This is the 11th diagram presented along with the optional Old Man/New Man diagram. The purpose of these diagrams is to:

• Show how God builds testimony and fruit out of our trials and time

• Demonstrate who we are in Christ and what is dead and gone

 

1st Diagram #11 Tree of Transformation

(Draw the pitch (ground or field) as the rectangle. Draw the center line.)

 

We are now back to the pitch or rectangle. Our lives are full of trials. Things that have happened to us and the lies we have received. They are like rocks (draw big rocks on the bottom right below the line-see diagram above). They are hard and heavy. We carry them with us every day wherever we go.

 

 Testimony Opportunity:

(Share a testimony from your life about something you have carried, and following the drawing, explain a trial you experienced and how God redeemed it as you drew close to Him - Read Bob’s testimony below as he walks through this diagram.)

 

(Draw circles representing rocks on the right bottom half of the pitch start from the top and fill to the bottom ¼ of the way across the pitch from right to left).

 

BOB’S TESTIMONY: I have been sharing my trials with you. The things that we have beaten into me as a child, that I am not good, worthless and unlovable. Also, I carried with me the burden that I was stupid. My father left me when I was seven and this added to my trials. I was rejected, abandoned and unlovable. These trials were my rocks. They were too heavy for me to carry. When I was 12 years old, I accepted Christ. I did not fully understand what this meant, and I had no one to teach, disciple or lead me. When I accepted Christ, God planted the seed of the Holy Spirit in me. (Draw a seed in the middle of the mid-line). But can a seed take root in hard rock? No. It is very difficult. (Draw short or shallow roots coming out over the rocks).

 

But when I forgave my parents at age 32, it was the start of something new in my life. God started working within me. Forgiveness started the healing process. (I now draw a line from the mid-line of the pitch down to the bottom line of the pitch that creates a line). When I forgave, God taught me to repent and surrender the things I did and was doing.

 

At this time, my heart was like a bucket full of holes. When God poured his love and grace into me it poured out, I could not retain his love and grace. But God made me aware of each hole. One at a time he provided me with the time to heal. I cried for many years, much grief. Through this process God started to heal my holes, permanently patching them. Slowly the hurts, these rocks began to soften and crumble. It was like God was crushing these rocks by softening them with my tears. So my rocks became smaller rocks, pebbles. And over time this process continued and developed soil.

 

(Draw smaller circles to the left of the line of forgiveness)

 

As I witnessed God’s healing I trusted him more. I expected God to do more work within me. When I was 38 years old, I asked God how long this will take. He said 25 years. I am now 63 exactly 25 years later.

 

(Now draw richer soil, I draw wavy lines, not circles to represent rich soil)

 

Now the seed of the spirit is taking root in me. I did not realize this was happening but looking back on my life I can now see this. So, my trials have become my testimony. I have been sharing my testimony with you these past 3 days. I could not give you my testimony when I was carrying the burdens of the trials, the rocks. It would have been impossible. I saw no value in them or in me. But now, God has changed me by removing those burdens. We were not designed to carry these burdens. Jesus died to remove these permanently. He wants us free to live our lives not below but above the line in freedom, so we can do the work that God has designed for us.

 

Question, what happens to a seed when it has rooted in good soil? It grows!

 

(Now draw the tree above the line and circles representing fruit – label the fruit Love, Kindness, Forgiveness, Joy, Hope, Service, Humility)

 

When my heart bucket was healing, I was able to retain the grace and love God was pouring into me. I grew in understanding that God did love me. That I have worth and value in his eyes. I was also slowly able to love others around me.

 

In the year 2011, Jeanne and I went on a trip to the Caribbean Island of Haiti. I was amazed by the poverty but love and passion the children had for football. The children called me Bobbuyea – “Bob give me the ball.”  This spoke to my heart. So, I decided to return back to Haiti carrying many balls (over 30). I had a Haitian friend take me to the club in the city. I just wanted to drop off the balls and leave. But God had another plan. The coaches saw me doing this and they came over and one coach pointed his finger at me and said, “who are you and what are you doing here?” I was stunned because I did not expect such an aggressive response. But I realized that these people have experienced many Americans coming here and promising things only to return back to US and never returning. These guys were hurt and had received false promises - they were carrying the burdens of unmet promises from visitors they met. I responded by saying that “God directed me to give you these balls.”   When I mentioned the word “God,” their attitude changed, and we began to share and take pictures. At the end one coach told me that what I gave them is more than their country had ever given them. This statement rocked me because I realized the significance of this gift. Then they had all the players line up and each one, one at a time, shook my hand. It was as if God placed a stick in each hand and I was getting hit by each one, God was trying to wake me up. Then I heard the voice of God say, “I gave you this passion for coaching not for your ego and pride but to love on these people.”  This was something completely new to me. At this time, I was still struggling to experience God’s love, I did not feel equipped. But I decided to step through this door. For the next 5-6 years I returned to Haiti determined to help these people. I did many things, starting youth league, holding tournaments, talking to people. But I never experienced God in them. I grew frustrated and in 2016, I decided to take my hands off the controls and let God drive this ministry. If this were truly God’s, he would do something with this; I gave up! Three months later I received a call from a pastor in Mbeya, Tanzania, and we started a relationship that led to him and the local Ministry of Sport inviting me to come and to certify the secondary school coaches. I thought that I could do such a thing and I walked through that door of faith. In a 3-week period I created a training program using tools I had witnessed over the years to present God’s Grace. My desire was to see coaches transformed into loving Fathers, shepherds for their players.

 

In 2017, we delivered a 5-day training course. I witnessed people being transformed. I saw God’s love working through me and given to these coaches. I saw for the first-time fruit being delivered through me by God. This is God’s love. I have now found my purpose and what God meant by “loving on these people”

 

TRUST is the most amazing thing. When I learned and continue to learn to trust God, He does the most amazing things around me and through me. He is the one doing the work, not me. I have become increasingly humbled by this. I can see and witness more fruit being produced and given out to people. The TRUTH is that God’s love is amazing and that He does love you and me and He wants us to glorify Him and point our lives to him. (Now return back to the Triangle and point to God at the top and me and you below)

 

This is the Tree of Transformation. Where are you right now? Are you carrying the burdens and trials? Have you started the process of allowing God’s loving hands to heal you? Many of you burned the names of people you forgave. This is a marker in your life just like it was for me. Allow God to continue to work in your heart. Ask him to come and heal. Open every dark area of your life to him and allow your seed to take root and begin to grow that tree of transformation.

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2nd Diagram #11 Old Man/New Man

(Either use the bottom of the sheet from Tree of Transformation or start a new sheet and draw a cross like you see below. Put the words, “New Man” on the left and “Old Man” on  the right. To the left of the cross, on the same level as those words, put “2 Corinthians 5:17”).