 I love you and he is a faithful God and all the things that God has for you. He's gonna begin to reveal them to you today and welcome to Hope Today. I'm Tom Hollis, I'm here with Amanda Brocker and we're gonna see some of that, of some of what God wants to do for you today. It's gonna be a powerful program Amanda. It sure is. I'm so excited. We have our very own guest Sue Willis here in the studio. She is the founder and executive director of Beyond Survival Ministries and I just have to say, if you have had any trauma in your life ever, this program is going to minister to your heart and you will be changed. If you know someone who has had trauma in their life, I would encourage you to pick up the phone or send a text, let them know, hey tune in to Hope Today because you are definitely gonna receive Hope. Absolutely and by the way guys, don't let the women lead the way here. Let us be involved as well. We have suffered trauma, many of us and have a need of healing, a need of a touch of God. And if you're a guy that has kind of suppressed that and said, well, it doesn't really matter, God wants to heal you from that. He does, absolutely. And you're gonna find out about that today. Also, I just want to let you know something fun that we're gonna be doing, special edition of Stump the Viewer. You know we have Stump the Host. Well now we have Stump the Viewer and it's on this Thursday's Hope Today to celebrate our 45th anniversary of being on the air. We'll be giving away a special prize to one randomly selected viewer who enters the Stump the Viewer contest. Once again, that's during Thursday's Hope Today. So you're gonna wanna make sure that you tune in and see how you can enter and win if they get it. That's right, who doesn't want to win a prize? I know, absolutely. That sounds amazing. Well, just thinking about the solar eclipse and everything that just happened, you know, there was something that we were thinking about with creation. What were we thinking about? I don't know, but I'm thinking of Genesis in Psalm 19. It says about the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. So, you know, as we were all peering up into the sky yesterday and looking, we know that it's God's great work that caused all of this. And like he also made our bodies like his great work. We are his workmanship. And so when we're talking about our viewer benefits today to this program, we're gonna touch on physical benefits, spiritual benefits, emotional benefits, relational benefits, financial benefits. We're coming at all. That's right, you've got to text someone and tell them, tune in to Hope Today right now. All right, well, let's go to break and we'll be right back with this powerful message. God is calling you to do something significant in the earth for him, regardless of your age, skill set, or perceived limitations. What's holding you back? When you give to support Cornerstone Television this month, let us bless you with Rick Renner's life-transforming book, Chosen by God. Every page will help you overcome your limited thinking and follow God's plan for your life. Rest assured, God has a plan and he will thoroughly prepare you to fulfill it if you'll say yes with all your heart. This book will thrill you with the possibilities that await because you are chosen by God. Request your copy when you give by calling 888-665-4483 or donate online at ctvn.org slash donate. Thank you for helping us spread the gospel through life-changing programming like Rick Renner, Hope Today, Hard Questions, and more. To keep your favorite programs coming and receive Chosen by God, donate today. Well, our next guest is the founder of Beyond Survival Ministries where she currently serves as the executive director. Sue Willis has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and her organization is making an impact by proclaiming the good news of the gospel to our lost, hurting, and broken sisters across the globe. Sue, welcome to Hope Today. Thank you for having me. Absolutely, this is such a treasure for me. I just love you and I appreciate your heart. I've got to see you working behind the scenes so even though you're the top dog around Beyond Survival Ministries, you walk so humbly with the Lord and it is greatly appreciated. But give our viewers just some of your story, a little bit of your background, and then how you came to Christ. Okay, well, actually during my teen years, I'll just start with their oldest of eight children. So, but during my teen years, I went through a very major trauma in my life. I was 17 years old. It was very traumatic for me. I suffered a great loss. And, you know, at that time, just for me personally, the effects that it had on my life, I was so surprised but also didn't understand. You know, I knew the feelings I had but I didn't necessarily understand how to process through something like that. And for me, I was raised up, you know, to know about God, but I was not a born-again Christian. But I will say that through that trauma and just crying out to God, that trauma God was able to take to draw me to him. And when I was 20 years old, I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior. And I was born-again and just a fun piece. I never heard the term born-again. I never heard the term. I was in my bedroom just crying out to God and I can tell you that he visited me. I love that though, because it's so real. It's so real and kind of raw. You were just looking for, you knew you needed something. You knew you needed God. I did. And somewhere deep in, you know, we all have that need. We don't realize it, but yes, deep in I knew to turn to