Rock House Center Testimonies
At Rock House Center, we do not diagnose the mental health of our clients. We simply respond to the emotional suffering of our clients as they report it to us. Rock House Center does not practice any form of psychiatry or psychology. The results expressed in these testimonies are the results of our unique Biblical approach.
Testimonies by Topic
Anxiety
“When I first came to counseling at Rock House Center, life was feeling pretty bad. I was in a relationship that was not working and I didn’t know what to do. I rated my anxiety 9 on a scale of 10. As I began to take in biblical truths, my anxiety began to ease and I realized the relationship I was in was not even something I wanted. I was able to move on without any upset. I am happier now than I think I have ever been and I can’t wait to see what my future holds!”
“My husband completed the counseling program at Rock House and I saw how much better he was feeling and I realized I could benefit as well. I had always had high anxiety and even a few panic attacks. My anxiety is now almost completely gone!” - Text from Rock House Center client to a friend about freedom from anxiety and anxiety medications.
Oh sweet girl I have been there. For years I struggled with anxiety where I would lie in bed awake with my heart beating out of my chest and my mind racing or come home so exhausted from the stress and pressure I put on myself in school or work. I’m nearing the end of a 6 month journey through Christian counseling and it has literally changed my life. I was on medication before and it only helped with the symptoms, not the source of my issues. I can truly say I am now completely anxiety free. Now do I have worries? Yes. But it doesn’t affect me or dominate my thoughts like before. I wish I could give you all the wisdom I’ve gleaned but here are a few things I learned:
If I make a mistake it means nothing about me or my character or who I am as a person. I just have to learn from it and move forward
Truly forgiving someone, to the point where you don’t have icky thoughts when you think about them, does wonders for how you feel and how you treat relationships moving forward
When someone treats you poorly, it has absolutely everything to do with the condition of their own heart and almost never anything to do with you
Giving things over to God daily such as “Lord I am exhausted and feel terrible but I know with your strength I can get through” or “Lord I have no idea what I’m doing being a mom. I need your guidance and encouragement” has relieved so much pressure off myself. I can never expect perfection of myself but I used to. And if I wasn’t perfect, I beat myself up about who I was or what people thought of me. God sees us as flawless. Truly. And we often beat ourselves up way more than He ever would.
You hold yourself to such a high standard which is to be admired but I hope you know that it’s okay to make mistakes or not be 100% to everyone at every time because that’s what makes us human. And it doesn’t make you less of a wife or nanny or daughter or future mommy. I’d love to talk to you more about it in person and not over text but I hope you can freed of it somehow. Anxiety is the worst. And for so long I felt like medication was the only thing that could help but this counseling has helped more than any med ever did.
– K.N.
“I’d watch Rock Crawling videos and anything that would take my mind off of who I was because I was so uncomfortable with who I was. But now I actually understand, I can look at myself 6 months ago and see that I’m different, I’m not even the same person, I don’t think the same, I don’t behave the same, I don’t act the same, my emotions aren’t the same, I don’t care about the same things, I don’t work hard for the same things. I’m completely different. That blows my mind! I was so excited because I felt that change and I found that peace just flood me. It wasn’t what I expected. I thought there was going to be a lot of shoveling things down my throat about what I’m supposed to do, but it wasn’t. I always leave here knowing that the time I spend here is furthering me in the kingdom and I always know that the time I spend here (at Rock House Center) is drawing me closer to God, and that is something I have not found somewhere else. For 13 years of trying to do what I thought was right for God, trying to walk the walk that I was taught to walk, trying to impress the people of the church, and I was miserable. I thought for absolute certain that would never change. To think that all those promises and all this that he had for me and I was missing it. Now, I am so grateful that God has shown me where I was going wrong and it was just a few decisions. I was just a few decisions away. I would say to someone who is looking for help, find help, and the only place I know where I’ve gotten help is Rock House Center. I would say come to counseling. Rock House is biblically based counseling. They don’t push you, they don’t make you do things you don’t want to do, and he even explains that God doesn’t make you do anything. Come here, give it a try, come one time like I did, and I decided to come back one more time, still skeptical but then I started realizing “I’m liking this,” because even though it wasn’t exactly what I thought I was looking for, it was absolutely what I needed. There was a desire that I could not quench, that I couldn’t deny, so I came back and then after that second session, I knew that I’m going to do this for the duration, and I felt good about it.”
“I sleep through the night now.”
“My anxiety about work is gone.”
“I’ve stopped assuming that others judge me.”
“Totally amazing”
“I can now just lay down and go to sleep for the first time in 3 years.”
“When your car is broke, you take it to someone who ultimately has a connection back to the manufacturer. When your appliances don’t work right, you have to get information or help from those who have listened to the guidance of the maker. John and Beth have recognized that the only way to help people get through their times of brokenness is to go to the Creator and His instruction manual, to be transformed into the image that we were created to reflect. Through this process, I have lost over 70 pounds, found peace and answers for my depression and anxiety and learned that the answers can only come from the One who created me. John and Beth have shown me that God loves me — yes, even me — and the overflow of this truth is a passionate desire to please Him, follow Him, love Him not because it is required, but because it is the desire of my heart and the purpose of my life. Thanks be to God for the incredible work He is doing through Beth and John!” – Michael K.
“I had visions of two evil figures that used to haunt me all the time. They are now gone.”
“I have lost interest in T.V. and other ways I was trying to escape my anxiety.”
“Miraculous”
“I am more likely to be at peace instead of always worrying.”
“My relationship with the Lord is on a “best friends” level now.”
“I am sleeping through the night every night now. I haven’t done that in 7 years.”
“The pressure and tightness in my chest is gone!”
“Procrastination is way down because the burden of perfection has lifted.”
“I now reach out to people instead of staying in isolation.”
“I have ceased striving.”
“Used to pursue self-righteousness through learning theology. Now that burden has lifted since I believe in Christ for my righteousness and worth.”
“I am free of the chains of the approval of man. I have a lot more peace and doing much better with my wife.”
“Before counseling at Rock House Center, I was plagued daily by awful anxiety that constricted my chest and made it hard to focus on everyday life. It would go away at times but it was always lingering around the corner waiting. It got in the way of a lot of things and hung like a cloud over my head. I also had horrific nightmares close to every night of the week that had me afraid to go back to sleep leaving me exhausted the next day. But since I came to Rock House Center and decided to turn to God, the cloud is gone and there are blue skies and my dreams have gone from terrifying to tranquil. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful Father and Friend.”
