Hi; I received the book r12 last week and am just now starting on the 2nd part.  I'm 62, have known about Jesus since dirt, but became 'saved' Easter Sunday 1997.  I've grown quite a bit since then in my walk, but for the past couple of years, just didn't feel "connected" to Jesus.  When I became disabled, my "christian" husband walked out on me and left me penniless july 2005.  My one and only daughter won't have anything to do with me since I found out that she was stealing from her ex-step-mother-in-law, and the woman ( who had taken my daughter in like her own ) pressed charges against my daughter.  SO, it is my fault you see.  I have struggled financially ( I live on $1076.00 a month), have had to sell just about everything to keep my manufactured home.  My "Isaacs" have been the lack of $ to even live on, my home, and ofcourse being abandoned by the 2 people who are supposed to stick with me no matter what.  I finally said "I'm all In" because I can't see any other way to live.  Your book Chip, finally got  me to see that God really does want me to have HIs best, but I'm so scared, and I told God that in my journal and prayers.  I have 4 pets that always eat first, and I've had my home for 10 years , it was truly a gift from God.  I just can't believe that He's brought me through all that I've gone thru to lose my home now.  I read and re-read many of the previous pages, just in case I've missed something.  I NEED to feel connected to my Lord, He is all I have left.  Never enough gas to get to church, but I listen to you on the radio each morning, and I believe that I will grow closer to God, because your book is showing me what has prevented me from that, how to get over my "Issacs" and grow in the way we are supposed to as a r12 Christian.  Thank you Chip for telling it like it is, and for all the Lord has used you for in His work.  I have no clue ( best, huh?) as to what the Lord will bring me next, I certainly am not new to advesary, my entire life has been full of bad.  I think that is one of the "Isaacs" for me, even after becoming a ? Christian, my life really became full of strife, and pain.  There hasn't been even a breathing space for me to regroup, I know that I made it thru ONLY because the Lord gave me HIs strength, I would have given up years ago.  I am looking forward to more challenges/problems and trouble, only this time with a supernatural God working with me!!

 Hello everyone, I'm a senior in highschool from Kansas, and this book has totally turned my life around. Well, not around, but back on the right track. I've been a born again Christian for about 2 years right now, and this book is an excellent resource for knowing how to get the very best for yourself. I mean, it's got the best advice for actually finding not only what you need but what you want. There's all the stuff we think we want, like sex, status, and stuff, but then when you end up feeling bad at the end of it all, you wonder what's missing, and that missing "stuff" consists of everything that God wants for you.

It's really changed my thinking. Cause it really used to seem like God just wants to give you all the rules that he does so that he can make you into something that makes him happy and you miserable, bored, and not having any fun or pleasure, and then you, in turn, feel guilty for repeated sin patterns when just following the rules isn't enough for you. But let me tell you, when you realize that God only has intentions for your personal best, your personal happiness, and your personal joy, then it becomes very easy to say no to things like sex, overworking, and overeating. I never thought that it would be EASY to say no to things that the Bible says destroy you and your relationships, because, like Chip says: like fast food, just because it tastes good doesn't mean it is good, so don't be deceived. And I'm done being deceived.

Greg Faulkenberry, Senior Chaplain at Franklin Correctional Institution (FDOC), near Carrabelle,FL allowed me to start the R12 study on February 27, 2010. We started it with the Chapel Orderlies and the Praise and Worship team and have already saw God moving in a mighty way.

God confirmed our study by having 3 seperate Worship leaders preach from Romans 12, on 3 consecutive weeks. This was amazing to everyone.

Today which is 3/13/2010 I did Session 2. I gave each person a blank check and told them to tell God what he wants and in 2 weeks when I do Session 3 I will pick 3 at random to share their testimonies. I will try to post the results here.

Thanks Chip for an incredible program.

I am His Servant,

Dan Husk

Chip, You have long been a favorite teacher of the Word to me. I relate to your basketball background and drive for sucess. The why I believe series really changed my walk with God to help me reach out and share my faith more.R12 is just takin my walk to a run. I am all in and I know with Jesus I have the Royal Flush no one can beat. My wife and I are in a small group and we are in the middle of this I cannot tell you how much it has affected us. God is really using this awesome book and study to take us to such a deeper level. The parable of the treasure in the field, though I have read it sveral times thru your stoies it just came alive and God spoke into my heart how for his treaure we should hold nothing back. God Bless You, your family & your ministry and thank you for helping me grow in Christ I LOVE YOU BROTHER! 

thanks for helping me see that total surrender is a positive thing and not negative like I have thought of in the past. What you said in your book. " God has holy pleasure in our happyness.  I would like to share a story, the week I read this in your book.  As I was leaving walmart  about a week ago, I felt prompted to go and get some exercise shoes at Shopko, thats just where I get my shoes.  I couldn't belevie it, I was only in the shoe section about 5,10 minutes and I found the right size, kind, and my favorite color, of which was the last pair. I remembered what I read that "God finds holy pleasure in my happyness." I was really  happy that Ididn't take a long to get a pair of shoes, I just felt His love at a deeper level and realized He had Holy pleasure in my happyness!! WOW. 