him as my source. And many nights crying out to him, but then one night he just visited me and it was so simple because I kept crying out to God. And it just dawned on me. He's not answering me. This is so childlike, but so true. And I went, God, why aren't you answering me? And all of a sudden it just quietly came to me, I asked Jesus. And so I said, Jesus, would you ask the Father God please? Cause I was asking actually to not go to hell because I thought I was going to be dying. Well, in that moment is when his presence filled that room and later when I read the scripture, no man can come onto the Father, but by Jesus it was like, oh my goodness. I've always had that. You can never, I never doubted my salvation. And when that happened in my life, I had such a desire to go and tell people about what Jesus could do. And he healed me. And so that was something that I, it was just a message that I shared my testimony, but as I shared my testimony, people came to the Lord. So that was many, many years ago. So it led you though to a job where you were able to impact many lives of women of all ages, but predominantly teenage years. And God gave you a curriculum through working with these women year after year and talk to us a little bit about that. Well, very early on, I started a Bible study in my home and over 300 women over a 10 year span walked through the doors. It was during the charismatic movement, which, you know, but I got to really hear, God just somehow blessed it. And I learned a lot about what others struggled with. So through that time and knowing Jesus is our answer. Yes, he uses many other things, but our source for healing, especially talking about the different traumas in life ultimately come from him. So at a very young age in the Lord, I just simply took him at his word. If I could just say it like that. And when I would read the stories of those that he touched in the Bible, I just, they were so alive to me, but I could also see deeper into their stories that, you know, we read in just a few verses that someone was sick and then three, you know, verses later they were healed. But the depth of the trauma that many of those went through, like Joseph, like Hannah, you know, different ones in the word, they had their places as well inside that there was need of an emotional healing at touch from God to really walk in the joy and fulfill the plan that he had for their life. So you're saying that even though we come to the Lord, because I've heard some people say, well, I've come to the Lord and that's all in the past or that's under the blood or I don't need to think about it, but there's a time to bring those things to the surface to just be healed, right? God wants to make us whole. So can you talk a little bit about how God led you into that? Yes, actually Ecclesiastes says what? There's a time to heal. Okay, God says there's a time to heal. Through ministering, I was at the Pregnancy, I volunteered at the Pregnancy Resource Center and it was at that time I got to hear a lot more of stories with trauma attached. I'm gonna talk about something that we don't like to talk about, but sexual abuse, molestation, talking to women that had gone through things as a child that they never shared and God, the only thing I can say is you gotta hold in my heart through this because I was never seeking this ministry. I wanted to pastor women's ministry and I was experienced in different things, but it was during that time and the need specifically started coming to the Pregnancy Resource Center pastors were calling and individuals, I need help. I have a woman sitting in my office, I have a family who brought their teen daughter that was just raped on campus and so they asked me would I see these young girls and that's how it started and then they asked me to, each time a call came and it's actually in the curriculum, after six young girls, I said, Lord, I don't have enough hours in my day to minister to these women. I knew they needed him and so I went to the executive director and I said, do you need to get some kind of Bible study or something here to minister to these needs and they said, well, our vision is more for the pregnancy and I said, but along with the pregnancy comes a lot of trauma behind. So God gotta hold in my heart, that's the only thing he called me, woke me up one night, he said, Sue, I'm calling you, will you do this? And I said yes and he just gave me the curriculum, the steps, the journey to taking survivors through a process of actual inner healing to where they don't have to carry that pain and one of the main things Tom and Amanda is, we don't really know how to do that, is that true? I use a visual of a vase. I wish I would have brought it today but I think they're gonna show it, okay? And if you look at that vase, isn't it beautiful? That vase, and it reminds me of Psalm 139 where we were created in the image and likeness of God and Jesus, the father was so involved when we were being wove in our mother's womb, right? And as we read those verses, it goes on to say that he scheduled our days, he ordained our days that we should walk them out and so many people believe that the tragedies in life or those places of sexual abuse, trauma, spiritual abuse were part of God's plan and they weren't. He can bring good out of it and so I liken that to that vase where when those things come and those traumas hit and that sexual abuse and that tragedy comes and then I'll pour that vase out and what happens? There's a brokenness, there's a shattering of our hearts in the emotional realm and come on, we're all survivors, right? I think so