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In his heart a
man plans
his course,
but the LORD
determines
his steps.
Proverbs 16:9
"All we like
sheep have
gone astray;
we have turned
every one to his
own way;
and the LORD
hath laid on
Him the iniquity
of us all.
Isaiah 53:6 KJV |
• Our Beginning
My wife, Judy, and I struggled with alcoholism for many years before seeking sobriety through a hospital program in 1979. What began as fun and laughs deteriorated into ugliness and despair. Our marriage was on the rocks, our children avoided us, and our business was heading for bankruptcy. Sobriety was just the beginning!
We became believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, and experienced the joy and peace we had searched for all our lives. Life became meaningful. God's Word, the Holy Spirit's guidance, and Jesus, brought new life and new direction and a new beginning. Our marriage and parent/children relationships began anew, and the business recovered.
In 1986, The Most Excellent Way was born. Firsthand knowledge of alcoholism gives us a deep understanding of the love, acceptance and forgiveness everyone desires and needs. We understand that hopelessly desperate addicts know they don't deserve anyone's love, acceptance or forgiveness. And they are right. Getting clean and sober just isn't enough. It's by God's grace and mercy that we receive His love, acceptance and forgiveness when we receive His Son, Jesus.
The ministry began as a weekly prayer meeting at Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego, CA. News spread by word-of-mouth, and addicts, alcoholics and family members just started showing up. People were freed from addiction by the power of prayer, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit.
Meeting attendance grew so phenomenally, that it became apparent that we needed to compile a Ministry Manual to help other churches and ministries.
The Ministry Manual outlines ministry philosophy, weekly meeting guidelines, several related Bible-study, and topical Scriptures in a user-friendly format. In contrast to worldly programs, The Most Excellent Way affirms that God-dependency is the only permanent solution to addiction, and The Most Excellent Way's foundation is based on the Ten Attitudes of Victorious Living from the Beatitudes.
The name The Most Excellent Way comes from I Corinthians 12:31 (NIV). The Most Excellent Way is Love: being loved by God, loving God and loving one another!
What began as a weekly prayer meeting has become a worldwide ministry with more than 100 churches, rescue missions, rehab facilities and jails conducting meetings in the United States, Mexico, Poland, Chile, Australia, Russia and the Ukraine.
We look forward to assisting you in reaching addicts, alcoholics and their families for Jesus' sake.
Glenn Wright, Pastor/Director
• Our Vision
- To assist in establishing drug and alcohol Support Meetings in Christian environments around the world;
- To win souls for Christ;
- To comfort and encourage the brokenhearted with the love of God;
- To disciple new believers with God's Word by the power of the Holy Spirit for a joy-filled new life within the Church;
- To train ministry leaders for The Most Excellent Way;
- To send new, spiritually mature creations into the world to spread the Gospel that brings love, acceptance and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
• What We Believe
- We believe the Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, and it is the final authority on all issues concerning our lives and "The Most Excellent Way."
- We believe the Bible says alcohol and drug addiction are sin, not disease. Therefore, the facts of sin and separation from God are dealt with as the roots of all addiction problems.
- We believe there is only one way we find forgiveness for sin: through faith in Jesus Christ who died for our sins. He is the only authority and power able to forgive our sins.
- We believe there is only one way to be reconciled to God and experience total victory over the sin of addiction: Jesus said: "You must be born again" (John 3:7 NKJV) by the Spirit. That occurs when we ask JesusChrist to become our personal Lord and Savior.
- We believe, once "born again," we are empowered by the Spirit of God to overcome any sin, including drugs and alcohol.
- We believe permanent victory over the sin of addiction occurs when we deny our own will, and begin to willingly submit our lives to the perfect will of God on a daily basis.
- We believe in teaching, encouraging and discipling new believers from God's Word as led by His Holy Spirit.
- We believe knowing God's truths protects us from man's false ideas and doctrines prevalent in today's world. "Jesus said to those . . .who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'" John 8:31-32 NKJV
- We believe Jesus is the truth that makes us free. He is the source of truth,the perfect standard of what is right. He frees us from self-deception, andHis Spirit gives us discernment : ". . . that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ . . ." Ephesians 4:14-5 NKJV
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• Our Mission
The Most Excellent Way's mission: to find the lost sheep who are wandering aimlessly through their lives in bondage to chemical addiction, and to bring them and their families into the fold. The Most Excellent Way is to help Christian churches and organizations reach this multitude of lost sheep for Jesus' sake.
So He [Jesus] spoke this parable to them, saying:
"What man of you, having a hundred sheep,
if he loses one of them,
does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness,
and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
And when he has found it,
he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he comes home, he calls together
his friends and neighbors,saying to them,
'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in
heaven over one sinner who repents than
over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."
Luke 15:3-7 NKJV
We understand the plight of lost sheep - we too were lost. Our Shepherd, Jesus, found us and brought us into His fold.
• We Win, Discipline, Mend* & Send
The Most Excellent Way is a not-for-profit, inter- and non-denominational, para-church organization. All contributions are tax deductible, and are used solely to:
Jesus said to His disciples: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15 NKJV
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” Romans 1:16 NKJV
- Disciple People in Christ
Jesus said to His disciples: "All authority has been given to Me in heavenand on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing themin the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them toobserve all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 NKJV
Jesus said: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." Luke 4:18-19 NKJV
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV
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Send People for Christ
Jesus said to His disciples: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, andin all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8 NKJV
It's all about Jesus!
We hope you will choose to minister and grow in The Most Excellent Way.
*Mend ... Did you notice that we added “MEND” to our Mission (November 2007)? We’re not the beautiful people – we’re the messed-up people who have been touched by grace. “The Most Excellent Way” is a part of the Church that acts like a hospital — the hospital of Christ. It’s the place where hurting and infirmed people can come and receive a touch from Jesus and be healed and made whole by the Holy Spirit. We welcome the walking wounded who are looking for hope. Jesus spent most of His ministry mending people. He’s the same today — He’s still putting together shattered lives the way He wants them to be.
Jesus heals the brokenhearted — He is the healer of our souls.
Jesus proclaims liberty to captives—breaking open the prison of sin which is the wickedness of the heart. He gives us freedom to walk with Him and to follow after Him.
Jesus provides recovery of sight for the blind. We were spiritually blind to truth. We couldn’t see God’s perspective. Now we see a reason and purpose for life. We have new sight — we’re not recovering the old life, we’re living the new.
Just as Jesus makes our soul and spirit alive to Him, He heals the addicted natural body. Physical healing from addiction may be instantaneous, or it may require a few weeks or months of TLC in “The Most Excellent Way” ICU.
Jesus sets at liberty those who are oppressed — broken in pieces or shattered, crushed, devastated. Our addictions shattered us — body, soul and spirit. Jesus gathers the pieces and mends us — piece upon piece – and we’re rebuilt into the original image He had for us in Adam and Eve, and we’re being made into His image.
Realizing that “The Most Excellent Way” is also a ministry of “mending” helps us to recognize the process of sanctification (change) we are experiencing day by day. We eagerly love, accept and forgive new Believers as they begin applying Biblical principles to their new identity as disciples of Christ.
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