About the Founder of Three Oaks
James Barnes, the author of the Christ-Centered Change Program & founder of Three Oaks Life Transformation Center, knows all about the need for second chances. James grew up in a Christian home & ran from God at the age of 17 after being deeply wounded by Christian leaders at a bible college. He quit & spent the next 7 years perfecting the art of drinking, fighting, & sexual promiscuity; attempting to run from God and numb the hurt & pain of the rejection he’d experienced.
Exhausted, confused, & morally bankrupt; James began to spiral out of control after filing for his second divorce at the age of 25 and hit “ROCK BOTTOM” in 1999 with a string of alcohol related arrests and a Grand Theft Charge for embezzling over $12,000. Fearing for his life as a former Corrections Officer and Military Policeman, James found himself on his bedroom floor with a loaded handgun in his mouth contemplating suicide. “What happened next is hard to explain”, James recounts, “but God just got a hold of my heart of stone & the next thing I new I was face down CRYING out to God for a second chance. I was so ashamed of who I’d become I couldn’t even look myself in the mirror & I doubted God even wanted me back, but I promised to dedicate the rest of my life to telling others about God’s love if he was willing to wipe the slate clean.”
James was hand-cuffed & sent to prison on March 13th, 2000 in what he describes as, “the most humiliating day of my entire life.” He spent 9 months incarcerated and God provided a miracle as no one he’d previously supervised ever recognized him. James says he’s always prayed, “God help me make the maximum impact I can for your kingdom and your glory.” Answering that prayer over the years, God’s given James the following amazing opportunities to serve Him: He graduated a two-year school preparing him for ministry in 2005, has helped plant a church, worked with youth in various settings, helped lead two Missions trips to Mexico & Las Vegas, and most humbling, has publicly shared his personal journey of faith he calls, “Discovering God’s Grace” well over 50 times resulting in countless decisions for others to follow Christ!!!
In 2005 James started working with hurting students suffering from addictions, divorce, abuse, & bad choices using the LHGH Curriculum after receiving training from Saddleback Church. “I was hooked”, James recounts, “and my heart just broke for these students that never had the chances I had and were suffering needlessly. I knew God had been preparing me for many years to do something about it.” Specifically designed as an after-care follow up program to LHGH, James started working on a faith-based alternative to CSC (Cognitive Self-Change), he calls Christ-Centered Change and has been teaching it for two years with amazing results. Three Oaks Life Transformation Center is the “next step” of obedience in fulfilling God’s call on James’ life to “preach good news to the poor & bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted”. (Is. 61:1-3)
Contact Information
James Barnes
Founder & Executive Director
208.880.3788
www.3oakstransformation.org
james@3oakstransformation.org
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