Here are some more we couldn't fit in our printed version.

Allie in South Carolina
I don't know how many times I listened to “Living In His Kingdom” already, but this time, right now, everything is so clear!  It wasn't until I came to know my Father for the first time and who He really is that I could receive what He points out to me without feeling condemned.  Up until recently, whenever I saw what needed to change in me I would not only feel like I am condemned, but that I had to change whatever it was in order to remain with Him, in order to "earn" His approval.  Now, though, when He points out where my problem is, it is more like I am working on a math problem and I came up with the wrong answer.  He, then, points to someplace where I added wrong.  He is simply showing me why my problems are there.   He is a kind and patient Teacher, not the angry one that I used to think He was.

Arlene in Australia

Your teaching on the Cross and what took place there blew me away.  I have listened toit over and over.  I had excellent teaching on the Cross growing up, (so) I was not prepared for what took place in my heart.  I was listening to the CDs enjoying them, agreeing with them and rejoicing.  Then I realized (I am crying again as I write) that the focus of my walk with Jesus has been obedience. When I felt my Father's love in the light of the Cross I realized that there was some deep, deep work taking place in my heart.  He revealed to me that I have let regret grow roots in my heart. My children were being molested by my father-in-law who happened to be a very religious man. He was controlling and manipulative and I was scared of crossing him.  We didn't realize that he was doing at the same time was reading the Bible and teaching them fearful religion.  But what the Lord showed me was that I held myself responsible for being so naive, so stupid, and even so sinful!!  As I wept I felt Him weep with me for what happened.  It certainly wasn't diminishing the reality of the abuse but it felt like the pain was losing power.  It is still there. (how can a mother forget?), but I know it will not have power over me anymore. It seems like I forgave everybody but I forgot about myself.  For the first time in 20 years I feel free of that regret. Learning to live loved and free has been a true, uplifting blessing.

Jim and Jennifer in California
Great BodyLife article!  Thanks for the encouragement! It’s always good to hear some words of life.  It’s so applicable to read about us “blowing like the wind” when we are following what our Father says and does in us.

Michael in Canada
We are discovering quite by accident that as we keep Jesus centre, that He raises up folks to function in specific leadership functions when they are needed.   If we need hospitality, folks with that gifting take leadership.  When we need pastors - folks with those gifts take leadership.  Seems Holy Spirit raises up the right gift at the right time to provide leadership for whatever He wants to accomplish.  Everyone gets to play!   This drives my professional pastor friends crazy!!!   "What about order? What about accountability?"  "You can't build a church like that!"  My point exactly!  We don't build the Church - Jesus does.  When you don't have something to build, control or to protect, it really frees folks to be who God created them to be and the freedom to step out and use gifts they have been given.  Thanks for your podcasts.  They have really helped me in my journey with Jesus out of religion and into life.   

Jeremy in Nevada
I think of you daily, probably because your influences have helped to so radically transform my understanding and participation in the Kingdom of Love. As I speak of Christ and the journey daily with people, I am always aware that I would have shared and illustrated this so differently before I met Wayne. As I witness people’s often emotional response to these words of life laid out in screaming wonder before them I am continually confirmed that this is the message of life. I was a rather "successful" mega-church pastor who murdered our conventional institutional church, and went organic baby! As we were well on our way to deconstructing into house churches we had the privilege of watching Father intersect our journey with yours, and we immediately liked yours better.

Sandy from UK
I have read most of what is on your website.   I read "So you don't want to go to church anymore" and listened to all the CD's on the Transition series.   I have been so very encouraged to find that I am not "alone" out here!!   For several years I simply did not trust what I was feeling and thinking as God calling to me to find myself in Him and in His love.   I felt burdened with guilt and quite wretched. Deep inside I longed to live in Gods love, to understand it, absorb it, and then reflect it.   When I read some of your writing it was like a fog was shifting in my heart.   I loved your interpretation of the prodigal son, and I am thinking deeply through your teaching on the cross.  I have a ways to go, but each step is lighter than the one before.