“Sleeping Great!”
“Rock House Center has made a significant impact on how I view life and the way my heart processes events of my life. I used to be a person who was very fearful with a lot of anxiety, but now, through counseling at Rock House Center, I have found much more peace in my life and I no longer can feel the weight of things I used to feel. I would recommend Rock House Center to anyone who wants to see true life transformation within the context of their faith. John and Beth always have such great attitudes toward helping others and the transformation process I’ve seen in me was totally worth it! I’m actually thinking differently, which is much more than I’ve ever seen in traditional counseling! This Biblical Counseling is the way to go! Thank you, John and Beth!” – Jason R.
Anger
I have been blessed in having a long career entertaining others with my comedy style that dignifies my faith and was so unique it provoked the New Yorker magazine to dub me God’s comic! It has been humbling to know that the Lord used me to help bring laughter and in some cases healing to hurting people. Yet what many people don’t understand is that artists in the public eye are just as fragile and human as everyone else. My struggles and challenges are just as real and difficult as anyone else’s. That being said one of my greatest challenges to overcome was my battle with anger.
My anger, and sometimes-even rage, was affecting everything in my life the wrong way often causing other unwanted behaviors. After many years of prayer and seeking God’s guidance for healing and help, it was the Rock House Center that gave me the breakthrough God had for me.
I can honestly say I am no longer the man that I was when I first came to Rock House. The transformation that was waiting for me through their process could accurately be called a miracle! Having experienced their unique, one of a kind Biblical counseling I can say that there is not a single person who would not benefit from going through their process. No matter what you are struggling with, the folks at Rock House can be trusted to provide you with a God inspired solution that can change your life.
If you even think you need help give them a call right now. Wishing you the Father’s power in your own transformation!
Sincerely,
Brad Stine “God’s Comic”
Comedian/Actor/Author“Now when I experience situations that would have bothered me in the past, I have a different reaction and remain peaceful.”
“When I first started counseling at Rock House Center, I was in pretty bad shape. I had a lot of anger and resentment over things that had happened in my relationships. As I began to forgive those things that were causing me pain, peace began to come – both at work and at home.
As we began to put God in His rightful place in our home, our communication became much better. Things that I had hoped for began to naturally become reality.
When I started simply seeking God for direction in all things, life became easier and more enjoyable. I began to let go of anger.
God’s Truth about my value began to grow in my heart and I found work less stressful. I realized that all I could do was my best to meet my individual responsibilities and I could trust God for everything else.
I began to pray for others – especially at work. Strangely, I began to see them differently and they seemed to act differently at times. It is more positive.
I was stopped by a state trooper and asked some odd questions about my children. I didn’t take offense the way I would have before. I simply answered the questions politely and went on my way.
During my counseling, I had the good fortune to go on a mission trip to Honduras. My relationship with God continued to grow by leaps and bounds. Knowing how much I am loved allows me to be okay no matter what the circumstances around me are.
My priorities began to change such as not spending so much time on Facebook. As my priorities became more in line with God’s priorities for me, life continued to be less stressful.
I have learned that simply trusting God for His direction and obeying that brings so many fruits. I see that I can trust Him to provide everything I need and then some. He showed me that when I had some dental procedures done.
I became involved in a real estate scam and I was able to recognize it quickly and move on without being greatly affected.
With God at the center of my relationship with my husband, our relationship has been completely restored and I am enjoying my family more than ever.”
“I was sitting in Church one Sunday morning back in October 2014, listening to my senior pastor give his sermon on giving more to the church and all the blessings that would come from my tithe. The only problem is I had been giving to the church since 2002 and never felt any closer to God or peace, joy or excitement by giving more money, doing activities or reading the bible. I was in a long-term relationship which was coming to an end and I had so much rage and anger. I didn’t feel good about myself or how I was reacting to anything in my life from relationships to my Christian life. The next morning I heard on the radio Rock House Center’s advertisement about sleep and sleeping pills. Although I never believed in sleeping pills, I definitely didn’t sleep. My mind was always running a million miles a minute. I decided to call for an appointment and met John Murphy, who would become my counselor and friend. My breakthrough came during week 2, when I finally understood about forgiveness and seeking man’s approval for my self-worth and self-esteem. During my 15 weeks I learned how to forgive, reject the lies I told myself and heard from other people. I learned to finally love God more than anything else and he is 100% trustworthy, which brings peace in any situation. I can honestly say my sleep has improved 100%, I no longer have road rage or as I call it “turn into the incredible hulk” when stuck in traffic, I don’t cuss anymore, lose my temper or get offended by other people’s actions. All these examples are my testimony to God’s grace and love for me to change my heart condition and transform my heart and behavior to be more like our savior Jesus Christ. It is a life time process, but one I look forward to as I strive to have more of Christ’s characteristics; forgiveness, truth, oneness, loving God more, love, trust and humility. This is who I want to be more like every day going forward. I know God lead me to Rock House Center since it took me 6 months to finally call and make an appointment. I’ve tried every kind of therapy, self-help workshop and books. Rock House center is the answer to people in need of healing and heart transformation. I am a better person and more at peace in all situations, because of God’s grace for me and his work being done at Rock House Center. I tell everyone I can about my testimony and what God has done in my life and it all started with me calling Rock House Center. If my testimony resonates with you, please, please call RHC.” – Mark C.
“I have patience and empathy for people who used to make me mad.”
“The same event happened at work that used to make me erupt and send employees hiding. But this time, there was no anger. I “looked” for the familiar response, but couldn’t find it. I had to call John to tell him of the evidence of God’s heart change.”
“Everyone knew me as the hot-head. Now, people are complimenting me on how level-headed I am. It’s amazing.”
Depression
“I had tried 3 different types of counseling and I was still severely depressed. My experience of life completely changed when I went through Rock House’s counseling program. Things that used to bother me, no longer affect me in a negative way. All of my relationships and the quality of my life has improved dramatically.
