Re:treat Recap – Part 2
After starting re:treat with worship led by Natalie Grant and the amazing Cross Point team, we went straight into a message from our leaders, Lori Wilhite and Brandi Wilson. Can I just say that I was incredibly moved by their message? Like, seriously. These two have spent the better part of 6-8 months planning re:treat and they were still able to come up with a message that inspired us. They challenged us to unlock things in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. Things like community, confidence, peace and healing. At the end, we had such a special moment of taking our little locks and locking them on a metal fence signifying that we were taking a step toward freedom. Our lasting reminder from their talk came from a necklace with a key that had the word “FREE” stamped on it.
If you’ve never heard Lisa Harper speak, find the next event she is at and be there. Her wit will entertain you and her understanding of the scriptures will leave you stunned. She is the queen of hilarious one-liners and is as down to earth as they come. One of the things she talked about was navigating the highs and lows of ministry. Ain’t that the truth. We certainly need to do that. What a blessing it was to hear her challenge us to get in the Word and know it intimately.
We had amazing breakout sessions on Wednesday by many of our team members. The ladies also got to hear from parenting guru Julie Richard. She is equally wise and funny…something we all need along this parenting road. I love hearing her talk because it encourages me to keep fighting for my children. Not only that, she has helped me so much when it comes to raising my children as they approach adulthood.
On our final day, we had the awesome privilege of hearing from a legend in ministry. The very cool and wise, Lisa Young, of Fellowship Church. Y’all. When she talks, people listen. Wisdom just oozes from her. Lisa said, “God uses unlikely people and unlikely circumstances to build His church.” Can I get an amen? Don’t we all feel unlikely? She taught about the temptation of Jesus and how we handle being in the desert. She said that we could actually thrive in the desert. Wow. A transformational message indeed!
And last but certainly not least, Dr. Tara Jenkins brought it all home. Her message entitled “Put Your Foot Down” was all about taking a stand. She said, “Life can come and shake your stand so you’ve gotta have some war clothes on. It’s a battlefield, not a beach.” That slapped me across the face…in a good way. She truly knows how to deliver a spirit-filled message. It was outstanding!
We would love to hear what some of your favorite parts of these messages were. So please, tell us in the comments!