Melissa via email
for the last several months I have been devouring your books and Body Life articles. If I had the time, I would go into great detail about how liberating these writings have been for me. I am 40-year-old who is the product of a Pentecostal background but who always felt as if something were wrong with all of the legalism that superseded relationship (with God and other believers). Over the last three years, I have virtually stopped going to church and have taken tremendous criticism from family, and yet my walk with Father has grown in ways in which I never expected.

Christa in Canada
I just want to tell you that I have finished reading your book "So you don't want to go to church any more".  You have certainly given me greater understanding of what our Father is doing in our lives at this time.  You have also given me vocabulary for trying to express where  my place in Christ is.

Gerry in Canada
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am just going through something similar to what Jake went through in the Jake book. Painful, painful, painful. I found myself at Lifestream website when  had googled ‘body life’. I began listening to the Transitions audio file and found them incredibly magnetic. I listened to them over and over again. I copied them onto disk, and listened to them again. I found the Ebook about Jake. Incredible! Thank you for putting down in pen and on audio these lessons on life with the Father. Although, the pain is still pain, it is comforting to know that it is not the end of the journey as I believe John says in the Jake book. I wanted to let you know that your words of encouragement are a great blessing to me and others.

Trudy by email
I stumbled across your website almost a year ago now, at the time.  I was asking the Lord why I didn't fit.  After reading and listening to  a lot of the material you have written and taught, I finally understand. It has replaced hurt and frustration with some sense of peace, I thought for the longest time there must have been something terribly wrong with me.  I am beginning to see things for what they are. You talk about so many things that I've know in my heart for so long but couldn't put into words.  I wish I had read some of your material early in my walk.  It might have helped me interact better with other's in and outside the church. Thank you so much for being open and honest.  It has helped me more than I can say.

Bob in Washington
My wife purchased a hard-bound copy of “In My Father’s Vineyard” for me several years ago. Until just a few months ago I had only looked at it briefly, not paying much attention to the content.    One warm evening I picked up your book and wondered outside down through a path in the gardens.  I became lost in the words I found printed on the pages of the book as it spoke to me in a language that I could understand.  I am only beginning to learn and experience what abiding in Him means.   Last week I again went back to the internet to explore as to whether or not there were other books that you might have written. To my surprise I found you entire website with a wealth of printed information that described us and our situation as if someone had been listening in on our conversations and prayers.  I can’t tell you how wonderful it feels to find someone who has asked the same questions of the church that we have been asking for the past several years.  .  

Mike in Georgia
I pastor a Charismatic church that started in my home sixteen years ago. This past year has been the hardest year of my spiritual life and I have thought many times of just walking away from it all.  I have literally been at the lowest point of my life.  I still love Jesus very much, but I'm just tired of the "stuff”.  Your book was like an injection from Heaven. It is everything I have been feeling but did not know how to completely articulate it. I will read it again starting today. I felt God breathe on a faint flicker somewhere deep inside me last night.

Paul in Illinois
Also, we continue to enjoy and benefit from getting to know you better through your writings, and oral messages.  What you share, and also very much the manner in which you share your faith and understanding, makes me feel like I have found a long-lost friend and brother, and takes away some of the loneliness that comes from walking a different path than the crowd.  
You bring hope to us, and it is amazing to see my wife being transformed as she learns a deeper side of the God-relationship in this conversation with you (through your materials).  I continue to slowly work my way through The Naked Church, and know that I will simply start reading it over once done the first time.

Ron in Ontario, Canada
I was searching the net one day when I came across your website.  Wow!  I was amazed at the witness of the Spirit inside me when I read the BodyLife articles.  My wife and I are so hungry for this word from the Lord that we have been reading one or two articles a day for the past couple weeks. These articles have really answered alot of questions we had about church and Christians in general…    I have found that the Lord is changing my heart as I draw near to Him with a proper understanding of who God is and of who I am in Christ.   I find that I look at people totally different than I did before.  I used to be so judgmental, which in turn made me miserable. Now, my heart is becoming softer towards people.