I have struggled with anxiety, depression & shame, seems like forever. I have had 3 debilitating episodes when I was 20, 34 & 50. I was diagnosed with “Major Depressive Disorder” and started taking an antidepressant. I recently started feeling myself spiraling down and unable to overcome the anxiety I was feeling. I started searching online for a Christian counselor and came across Rock House Center. Their approach made a lot of sense to me and I started meeting with my counselor, along with doing the workbook and weekly video at home. I would say my outlook on life is 100% different now. Learning Biblical principles of love, forgiveness and repentance and applying them to my daily life has made a 180 degree change in how I deal with the conflicts of daily life. Having a counselor stand beside you as my Rock House Center counselor did for me with godly wisdom, prayer and love has been life-changing. For the first time in my life I am truly excited for what the future holds for me. Thank you Rock House Center for your heart for broken people!
Sincerely yours,
Barb“When I first came to Rock House Center, I was pretty sad. Now when I start thinking negative thoughts, I am able to recognize God’s Truth in the situation and easily move on. Things don’t bother me like they used to.
I came to Rock House Center for depression, anxiety and a lack of confidence that affected me professionally and personally, especially with other women at work. The first thing I noticed after coming to Rock House Center was I felt generally more peaceful. God was in my thoughts more. I began to realize what my responsibilities were and weren’t and let go of the things that were not. Things became more peaceful at home. I noticed that things that used to make me angry didn’t illicit the same response anymore, particularly in traffic. At work, a coworker called me and was unpleasant and I was able to hang up the phone and move on without revisiting any negative feelings. I began to trust God more with direction on the future and decision making. I am better able to let go of irritations and see the positives in each situation. I find myself praying for people who once would have annoyed me and releasing them to God. When people seem rude, I realize it is about them and what is inside of them and not about me, so it is much easier to not be offended. I was able to lovingly set a boundary with someone dear to me and got a positive response that I was not expecting. I have begun to recognize things that I have assumed and realize they are not grounded in Truth. Therefore, I can reject them and replace them with the Truth. I am much more peaceful.”
“This experience has not only restored my life, it has totally CHANGED my life in so many ways! Every single day I thank God for Rock House Center & for giving me a life SO worth living! When I first entered your office, I despised life even though I had tried every form of counseling available. Now, I see life as a beautiful, most valuable GIFT given to us by God… our Father. I have said many times during my multitude of daily talks with God… thank you! Thank you! Thank you Father!! I tell Him I can never ever thank Him enough! I know He had his gentle, guiding hand in on me. Honestly, I feel like He saved my life! And my counselor at Rock House Center was the vessel He chose to guide me back to my salvation. I discovered a verse in Psalm a while back & it’s one I’ve been reciting over & over….
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, & make me willing to obey You. – Psalm 51:12. I’m claiming this verse as a living example of how faithful God is to us. He has restored such a deep sense of joy in my life & now, I truly WANT to obey Him. I will be forever thankful to Him.”
“I am more alive than I have ever been. And I have never felt anything like this without a man. I feel freer than I have felt in my life. My horrible dreams have ended. I’m telling everyone at work who will listen about Rock House Center counseling, and I have made copies of these forgiveness prayers to hand out to everyone I know.”
“I have had a breakthrough. When I watched the “Love Me More” session, I realized that I was going to food for the things that I should have been going to Jesus about. It was an idol for me. I gave my appetite to God and asked him to help me when it came to what I should eat and how much. I have lost 26 pounds and I am not starving as usual. When I get ready to eat, I ask God to only allow me what it takes to keep my body healthy and then bless it. Also along the way I have been able to forgive what I call the “Era of my Ex.” It is so refreshing not to be in that hole anymore and I refuse to go back to it. I have joined a church, I am going to water aerobics, I am de-cluttering my house and getting rid of anything that I don’t use. I have also asked God that if any of my cats need to be in new homes to send someone to love them. That has been a heart-wrenching process, but I want to be obedient to the Lord. I hope He lets me keep them, because I love them. But I don’t want anything that might get in the way of my walk with God.”
“I don’t think I even realized until after (my time at Rock House Center) how depressed I was or how struggling I was with not feeling peace. Afterwards was when I felt joy again and just so much more peace that I said “Wow, that’s a huge difference!” So, I would say it was pretty dramatic. Peace even in the midst of chaos or change or even hard times; the peace of knowing it’s not all on me and God has it. I would say (getting counseling form Rock House Center) it’s an excellent choice. It will greatly help you and you’ll be amazed at when you go in and when you come out how big of a difference you’ve seen, and you’ll have the tools to be able to continue on with that progress not just during the time you are meeting with them but you’ll have the tools for any situation that comes up, to take it through that lens. What does God say about it? What’s the root cause? Is there someone I need to forgive? There’s just a lot of things where it can apply to anything in your life. I’d say someone who is going to (do one-on-one sessions) or do the study as a group, I feel like they will come out of it with something and they will probably have a pretty drastic change in how they react to things.”
“Rock House Center is not just counseling. It is genuine transformation. I had recently been through a break up, dealt with major issues at home, and was having trouble adjusting to college. While God did love me in those moments, He loved me too much to let me stay that way. Because of Rock House Center, and specifically God’s voice through my counselor, Jason Roy, I can say I am satisfied with my life and am currently pursuing God in a fresh new way. Thank you Jesus for Rock House Center and the life change you have blessed me with through their ministry.”
Prior to finding Rock House Center's program, my life was spiraling out of control on an emotional level. I was without hope and all I saw was a huge mountain in front of me that I had no idea how to get over or around. I was an emotional wreck after infertility challenges had left me destroyed and in a pit of despair. Joining the Rock House Center family, I found a lot of things that I had been longing for and didn't even know existed. I found compassionate people that had intimate relationships with God and were eager to help me re-establish and grow my relationship with our Savior. I found a pathway to forgiveness and a pathway to peace, joy and my loving Heavenly Father. In partnering with the RHC, my counselor gently walked me through the landmines in my life that I was avoiding. Together we scaled the mountain in my life and reached the peak. The view is breathtaking and the journey, wrought with tears, was worth every step. I strongly support the ministry work that John and Beth have launched right here in middle TN. I am thankful for their willingness to follow Christ and to teach other's the way back to a loving relationship with our Creator.
Rebecca J.
“A dark cloud has been lifted.”
“Joy is definitely being restored and the fire is burning.”
“Three psychiatrists told me my depression was caused by an untreatable medical condition. After going to Rock House Center to address the spiritual cause, I have significant relief from 30 plus years of suffering.”
“The change is surreal.”
“I have gone from not really wanting to live to being excited about my life and future.”
“New operating system”
“I only eat when I’m hungry now, not because I’m sad.”
