About Us
Do you feel like you are alone?
Do you feel like nobody will understand your struggles? Do you feel like others would -or- do look down on you? Do you feel unloved? Guess what? We have felt exactly as you do right now. That is why we are here. We are as imperfect as they come. We have struggled with addictions and brokenness from relational and childhood trauma just like you.
Maybe with a little different twist. Maybe our names are different. Maybe we live in a different location. But trust me, WE UNDERSTAND!
We are here to tell you …. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! YOU ARE LOVED!! We know exactly what relational and childhood trauma can do to you. We also know this… God has proven to us this can be beaten. That is why we are here. We want to walk through this journey with you. We want to provide help and assistance to you. You are not here by accident. Let’s find out why God brought you here. Together!
Church Leaders...
How do you respond when someone in your church struggles with some type of relational or childhood trauma? You are another reason we are here. Many, if not most churches have no clue of the magnitude of the problems facing our church members. It is even a problem church leaders struggle with… How do we know? Because we have been there. We have been church leaders that struggled with addiction. We have had pastors try to help us after a fall but really were at a loss. They did not know exactly what to do except pray for us and give us some bible scriptures. Other than that, they really just kind of brushed us off because they did not know what more they could do. Well, I am here to tell you there is more church leaders can do. There are resources for you and lots of them. Let us help you! You too are not alone. We are in this fight together with God leading us all the way.
Our Mission
To help men, women, families and churches overcome the walls of addiction that relational and childhood trauma does to separate them from God.
Our Core Beliefs
- We believe the Holy Scriptures, the Bible, to be the Divinely in-breathed, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God.
- We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity.
- We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son – that He had a miraculous birth, that He lived a sinless life, that He died on the cross for our sins, that He rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of His Father, and that He is coming back again.
- We believe that salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all people, and those who repent and believe in Him will be born again of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life and become children of God.
- We believe the Holy Spirit is part of the Triune Godhead and has a clear ministry to not only comfort and guide us, but to convict of sin. He indwells every Believer enabling them to live a godly life, and we further believe His power and gifts are available today just as in days when Jesus walked the Earth.
- We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and that He will personally and visibly establish His millennial kingdom here on Earth.
- We believe the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; those who have put their hope in the finished work of Jesus Christ will spend an eternity in Heaven with our Heavenly Father. Those who have rejected the finished work of salvation will spend an eternity seperated from God in a place we call Hell.
David Hall
- CPM – Certified Professional Mentor™
- ACE Overcomers Certified (Childhood Trauma)
- Faith-Based/Christ-Centered Mentor
- Founder
LET ME TELL YOU ‘BOUT MY JESUS
The motto of the church that I attend in Pineville, LA is …
I mess up.
You mess up.
We all mess up.
I am here to tell you that I was a mess. I grew up in a verbally and physically abusive home. An alcoholic and workaholic Father and a very insecure co-dependent mother with many deep scars. That set the precedent for the sexual addictions that I chose as an antidote to my hurts deep down inside. Turning to pornography, chat rooms and acting out was my solution. I made a decision to accept Christ at the age of 21. I then knew Christ, but I did not totally serve Him completely. I clung to my sexual addiction for years … even after marriage to a wonderful woman, having 2 awesome children and being a leader in church. It was my little secret that I hid from everyone for over 30 years. That was until Christ got my attention.
What I have found out is God will only let you go so far and for so long until He will get your attention. Why would He? Simply because He loves you. I mean after all He is our Father. Yes, I mess up a lot. I ran into a wall not too long ago. A wall and snare sent from the pits of hell to bring me down. Yes, I had to be brought down to my knees so that I would reach up for the hand of Jesus. That is when I realized, I cannot do this by myself.
Let me tell you ‘bout my Jesus. You see … Jesus never let go of me. He was there all along. I was to messed up with my own sinful desires that I didn’t look for Him. What I found is the more I seek Jesus every day the more healing takes place inside of me. It is not just a Sunday thing. It is an everyday thing.
You see, things do go wrong in our lives but looking back, I can see where I was before and where I am now. I am here to tell you the Lord was there all along. I believe that God allowed me to go through things for His greater glory. It has taken me over 50 years to realize that. A much greater healing has been taking place inside of me because of My Jesus.
I have a question … is He your Jesus to? Is He true Lord of your life? I am here to tell you, there is hope!! Seriously, there is so much more I can tell you in what God has taught me. Steps to take for healing. I am here to help you. I am here to “Tell you ‘bout my Jesus”! I love Him so!! And He loves YOU too!!
Joseph Gutwein-Schultz
- ACE Overcomers Certified (Childhood Trauma)
- Faith-Based/Christ-Centered Mentor
Joseph’s name (Joseph A. Gutwein-Schultz) says a lot about his journey with Jesus in becoming an overcomer. His life has been affected by childhood experiences which have influenced much of his life. At the age of 3 his dad suffered a Cerebral Aneurysm which took his life so Joseph has no memory of his birth father (Gutwein). Going through that experience, a lie that he had to protect his mom from others was birthed.
