Eye On Outreach

by Randy on June 26, 2008

In the news …

Eye On Outreach: Exodus International
Group Brings Hope and Change to Homosexuals

Posted on: 06/26/2008
by Renee Targos

Fifteen years ago, Randy Thomas, executive vice president of Exodus International, was living life as a gay man. “All of my relational, political and social needs were defined by a worldview that fed my appetites and met my needs. I didn’t particularly care for Christians and having grown up in a fatherless home in an abusive environment, I remembered having same-sex attractions at an early age,” says Thomas. “I followed those attractions, and I thought being gay was my only option. I had moved out of the closet only to find myself living in a pigeonhole.”

In the early 1990s, a friend encouraged Thomas to come to the Lord without having all biblical truths figured out about his sexuality. Slowly, Thomas found certain issues (outside of his sexuality) coming to the forefront of his life. In dealing with these, he grew in his relationship and commitment to God.

[From Eye On Outreach: Exodus International (Angels in America - Sidebar) : Group Brings Hope and Change t]

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Tagged as: Christ, Christian, Church, Ex-Gay, Exodus, Father, Gay, God, Homosexuality, Life, Randy Thomas, Worldview

Viewing 13 Comments

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    Great points, Randy. Outreach to 'the community' and in-reach into the same-gender strugglers in the church are both so necessary!

    This was quite helpful to me, as one who is intimately familiar with the struggle, w/o ever acting out with another human, your background lent much credibility that I would not have had, even to say the same thing.

    Thank you for your openness.

    <abbr>ChaplainChas.s last blog post..Spurgeon and Responsibility on ... chaplainchas.blogspot.com</abbr>
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    I love the sustaining grace of God. :)

    I have a story for you. I was out and about today enjoy spending time with my niece and on our way home we past a man, women, and a young boy. They had a sign that said, " Need help" it caught my eye when I saw the young boy. My niece said, aren't we going to go see how we can help them. After she said that I felt in my spirit if you do it to the lest of these you have done it unto me. I made the next turn around to give them some money to help. Little did I know that the man was on fire for the Lord and started speaking encouraging words to me. It was awesome to see this man glorifying God through his family's hardship. His last words to me were, it doesn't matter what life may throw at us as long as we have our savior we have everything we need. wow!
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    @ChaplainChas. - Thanks Chas. attractions might be similar but circumstances run across the spectrum. Everyone can speak to something others cannot and I appreciate your story.
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    @amy - That's cool! When I hear stories like that I always wonder if those are "angels in disguise." Very fun and what a great lesson for your niece.
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    @Randy - That very thought came to me about attending angels without notice. My niece has such a tender heart for the Lord, she's 9. I recently bought her the book, Battlefield of the mind for kids. Faith's excited about finishing her book, her reward is Chuck E Cheese. :) fun for me too!
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    @amy - Very exciting. I didn't know there was a children's book like that. Chuck E Cheese is a great treat.
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    @Randy - I recommend this book. I asked Faith this morning what she had learned so far and her response was fabulous. She has learned that when a bad thought comes to her about being mean to her friends, mom and dad, or her sister that the thought is from satin. If young children can understand at a young age that they do not have to receive and believe the bad and negative thoughts, that's just fabulous!!!

    When they discover how much God loves them it will guard there little hearts.
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    Oh their is Battlefield of the Mind for teens too. I absolutely love the one for adults. Battle field of the mind is the book I read when I first gave my life to Christ in 1998.
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    Originally Posted By amy
    I recommend this book. I asked Faith this morning what she had learned so far and her response was fabulous. She has learned that when a bad thought comes to her about being mean to her friends, mom and dad, or her sister that the thought is from satin. If young children can understand at a young age that they do not have to receive and believe the bad and negative thoughts, that's just fabulous!!!

    When they discover how much God loves them it will guard there little hearts.


    I had no idea that a fabric could be so diabolical. Seriously "satin"? ::: cheesy grin ::: I am glad she is learning how to steward her thoughts. I agree it is fabulous!

    I have not read Battlefield Of The Mind but I have heard great reports on it.
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    Embarrassing typo "Satan"
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    Originally Posted By amy
    Embarrassing typo "Satan"

    Don't be embarassed... I have done far far far worse :)>
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    An excellent and informative article. Ever since I've being acquainted with Exodus Intl., supporting and receiving support [counseling], from my local Exodus ministry, my personal relationship with Jesus Christ has never been more intimate. Living a victorious Christian life has become a reality. I have re-learned that the battle is not mine but the Lords. I only need to trust Him, have faith in His word, and be obedient to God's word. It really is that simple. I made it so hard for so many years! However, I have one really irritating pet-peeve... the word of choice by nearly everyone within this "community": "struggle" or "struggler". Nowhere in the Word of God are we exhorted to "struggle", to just get by. We who have made a decision to walk away from the sin of homosexuality, into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, should only "struggle" long enough to get our footing so that we can "battle","overcome","master" and "annihilate" our enemy[ies] [temptation, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life]. "Struggle" indicates no ground lost and no ground gained. In Psalm 18 and other Psalms, David starts off praising the Lord and proceeds to confess his sin or faults to God, then tells God what his enemy[ies] is trying to do to him or had done to him. David then asks God to strengthen him because he is blameless, he hasn't sinned against God's commandments. He didn't go looking for trouble but trouble came to him. Then he asks God to help him to pursue his enemy[ies], and for God to help him capture his enemy so that he can annihilate them...or ground them into dust! We battle temptations and the onslaught of thoughts and imaginations from our Adversary , we don't "struggle" with them. When we are blameless, innocent, have walked upright, God will cause us to triumph over the the very things that want to triumph over us! I am in the process of writing an article on this topic.
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    @Greg P. - Well, Thank you for your testimony. I am glad you are getting the help you wanted and praise the Lord for His work in your life. That said ... it was very much a daily struggle for me in the beginning. You may not like the word and if you don't struggle ... good for you. But struggle is very appropriate for a lot of people and they don't have to feel like they are out of line with scripture if that is an appropriate word for them.
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