“Deepest change I’ve ever experienced”
“A veil has been removed”
“I just had the most peaceful week in memory.”
“Lifelong burden lifted”
“Given me new life”
“Happiest I have been in a long time and doing the best ever at making good decisions.”
“I am more peaceful now than I ever remember being.”
“I am heading home to visit my dad without any dread. Really happy about where I am with my dad now. Depression has lifted and it is unbelievable how my relationship with Dad is great. I am also drinking a lot less.”
Addictions
“God and I have never been closer. This program has helped me think objectively at a higher level.”
“12 Steps has never worked for me. But since I started the Be Transformed counseling program at Rock House Center, I have gradually lost interest in drinking. Last week being home sick during all the snow and ice, I never thought about drinking. My family can hardly believe this is happening.”
“I have been struggling so long I can’t believe this is real.”
“Life changing”
“I’m grateful for everything my Heavenly Father did for me during my time at Rock House Center and how much better my life is now a year later. Some of the things that changed in me were things I never mentioned to Beth- like smoking cigarettes and drinking diet cokes. I had smoked since high school (40 years) and was drinking 4 large bottles of diet coke a day. I just quit doing both! Lots of other things stopped as my heart quit hurting. I am grateful and want everyone to have the peace I have now.”
“Rewired”
“My desire for binge drinking has been replaced by a peace I have never experienced.”
“Pornography is now a non-issue. I haven’t even thought about it.”
“Game-changer”
“I have genuine serenity for the first time after 35 years of suffering and ineffective treatment programs.”
“Be Transformed” is an exceptional book that met me just where I was in my faith journey. I felt as I was reading it that it had been written just for me! I, like many of the individuals who John had been involved with in counseling, had been through numerous 12 step and other recovery groups over the past several years dealing with compulsivity, life control tendencies and other, “addictive” personality traits and could not understand why I could not get out of the rut. Did I pray enough? Did I read my Bible enough? Did I attend Church enough? The fact that my / our recovery is not based on our own individual efforts and performance but a real Heart transformation is the only hope to break free from the bondage. My wish and prayer for all who read this book, is that their minds / hearts will be opened to His redeeming work and as they become more like Christ, they will experience the true and absolute freedom that only Jesus can give.”
– Amazon Customer
“The book and particularly the workbook are powerful tools to help our men break free of addiction. I have gotten a lot out of both myself.”
– Malcolm Lewis, MD
Addiction Counselor“Revolutionized my life”
“Totally amazing”
“When I was younger, I got the mentality that drinking was a good idea to deal with the issues I had. It caused a lot of problems with family/friends but the selfish me didn’t seem to care. I made a lot of bad decisions when I drank. I’d end up regretting what I did so I’d drink to deal with that. It was a vicious cycle that wouldn’t quit spinning. It went on like that for quite a few years. Luckily, my family pushed me into the hands of some wonderful people at Rock House Center who helped me hop onto the right track with God. I can’t say that I’m perfect and haven’t made mistakes. But I no longer have the urge to use alcohol as a crutch and choose instead to lean myself on God, because there’s nothing and no one who you can rely on for help and love like him.”
Marriage
“When I first came to Rock House Center, I wasn’t very satisfied with my life. I was lacking confidence and had concerns and fears about the quality of my marriage. One of the first things that happened as I began my transformative journey was realizing that Jesus was ever present in my life. As I was praying at home one day, He made it clear to me that I have His abiding presence. I realized more and more that God was and is helping me. As this understanding set in, people’s actions began to bother me less and less. Things that people did that had hurt my feelings in the past, no longer affected me that way. Whenever I encountered something that seemed less than pleasing, I prayed for the people involved and went on with my life unaffected other than feeling good that I could trust God with those concerns. I began to feel more and more guided by God and His wisdom. That is freeing. I have begun to feel much more peace. I was helping pack boxes at church for a missions project and I felt such energy! I have begun consulting God for everything. I am not worried about other’s opinions like I used to be. I felt led to start walking on my treadmill again and for the first time in a long time, I was able to do it without hurting terribly afterward. My relationship with my husband (and everyone!) is falling into place just as it should. I am realizing that I can trust God for the quality and timing of all my relationships.”
“Whew! I am renewed in the spirit. I could shout it from the mountain tops! I have pushed, pulled and God has dragged me but I am free! Now, I can be me! I am talking to all my friends with marriage struggles. They all need the Be Transformed program for marriages.”
“When I first came to Rock House Center, I was done with my marriage. I just came to check the box on marriage counseling before my wife and I could go ahead and get divorced. I spent a lot of time thinking how a divorce would work out with our children and grandchildren. And I showed up for my first session stiff, arms crossed, with no expectation that their counseling would help. All I can tell you is that this counseling program is anointed by God. It worked just like they told me it would. Fairly soon, I was more relaxed and began seeing results in how we were both feeling and acting toward each. We still had problems, but they became less and less frequent. I don’t think about divorce anymore or what the consequences of a divorce would mean to our family. Divorce is off the table. I would never do that. I treasure my wife. Even though I’ve heard lots of Biblical principles before, the way they help people through their process is just anointed, and it works. I thank God for getting us to Rock House Center.”
“I just really think it was what God needed me to do. I think the program is miraculous. The fact that this wasn’t traditional therapy and that it was biblically based, that really appealed to me and it was perfect. I just see so much more clearly and I am able to love so much more. I always felt I was a loving person but it just deepens that for everybody. I feel like there was a miraculous change in me and even at home probably within the first 5 weeks. Some people might have thought “Oh, I’m good” (before completing the program) but I wanted to make sure I got every inch of it and didn’t miss anything so I actually went through the whole 15 weeks and I certainly think it was worth it.”
“My life and marriage have been radically transformed by the Be Transformed counseling process and the workbook and videos. We had been to many marriage counselors and often either argued afterwards or felt more hopeless as time went on, because we had no lasting improvement. My marriage changed because my heart changed. My husband has had some movement, but that is not want changed my life. What has changed my life is from my deepest needs that were in my heart long before I met my husband. I have freedom I never thought possible, and can say that lifelong chains have dropped off me.”
“I have experienced a connection with God from the Be Transformed process that I had only dreamed of. As this has happened, my marriage has changed. Not because my husband has changed. But as I live in the love of God, I see my husband in a new light. And as I act differently toward him, He reacts differently toward me. But even when he doesn’t, I have the freedom and peace of God that does not depend on what my husband does or doesn’t do.”
