Stories & Reflection

Today, I want you to imagine with me. Imagine you’re a research scientist. After working for years,  you can hardly believe it. You've discovered a pharmaceutical formula that cures cancer in all its forms. You know it works because of all your study. But you also know it works because you're a cancer survivor yourself. Things looked bleak for you until you participated in a test of this drug. And now, you’re cancer-free—and have been for some time.

You have a problem, though. You have no way of taking the drug to market. You’re a researcher, not a doctor. You’ve exhausted your funds and can’t finish all the FDA and other approval needed. And you can’t even begin to package it attractively or get it into consumer’s hands.

So what do you do? You get help, don’t you? You do whatever it takes to finish the process and get the drug out there where it could save lives. You don't quit. You persevere.

Dramatic, yes, but both Walker and I feel this way about his Orphan Heart message. It has touched both our lives in specific, personal ways. And although it took us several years and a team of people to take the book from initial ideas to preached message to published book, we didn't give up. We couldn't.

As you read the book, you’ll find his story. Wounded by a father he loved but couldn’t seem to please, he became an orphan who tried to fix himself and others by doing everything right. And things grew worse, not better, until he understood the truth he shares with thousands across the country and around the world: I am my Father’s favorite child.

In brief, the Orphan Heart is the lie Satan implants in our hearts, often through a wound or perceived wound from a parent or other authority figure, which says we don’t matter to God or to other people. Sometimes we respond in rebellion, like the prodigal son we read about in the New Testament. Sometimes we respond by trying our best to be perfect, like his elder brother. Either way, we lose, and we lose big.

We may know Christ, but we don’t live the abundant life He promised because we’re stuck in the past and afraid of the future. Our everyday lives are filled with “if only” and “what if” instead of the fruit of the Spirit. The Orphan Heart keeps us living as those who have no father, no identity, no purpose, no direction, and no destiny.

And no, it’s not cancer, but it’s not life, either. So when I heard and responded to the Orphan Heart message, I knew I had to help Walker share it. I’ve been in the congregation when people have come forward, weeping, to confess their resentment toward the father who rejected them or the mother whose words ripped them apart. I’ve seen rebellious, angry young people push through their tears to tell me, “I am my Father’s favorite child”—and mean it. I've seen testimonies from CEOs who realized their drive to outperform others came from a childhood wound that festered until it infected everyone they claimed to love.

You see, I, too, was that perfect child who tried to do everything right. Although I had a loving family, I never thought I was good enough. And even after I accepted Christ’s work on the cross as payment for my sins, I still tried to do everything right. I lived my life for the approval of man rather than God. I had no freedom and little joy.

Understanding not only the Orphan Heart but the fact that the enemy uses specific avenues to reach into my life has changed me. And understanding how to escape his lies has changed me more. My family and close friends will tell you that the joy I have today makes me look, act, and treat others differently than I did as a younger believer. How could I not want to share that message with others?

In the Foreword to our book, contemporary Christian artist Bart Millard of MercyMe says it well:

"Maybe you’re someone who loves Jesus, but, deep down inside, you know something is missing. Maybe you’re someone who has trouble trusting God and other people. Or maybe you’re someone with hurts from the past that have left you wounded, weary, and worried about the future.

If any of these describe you or someone you love, read this book. You’ll gain some incredible insights into how to embrace the truth that will set you free and live the kind of abundant life Jesus promised.

Take Walker’s message to heart—so the Orphan Heart won’t take you."

I’ll repeat Tuesday’s giveaways below (you can comment either here or on that post anytime between now and June 8 to enter the drawing). Thanks for taking time to read this story behind the book. And please let me know if you read the book (and Escape the Lie).

Do you identify with the concept of the Orphan Heart? Do you resonate more with the prodigal son or his elder brother? To receive an entry into a drawing for a copy of Escape the Lie along with a bonus copy of Rite of Passage Parenting, leave a comment or question below.

To receive a bonus entry into the above drawing PLUS a download of the first chapter of Escape the Lie, subscribe to my newsletter/blog feed here.

To submit a prayer request, leave a comment or email me at the “contact” link above. I’m always honored to lift you before Him!

Find Escape the Lie at a local Christian bookstore

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Order an autographed copy of Escape the Lie from Awe Star Ministries  (give information about for whom you want the book signed when you place the order)