A Pharisee Set Free

Charis Bible College graduate and business owner, Sandy Harmon. The Lord has prospered Sandy as she has followed His lead. (Click to enlarge)Sandy Harmon was navigating her way through the ravages of divorce when she was first introduced to Andrew's teaching. In the summer of 2001, Sandy's counselor, a Christian woman who had been helping her through her marital situation, asked if she could give Sandy some audio tapes that would further explain some of the topics the two had been discussing. The teaching Sandy's confidante gave her was Andrew's Spirit, Soul and Body, and her reception of this teaching brought the beginning of a huge change in Sandy's life.

Nearly a decade after Sandy had received the free gift of salvation, and after she had served her church as a deaconess and a Bible study leader, she began to realize that she had not established a true relationship with Jesus. In her own words she was a Pharisee.

When Sandy listened to Andrew's teaching, You've Already Got It, she was set free. She had been teaching Bible lessons and acting like a Christian, but she really didn't understand the truth of the Word. This message completely changed Sandy's approach to the Word and her relationship with God. Sandy Harmon's three children enjoying the favor of God and their first winter in Colorado Springs. (Click to enlarge)"I was always dragging my knuckles behind me into my time with the Lord and feeling like such a failure. I was always asking God to give me more love, more patience, more kindness; I did not know that I already had it inside me. I cannot tell you how much that changed me. Understanding that, I began to walk a little taller and with a peace (instead of striving) that I had never known," said Sandy.

As Sandy continued to listen to Andrew's teaching, she began to have a desire to attend Charis Bible College (CBC). Although she imagined attending CBC in the distant future, it became clear to her, as she gained deeper revelation of God's love for her, that the Lord was leading her to go to CBC much sooner than she envisioned. In early spring of 2002, Sandy contacted CBC and asked for information about the school. She then attended one of Andrew's camp meetings and that helped finalize her decision; Andrew and Sandy Harmon standing in what would become the headquarters for AWM and CBC Colorado. It was from this visit to the new building that Sandy returned to the Robinson location to overhear the phone conversation that led to her first job in Colorado Springs. (Click to enlarge)she moved her family to Colorado one month later.

Sandy and her three small children, twin five-year-old daughters and a two-and-a-half-year-old son, left the east coast and drove to Colorado Springs. No job, no contacts, no place to live—just a mom, her kids and a faithful knowing that she was to attend CBC. As Sandy stepped out, the Lord met her family's needs.

After getting situated in Colorado Springs, Sandy spent the next two years attending CBC; saturating herself in the Word of God and being equipped for a life of ministry in the marketplace. Her mornings were spent in classes and her afternoons were filled with business opportunities—all of which came supernaturally.

For example, Sandy walked in on a phone conversation the CBC receptionist was having with a local business owner; Sandy and her Discipleship Evangelism class, which was led by program co-author, Don Krow (center, red shirt). (Click to enlarge)the conversation was about Sandy. Sandy had previously called the business owner about a job opening, but was so quickly dismissed because of her limited availability, that she didn't even have a chance to leave her name. Somehow the business owner had tracked Sandy down to invite her to apply for the job. When Sandy arrived to apply, she noticed the owner wasn't feeling well and asked if she could pray for her. The owner allowed Sandy to pray. The woman was instantly healed and exclaimed, "You're hired!" Sandy went on to enjoy extraordinary favor within the company during her days as a CBC student, and she was able to minister to the company's staff on a regular basis.

Andrew and Sandy at her CBC graduation. (Click to enlarge)Sandy continued to work with the company after graduating from CBC until the Lord began to turn her attention to Real Estate. This surprised Sandy because although she had been successful in the field before moving to Colorado, she had been open with the Lord about not wanting to be involved with it again. "I was very much against it since Real Estate is a very performance driven industry and I was now living by grace. Grace and performance are polar opposites," said Sandy.

Sandy yielded to the stirring and gave her notice at work. Six months later, after hearing in her spirit "Call brokers," she began to call local Real Estate brokers and ask them if they needed help with their businesses. As she offered her expertise, not as an agent, but as a consultant, the Lord consistently brought her new experiences and a wide array of job opportunities—not all in Real Estate. Over the next several years Sandy held four different jobs, and much like Joseph's story in the book of Genesis, God's favor was evident in each position. She would work for a season, and then Sandy would be laid off. Though troubled by the disturbing trend of being let go, Sandy began to see that each new job had prepared her for the next—each was a promotion. Sandy and her children after graduation. (Click to enlarge)She could see that her work across the years since graduating from CBC had prospered her employers and her family, and each position had provided an opportunity to minister to her employers and clients.

After being released from a job in 2009, Sandy reflected on her experiences, and it became evident that the Lord had gifted her in the areas of business development, organization and administration. Sandy sought the Lord for her next step. Again she heard the words, "Call brokers"—something from which she had drifted, clinging instead to the security of a steady paycheck and benefits. Sandy heard the Lord say, “If it’s not by my grace, than it does not belong to you.” Again Sandy yielded and opened her own company. "By this point I knew that the Lord had gifted me to help people—specifically Realtors. The name of my company is Helping You Succeed and that is what I do. Sandy enjoying a moment outside last fall. (Click to enlarge)I assess a broker's business and spiritual needs, and then God uses me to be a blessing to them and to minister to them in their marketplace."

Looking back Sandy shared, "The Lord was so good in how He provided for me and my three when we got to Colorado." Through Andrew's teaching and her subsequent revelation of God's love for her, Sandy had developed a true relationship with the Lord. Through that relationship with Jesus and her dependence upon the Holy Spirit, He has guided her every step into His promises of prosperity and abundance.