“I find myself loving my husband the way I did when we first fell in love. It’s amazing!”
“After 15 years of marriage, I was at a loss. I felt neglected and unloved – mentally, emotionally, and physically. I had talked with my husband about my feelings of neglect two years prior and he told me the problem was his, not mine, and he would have to fix it. I told him I was counting on him to do that and he said he would. So, there I was two years later, and nothing had changed. If anything, the situation had gotten worse because no action had been taken to relieve the hurt; therefore, it had grown. I talked with one of my closest friends and asked her if she thought neglect was appropriate grounds for divorce. She said yes, but that I should seek counseling first so that I would feel I had done everything I could to save the marriage.
I began looking for a counselor. I heard about Rock House Center and I decided to give it a try. I spoke with my husband about it and asked him if he would be willing to go as well. He said yes, so I gave him the number.
It’s hard to explain the miraculous healing I received. I soon realized that I couldn’t control my husband (or anyone else). All I could control was my response. When I began to see things through God’s eyes rather than my own, my feelings changed. I began to see that my feelings of neglect were a result of his heart wounds and not anything that I had done. As my heart transformed, my responses to adversity changed and so did my marriage. To date, my husband has not gone to counseling and I am disappointed, but only because I see how much better he would feel about himself if he would go. My love and understanding toward him has been restored and as a result of my change, he has changed toward me. When I first started the program at Rock House Center, I wasn’t sure that I could ever sincerely be passionate toward my husband again, but I was shocked when I spontaneously hugged him. It was genuine and not forced. We are closer and I feel happy in my marriage again.
I would recommend Rock House Center to anyone seeking answers and healing!”
“My wife is my best friend for the first time, after 43 years of marriage.”
“Very grateful”
“My relationship with my wife has improved because I hear her side of problems better now.”
“Awesome”
“I have been a believer in Christ since I was eight years old. I never doubted his presence in my life and I have always tried to do what I thought he would want. That’s why I was so confused and hurt when I began to feel that my husband and I were on completely different pages – both in our marriage and in our parenting. I believe that God hand-picked my husband and delivered him to me at just the right time, so I was at a loss after 20 years of marriage when I felt things were going off track. I tried everything I knew to do to “fix” our communication issues, but nothing was getting better. One day I was driving in my car and praying (and crying) about everything. I decided to turn on my radio to a Christian station (which is something I don’t do regularly) to see if the lyrics would comfort me. Instead of a song, an advertisement for Rock House Center came on. It seemed like an answer. When I got home, I looked Rock House up on my computer. I liked the fact that it was a non-traditional type of counseling. I am a trained psychologist and I was afraid if I went the traditional route, I would be judging the process by my own practices. So, I called and made an appointment with Beth. After just two sessions I got immediate relief. I wanted to obtain every nugget of information that I could, so I completed the entire program. The peace I have found is something I never want to let go of. I wish everyone had it! One of the most amazing things is that once your heart is transformed, you don’t want to keep it for yourself. You want everyone to experience it and as a result, your transformation continues to grow. Amazing!”
– Harper B.
“I no longer want to leave my wife and now understand she is not against me.”
Inner Healing
“As a psychiatric nurse practitioner I can say that the biblical counseling at Rock House Center is very different from psychology or psychiatry. The counseling at Rock House Center brought the deepest healing I have ever received.” – Angie
“Can’t believe the peace I have now”
“I looked forward to my time with Beth for the entire experience was a Blessed one -everyone’s experience is different and every problem is different -what I experienced was a growth of my heart from a total blackness from hurt and past life to a full bright heart so full of love for Christ our Father-with prayer, conversation, answering questions, and the presence of The Holy Spirit I grew more steadfast and abundantly in His love for me-I stopped smoking and other crutches, and say the Forgiveness Prayer every day-I plan on going to see Beth again for a refresher for sometimes in all of our lives we lose our Peace that God wants us to have and being human we need to gain back that Peace that is the insurmountable work of The Holy Spirit-I have been Transformed and am always going back to the study book that helped me to be transformed. Thanks for all these Blessings through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
– Beth R.
“No longer feel the need to apologize or explain everything I do to others.”
“I had never considered counseling because I didn’t believe it would help me. Rock House Center showed me how to engage my faith in a way that really changed my life. I have a new freedom and peace like never before.”
– Dennis
“When I was looking for a life coach to help me through some anxiety and stress I was having, my friend recommended Rock House Center. I absolutely loved Beth, our weekly meetings, and the format of the workbook. After the first week, I noticed changes. I had more peace! I have been a Christian for many years, but their work is the part of the message that I was missing the most. After a few meetings, I feel I am on the path I need to be. I am also glad to know that Beth is available if I need her. If you are a Christian who is struggling in your faith or new to Christianity, Rock House Center is a great place to start. I have been recommending them to all of my friends and family.”
– Jackie H.
“I locked my keys in the car and for the first time, didn’t beat myself up.”
Trauma
“Returned to the peace I had before the traumas in my 20’s”
“No longer reliving the anxiety of past trauma”
“Peace I haven’t had since I was a child”
“Deepest healing I have ever experienced”
“Returned to the inner peace I had before my life trauma”
Grief from Trauma
“Only God could do this for me.”
“The time I spent with Beth Murphy as my counselor at Rock House Center was nothing short of life changing. In the summer of 2007 I was in a horrible accident leaving me in a wheelchair permanently. I had just recently married the love of my life after waiting 41 years to find him. The grieving was deep and difficult. I went to several traditional counselors before a friend told me about Rock House Center. This was different- very different- from anything I had encountered. I was looking for something, I did not know what, but knew I needed something different. Every week I learned something new about myself, whether through my time spent working through the workbook at home or the time I spent counseling with Beth. Those life changing moments usually came through a combination of both and revealed themselves during our prayer time at the end of the session. These moments were often subtle. A moment of clarity that had not been there before. The Holy Spirit tapping gently on my shoulder revealing a breakthrough that would later add up to a life change. At first, I began seeing Beth to deal with my grief, but in the end I sorted through many other things that happened long before my accident. And that made all the difference when it came to my life. Everything is better: my grief, my marriage and most of all my relationship with Jesus. I am forever grateful to John and Beth Murphy for stepping out in faith and starting Rock House Center.”