and I commend survivors but we all do it. The first thing we do is we try to what? We can see the big pieces that need put together and we keep, we put some of them together for a while but then there's those little shards that are part of the brokenness and I'll never forget the day the spirit of God said to me, Sue, even though shards are part of my sons and daughters hearts, he doesn't push them away, they're part of the whole and so he just really, really brought to me how much he wants wholeness for his sons and daughters. He's coming back for us, right? For a bride with that spotter wrinkle and part of that sanctifying process is bringing us to wholeness so that we can serve him with our whole heart. So in a time to heal curriculum, I think we might have a still shot of it but I had the opportunity to go through the course and I would love for you just to bring one of the Bible characters to life. If you could do that during our program, I know we have limited time but it's so important I think for us to just see. I'm used to preaching this so I will just share it, paraphrase it but as I shared, many in the Word of God went through trauma but the woman with the issue of blood that we read about in Mark chapter five, when you begin her story, it starts out with there was a woman, okay? She didn't even have a name. There was a woman and in different translations said she had an issue. Now she had a physical issue which was a hemorrhage but this physical issue that she had went on for 12 years. This was a long time. Now it's easy to look and say she needed a physical healing of what she did but if you dive deeper into her story and you really look at because of what she was enduring, she was considered unclean. All right, she had to actually say ceremonially I'm unclean when she was not. How did that affect her emotions? I think she suffered some trauma. Don't you think within her emotions but when she heard about Jesus, I don't have time to share the emotions today but we know that when she heard about Jesus she thought to herself, if I could just touch the hem of his garment I shall be made whole. And I love that because the battle is in the mind. What did she thought according to the word of God? All of a sudden her focus was on him and not on what she was going through but the Bible tells us that she had to press through a multitude. And sometimes we have to press for what we have need of too to get to that place of his presence but despite that she should have been crying out unclean despite maybe the voices that were going on in her head you're gonna be exposed. She was so desperate for her healing that she pressed through that crowd but listen to this. When she finally got to the place of his presence come on that was faith for her to press. Okay, the Bible tells us she came from behind and that's a key word right there when we carry baggage. You know, it's a key word we want Jesus. We turn to him but how many of us because that baggage still remains inside come behind and we wanna look at our loving God. She touched the hem of his garment and immediately her physical condition was healed immediately. And I like to say she thought praise God inside but I'm getting out of time before someone finds out, right? So she turns to go back home and she hears the words who touched me and we read in the word fear and trembling. Now there are many ways to share this message but this is how I feel to share it. I believe she had fear of exposure. I believe she had felt like now everybody was gonna know her all her issues and we don't even know them but he called her back and she came and knelt at his feet fearing and trembling the Bible said and she said the Bible says she told her whole story. You know, there's healing when we can tell our whole story. We all have a story to tell but in Jesus it can be framed in redemption. We don't know what she said but look at God and this is the love of the Father for all of us. He called her back face to face. He didn't want her coming from behind. He wanted her to know that he loved her and in those last few verses reread he says daughter, right? There was relationship, spiritual relationship. He said go in peace. Where do we need peace in our heart, in our emotions? And then he said now go and be healed of your affliction. When we've lived in trauma or abuse or heartache or brokenness for so long, even when he touches us we gotta learn how to walk in that new found freedom and that's what he was saying to her. So if ever I feel there was a scripture that says Jesus wants to heal the whole person that's there. Let's just look at those things that you mentioned earlier. The Bible said she spent all her money trying to get help, right? But she couldn't find it. No more was she gonna have to, so she got healed. She got ministry and her finances, relationships. She couldn't have close relationships. She got a physical healing. She got a spiritual healing. She got the whole work and relational as well. She could have fun with her friends again. That's right. If we could just pull up that scripture, I want you to read that. I feel you're to read it. And then if you would pray for that one that is watching, that's coming from behind but the scripture's gonna be in the prompter there. Do you want me to read that? Go ahead, I believe you're to read it. This is out of Mark 5, 27. The Bible says that after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind him and touched his cloak. And that's the key word today that I want to minister to those of you that are listening. What are you hurting over? What are you struggling