Then at the age of 5 Joseph’s mom remarried his “second dad” (Schultz), which he is so thankful for. As he grew up, there was another lie that the enemy planted in Joseph’s heart through an interaction with his dad. The lie was that “his dad didn’t want to spend time with him because there must be something wrong with him”. This lie grew into the thought that Joseph needed to earn the Heavenly Father’s love and affirmation. Being loved by the Lord was based on his behavior and how good he could be, not that he was a beloved son of the Most High.
Eventually, as a 30 year old man, the Father revealed His love to Joseph after a friend shared a deep dark secret with him. Afterwards, on his way home Joseph experienced an overwhelming amazing sense of Love coming down from the Lord. This put Joseph on a trajectory of following Christ and seeking His will in this new found relationship. As Joseph started learning about this new Jesus, an excitement drove him to a heightened joy eventually leading him to a mental hospital approximately 6 months later. After 3 days in what felt like a “prison”, he found himself walking out with 3 medications, feeling like he wanted to crawl out of his skin, and a diagnosis of bipolar. Over the next 20 years he would walk with this label that would become a wall saying, “You can’t do what the Lord is calling you to because you are damaged goods and definitely no one can use you”.
The Lord allowed all 3 of these lies, from our enemy for a season, so He could eventually set Joseph free. Now Joseph is learning to walk in the Holy Spirit with both eyes on Jesus – living as a set free overcomer, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
James Jewell, Jr.
- CPM – Certified Professional Mentor™
- BTh – Bachelor Science Pastoral Theology
- OBHP – Other Behavioral Health Professional
- Ordained Minister, Christian Non-denominational
- ACE Overcomers Certified (Childhood Trauma)
- Faith-Based/Christ-Centered Mentor
- Marketing and Networking DIrector
Just A Weaver
by Benjamin Malacia Franklin
My life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me;
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.
Oft times He weaveth sorrow
And I, in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper,
And I the under side.
Not til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver’s skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.
He knows, He loves, He cares,
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives His very best to those
Who chose to walk with Him.
The above poem is my all-time favorite. When I was a child either my mother or grandmother gave me a little card with the poem written on the front. Ever since then I have kept the card and have memorized the poem. It wasn’t until recently that I saw the poem online with a fifth verse! I had never seen the fifth verse, so I dug around for the little card, and it was missing from it. Although I have grown to love the poem it is the fifth verse that makes the biggest impact. Knowing that an Almighty God knows me, loves me, and cares for me is a wonderful thing to live out daily. Yet the last two lines gives the poem it’s Gospel punch. They are literally Romans 8:28-30 in four lines. Look it up, I dare ya!
Though raised in the church from an early age, I did not come to Christ until the age of fourteen. I lived with same-sex attraction after an unwanted sexual interaction for many years, but didn’t give into them until my twenties. This was after three proposals to my high-school sweetheart and then two other girlfriends. After 15 years of living in the gay lifestyle, God used my insurance agent and her husband, who are Christians, who lovingly brought me back to the Lord in 2008. Fifteen years of living free from sexual addiction, I now help those wanting to break free as well. I make my home in Indiana where I continue to attend church, work until retirement, and is unfortunately resigned to mowing my own lawn.
The below video was hard to pick. I wanted to add Zach William’s “Fear Is A Liar” for obvious reasons. Then there was Matthew West’s “The God Who Stays”. Of course anything by Beautiful Eulogy, Love and the Outcome, or Cain is worthy, but then my Bapticostal roots would show quicker than some would want. I ended up choosing Jason Gray’s “Remind Me Who I Am” simply because in the end it is truly up to Jesus Christ who you and I are in him. Know that no matter where you roam this Earth, you will never be far from Almighty God and his Grace.
Read his full testimony on the Blog on the OCW website: “From Gay to Grace: the Redemption Story of James Jewell Jr”
John Montgomery
- Faith-Based/Christ-Centered Overcomer
- Groups Leader
Hello, my name is John, and I am 57 years young. I am married with a blended family. Together we have four children and a new grandson. Yeehaw, I’m a Pops!
I have worked in various areas of the printing industry for close to 40 years.
I am loved by God! Even though I had head knowledge of Jesus dying for me in the Bible all I could see was how unworthy and an undeserving of a sinner I was. That fact kept me beat down for most of my life. Not long-ago God used a message I heard to help me see the fact that he sent his Son to die for me and rise again. Christ did what he did because he loves me. What grace!
About two-thirds of the way through the Genesis Process, I began to realize that recovery for me involved staying close to the process. I didn’t see how I could just walk away from OCW after I completed the program. I wasn’t sure what that would look like but my Mentor, David Hall, encouraged me to be part of the ministry. I’m thankful to the Lord Jesus for this victory over sin and the opportunity he opened up for me.
Finally, but not lastly, because of the precious grace of God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, He enrolled me in God’s School of No Graduation so that I can learn of him for all eternity! Sola De Gloria!
Welcome from David
Welcome from Joseph
