Lesson 24 - Yes

 Lesson 24 - Yes

Introduction

Principle 8: Yield myself to God to be used 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.” (Matthew 5:10)

Step 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)

The Lesson tonight is based on the acrostic “YES”. YES we will yield ourselves to God to be used by Him, practicing His principles in all our affairs, and carrying His message to others.

What are the principles of spiritual experience? Discipline, steadfastness and perseverance in the face of trials, which lead to spiritual maturity and completeness, and righteousness and peace.

Jas 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, (3) because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (4) Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

A part of God's spiritual principle is that steadfastness and perseverance are rewarded with maturity and completeness. Hebrews adds to that righteousness and peace.

Heb 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Some of us have been through this. We have gone through the 12 Steps, applied discipline and perseverance, we have internalized the good news and have realized increased maturity, completeness, righteousness and peace in our lives. That is the message that we carry along to others in the form of a testimony. We testify that Jesus is a real and active presence in our lives, and if He brought this kind of change to us, I can do it for others too, and so we share in spreading the good news. Paul spoke of his testimony this way:

1Co 2:1-2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. (2) For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Yes

Tonight’s acrostic couldn’t be any more positive! It is the word YES.

Yield myself to God

Example is what is important

Serve others as Jesus Christ did

The Y is Principle 8 itself: YIELD myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words.

What does it mean to “yield” to God, and what is the “good news”, and what am I an “example” of?

The “good news” is multifaceted. It has bearing on eternal life. Because of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, we can have eternal life forever with Jesus where He is because he took away our sin.

But the “good news” also has bearing on our life today, and “yielding” has an important part to play in this life. So let's talk about yielding. John made an interesting statement in this passage:

Joh 12:24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

What John and the other apostles explain is that life only comes through death. In order for the wheat to multiply, it must die. If the kernel of wheat dies, I.E. is buried, then it will produce many seeds and each seed subsequent fruit.

Jesus demonstrated this through His death and resurrection. He died, and through His death, He produced many sons and daughters. It is through His death that life comes forth.

Victorious life in Christ is a life that is patterned after this model. When we identify with Christ in His death, by setting aside those wants and desires that we know are not good for us, then the by product of that death is life. And that life manifests in us as increased maturity, completeness, righteousness and peace in our lives. That is the “good news”.

Here is where this principle is explained by Paul:

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Being crucified with Christ is the same as the kernel dying and being buried. Christ was crucified and buried, the kernel dies and is buried. Each subsequently experience a life of greater abundance.

So what does it mean to be “crucified with Christ”?

Gal 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Romans 6 gives greater detail regarding this principle.

Rom 6:5-8 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. (6) For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- (7) because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. (8) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

So as the kernel dies, is buried, and subsequently bears many seeds and additional fruit, and as Christ died and was buried and rose to bring much fruit, so we, as we identify with Christ also die and bury our fleshly passions and desires so that we may bear much fruit in our life.

As we begin to understand what “yielding” to Christ is, and how it relates to His death and the subsequent resurrection, we should carry this message to others. The death, burial and resurrection of Christ is central to the gospel. It is a pattern for us to follow if we want to yield to life.

Paul gives guidance on how to pass this along and encourage others.

Galatians 6:1–2 (TLB) tells us: “If a Christian is overcome by some sin, … humbly help him back onto the right path, remembering that the next time it might be one of you who is in the wrong. Share each others troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord’s command.”

So keeping the message of the gospel in mind, we share the “good news” about Christ's death, burial and resurrection and our identification with it with others so that they to might also experience abundant life.

That leads us to the E in yes: EXAMPLE is what is important!

A natural byproduct of the Spirit's work of transformation in our life is love for others. As we become more like Christ and take on more of His character through our identification with Him in His death and resurrection, love arises as as sweet smelling and tasting fruit. That love is one of the greatest examples of who we are becoming in Christ. John said:

Joh 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Paul encouraged Timothy to “Arouse the love...”. Allowing this love to arise is a part of “yielding”. We may not feel like loving some people, but if we yield to the Holy Spirit that love will arise from within.