– Carmen Thompson
Grief from Loss of a Loved One
When I came to Rock House Center, it was nearing the 10th anniversary of my spouse’s death. My depression from the loss was extreme and getting worse, and I did not have hope that my life would improve. Over the next several months, the depression left, the anxiety lifted, and I began sleeping through the night. For the first time in a decade, I found myself enjoying life again. My employees and child saw the difference. When my deceased spouse’s birthday came around, I had no anguish, no pain, and did not feel compelled to visit the grave to mourn. I had the first relief from that in 10 long years. It has been two years now since my counseling at Rock House Center. My life is completely different. I am happily remarried, and my life of transformation with God continues.”
– Rock House Center client
Eating Disorders
“When I came to Rock House Center I had been free of eating disorder behaviors for three years. However, I had struggled with the illness since age 17 and had relapsed several times before. I wasn’t confident that I had conquered the disorder completely. I had stopped the behaviors, but still hadn’t completely dealt with the underlying issues that were causing the behavior. When I came to Rock House I confronted the anger, depression, hopelessness, guilt and shame that tormented me for 25 years. Once I asked God to heal my heart, I started to feel a freedom that I had never experienced before. Today I can say with confidence and joy that I am healed from a lifelong eating disorder.”
“When I came to Rock House Center, I did not believe they could do anything that would help me with my eating disorder, but felt I had to try this last possible solution. Nothing else had worked. This struggle started in middle school, and now in my forties, it has seemed hopeless after trying everything I’ve known to do. I’m not finished with the program, but I’m already at a very different place. My behaviors are going away, but not because I’m trying. My desires have actually changed: I am not interested in binge eating at times when I would have defaulted to food instantly in a panic. I am also able to decide to eat some reasonable amount and put the rest away. This is not a struggle, I just think differently. That’s what they said had happened to others, but it seemed unattainable for me. I do still have to resist an urge on occasion, but most of the things that trigger me just don’t have the same effect on me. It’s hard to imagine that this can happen without talking about my eating behaviors, but we have focused on the deep things in my heart that were all there before I had the eating problems. Turns out, it’s all about my relationship with God.”
“I had been to treatment for my eating disorder, but had relapsed with food and had suicidal thoughts just before I started at Rock House Center. I had two binges during the first weeks of my 4 months in their program, and none since then. This compares to several times a week before I began counseling at Rock House Center. All my hidden sins that caused me a lot of shame have ended, although that’s not what we talked about. I have also come off anti-depressants during this time, and I am more peaceful than I have ever been in my life. I have no urge to numb myself- I’m not giddy, just peaceful. I know now that God can handle my life and I have total trust in Him. The best way to describe it is that it feels like I’m floating in the ocean. Instead of wanting to read the Bible but being discouraged about never doing it, I can’t wait to listen to the Bible while I’m in the car or read it when I get home and talk to God. A huge change for me is that I deal with my feelings with God, rather than try to escape my feelings without Him. I used to binge to deal with bad feelings and with good feelings. I couldn’t handle either end of the spectrum. Recently when my job was threatened and it felt anxious, I did not think about bingeing. And when I had some really hopeful feelings about a relationship recently, it didn’t occur to me to binge then either. Letting God into every area of my life has made me realize that I now love my body because God created me, not because of someone else approving of how I look. Even my dreams are confirming that I have a close oneness with God. He has taken my cold, hard heart in His hand and warmed it. And my life has changed.”
“When I came Rock House I was…stuck. After working at recovery for several years I had come a long way. I no longer had a desire to drink or do drugs, my body image had improved drastically, but I was still struggling with anxiety and depression and engaging in some unhealthy behaviors with food. I had worked the twelve steps in AA and had acquired a great deal more peace but I still felt I was not living the life of freedom that Christ promises. During my fifteen week program with Rock House (which I did over a five month period) some pretty drastic changes took place. I went completely off my medication because I was no longer experiencing high or even moderate levels of anxiety and depression. My eating disorder behaviors drastically reduced to almost nothing and I continued to have no desire to drink or do drugs. Near the end of the program I had an unpleasant interaction with my mom. In the past, it would have really shook me up and set me back in recovery. However, this time I noticed that, although I did experience some depression, I snapped back to normal after just a few days. This could have taken weeks or even months to get over beforehand. One thing I want to stress is that Rock House is not a quick fix program. It is about heart transformation. God used Rock House to transform me from the inside out. The behavior changes I mentioned happened because my heart has changed. I am so much more firmly grounded in Jesus Christ. I know, deep down in my core, that my identity is in Him. I knew this before Rock House, but it hadn’t sunk so deep into my heart before. I am confident that, although I will face trials and ups and downs, God will continue the transforming work that was begun when I committed fifteen weeks to turning every aspect of my life completely over to him.”
– Annie
“Although I had been to a treatment program for my eating disorder and was abstinent, I realized from my counseling with Beth that I had never dealt with the reasons why I suffered in the first place. And I also saw that without the Lord’s changes in my heart, I could have gone back to those old habits. But I’m onto a new way of thinking and living now, and I rejoice in the new “me” who doesn’t think that way anymore.”
– Rock House Center client
“I’m in my 60’s now, and the bulimia started in my teen years. It didn’t seem possible that I could get free, but I had faith that God does miracles and trusted that the counseling at Rock House Center would lead me to God’s truth. He has changed me so much that even through terribly threatening circumstances in my family life, I was able to first resist and decide not to purge because it would separate me from God. Then eventually I lost interest and find that I no longer binge or purge. Not trying. I just don’t do it. That’s a miracle.”
– Rock House Center Client
Obsessive-Compulsive
“Your counseling is amazing. It just changes everything.”
Teenagers’ Testimonies
“I can’t believe the change in my life in such a short time”
“Surreal”
“Can’t wait for the next session”
“I am now able to focus in school, I’m getting along with my parents better, I have less anxiety in social settings, and I’m not eating junk food all the time.”
“Things are going really well with my parents since I started this.”
“Now I really ‘get’ Christianity.”
“I feel so peaceful- I am on a whole new grid.”
“I rarely ever get angry anymore.”
“I oddly don’t resent doing my part at home.”
“My step-mom and I have never gotten along this well.”
“I really want my friends to go through this (program).”
Parenting
“Our teenager has returned to the son we used to know. We laugh again.”
“So excited that my child is getting this teaching”
“When I came for help, I was feeling depressed and desperate about me and my relationship with my daughter. Now, I am feeling great about life and it is simply amazing how much better I am doing in parenting my child. I have never heard anywhere what you have taught me about how to parent, and it is amazing how powerful it is. I really want to help you get the word out about Rock House Center.”
