on the right side bar of this blog, and we would encourage you to visit them. Ladies, Revive our Hearts is a great tool for growing not only in our walk with God, but also for enhancing intimacy in our relationships with our husband and children. Life Action produces a weekly podcast called Infuse that you can download right to your computer that is available through www.lifeaction.org. We hope that you'll take advantage of the abundance of resources available to you. Our desire is to share God's heart for the Church with His church, and one means in which we do this is through our websites. May God bless you and your family and our prayer is that you would be a light for Jesus in your sphere of influence!!! Blessings, Ryan and Mal

Concord Baptist Church

We are here in Jefferson City, Missouri where approx. 400 attended the service tonight!! We are expecting God to do great things this week!! Please pray that He would meet with us here in the capital city of Missouri and that a mighty move of His Spirit would change hearts and lives, impacting not only this church, not only this community, but the state as well as the nation!! We are in deep need as a nation for God to do something extraordinary. Would you pray with us for this community, Jefferson City, Missouri?

Enid, Oklahoma

We are driving on I44 heading east out of Tulsa on our way to Concord Baptist Church in Jefferson City, Missouri. We finished a 4-day THIRST conference last evening and will begin at Concord on Sunday morning. The Lord did a great work in Enid and we are praising him as we're driving. Our desire is to share God's heart for the Church with individuals and it's thrilling when the truth is heard and applied!! Families are restored! Marriages are healed! Teenagers get excited about following hard after God!! And individuals are restored to an intimate, love relationship with Jesus, the Lover of their soul!!

wife and mother -
"Before this conference, God found me locked up!! I didn't realize it until the conference, but I always felt held back in my continued growth in the Lord. I've learned this week that as I obey, and take the steps required of me according to His Word, He moves and displays His enduring grace and faithfulness. Jesus, my Lord and Savior, has revealed my hindered growth. In the past, my heart had been broken, so I locked it up and could only give it to God. But He has now set me free!!!! He is enabling me to give my heart to my sweet, wonderful, dear, husband!!! I now trust not only my Lord, but I am free to love and trust my husband as well. God has unlocked my heart and I am free!!!!"

DESOTO, TEXAS

We are leaving Desoto, Texas, this morning (Wednesday) bound for Enid, Oklahoma. Our summit ended on Easter Sunday with 30 individuals sharing the wondrous work that God has done in their lives and in their families. One precious 80 year old man came to the microphone and said it this way: "We came here this morning to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but we are leaving here celebrating the resurrection of our love and devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ."

How profound!!! I'll let you read the testimonies for yourself:

"I have been married for 30 years, but I've been happy in it for 3 days!!! When we arrived for service the other night, my wife and I were sitting in the foyer. She leaned over to me and shared with me that she needed to confess something. She proceeded to tell me that she had been unfaithful in our marriage 20 years ago. Nedless to say, I was quite shaken, and did not know how to respond. It was time to go into service, and Ryan preached on the importance of having a clear conscience. H explained how to extend forgiveness when we're hurt, and how to seek forgiveness when we hurt others. The Holy Spirit knew what I needed to hear!! I have been able to forgive my wife, and we've had the best week ever in our relationship!! Praise the Lord!!"

"I come here each week with a smile on my face, but my heart has been so full of anger and bitterness. You never see it, because I'm really good at wearing a mask, and not allowing anyone in, but I must tell you, my heart has been as black as this shirt (he was wearing a black shirt). The Lord is cleansing me through a new love for His Word and I'm beginning to feel free!!"

"I came in here this morning (Easter morning) mad at my husband. We didn't even sit together. I just went and sat with my girlfriends. Anger has been one of the constant demons in my life and I am determined to be rid of this sin. I truly want to be a godly wife and mother. Please pray for me as God continues refining me through the His Word."

Living in Texas

Please pray for our son, Samuel. Everytime we come to Texas, he is miserable with allergies. He practically lives on Benadryl. His eyes itch all day long, and he's sneezing alot!!! But Lord bless him, he's got a positive atitude.

We're looking for better methods, and God's looking for better men, and once He gets them, He may touch down.

We've had a great summit here in Sylvester, Georgia. Twenty-two men showed up for prayer this morning at 6 AM, and we finished our summit yesterday!!! That is an indication that the revival that has taken place here will be ongoing!!! Tom Nesbitt, who taught truths pertaining to the family this week, along with his sweet bride of 40+ years (Marie), has been meeting with the men of First Baptist Church every morning this past week. He has been teaching the men to pray through the Scriptures for their wives, children, and grandchildren.

We want you to hear several testimonies of changed lives amidst the people of God.

"Before this conference, God found me angry, hurt, and bitter. The week of the Life Action summit marked the 9th anniversary of the death of our first son, just 2 days old. The weeks prior to the summit, it was discovered that my wife had been unfaithful to me. Through the messages and daily 6 am prayer times, God revealed to me how I had failed. I was able to express my anger to God and give it to Him. I was able to claim I Thessalonians 5 and give thanks!! I discovered how my anger and bitterness tore down my wife which caused her to seek compassion elsewhere. I now have a new love for my wife and my marriage is better than ever!! Praise God!!"

"I am a man who thought I was living a good, Christian life. But, because of the truths taught this week, I have seen the pride in my life and I have needed to clear my conscience. I had to go to my wife and my son and ask forgiveness for the things in my life that I thought were covering my sin. I have learned how to pray and lift up Scriptures in prayer. Most of all, I have asked God to forgive me for my sin against Him. "

"I have been bitter and searching for answers. I was brought up in church, married a man my family adored, and saved myself for him and my marriage. I recently had a miscarriage. I work in a neonatal intensive care setting and see young girls having babies each day that they can't care for. I was able to thank God for placing our baby in our lives for 3 months. I was also able to thank God for taking our baby. God has awesome plans for my husband and I. I now long to worship & talk to God continuously throughout my day. My future is in his hands."

"I have been a bitter, prideful, selfish mother. I have been unwilling to allow my husband to lead our family. I was afraid he would make the wrong decisions, and he doesn't seem to be saved. God told me to do what he asks of me and he would handle my husband. I just need to trust Him and just sit at His feet."

"I have been working very hard with many church responsibilities which have left me tired, weary, and dry. I knew I was failing in the most important areas as a wife, mother and teacher of my children. Still, I wanted to run from these most important activities. God told me He would give me the power. I can't do it on my own. The kudos from others don't satisfy. Only God can satisfy."

On the road again...

After four days in Pensacola (looking at a school for Margo), we are back on the road headed to Sylvester, Georgia, where we will begin an 8-day conference with Tom and Maria Nesbitt on the 14th of March. Ryan will be flying out tomorrow to Austin, Texas, for Life Action's Vision Gathering, and the children and I (Mal) will spend the week in Sylvester. The team will be arriving Friday and Ryan will return on Saturday. Thank you, Lord, for two restful days!!

Dothan, Alabama....

We have had a wonderful conference at Ridgecrest Baptist here in Dothan. This conference was broadcast over the internet via live-stream and you can view the messages on the home page at http://www.lifeaction.org/. We'd love to hear your feedback through the COMMENTS tab. Please pray for our family as we take a much needed spring break. We will be arriving in Sylvester, GA next week to begin our next 8-day conference on March 14 at First Baptist Church. Blessings to you all!! I (Mal) will be posting testimonies from Dothan next week.