with? What traumas may have happened to you even as a young child and you know that they affect you today? Do you know that God cares? He cares more deeply than you can ever realize. And just as she came from behind, you find yourself coming behind with your worship, with your love for him. Well, I believe today he's saying my son, my daughter, I'm calling you face to face. I love you with an everlasting love and I invite you to invite me in to heal and bring you wholeness that only I can give. Beautiful, beautiful. And I was just thinking about, you talked about Emily as a lady that went through your course. And if you could just, because this is so real. And I know every class that I sat in, I was, the Bible just becoming so more touchable to my own life. And I love that. So talk to us a little bit about Emily. Emily, you can actually see her testimony on our website that Emily came to us as a young, oh, she was probably in her early 20s. Emily had gone through sexual molestation for years. It began when she was a toddler and it was happening right in her home. And if you hear Emily's words as she shared with us, she learned at a very young age, she felt like that there was something wrong with her. She felt shame. She felt guilt. No, she was innocent, but she felt all these feelings and they became a part of her. And she said, when it started out, she felt like something was wrong with her. It grew into she was wrong. And see, again, when we have been abused, sexually abused or even spiritually abused, there is such a breakdown of who we are that we allow those things to identify us. But honestly, as Emily got her freedom when she came through, it was a beautiful, beautiful thing. And I encourage you to listen to her testimony. She's one of our trained leaders today, but out of her whole story was how God healed her. And you know, Amanda and Tom, what has happened to us in life does not define who we are. That is so true. Does not. What challenges, I mean, we've talked a lot about how this is ministered to women, but you're ministering to men as well. What are the challenges there? I know guys we don't necessarily like to open up as easily, but what have you seen? Amazingly, we did. Primarily for years, we ministered to women, but then men started coming forward. And I actually got a call and I felt because I was a woman that I shouldn't necessarily meet. So I called my pastor advisors and they came, but I came to find out that men hurt just as bad. They just aren't as ready to talk about it. Now that was probably about 10 years ago. Now they're coming forward. Pastors are coming forward. Individuals, counselors are coming forward. I believe they know that our ministry center is a safe place because thank God for the local church, all right, but sometimes people don't necessarily want to share this at the altar on Sunday morning. And that's why we are so about equipping the local church to be able to do this ministry because we train others to do it, but men, they've come forth so much. We had up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania within the Amish and Mennonite community just recently and we're headed there in two weeks. We did a training and I can tell you, men came to the training to train and broke. We're used to seeing women do that, but the men began to break because those little boys at one time went through the same thing. And so here they are as men that we actually have coming in May, it's two days. Friday night and Saturday morning, an actual weekend just for men to take them through. The different ways churches can get involved. If you want to bring a time to heal to your church, it is amazing. I mean, the course itself, but Sue, you guys have different options. So you do a one day workshop, they'll come. We were invited. That's a new thing. We'll put these on our website. So you can go to ctvn.org and we'll have a link there to Sue's website so you can get all that information. This is so powerful. Sue, we just appreciate you immensely. Thank you so much for having me. Yes, thank you guys. Thank you so much. And again, I believe we're in an hour where God is pouring out his spirit and wanting to bring his children to wholeness. Amen. Thank you so much for sharing. I mean, and that is, I think the key thing today is that God wants wholeness for you. Have you ever thought about that? It's not just some, you're not accepting a religion. You're not accepting a code of things that you have to do. There are certainly commands and things in the scriptures but the main thing is that you're being saved by his grace and then you're coming and saying, God, make me that person that you've always wanted me to be. The world, the flesh and the devil have put all these things on me. They've twisted some things inside of me. And Lord, even though I know you, I still feel those things there. God wants to heal you. He wants to make it fresh and new. You are a new creature in Christ and he's making you into that creature. You were always meant to be that new creation, that new person that you're becoming. It is a powerful thing. Don't let this day go by without seeking God and saying, God, give me that new hope and you're gonna meet him in a special way today. On tomorrow's hope today, discover how you can turn sorrow into joy. Pastor and author Kent Christmas explores how you can pursue God's purpose for your life no matter the challenges or storms that you may face. Don't miss tomorrow's hope today. Cornerstone Television wishes to thank all our faithful viewers whose consistent prayers and financial support have made this program possible.