“Really appreciate that you take on the real life issues facing my son”
“He is so peaceful.”
“My daughter just wanted to hang out with me, her mom, instead of her friends today!”
“She is in such a better place.”
“God’s intervention in my son’s life through this program has lifted my greatest burden.”
“I’ve got to believe every parent would want their child to experience this.”
“I would recommend this program to anyone.”
Leadership
“Profound improvement in my leadership effectiveness.”
“Totally changed my ability to negotiate and to manage employees.”
“I enjoy my job now and I’m more effective as a leader.”
“My employees appreciate the change in me.”
Spiritual Growth and Discipleship
“After receiving counseling at Rock House Center, I realize that I have to obey and trust God to successfully be who I want to be.”
“I am so grateful for what God did through my time at Rock House. God used the experience to draw me closer to Him, give me hope and peace, and start a transformation process that continues today. Before going, I believed so many lies about God, others, and about my value and worth. Even though I had been a Christian my whole life, I didn’t see or experience the abundant life promised in the Bible. I had a lifetime of anger, unforgiveness, and resentment built- up, cloaked safely under my “nice girl” image. I had little hope anything would ever change, partly because of the lies I believed, and partly because I felt I had tried everything – including all the Christian answers. I had been to many counselors and read every secular and Christian self-help book I could find. I thought if I could somehow just read my Bible enough, believe enough, or do or BE good enough, than life would work. Deep down, I thought God hated me and that He couldn’t be trusted. I didn’t even realize I believed those things, but it effected virtually every aspect of my life. I couldn’t sleep well, had horrible anxiety, and was on and off medication for depression. I experienced constant fear in my relationships with others including my own family. It’s actually hard to believe now, how dramatically different my life was before going. I honestly never would have imagined God could make such a visible, and life-changing difference in the quality of my life. The transformation occurred slowly over my time there, and continues to occur every day since, but when reflecting on it, it is quite astonishing and dramatic.
What God showed me through my counselor and my time at Rock House, is that He loves me and wants me to have His peace. He showed me I can trust and rest in Him, and turn to Him to meet all my needs for value, worth, joy, security, and companionship. He showed me when I am believing the truth, and trusting Him, I have peace, and no matter what happens in life, He is able to carry me through it. He has given me assurance of His love and is helping me love others more fully, instead of relating to them out of fear. Before going to Rock House, I honestly would hear stories of how God had helped others and changed their lives, but I really didn’t believe He could or would do that for me. I am in tears as I think about that, and so grateful God didn’t leave me there, and eternally grateful for the faithful work of the Rock House founders and counselors. I now have hope, where there was once darkness and fear. Now when I lose my peace, I don’t want to stay there. Fear and anxiety used to be the norm, and now when I experience them, I am so uncomfortable I want to seek God instead of wallowing in my own answers and control. This seeking of Him is helping me develop a closer relationship with Him, and is helping me discover different aspects of His personality that I never knew before. Recently, I was able to experience Him as “Comforter”, and it healed something in me deep down.
If you have any doubts about going to Rock House, I can completely understand and relate, because I had many doubts too. But know God can and will use your time there, and what you can have and experience on the other side is something more than you can probably even hope for yourself. This transformation will not only effect you personally, but also your family, friends, and others in your life.”
— Jennifer
“As I was going through the (group) study, I loved it. I then wanted to do some one-on-ones. The material was just so life giving and there was so much freedom in it. Talking to my counselor gave me such peace and hope and renewed my faith, she just really helped with that piece of it. It was fantastic. I was nervous because I’d never been to a counselor before. I just don’t have any huge things in my life where I’ve felt like I’ve needed to go, so I didn’t know what it was going to be like. It’s non-judgmental, it’s loving, it’s just easy it was like having a conversation with a friend. It was very transforming to be in there and have her pray like that for me, and to feel the freedom of letting that go was phenomenal. It was joyful, actually. I would encourage people to come. What do they have to lose? I mean just come check it out. Do you want your life to be transformed? Their teaching is solid, it’s biblical, it’s fantastic. I would recommend it to all my friends, and I have actually!”
“I had a very close friend, I consider him a mentor, asked me a question. He asked, ‘About what percentage of the time do you have peace in your heart and mind on a daily basis?’ I couldn’t answer any more than 30%. That was my life at the time. About 1/3 of the time I had peace and the rest of the time I was struggling, internally. Everything looked good on the outside, but internally I was struggling. As a result of the 15 weeks, as a result of walking this journey through the workbook, when people ask me that question now, I now can say I have peace about 95% of the time. Tough things still come up, absolutely. Struggles still happen. But even in the middle of those storms and those trials, there’s a peace that just was never there before. So that’s evidence that my heart truly has changed. I knew that everything that was happening was supposed to happen. I knew that the way I was reacting was honoring to God and loving to my wife and my children, and I knew that was different, that I was different than I ever had been before because I didn’t react the way I normally would. Even in the moment I noticed it and was like ‘Wow, that’s different. I like that way better.’ When I first sat down with the counselors at Rock House, I was skeptical because I have been to church counselors. I’ve been to the secular counselors. I was a secular counselor at one time. What they are doing (at Rock House Center) and how they are leading people is different than anything else I’ve ever experienced. Whether it was studying psychology in college, whether it was being a counselor myself, the counseling I’ve been through in my life already, there is nothing else like it. It’s nice to know that there are people who have your back, who love you, who are praying for you in a world where it is so easy to get isolated and it’s so easy to think you have to do everything yourself. It’s just not true, and that’s why Rock House is here.”
“God has changed me in unexpected ways.”
“Breakthrough understanding”
“Your program revolutionized my life and my preaching.”
“Paradigm shift”
“Every pastor needs this for themselves and their church.”
“My new life focus”
“Despite the conditions of my marriage and the pressures of work, I am very peaceful because of the counseling program. I am very grateful that I was able to go through it.”
“Profound”
“Masterfully integrated biblical principles”
“Be Transformed – New Life Awaits” gets to the heart of what is most missing in church and what most contributes to powerless Christianity. Most of us have heard about having a “new heart,” but how many seem to actually have one? “Be Transformed – The Workbook Edition” carries the faithful follower along a path and process that can lead to lasting change and a new heart. Our mission is growing male leaders whose hearts are like the heart of Christ. The “Be Transformed” message belongs at the core of all discipleship resources. If we miss the heart — and the price that must be paid to get a new one — we will miss most of the power and blessing of contagious faith. We desire to build leaders who are effective and spiritually contagious. “Be Transformed” is a core resource for Christians who desire all that the Bible and our Lord promise.”