Ron somewhere in Eastern Europe
I stumbled upon Jake Colsen in someone's blog while googling something else, and after reading the few lines he quoted, I was hooked. I downloaded and read the book that afternoon, then our family read and discussed it while we were all together over the holidays. I've been listening through the podcast archives, along with reading your other books and BodyLife, and have listened to Transitions a couple of times. Your video of Sharing in Father's Affection has capped it all off! I've spent literally hours upon hours with you (and Brad) over the past few weeks, steeping myself in what you're sharing with us through your conversations, writing and teaching. But more than that, I've been fellowshipping more deeply with my loving Father as the transforming impact of the experience of His affection for me grows in my life.  We have been working in a restricted access country since the early '90s in bringing the good news of Jesus and His Kingdom to what was previously and still is an unreached people. What I'm reading and hearing from you and Brad is filling in so many of the gaps. You can't imagine how encouraging it is to find others who are a bit further down the road in this journey, and who are willing to share what they've been learning.  One other note: since we are in a fairly remote location, and it isn't easy to get books, CDs, etc. sent in here, it is a genuine blessing to be able to download so many of your materials and get the podcasts as well.

Katrina in Scotland
I stumbled across your website last night in a frantic search for some literature that would help me in my decision to take some time out of organised, institutional 'church' in order to reflect and draw close to God. Your website was incredibly helpful and releasing. I felt the anger and bitterness I have been feeling for a while towards church leaders who want to control and manipulate and keep the body of the church in a box they have created, begin to just melt as I received the invitation to just 'be' with God and know His love and grace without unhelpful expectations. The Jake Colsen book is AWESOME! I've only had time to read half of it. I stopped reading at 3am last night and started again at 8am I couldn't sleep I was so excited.

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If you missed them here are letters from our last issue.

Dan by email

I just finished listening to Sharing In Father’s Affection. It truly brought tears to my eyes. God’s love just touched my heart in a new and living way. When I was listening it was like experiencing a living love not one with just words. God has used love that has shown you to touch my heart today.

Daniel from Missouri

What an absolute delight the Jake book has been. I love that it is not “shoulding” on me. It is full of grace and balance. As you know, along the journey on this road to find Christ in all fullness and not restrict Him to our rituals there are home church folks that definitely have the “us against them” mentality and are almost as quick to start new anti-institutional rituals. I found freedom. I found love. I found grace in the pages of your book. And along the way my spirit said “YES! This seems right and good.” I appreciate you being faithful to use your gift of writing and putting together such a powerful story that demonstrates so well the journey I am on right now.

Mark in Michigan

I have just started working through Transitions and recently finished Sharing in the Fathers Affection. All that I can say is “Wow!” A couple of years ago I felt that God was revealing much of this to me as I suffered through a long bought with depression. As time passed I had begun to doubt the revelation because there is so little being taught about this subject. Thanks so much for affirming God’s words and making it available free. I am going to pass your teachings onto my missionary friend in the Dominican Republic so that he too can share it.

Steve from Massachusetts

I am half way through the Jake Colsen and I’m loving it! I think I’ll probably have to read it a second time with a yellow highlighter in hand! You did an outstanding job of highlighting the pitfalls of church buildings without crushing the people the inside. This book should be mandatory reading!

Jake in Turkey

I’m seeing more clearly than ever these days how often we focus on “bringing a person to church” as opposed to “bringing Jesus to them.” We’ve just recently left a more traditional congregation and are trying to move toward a more organic, relational, simple church (life). I’ve been amazed to see in this transition how much my primary relationship has been to the church or the organization I’d been working for. It’s interesting to be doing something different and to just see how broken so many of my perspectives were. I mainly wanted to say thanks for all of the resources you’ve put together. My wife stumbled across the Jake Colsen book and God has continued to use the podcasts and the Transitions series to keep us thinking about our relationships with Christ.

