Celebrate Recovery

BIBLICAL COMPARISONS WITH THE TRADITIONAL 12 STEPS

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable.
   “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Romans 7:18)
2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13)
3. We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1)
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:40)
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10)
7. We humbly asked him to remove all our shortcomings. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)
9. We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24)
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12)
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and power to carry that out. “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.” (Colossians 3:16)
12. Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)

TESTIMONIES FROM CELEBRATE RECOVERY PARTICIPANTS:

It’s not a parenting class… but it made me a better parent.

It’s not marriage counseling… but it has made me a better spouse.

It’s not a Bible Study… but I am in the word more than ever.

It’s not a prayer education class… but I am talking to the Father every day.

It’s not a spiritual gifts class… but I am using them more than ever.

It’s not a communication class… but it has made me a better listener.

It’s not a boundaries education class… but I now set healthy boundaries.

It’s not a leadership class… but it made me a better leader.

FROM ADDICTION TO FREEDOM

“My habit was addiction to pornography. During Step Study, I found someone I could trust to listen to all my junk, and when I shared, there was no judgment, only acceptance and freedom from my secrets that had made me so sick in the past.”

FROM FEAR TO FAITH

“My hang-up is codependency. Through Step Study, my circumstances did not change, but I changed. Somewhere along the way, God replaced my fear with faith. He returned joy to my life.”

FROM CONTROL TO CALM

“My hang-up is control; my habit was alcohol. Step Study helped me break free and trust Christ. I stepped out of my own uncomfortable boat into the deep waters with Jesus. He brought calm to me amidst the rough waters of my life.”

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

“My hurt is childhood rape. Step Study brought that painful secret from my childhood out of the dark and into the light of Christ’s love and healing. Once I allowed the light of Christ into that dark place, His light began to spread, and He is healing and filling all of me.” (see Ephesians 5: 8 – 14)

LIFE CHANGING FORGIVENESS

“My hang-up is codependency. I learned in Step Study to evaluate my relationships, offer forgiveness to those who had hurt me and offer amends to those I had harmed … this lead to freedom and life change.”

GOD’S WORD IS CHANGING ME

“My habit is food addiction; my hurt is physical illness. Step Study drove God’s Word into my heart like nothing I’ve ever done. I’ve taken Bible Studies for 40 years and thought I knew scripture. But in Step Study, the Holy Spirit brought scripture alive in me, and I began to let God’s Word change me.”

DISCIPLINE AND SELF-DISCOVERY

“My hang-up is codependency. Step Study provided me with the discipline and accountability I needed to complete the steps, starting a process of self-discovery.”

RECOVERY PRINCIPLES BASED ON THE BEATITUDES

Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.
“Happy are those who know that they are spiritually poor.” (Matthew 5:3)

Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him and that he has the power to help me recover.
“Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.
“Happy are the meek.” (Matthew 5:5)

Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust.
“Happy are the pure in heart.” (Matthew 5:8)

Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life and humbly ask him to remove my character defects.
“Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.” (Matthew 5:6)

Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others when possible, except when to do so would harm them or others. “Happy are the merciful.” (Matthew 5:7)

Reserve a time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.

Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and my words.
“Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.” (Matthew 5:10)

You may be thinking that recovery is only for those with alcohol or drug problems. This could not be further from the truth. Celebrate Recovery mentions “recovery from life’s hurts, hang-ups and habits.” But what does this mean? A hurt, habit or hang-up is something in you or your life that hinders your walk with God and others. THESE LIFE PROBLEMS CAN BE STUMBLING BLOCKS OR STEPPING STONES!

If you suffer from one or more of the effects defined in the following, Celebrate Recovery can offer a solution of healing for you.

Hurt: to experience physical pain caused by yourself or another; to feel emotional pain; undergo or experience difficulties or setbacks. The feeling of being hurt is an emotional reaction to another person’s behavior or to a disturbing situation -(e.g., abuse, abandonment, codependency, divorce, relationship issues, etc.)

Habit: regular repeated behavior pattern. An action or pattern of behavior that is repeated so often that it becomes typical of somebody, although he or she may be unaware of it. Addiction, such as an addiction to a drug, food or some other stimuli that deadens ones feelings. A habit is an addiction to someone or something (e.g., alcohol dependency, drugs, food, gambling, sex, shopping, smoking, etc.).

Hang-Up: a psychological or emotional problem or fixation about something. An issue that causes persistent impediment or source of delay. Hang-ups are negative mental attitudes that are used to cope with people or adversity (e.g., anger, depression, fear, unforgiveness, etc.)

Healing and growth are possible by applying the principles of Celebrate Recovery to your life!

Partial list of hurts, hang-ups, and habits:

• Abandonment
• Abuse – Physical, Sexual,
• Emotional
• Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families
• Adultery
• Alcohol Dependency
• Anger
• Anxiety
• Chemical Dependency
• Codependency
• Controlling Personality
• Depression
• Divorce
• Drug Dependency
• Eating Disorders
• Fear
• Food Addictions
• Gambling
• Grief
• Guilt
• Same-sex Attraction
• Insecurity
• Loss of Relationship
• Nicotine Dependency
• Obsessive-Compulsive
• Behavior
• Overspending
• People-Pleasing
• Perfectionism
• Pornography
• Rage
• Rejection
• Relationship Addiction
• Sadness
• Sexual Addiction
• Shame
• Workaholism

God, grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;

Taking, as Jesus did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it;

Trusting that You will make all things right

If I surrender to Your will;

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen

– Reinhold Neibuhr, 1934

BELOW ARE GUIDELINES WE IMPLEMENT DURING CELEBRATE RECOVERY SMALL GROUPS.

Keep your sharing focused on your own thoughts and feelings.
Not your spouse’s, boyfriend’s, or your family members’ hurts, hang-ups and habits, but your own. Focusing on yourself will benefit your recovery as well as the ones around you. Stick to “I” or “me” statements, not “you” or “we” statements. Limit your sharing to 3–5 minutes, so that everyone has an opportunity to share; and to ensure that one person does not dominate the group sharing time.

There is NO cross talk.
Cross talk is when two people engage in conversation excluding all others. Each person is free to express his or her feelings without interruptions. Cross talk is also making distracting comments or questions while someone is sharing, speaking to another member of the group while someone is sharing or responding to what someone has shared during his or her time of sharing. Additional types of cross talk would be handing a tissue or tissue box while someone is crying during their time of sharing. This interrupts feelings. Remember, there is healing in tears!

We are here to support one another, not “fix” one another.
This keeps us focused on our own issues. We do not give advice or solve someone’s problem in our time of sharing or offer book referrals or counselor referrals! We are not licensed counselors, psychologists, or therapists, nor are the group members. Celebrate Recovery groups are not designed for this. It is up to the participants to include outside counseling to their program when they’re ready.

Anonymity and confidentiality are basic requirements.
What is shared in the group stays in the group. The only exception is when someone threatens to injure themselves or others. We are not to share information with our spouses/family/coworkers. This also means not discussing what is shared in the group among group members. This is called gossip. Please be advised, if anyone threatens to hurt themselves or others, the Small Group Leader has the responsibility to report it to Celebrate Recovery Ministry Leader.

Offensive language has no place in a Christ-centered recovery group.
Therefore, we ask that you please watch your language. The main issue here is that the Lord’s name is not used inappropriately. We also avoid graphic descriptions. If anyone feels uncomfortable with how explicitly a speaker is sharing regarding his/her behaviors, then you may indicate so by simply raising your hand. The speaker will then respect your boundaries by being less specific in his/her descriptions. This will avoid potential triggers that could cause a person to act out.