– Larry Malone Director
United Methodist Men’s Ministries
General Commission on United Methodist Men“John’s personal testimony along with his biblical insight is refreshing. If you are ready to go to another spiritual level of maturity, this book is a must. John points you to God’s Word concerning the issues that we all have, some admitted and others hidden. The insight you will read promises to change your ministry to others at the same time enjoying true freedom in our Lord Jesus. Thank you John!”
– Tom T
“I see God’s love for me in a totally new way.”
Prison Ministry
“An excellent resource for discipleship, addiction and recovery groups as well as for spiritual growth and inner healing”
– Billy Graham Center
The Institute for Prison Ministries“You have done an excellent job of explaining the problem and providing the solution. It is like nothing I have ever seen in my 25-plus years in prison management. I am very hopeful that your approach will positively impact recidivism in this country.”
– Gil Walker, Founder
GRW Prison Management“Your message and Biblically based content are incredible. The “Be Transformed” message is the answer for how to achieve sustained life change in the incarcerated men we serve through the Malachi Dads program. Your workbook has been highly effective in guiding our men to the heart/root cause of their struggle. Your materials will be used in all of our curriculum going forward.”
– Lyndon Azcuna, ED
Cross Cultural Ministry
Malachi Dads, AWANA“Life changing!” – Maximum-security prisoner, Angola, LA
“All I have ever heard is that my situation is because of my attitude and my behavior. Now I understand that it is about my heart.”
– Maximum-security prisoner, Angola, LA
“When I read your book I knew it was the answer for what our women struggle against as well as some of my own personal challenges. I have reviewed the workbook and believe it will be a very important tool in our work. I look forward to using it in our ministry when it is released.”
– Reba Harris, Executive Director
Gilead House - incarcerated women Kokomo, Indiana
“Be Transformed” (Book)
“Be Transformed” is a very important book. I pray that it will be translated into every known language to encourage every soul.”
– Bill Packard
Christian Radio Magazine“A must-read for every Christian”
– Herman Bailey
Herman and Sharron Show, CTN TV“Thank you for these great words of wisdom.”
– Moira Brown, Co-Host
100 Huntley Street, Canadian TV“Really appreciate that you take on the real life issues facing my son”
“I found the book personally challenging. I plan to take the next “incremental” steps to “jumpstart” a transformation following the action plan John has suggested. He has also provided a practical pattern of prayers for commitment, guidance, forgiveness, repentance, humility, and love for God. The supporting scriptural references at the end of the chapters become a helpful study tool and provide opportunity for further personal review and the potential for study questions for group discussion.This work will be of immense value to any Christian… also an incredible guide for anyone serving others through a counseling or pastoral ministry.”
– Richard R. Blake,
Reader Review Co-Founder
Christian Education Resources San Leandro, CA“Be Transformed” is for one who desires a new life. Murphy serves up whole grains of truth to nourish the body and soul on the journey to freedom.”
– Rev. Richard Borgman
ChristianBookPreviews.com
“Be Transformed” (Workbook)
“My friend is on fire, and she is spreading the excitement to others! She has done so much hard work for years, but she needed the Be Transformed workbook to connect all the dots. And it is. She looks 15 years younger since she began reading and doing the workbook. This is HUGE. Really HUGE.”
“Be Transformed New Life Awaits” workbook is excellent, don’t change a thing. Your workbook is very effective in building a Biblical foundation for sustained life change from any emotional struggle.”
– Nancy Roberts
Marriage and Family Therapist of 35+ years“Your message is critically important to the Church, and working with you has turned my heart back toward Christ. Thank you.”
– Pastor Emeritus
500-member Church
John’s Speaking Testimonies
“John led a study of “Be Transformed” for a group of men at my daughter’s school. Simply put, his presentation of the book was arresting.”
– Sr. Editor Thomas Nelson
“Your content is incredible!”
– Ministry Director,
Malachi Dad’s“Immense value…”
– Robert Blake
Reader Views“John brought a message of hope about the power of changing our hearts that can be done. I find his book to be the cutting edge where real change takes place in a person’s heart.”
– Rev. Dale Still; Counselor
Men of Valor prison ministry“Biblical ….. Powerful …. and Life-Changing for me!”
– Pastor
500-member church“John spoke to our church men’s weekend retreat that included about 250 men of all ages. His story, spiritual insight and engaging delivery had us all laughing and many crying. Many men were impacted and blessed that day by his words and his heart. He received a deserved a protracted standing ovation. Of the five sessions in the program, his was the only presentation that moved these men to their feet.”
– Carl Storey, Business Owner
Nashville, TN“I listened to your presentation and followed along with your forgiveness prayer in my heart. A sense of heaviness lifted off of me and it has completely changed how I relate to that person and significantly improved the quality of my life. God’s doing something exciting in me!”
– G. T., Business woman
Nashville, TN“Your teaching has changed me and this Church!”
– Pastor Mark Daniel
St. Paul Community Church“Not many people can hold my attention when speaking but I didn’t want him to stop! He blessed my socks off”
– Lestine N. Bell
“This brought tears to my eyes the whole time he spoke.”
– Seminar Attendee
“Tremendous new dimension to my Christian walk! We could have listened to you all day.”
– M. Keller
Ministry Leader
Christian Family Church“If all your presentations are as powerful as this one, I know that yours is a very effective ministry.”
– K. Swift, Seminar Attendee
“Powerful! The Holy Spirit is behind “Be Transformed”. All too often, the followers of Christ have settled for belief without transformation. This book will open the doors for the profound transformation God has in mind for us all!”
– G. Gustoffson, Author
The Adventure of Worship“The message of “Be Transformed” is the message needed in all the churches of Kenya. The West only sends us evangelists- but we do not need evangelists. I have evangelists…700 of them here in this room. We need to know how to live this Christian life after salvation. And that is the message of “Be Transformed.” John and Beth Murphy, you are always welcome in Kenya.”
– General Secretary, Council of 1000 Churches in Kenya Endorsing John Murphy to the Harvest International Pastors Conference for East and Central Africa in Nairobi, Kenya; August 2010