Stephen in Alabama

I am so very grateful for you and the teaching gift Christ has given you that help people realize their freedom from sin and religion in Christ. I (recently) tendered my resignation at the church because it was evident to me that church was a game I had been playing that slowly took away the freeing life Jesus had given me. My wife and I began our religious detoxification, which is quite a journey I must say. I needed someone to help me understand about grace. I cried out to Father, and he helped me find a needle in a religious haystack—your books on Amazon.com. At first, I thought your books would be another person creating another brand of religion like other house church books I had read. Boy, was I mistaken! I need the encouragement and friendship of believers like you—they seem to be in short supply in the Bible belt.

Kent from Sweeden

My wife and I want to say that you and Brad have been a great blessing to us. We started listening to your podcasts six months ago and have gone back to listen to them all. It has been so good to listen and lots of fun. For about ten years we tried to establish a church here. It was hard to break through and we had thought about giving up, but how could we? It would be like failing God. But, after being burned out and tired and trying to establish the church, we finally came to the point where we had no more to give. I found the Jake Colsen story on the web and read it. At first very hesitantly—but finally it broke through and the rest is history. Now we can relax and without the burden of convincing others (to go to our church). We just talk about the Lord and let the Holy Spirit do the job. It’s such a relief!

Tina in South Carolina

My relationship with the Father has never been so good! As a result, my marriage is better than ever, and so are many of my other relationships. Once I finally read the Jake book at my husband’s insistence, there was no going back. We were both starving for real relationship with Jesus. We de-toxed pretty hard for a couple of months, but I found great encouragement in your podcasts. I have been actually reading the Bible for myself for the first time ever. We have started to finally understand our freedom in Christ and the reality that He loves us. Since we are living in His grace, we are extending grace to one another. Our marriage has become something truly beautiful. Please keep putting your pen to the paper and voices to the microphones for as long as God leads.

Brent in Missouri

I have listened to the Jake Colson book driving back and forth between work and home. I cannot even begin to describe how accurate that book is at least for me, especially the chapters dealing with “house church”. I am Jake Colsen!! I had left the institutional approach for a better pattern of church but, I was missing the most important thing. I was focusing on an “it” rather than “Him”.

Browyn in Australia

After recently being so incredibly blessed and encouraged by your Transition messages, and in re-reading He Loves Me – God has been challenging us and revealing Himself to us in so many ways. We only wish we had not been so taken up with licking our wounds that day you spoke; we might have saved ourselves three years of frustration by actually hearing your message! Reading the Jake book and hearing your podcasts have also helped us clarify our thoughts. Thankd you for being the messenger of the simple message of God’s incredible love for us. How much we have spoken the word love in decades of the Christian life, and never really heard it and known it. At last it is getting through to us!

Mark in Australia

I met you in Australia a few years ago and recently I downloaded the Jake book and your Transition series. I just want to say how wonderful they’ve been and what a reminder too of the journey that God was taking us on. I’ve been making copies of the Transition series to CD so I can give them to people.

Bruce in Australia

Your article “Why House Church Isn't the Answer” was very thought provoking for me. I did read it many months ago, just after we left (our fellowship) and at a stage when I thought “house church was ‘it’ “, and was somewhat put off by the article. Now, months later, I read the article in a much different light. You have a great way of putting things to paper. What spoke to me tonight when reading this article, is, “am I trusting God completely, or am I still trying to control various aspects of my life?” It all boils down to a lack of trust.

