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 Celebrate RecoveryTM
Celebrate Recovery is a Christ centered recovery program that has exploded in popularity in the last 15 years and can be found in most communities around the United States. It was founded by John Baker and Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church, the church that brought us the books The purpose driven life and The purpose driven church. The program is based on the 12 steps of recovery and the 8 principles of recovery following the direction of the Bible.
Though it's sometimes difficult for us to admit, we have all lived less than perfect lives. Our good intentions have failed us again and again as we have hurt people, hurt ourselves and are left feeling that we are failures as Christians or even as human beings. As our compulsive or addictive behaviors progress we find ourselves trapped in habits which lead us on a treacherous path away from the peace and joy God desires for us. This may leave us feeling insecure, angry, frightened and without hope. No matter what your hurts, habits, or hang ups may be there is hope! Celebrate Recovery offers a safe, welcoming, grace filled, Christ-centered fellowship. At Celebrate Recovery you will find many who are dealing with struggles similar to your own. You will also find a group of men and women who share your desire to be made whole. The foundation of our recovery is our one and only higher power Jesus Christ. When we keep coming back and turn our will and our life over to Christ's care, in time our destructive behaviors loose their grip and we begin to embrace a new life, enjoying peace and serenity, trusting that God is guiding our life and our recovery. Join a program in your area for delicious food, welcoming fellowship, lively worship, inspirational teaching and honest testimonies that will strengthen and support you on the road to recovery! You can find links to a group near you from the homepage of this site.
RECOVERY Principles - Based on the BEATITUDES
R = Principle 1 -
Realize I'm not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable.
"Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor"
E = Principle 2 -
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"
C = Principle 3 -
Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control.
"Happy are the meek"
O = Principle 4 -
Openly examine and confess my faults to God, to myself, and to another person whom I trust.
"Happy are the pure in heart"
V = Principle 5 -
Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life.
"Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires"
E = Principle 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, without expecting any reward.
"Happy are the merciful" "Happy are the peacemakers"
R = Principle 7 -
Reserve a daily time with God for prayer, Bible reading, and self-examination in order to know God and his will for my life and to gain the power to follow his will.
Y = Principle 8 -
Yield myself to be used by God to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words.
"Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires"
THE 12 STEPS OF CELEBRATE RECOVERY
| Celebrate Recovery - 12 Steps and their Biblical Comparisons | | Step 1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable. | Romans 7:18
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. | | Step 2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. | Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. | | Step 3. We made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God. | Romans 12:1
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 | | Step 4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. | Lamentations 3:40
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. | | Step 5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. | James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for each other that you may be healed. | | Step 6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. | James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up. | | Step 7. We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings. | 1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. | | Step 8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. | Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would have them do to you. | | Step 9. We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. | Matthew 5:23-24
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. | | Step 10. We continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. | 1 Corinthians 10:12
So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall. | | Step 11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out. | Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. | | Step 12. Having had a spiritual experience as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs. | Galatians 6:1
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. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 17 July 2006 )
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Celebrate Recovery 
