In September 2016, IBC launched the beta version of Foundation — a brand new discipleship experience for IBC built on rhythms and relationships. We asked a few of the almost 200 people who went first to share their experiences. Here is what they had to say.
Before Foundation I was crippled by an unforgiving heart. In the week’s leading up to the Prayer Experience, God began to work on my heart — exposing the hurt and pain that had taken deep root and turned into bitterness. As we prepared for our time of confession to God and to each other, the Lord convicted me of the forgiveness I had been withholding. He specifically put Jesus’ words in Matthew in front of me, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” I always appreciate it when God makes things really clear.
Since Foundation God has shown me the importance of confession and has broken down my walls of un-forgiveness. For the first time in more years that I can remember (or care to admit), I confessed my sin aloud to the Lord and asked him to forgive me, to take away this bitterness and renew my heart to have a forgiving spirit. In that moment of submission, the grace that washed over me was beautiful. And my heart is once again full with the love of Christ.
My prayer for the future is to have a heart that chases God first, loves people well, forgives without hesitation and serves the least of these.
Carol McGuire
“I believe that if people experience Foundation like I did, IBC really will be a place of transformed people who are transforming the city!”Bryan Eck
Before Foundation I was wandering and lost. I had grown up in the church my entire life, but it wasn’t until recently I started feeling like a homeless person wandering around, not knowing my place in the church.
Since Foundation, God has put a new confidence in me. He has shown me what it is to walk in his confidence and his love. That it’s not all works based. But, that as long as I am showing the love and mercy he has shown me, I am being his hands and feet to the wandering and the broken. Through Foundation, God has surrounded me with a group of men that keep pushing me to walk in Christ in a loving way, which was so encouraging because I have never really had that beside family. Leading up to Foundation I kept praying, “Lord help me to go in with an open heart and to be vulnerable, I need to and want to grow.” During Foundation I felt this sense of growth, almost like the Lord saying, “This is where you belong.” It really felt like he had taken the bag that I had stored everything up in, whether it be fears, theology, or how I had been treated in the church, and just dumped it all out and said, “We’re starting fresh.” Surrendering myself to the Lord and giving Foundation my all it has given me this sense of peace. That as I stay constantly abiding in the Lord and resting in his presence there is not this looming anxiety of “am I doing this right?” or “I’m not doing enough.” In it’s place, there is excitement and eagerness to get out there and live the Missionary Disciple life that God has called us to.
My prayer for the future is that, day in and day out, I would wake up and see others how Jesus sees them. That I would be so in-tune with the Lord; that when I come across the broken I can be the hands and feet of Jesus, and be able to pour into them love, grace and mercy, just how Jesus has poured that into me.
Michael Goff
“I connected deeply with the women in my group, creating friendships that I didn’t even know I needed.”Shannon Lewis
Before Foundation I was apprehensive and hesitant to share about Jesus with others, especially at work. Most days I was so consumed with work and the daily rigors of life, that I didn’t even see the opportunities to talk about God. Since Foundation, God has shown me how to be aware of the opportunities to tell others about the good news of the gospel and how his grace has saved me. During the night of prayer, I became aware of some character defects that I needed God to remove from me. I started to pray for God to change my heart I set a reminder on my phone to read Psalm 23 and God Calling every day at 10:30 and 2:30. At work the next week, I had the chance to share with several of my co-workers how I was using that to refresh and renew myself daily. Since then, I have been able to daily share at work how God’s grace has worked in my life and how the promise of eternal life helps me to deal with the stress of daily life.
My prayer for the future is to continue to grow closer to Christ so that God can continue to transform me into the man he wants me to be.
John Johansen