Evan in Missouri

Thanks for doing the latest God Journey podcast on depression. My last bout with depression occurred as a result of criticizing and judging other people. I entered counseling, which led to re-examining everything in my life, which led me to Google “why go to church?” and find Lifestream. I’m just starting out in discovering God as He really is, and Lifestream and The God Journey have been helping me to see this reality. I have listened to the Transition series at least eight times. That series may be the greatest free content I have ever encountered on the web (although the Jake book and He Loves Me come close).

Arlene via email

I can’t tell you how much your messages are helping me. Through them, the Father is bringing me into a more peace about His love for me no matter what I do or do not do. I have only come to the Father’s love now at the age of 54. Lately I had ordered a ton of your CDs and through out all of them, God’s love for me, His delight in me, has been woven through it. To hear you say over and over again about how you, also, struggle, helps me to realize to be myself, who I really am, with Him.

Steve in Pennsylvania

I just started reading The Naked Church and I already can’t put it down. I have to add this to my library of books I am sharing with fellow sojourners. Your writing reads like a diary of my walk in Christ and my missteps in the church. I would have a hard time explaining how my life has changed since I first read So You Don’t Want to Go To Church Anymore. All I can say is I don’t walk around with as much guilt and anxiety as I once did. We are building a network of hungry people through sharing the book and discussing its contents.

Eric by email

I just reread the Jake Colsen story and God has used the truth of Christ woven throughout the story to draw me into a deeper, more trusting relationship with Christ. I have been a spectator concerning these truths for several years and heartily agreeing with them, but it was never real in my life. In just the last few months I am starting to see the truth of resting and abiding in Christ as I die to all my own efforts and the demands of those around me.

Stacy by email

You guys are too funny! The God Journey is one reason I always say, “TGIF!”

LeeAnn in California

I’ve been reading your books and they are a breath of fresh air! Yes, finally I have run across someone else who is reading the same Bible as me! Maybe I’m not bad or crazy or rebellious after all! I have really been thanking God for you. I just want you to know that your books and CDs are really helping me on my journey. You are validating many things that the Holy Spirit has revealed to me. You are an inspiration to me—a lighthouse beacon in a foggy sea!

Dave in Texas

When I entered the world of religion, one of the first things that I was told is that I was carrying twenty years of baggage with me from the secular world that I needed to get rid of. Instead of relieving me of the secular baggage, they simply replaced it with religious baggage. Now, thirty-six years later, I find that the load did not change, only the packaging. It is a relief to find out that Christ has removed the burden of the baggage and replaced it with the blessings of a relationship.

Sophie in Indiana

I'm enjoying reading the new BodyLife.  As always, it's like a drop of cool water in the desert!  Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us!

Shawn via email

I have just finished reading your book, So You Don't Want to go to Church Anymore. This book is an amazing representation of my journey from clergy to just being Father's child… I have come through since being a pastor and missionary's kid and I finally know the truth and have been set free from religion.

Simon in the UK

I want to say a big thank you for the podcasts. I don't think I've missed one yet. Also thanks for the Transition mp3s - listened to all 8 hours, and it's sinking in.

Mike in CA

A million thanks for your message of encouragement and life after 'church'.  I have been devouring your writings and recorded messages and am greatly edified by the fresh perspectives on the most powerful and simple truths.  I believe it was one of your books that contained a word picture of God's wrath being poured out on the Son as a type of chemotherapy.  (I want to) share it with a friend of mine who is laboring under a great fear of the big hammer that an angry God is just itching to bring down on those who have fallen short.  Thanks again for making it all about Him and His great love.

Arlene by email

I am sitting here crying as I finished reading the story about not wanting to go to church anymore.  I related to it so well, for in it is where I am, was, and will be.  I am thinking it's behind me, but yet, still before me as I know more and more of my Father's love.   

Annabel in Australia

I really enjoyed your book So  You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore.   Just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy Lifestream, have found it a real eye opener and challenging. It has helped me to realise how much Father does love me just as I am without doing things for Him, I have been amazed at the revelation of His love for me in this past week, I don't think I ever really contemplated it before now.