Faith in Transition

A Note from my Heart

Before you read my story, I want to say this from the start: my intent is not to criticize, divide, or convince anyone to leave their faith. My story isn’t about being against something — it’s about learning to walk with Jesus in a way that’s honest, freeing, and deeply personal.

I carry love and respect for the faith tradition I came from. It shaped me in many good ways — especially in valuing family, service, and community. Those roots will always be a part of me. But over time, I began to realize that my relationship with God was growing into something I couldn’t fit neatly inside a label or denomination.

This is the story of how I moved from fear to freedom, from striving to rest, and from religion to relationship. It’s the story of finding Jesus not as someone waiting for me to get it right, but as Someone who had already loved me all along.

If you choose to read the rest, I hope you’ll do so with an open heart. Whether you still belong to the LDS Church, another faith, or none at all — I hope you feel loved, seen, and reminded that curiosity in your faith journey isn’t rebellion; it’s an invitation.

Because the love of Jesus isn’t fragile or exclusive. It’s wide enough for all of us — wherever we are on the road.

Faith Is not something to grasp, It's Something to Grow Into

Not Something to Grasp

When we think of “grasping,” it’s like trying to grab hold of something firmly and completely. But faith isn’t like an object you can pick up, study from every angle, and claim you fully understand. Just as you can’t “grasp” a garden by holding a seed in your hand, you can’t reduce faith to a single moment of possession or comprehension.

Something to Grow Into

Faith is more like a living process—like a garden that unfolds with time, care, and patience. You don’t instantly have a mature, blooming garden the moment you plant a seed. Instead:

• Seeds are planted (the beginnings of belief, trust, or questions about God).
• Roots develop unseen (faith deepens quietly, often through prayer, Scripture, or life experiences).
• Growth happens slowly (there are seasons of flourishing, but also times of pruning or waiting).
• Fruit eventually comes (faith matures and produces love, hope, and good works).

The Garden Analogy

• If you try to grasp a flower too tightly, you crush it. If you try to grasp faith as if it’s something you can fully control or understand, you miss its living, growing nature.
• Instead, you grow into faith the way a gardener grows into their garden—learning how to nurture it, adjust to seasons, and appreciate the process more than instant results.
• Just as a garden matures with sunlight, water, and time, faith matures through God’s presence, His Word, and the trials and joys of life.In short: Faith isn’t a trophy to hold—it’s a garden to walk into, tend, and let shape you over a lifetime.
  

The mustard seed is one of Jesus’ most famous illustrations for faith, and its special qualities make the comparison powerful:

1. Tiny but Potent

A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds known in biblical times.

Jesus said that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains (Matthew 17:20).

The point isn’t the size of faith, but its potential. Even the smallest, genuine faith is enough for God to work through.

2. Exponential Growth

Though small, a mustard seed grows into a surprisingly large plant—sometimes 6–12 feet tall, even big enough for birds to rest in (Mark 4:30–32).

This reflects how faith, though it may start small, expands and matures over time, impacting far more than you expect.

3. Living and Growing Nature

A seed is alive and designed to grow when planted in the right conditions.

Faith, too, is living—it needs to be nurtured with prayer, Scripture, and trust in God. Left unused, it can feel dormant; but when cultivated, it flourishes.

4. Out of Proportion Impact

The mustard seed shows how something seemingly insignificant can produce results far beyond its beginnings.

Faith works the same way—its strength lies not in its size, but in the greatness of the God it’s placed in.

A mustard seed shows us that faith doesn’t have to start big—it just has to be real. With God, the smallest seed of faith can grow into something far greater than we imagine.

 

Stepping Into Freedom Together

A few months ago, I shared my testimony about how God used Freedom Group to meet me in my brokenness and remind me of His truth and love (you can read it here). That group changed me in ways I never expected—helping me release the lies I was carrying and walk in the freedom only Jesus gives.

This year, I get the joy of stepping into something new: I’m co-leading a Freedom Group for the very first time. Honestly, I never imagined I’d be on this side of things. But that’s the beauty of God’s work—He doesn’t just heal us for ourselves; He equips us to walk alongside others so they can experience the same freedom.

Learn more about what Freedom Groups are here!

If you’ve ever felt weighed down by past hurts, struggles, or lies that feel too heavy to carry alone, I want to personally invite you to join us. This group is a safe place to be real, to be reminded of truth, and to see how God’s love brings freedom to every area of life.

So if you’ve been wondering if there’s more—if you’ve been longing for a fresh start or a deeper walk with God—this might be your next step.

👉 Come join us. Let’s walk toward freedom together.

We'll be meeting at our new Ministry Hub on Thursdays from 6:00 - 8:00pm. It starts September 4, 2025 and lasts 10 weeks. Then you go to a Freedom weekend event as well. We will have dinner first and childcare is available if needed. $60 per person.

Sign up here, we'd love to have you!

Anna’s Surgery Update – May 7, 2025

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support—today has been a big day for our girl.

Anna went in for surgery this morning and everything went smoothly. She went to sleep peacefully, and the team was able to place a nerve block beforehand that’s helping manage her pain—it will wear off tomorrow. During surgery, they placed four screws and made two incisions to repair her leg. We’re so grateful to say she is doing well and resting now.

We’ve felt surrounded by love through every prayer, message, call, text, and card. Thank you for caring for us and especially for lifting Anna up during this time. We are so blessed—and so incredibly thankful for God’s presence, peace, and provision through it all.

Please continue to pray for a smooth and speedy recovery. We’re trusting God every step of the way.

With love,

The Vanderpools

God's Love Letter to You -- It's All About Unconditional Love!

If anyone lives near Mebane or Chapel Hill, NC and surrounding area, consider visiting Grace Church.

My spiritual family has helped me so much as I've been slowly letting God soften my heart again after I had put up walls because I thought I needed to keep people out for a long time after trust was broken.

Thank you Jesus for loving me and dying on the cross for my sins.

From Shame to Freedom: How God Met Me Through Freedom Group

For a long time, I carried around a heavy mix of pain, sin, and shame. Some of it came from things I’d done. Some came from things that had been done to me. Either way, it weighed me down in ways I didn’t even fully recognize until I stepped into the Freedom Group at Grace Church.

I didn’t walk into that group expecting a breakthrough—I just knew I needed something different. What I found was more than just a Bible study or a support group. I found a space where God met me in my mess with mercy and power. Through the teaching, the small group time, and the guided prayers, God began to gently but firmly pull up the roots of lies I had believed for years. He showed me how I was never meant to carry my shame—Jesus had already carried it to the cross.

One of the most personal and profound things God healed in me through Freedom Group was my trust in spiritual authority. After past wounds and religious hurt, I had built walls to protect myself—but those walls also kept me isolated. Week by week, God used the leaders in our group to demonstrate what healthy, loving, Spirit-led authority looks like. They didn’t control or pressure me—they simply created space for truth, grace, and healing. And through them, God helped restore my confidence that not all authority wounds, and that true spiritual leadership reflects His heart.

Today, I can honestly say I am not the same person who started that group. I walk lighter. I think clearer. I love more freely. And I worship with a new sense of joy because I know I’m no longer a prisoner to the past.

If you're holding onto anything—shame, fear, addiction, unforgiveness, or spiritual hurt—I encourage you to check out the Freedom Groups at Grace Church. God is still in the business of setting people free, and I’m living proof of that.

👉 Learn more about Freedom Groups