This past week has been a challenge for me.  Something was holding me back from being all in 100% and I could not figure it out.  I spoke with my pastor and we figured out that I had a fear/trust issue with God.  I have been reading the book for two days now and with TRUST ME  I have been able to find out that I was afraid of loosing Every thing if I gave in to God.  I have spent the past two days praying until something happened and fully rely on God. and can say. Praise the Lord I am Free of my fear!   Today 3/11/10 I am all in. thank you Chip and thank You Lord.   Keith R. Charron

This is story about how we are using r12 at the Franklin Correctional Institution at Carrabelle, Fl and how God just confirmed that it is the right program for us.

The Senior Chaplain, Greg Faulkenberry, had given me permission to do a small study group with Chip's r12 material because we have had success using his other materials for Parenting and Anger Management small study groups.

On Saturday February 27, 2010 we had the First Session with 5 office orderlies and about 15 Praise and Worship team members, we are all very excited about starting the program and the Holy Spirit was moving mightily throughout the class. We were all sure that God wanted us to move in this direction but now God was going to confirm it to us in a mighty way.

Sunday February 28 we had a worship service at FCI and there were 2 volunteers that came to preach the morning service and I or the Senior Chaplain had not spoken to them about the r12 study. The preacher starting talking about a person "renewing his mind" and right away I lept over to Romans 12:2, where it spoke of exactly that. Even  though he did not directly say Romans 12: 2, then almost immediately he told everyone to turn to Roman s Chapter 12, and it was awesome because the whole r12 study group got the revelation at once that this was God confirming! Then he preached for several minutes from Romans 12.

I asked the Pastor after the service when he decided to speak on Romans 12 and he said about 3 days ago. So the Pastor got the Word the day before our first session and the that same Pastor confirmed it the day after our first session, that is so AWESOME to me!

Let God be Praised in the Name of Jesus,

Dan Husk

God has always been faithful in our lives.  And, we've always lived within our means.  So, sometimes it\'s "hard" to know how to give in faith.  Certainly can't give what we don't have, so as I purchased groceries for our family of 5, a grandmother raising her 4 teenage grandchildren, I looked for deals and bought what I could with what I had.  We decided as a group that we'd each contribute $50.00 for groceries.  $200.00 total.  I didn't really keep track of what I was spending, mostly until I ran out of cash in my purse and that was about $50.00.  Well, yesterday I received a check in the mail for just under $50.00 for my time at the courthouse as a jury was chosen, I was not chosen, but was still there for four days.  Of course I forgot about getting that, but what a surprise from God.  How He loves to delight us.  Then Mark opened his mail, which was a Valentines card from my mom who he'd helped this week and there was a $20 bill.  So, there you have it.  What an awesome, loving and faithful God we serve.  Certainly didn't expect reimbursement, but God did anyway.  Makes me laugh and smile.  How good are His gifts to us.

I wanted to share an experience I had today. I am really excited about the Feed the Need event. I posted a post on my Facebook page asking my friends to get involved. A long time family friend from our previous church responded asking when he could meet with me to give me some items he wanted to donate. I told him that I could meet today and would swing by his home or work to pick up the items. He emailed me this morning and said that I could come by his work at 3 this afternoon. He works at Rite Aid by the church on Meridian & Redmond. While we were walking to his car, he was updating me on his family. He told me that his wife had passed away in September of 2008. I did not know that and told him how sorry I was to hear that. He continued to tell me that he was finally at a place where he was starting to move on with his life. He recently gave away her clothing in which a woman gave him $100.00 for it. (He works hard to help support his 30-year-old son and a nephew and could've used the $100.00 for something else he needed) He has been holding onto it thinking that he would use it to bless someone else. He saw my post last night and decided that Feed the Need was one of the ways he wanted to spend that money. He gave me 2 bags of canned goods and 3 boxes of pasta and soups.

I was speechless at his selfless act and told him how much I appreciated him doing this. I was blessed beyond belief by his actions. He also mentioned that he was looking for a single\'s group to get involved in for fellowship. I invited him to Venture telling him about our single's group. I would love to put him in touch with the person who leads that group.

Serving together,

Jason

My husband, Dennis, and I are the hosts for our small group. This is the first time we have been in a Bible study together, it has had a wonderful impact on our relationship. My story goes back a few weeks when Chip asked us to surrender ourselves to Jesus completely. I have been involved in medical missions for the past 5 years; the Lord closed some doors for me to go to India this year. I found myself like a boat without a rudder. I was lost and feeling angry with God for this change. Then the earthquake hit in Haiti and the Lord very clearly said, "Go". It was with quite a bit of fear and trepidation that I decided to surrender completely to God and say, "Yes". A week later a local physician invited me to join his team. This trip is pushing me out of my comfort zone and pushing my faith to a new level. I am committed to surrendering completely, and let God use the gifts He gave me to serve, in His name, the people of Haiti. I honestly do not feel I would have decided to go if it were not for Chips sermon yesterday about feeling right sized. I feel quite intimidated by the caliber of the team members, but now realize I have God given talents that the Lord wants me to use. Thank you for the encouragement to step out.