Spiritual Warfare

Everything Matters: 5 Things Worth Fighting For (Allan Houston – 5/26/23 – NCS New Canaan)

June 4, 2023 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

Through transparently sharing the journey of his life, NBA star and Olympic Gold-Medal winner Allan Houston reveals five basic principles that have guided the journey–five things he believes are worth fighting for as we seek to let the glory of God be seen through us daily.

Houston explains that these principles came from his parents and have helped shape not only his basketball career but also his role as a husband and father. He talks about how the five words, revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, reflect lessons learned listening and watching his mother and father.

Faith
Integrity
Sacrifice
Leadership
Legacy

Allan emphasizes that we are in a “spiritual street fight”–a fight for a Kingdom life, for our family, for our children and for righteousness–and these principles provide a strategy for navigating the fight.

He shares the challenges of being a parent in the current culture. In describing the challenge of raising seven children, Houston honors the sacrificial role that his wife has played in holding the family together and helping him grow.

Houston also talks about the importance of remaining sensitive and open to the leading of the Holy Spirit as we engage in this spiritual fight. He stresses the importance of “believing” in times of difficulty and uncertainty because our belief can release the Holy Spirit to guide us through the challenges.

Finally, Allan describes the FISLL Project (FISLL)–a new business and brand to make these principles aspirational and tangible for the next generation by infusing them into aspects of the culture that are impacting that generation–aspects such as technology, fashion, and content.

Against All Odds: Casting Your Nets (Eric Torres – 3/17/23 – NCS New Canaan)

March 17, 2023 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

With great transparency, Eric Torres shares the broken childhood that equipped him to love broken kids, and the words of life spoken into him that have allowed him to speak words of life into so many young people.

Eric vulnerably describes a challenging childhood growing up in Bridgeport with a father who was an addict and a drug dealer. He tells about the lies–the words of death–spoken into him and how he began to internalize them and believe he had no future other than to drop out of high school and follow in his father’s footsteps. He believed he had no hope, no purpose and no destiny.

Eric then explains how, on his 16th birthday, his life was set on a new trajectory. He was invited to church, and a woman took him out for pizza and a pitcher of water. He describes how she affirmed him and spoke words of life. Torres reveals that he came to know Jesus that day through the relational acts of that woman. She invested in him and gave him a hope, a purpose and a destiny.

Eric tells how he went on to graduate from high school, get a bachelors and a masters degree, teach for 18 years in the Bridgeport schools and spend two years as a principal.

Torres then talks about how his life took another turn at 40 years old when his kidneys failed. Within a year, God miraculously provided a transplant and a new job as Executive Director of Elevate Bridgeport.

With tremendous humility, Eric describes how, though Elevate, he is able to show Jesus to young people by speaking life, hope and purpose, changing the trajectory of their lives just as words of life and the love of Jesus changed his. In describing the four-part Elevate model of character building and life skills, full-time mentors, adventures, and college and career preparation, Eric shares that the Elevate motto is “No one gets there alone.”

In closing, Eric challenges us to recognize we were made “for such a time as this” and to hear Jesus’ call to cast our nets on the right side of the boat to see what He has waiting for us.

Finding Peace: Christian Mindfulness and the Holy Spirit (Steve Gilbert – 3/3/23 – NCS New Canaan)

March 3, 2023 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

Steve Gilbert vulnerably shares, from his own experiences as a therapist and a man, about the power of “Christian mindfulness” to help us find peace through an understanding of God’s constant presence through the Holy Spirit.

Gilbert explains that the last three years have been a struggle in his role as a therapist. His struggle has come from watching an increasing number of other people struggle with addiction, depression and relational issues as a result of the pandemic. Steve talks about how this struggle has challenged his faith.

Steve describes the important difference between practicing “mindfulness” and “Christian mindfulness” as a path to lessening anxiety and finding peace. He explains that the practice of “mindfulness” is “just about you” being in the moment, while “Christian mindfulness” includes Jesus and the recognition that the Holy Spirit dwells within us and is with us, always, in the moment.

Gilbert reveals how our prayers are so often misguided in failing to recognize God’s presence with us and in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and he offers how prayers change when we recognize that reality.

Steve describes the difference between “shame” and “guilt” and the power of “shame” to block our ability to be mindful of Christ’s presence, and he goes on to explain how we can break that blockage.

Steve also reveals and explains the frequent lie of “religion” that we can manufacture personal holiness and overcome the temptations of sin through spiritual “self-help” disciplines, which too often create pharisees and legalism.

Gilbert shares how we can overcome the temptations of sin, be transformed “from inside out”, and find peace through “Christian mindfulness”–understanding that God dwells within us always through the Holy Spirit.

My God, What Do You Want of Me? (Dr. Matthew Suh – 2/4/22 – NCS New Canaan)

February 4, 2022 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

Dr. Matthew Suh tells his story of a Harvard-trained surgeon and his pursuit of the Holy Spirit. Dr. Suh shares the extraordinary events that led him first to pursue medicine and then years later to walk away from his successful surgical practice. Prior to introducing Dr. Suh (whose talk begins at approximately minute 10:45), Peter Hawkins shares his own extraordinary experience of being miraculously and instantly healed through prayer from debilitating rugby injuries as well as any desire for alcohol or drugs.

After providing some fascinating background as to the roots of his faith as well as the history of those who laid the groundwork for his introduction to faith, Dr Suh explains that it was the unmistakable voice of God that led him down, and helped him endure, the difficult road of becoming a surgeon. He reveals that he clearly heard that same voice years later tell him he would receive “the gift of faith”, which was followed promptly by his own miraculous healing at a conference with Ken Fish.

Dr. Suh explains how his healing led him in pursuit of the Holy Spirit. He shares the passion with which he explored faith healing as well as a few remarkable stories of the power of healing prayer that he has witnessed. Dr. Suh also explains how sin can be at the root of ailments and the importance to healing of confessing sins and forgiving those who have sinned against us.

The Youth Drug Crisis (and the Power of Jesus and Friends) (Panel – 1/21/22 – NCS New Canaan)

January 21, 2022 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

The drug and opioid crisis is ravaging America’s youth. With amazing courage and vulnerability, a panel of NCS brudders share how drug addiction has personally hit them and their family. More importantly, they describe how their faith in Jesus and the prayers and support of friends, particularly NCS brudders, were powerful allies in each of their spiritual battles against darkness and evil.

In the face of societal stigma around addiction, the panelists emphasized the importance, particularly for parents, of admitting the addiction problem and seeking help. They also strongly encouraged family members of addicts to seek their own support.

Doran Wright (NCS New Canaan) shares about the battle he and his wife fought alongside their son Josh, who tragically died of a Fentanyl overdose in 2020. A photo montage of Josh can be seen below.

James Lillis (NCS New Haven) shares about his own uncontrollable addiction and how he was completely and miraculously freed at Teen Challenge after turning his life over to Jesus.

Armen Abrahamian (NCS New Haven) shares with amazing transparency and specificity the long journey he and his wife have been on with their daughter, who thankfully has now been sober for the last few years.

Before the panel share their stories, retired NYS Trooper Greg Porteus (NCS New Canaan) describes a program he is launching to raise awareness about the opioid crisis and equip parents and children to be prepared in advance with “a way out”. He invites all NCS brudders to “Join the Patrol”.

Following the panelists, Rev. Richard Williams (NCS New Canaan), Executive Director of Pivot Ministries (www.pivotministries.org), shares a bit of his own story of addiction and explains the Pivot recovery program available in Bridgeport, CT.

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