Celebrate Recovery is a proven 25+ year old Christ-based 12-step program based on the Beatitudes. The atmosphere had changed, and I could sense the Spirit strong with me, and guided my every step. Then, the seemingly virtuous entities would elbow them out with messages of comfort, information, adviceand sometimes just sheer nonsense.. I would like to serve Him some other way, in another ministry. The program addresses not just alcoholism and drug addiction, but codependency, depression, eating disorders, gambling, sexual addiction and sexual abuse. nph: to be sober, to abstain from wine. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. A Believer cannot be equally yoked with unbelievers. Are these 12 steps in alignment with the Scriptures? Celebrate Recovery has moved to Community of Hope Church on Thursdays at 6:15PM. From that point on, I cannot recall all that I spoke, however, I remember the power of the Holy Spirit was so strong, that not only did I literally believe that time was stopped for me to speak, but I could feel all the demons around me being held back and I was engulfed in this protective shell. My grandfather passed before I was born, so while I did not know him, I was told he was an alcoholic and was involved in AA. Celebrate Recovery Bible by Zondervan Staff (2007, Hardcover) (4) $9.99. (Heb 10:26) God has grace and mercy for us when we are being led in ignorance, yet we are held to a higher standard when the truth of a matter is presented to us. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Contact the group directly to see if these are offered. Its not my place to tell others what to do. However, as she began the meeting, she had decided for the other group leader to go first who was sitting to my left. 2 Cor 11:13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. Celebrate Recovery is a substance abuse recovery program based primarily on biblical teachings and the words and loving power of Jesus Christ. I began slowly and shared about the woman Yah first had me sponsor, and I recited Acts 2:38, and I went through the 10 Commandments, and what sin is, and what repentance is. 11AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.(KJV). To become truly sober, or sober-minded, is not just abstaining from toxic substances from the physical body, but also toxic doctrines from the mind/heart. In my mens small group I couldnt talk about my struggle, and at AA, I couldnt talk about my Savior, since the program speaks in more secular terms about a Higher Power, he told CT in 2016. Ive seen Gods fruit in AA and CR as anything Good comes from God. We must be a willing vessel to share the truth with others, even at the cost of suffering, for if we dont, then we are not picking up our cross. While also providing a witness and a rebuke to the women leaders or the womens group, as it was preaching different gospel, and a different Jesus/Yeshua.. Every week we state that we make decisions based on the truth. Also, by their fruits you shall know people. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. I say dont throw out the baby with the water. Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship. Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots, and learn more about Celebrate Recovery. His moral teaching-most excellent. The program seems to tip-toe around sin and evil instead of calling it out as such. I was never once told that it was a sin. There is a good, acceptable and perfect will of God. Hi Kellie, Whatever works to get them there or even the ones affected. People were healed and delivered from blindness, leprosy, epilepsy, demon-possession, sexual lusts and perversions, etc. Prison Fellowship president James J. Ackerman collaborated with Baker to add Celebrate Recovery Inside to its curricula. He has taught the Bible and preached in places as varied as Russia, Northern Ireland, Bhutan, and Egypt. It is for people with hurts, habits and hangups they simply cannot overcome in their own strength. (Luke 9:23) In such, our reward, or our treasures will be laid up greater in heaven. The one woman though, who had praised Jesus, wanted me to stay and chat with her for a little while. So, now what about the 12 steps? This is why people become deceived and un-willing to accept that possibility. As a result, people often walk out of worship services with their lives unchanged. Mental obsession plus physical allergy. The last thing I want to do is delve deeper into my issues/motivations/whatever. (1) The Bible declares that drunkenness is a sin but those in Recovery believe it to be a disease. In Celebrate Recovery, the levels of recovery are far worse. I dont agree with that. Dangers of Celebratory Occasions in Recovery Most people in recovery will be prepared for their sobriety to be tested when times are hard. Celebrate Recovery meetings rarely focus on the fact that continuing to drink can result in death. a sermon that goes along with our Celebrate recovery ministry, covering the different steps. Baker was raised in Collinsville, Illinois. 6 Mar 2015. Do not perceive yourself as lovable and worthwhile. Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol / wine? However, you can pat yourself on the back for making it . One of my last few meetings, the Spirit had come upon me so strong during my 5 minutes(we were only ever allowed to speak for 5 minutes) of talking that I exposed and rebuked the lie of Alcoholism being a disease, confronting it as the sin of drunkenness, that the saying once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic is a lie from the pit of hell, and that the the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ can set us free from all bondage, and that His Word says that we no longer need to be identified with our sin, once it has been repented and been crucified with Christ. Isnt God sovereign? When he hit his bottom, he began attending daily AA meetings, working through the steps, and finding hope in a God who loved him unconditionally. The ministry, started at Saddleback Church in the 1990s, announced the news of his death Tuesday (Feb. 23) on social media. The ministry has also expanded to serve the incarcerated, as the program became adopted by state prison systems in New Mexico, California, and beyond. It means that the individual is returning to old ineffective coping strategies for dealing with life. 12) Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to others and practice these principles in all our affairs. They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. Within AA, the introduction is similar in the person identifies as their addiction, My Name is, and I am a drug addict/alcoholic. They preached about their higher power being God or Jesus but seemed to have no faith that He could deliver her or anyone Without AA. Download Celebrate Recovery and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. When we have the fear of the Lord, we fear less of how others might react, and more on doing what is right before Him. You may want to celebrate any, or all, of the following milestones in recovery: (Don't celebrate too much here because you are VERY much at risk still for relapse in the early days of recovery. Now in over 35,000 churches. While a lapse can be a single event such as a poor decision of going . While your experiences, are your experiences, they should never override that of sound doctrine. Once those who were fully crucified with Christ, and their passions and desires of the flesh, they too were set free from drunkenness. Whether the battle is with addiction, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, consequences of bad choices, or any specific mental health issues, Celebrate Recovery saves lives. This is the very definition of deception, to appear one way, but with the intention to do another. Throughout scripture, Yeshua/Jesus tells us to not be deceived, and in order to obey that command, we have to be willing to test the practices, programs and doctrines we have accepted into our lives. 1 Timothy 1:3 As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia, you should stay on at Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines. The Participant Guides are designed to create movement through the steps as each person is on a healing journey that creates new understanding and hope through the work of the Holy Spirit, and not . We become free from our addictive, compulsive, and dysfunctional behaviors. Substitution of A.A. as Higher Power. A perpetual drunkard, is being in perpetual sin, and those who do so, do not inherit the Kingdom. Jesus said He came to bring a sword, not peace (Mat 10:34), this means that truth will divide, and the outcome may not be peaceful because of offense. I told her, I know, but it has nothing to do with with you telling me, but rather it was already the Fathers will for me not to come back after this. What partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Relation of humility to sobriety. Have been having more and more doubts about it as time has gone on. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to author and APearlinthevineyard.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Staff was great, attentive to our needs and" more. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! (KJV), John 10:7Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 2) We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. With the introduction of The Landing-God's vision for Celebrate Recovery is now complete!" -John Baker "The Landing provides a safe place for students to share about their hurts, hang-ups, and habits and learn to apply the Principles of Celebrate Recovery to help them break the cycle of dysfunction in their families." - Johnny Baker Luke 12:47And that servant, which knew his lords will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. From that point forward, I was actually prohibited from bringing or reading my Bible in the group. This tried and proven recovery system uses the traditional methods of issue groups, sponsors, accountability partners, and community to build recovery for those struggling with addictive habits, codependency, childhood hurts, and other life experiences that affect our peace. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. Anything that impairs your mind, will also affect your spiritual wellbeing, and can lead into sinful choices. As you can probably imaginethings did not go well for me after that. Much love to you Kellie and your endeavors . I believe sin is a sicknesses. Leviticus 19:31Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD(YHWH) your God. The desire of alcohol is a lust of the flesh. Some people understand what weve been through and some do not. Live customer service hours are Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM CST [email protected] Call Toll Free: 866.419.7446; Next, I moved on to being baptized, which both my husband and I were able to actually do for her. Like you mentioned, allowing God to guide you away from false teachings. A new state of consciousness and being is received as a free gift. Gods Word is clear about trying to mix pagan worship or other religions with His. 48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. The lead woman was not there, and Yah instructed me where I needed to sit. Celebrate Recovery roots the 12 steps in biblical principles, and its final step charges participants to use their recovery to spread the good news. I sat down with my bible on my lap, that I could not open, but with Scripture memorized, and words that I knew to speak. It is for anyone who has a "hurt, hang-up, or habit" within the community at large or our own church body - not restricted to only people struggling with an addiction. I love hearing peoples stories and the work God has done through the cross and his saving grace in others lives. Step Two is a rallying point to sanity. I decided to leave after that, and not attend the meeting, and I didnt come back for a couple weeks. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing, and my life is unmanageable. Thank you for your obedience. Problems of intellectuality and self-sufficiency. Your email address will not be published. I know several people who were addicts and now can occasionally partake in rare occasions because they no longer want the life they had before . This very much includes programs like AA/CR which do not have a grounding in the Bible at all. During the worship time, I sat in the back reading my Word. This is my concern also for you, in that you are highly esteeming a program over that of the Word, which is the same spirit that I encountered while attending my last day of CR. There are many who have either themselves or known someone to have gone through AA, NA, Alanon, etc. What is spiritual awakening? Sustained and personal exertion necessary to conform to Gods will. Colossians 2:8 states: "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the . If you are not familiar with Rick Warren and his apostasy, please check out the below 6 minute video from Good Fight Ministries, that exposes one aspect concerning Rick Warren : I attended CR for a year, and during that time I was instructed by the Spirit to not partake in the worship, as the music and worship came from Saddleback. So, if you are sharing the truth about Gods Word, and how it contradicts the doctrine and spiritual application within AA, then great, but I am not sure how they would allow that to continue if the leaders of AA became known you were speaking out against the program. (Pgs 8-9). So, with my meetings with the woman I sponsored, I started out with repentance and I went through the 10 commandments, what sin is, and what it means to turn from sin. AA/NA holds people in bondage, making them think they are free. for less than $4.25/month. This is all quite contrary to the Word of God, and is what is called anti-Christ. Recovery signals a dramatic shift in the expectation for positive outcomes for individuals who experience mental and substance use conditions or the co-occurring of the two. Once a person has repented, turning from sin, they are no longer defined by that sin, but rather are set free, and become a new creation: 1 Cor 6:9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. There was only one woman after me, that was the program group leader for the night, that sat to my right, that proclaimed the Name Jesus, and what He had done for her. Celebrate Recovery is simply AA but with a disguise of a false light, a false gospel and a false Jesus. For myself, I had adopted those parts which seemed convenient and not too difficult; the rest I disregarded. (Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book, pg.11). Why do we need 12 steps when the only step our Saviour has told us to do is repent and turn away from sin/evil. Bakers ministry began in 1991 at Saddleback Church in California and has spread to 35,000 churches nationwide over the decades. Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Readiness to receive free gift lies in practice of Twelve Steps. Meditate on this Scripture passage, and allow the Holy Spirit to bolden your faith and courage in Him to speak the truth: Joshua 1:9Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? This is why I had thrown away the Blue Book, as well as an Alateen book I had aquired when I was younger. While I understand that you may feel comfortable at your current church, perhaps the Lord is encouraging you to take a step forward in faith and maturity and be out of your comfort zone. According to the Scriptures Alcoholism is defined as drunkeness, so if you profess to be an alcoholic, or once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic, then you are stating to be a perpetual drunkard. Do not take the writer of this piece or even my word. We all need to be encouraged from time to time, and I am thankful that this has helped you to be able to make some difficult decisions. Once the flesh is crucified it will no longer desire it. I sat to the left of the CR group leader, which would mean that I would be the first to speak. Gal 5:19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; 20idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, 21and envy; drunkenness, carousing, and the like. for the living to the dead?(KJV). This is what He did for me, and through such, I am obliged to warn others. They have been talking up the step study lately and there is pressure to join. Giving that asks no reward. And He came to set the captives free! If there is darkness in the AA program leading people astray, what better place to set up a lamp stand? (Acts 17:30) At such time we can no longer claim ignorance and will be held accountable to such. Call us today at 800-256-3490 to begin your journey. Analyzing Celebrate Recovery (C.R.) The program seems to tip-toe around sin and evil instead of calling it out as such. It also anti-christ as it denies Yeshua/Jesus as the Only Way(1 Joh 2:22-23, Joh 14:6). Blessings! Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered 12-step program designed for all "hurts, hangups, and habits," including those caused by emotional, mental, and spiritual dysfunction.As one of the seven largest addiction recovery support programs, Celebrate Recovery is designed to be a confidential place where attendees can work through their "stuff" in a safe and God-honoring place. Some Celebrate Recovery groups offer childcare: "Celebration Place" for kids and "The Landing" for youth. We are also told to test the spirits (1 Joh 4:1) as not all things that outwardly manifest as good or righteous will be so. This is evident as you compare each step with the scriptures. A spiritual awakening or new state of consciousness are specific terms that are used within the New Age or occult. (Pg 5), Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood Him.Step Three is like opening of a locked door. Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore them gently. Recognizing these dangers will help you avoid a possible problem in the future. I am a new creation in Christ and have left a lot behind, but this program keeps digging it back up and putting it in my face. Love that has no price tag. Celebrate Recovery IS: A safe place to share; A place of refuge; A place of belonging; A place to care for others and be cared for; A place where respect is given to each member; A place where confidentiality is highly regarded; A place to learn; A place to demonstrate genuine love; A place to grow and become strong again; A place for progress Celebrating each milestone is encouraged, as long as you can find safe celebration activities! The Bible tells us to hate sin and evil, to cut it out of our life. Also, during this time, I was able to minister to quite a few women, and also became a sponsor.. Embarrassed to receive recognition and praise, or gifts. At Southside Baptist Church, the purpose of our Celebrate Recovery program is to both fellowship and celebrate God's healing power in our lives through 12 Steps and 8 Recovery Principles. And Love indeed had a pricethe price that Yeshua paid with His own life. As they had all turned their backs on Yeshua/Jesus and His Word, they then had no problem turning their back on me. Creation of C.R. Michelle, thank you for your thoughts and I am glad that you took time to read this. I read this and the Spirit of God prompted to reply. (Pgs 5-6), Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.Joy of living is the theme of the Twelfth Step. Misuse of willpower. I did not fully know why at that time, but I just did as the Spirit told me to do. This is a process of maturity and growth in the Lord. I am glad that you found this blog edifying. If you are a Christian in recovery and currently attending a twelve step program whether it be Alcoholics Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery, Hunger for Healing or any of the other assortment of spin off programs, please take the time to consider the following information. To Christ I conceded the certainty of a great man, not too closely followed by those who claimed Him. Self-righteousness. 8,093 talking about this. Celebrate Recovery operates as an extension of Fellowship Bible Church, a unique congregation focused on healing. The Scriptures and the true gospel of salvation are very different then an all inclusive faith, of which all ways are acceptable. It reminds me of a favorite passage of mine: Hebrews 11:25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. It was designed as a program to help those struggling with hurts, habits and hang-ups . I know what you are implying with sin sickness as it has to do with things I already addressed in my blog and is a strong lie taught within AA/CR. Being a light, means exposing the darkness, not partaking in it, otherwise that light itself would become dark: Luke 11:33No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. Celebrate Recovery is a biblical and balanced program that helps us overcome our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. 3. The phrase do not throw out the baby with the bathwater, with regards to programs and practices like AA/CR, is overriding several biblical commands to come away from such. While also providing a witness and a rebuke to the women leaders or the womens group, as it was preaching different gospel, and a different Jesus/Yeshua. 314-267-4456. Ive been attending CR (and volunteering on the welcome team ) for about a year. 2. Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT. Free Speech and Abortion Collide: Supreme Court Hears One of Its Biggest Cases of 2018, I Was the Proverbial, Drug-Fueled Rock and Roller, Christian Conservationists Sue to Protect Ghana Forest. This program is not something that you complete and then all of sudden, Hey, Im better. What is spiritual awakening? However, I have a slightly different view. He partied in college at the University of Missouri and as an officer in the air force, and his drinking habit grew as his career in business took off in his 30s. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Lets help and love others walking in the calling he has for each of us individually not judging others and glorifying God, my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ in the process. Judge everything you think, say, or do harshly, as never "good enough." Are a perfectionist. The messiness of addiction is too much for many churches to handle. Perhaps, in learning these truths, God might want you to share this with others; and yes, while you are correct, it might, and probably will offend. Thank you for sharing. The actual definition given to Sober-minded means to abstain from wine. Thanks for sharing brother. The topical groups vary by site, and some. None of these women, spoke to me again, nor did I ever go back to Celebrate Recovery, as my assignment there was done. To discern good fruit you have to know if the doctrine, character, or practice, aligns with the word of God, and this should be your measuring line. I will also provide links at the very end, that I found helpful while doing my own research, that may help you as well.