“Arouse the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a genuine faith” (1 Timothy 1:5, GNB).

Another way we can be an example is by sharing our testimony. As we share our testimony, we become a witness for Christ and give hope to others. Again, as Paul has said:

1Co:2:1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God

The last letter in yes is S: SERVE others as Jesus Christ did.

Service should be known as fruit. Service can and should come out of us as a naturally occurring response to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. A part of God's plan was that we should serve each other. As is the case when love arises our hearts, so too does service arise from our hearts from the inside. And like love, it requires us to yield to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and for us to say YES.

And like trials and discipline, service yielded to will result in maturity, completeness, righteousness and peace in our lives. Jesus gave us an example:

Jesus said, “And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each others feet. I have given you an example to follow: do as I have done to you” (John 13:14–15, TLB).

The passage recorded by John regarding the washing of feet is a living metaphor describing what Jesus was about to do on the cross.

You know the story of how Jesus washed the disciples feet. In John 13:12 He asks them, “Do you understand what I have done for you?”. And in vs 15 He says, “I have set you and example that you should do as I have done for you.”.

The example that Jesus provided was that of humility, and humble service to one another. He was not teaching just that we should wash each others feet, but it was an example of putting the needs of others before our own needs. It was a metaphor that precisely describes what happened on the cross, as Jesus in humility put our needs in front of His own and went to the cross on our behalf. The God of the Universe served us and our need, the greatest serving the least.

As Jesus was our example, as exemplified by the death, burial and resurrection, we are examples to others showing the power of God's healing in our lives through our identification with Him.

Here are just some examples of how you can be of service to others:

1. Be an accountability partner. Find someone in your small group who agrees to encourage and support you as you work through the principles. You agree to do the same for that person. You hold one another accountable for working an honest program.

2. Be a sponsor. Sponsors are people who have worked the steps. Their job is to guide newcomers on their journey through the steps, to give a gentle nudge when they are procrastinating or to slow them down when they are rushing through a step. Sponsors do so by sharing their personal journey on their road to recovery.

3. Become a greeter. Greeters get to Celebrate Recovery a little earlier than people generally start showing up for dinner, or these days, for large group. They welcome and provide directions for newcomers. They provide the newcomer with the important first impression of Celebrate Recovery!

4. Help with the Solid Rock Cafe. You can bake a cake.

5. Help with the Bar-B-Que. Preparing and serving food is a great way to serve others.

6. Invite someone to church. Ask someone from your secular groups or a neighbor, a friend, or a coworker!

There are many, many more areas to serve! Make suggestions! Get involved, such as ushering in the church, participating in out reaches, greeting for Saturday and Sunday services, and so on.

Wrap-up

The road to recovery is “yielding” to the “good news” which produces the fruit of love and service. The fruit of love and service is an example to others of the power of God to transform lives.

When you reach Principle 8 the road splits. Some of you will choose to serve at Celebrate Recovery. Others will choose to serve in other areas of the church. The fact is, we need both.

We need you to share your experiences, strengths, and hopes with newcomers here on Monday nights. You do that as leaders, sponsors, and accountability partners and testimony givers.

But the church also benefits from your service. As you serve outside of Celebrate Recovery, you can share with others and get them into recovery when they are ready to work on their hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

That is our lesson for today. Don't forget that when we say YES, we are saying YES to identify with Christ in His death, burial and YES, His resurrection. That is the good news.

Thank you for letting me share this lesson with you.

Lesson 23 - Give

 Give

Principle 8: Yield myself to God to be used 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.” (Matthew 5:10)

Step 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)

Introduction

Our text for today's lesson comes from James chapter 2. James in this book is describing the profit received when faith is accompanied by works. He is not talking about our eternal salvation, but rather our temporal salvation. This bears directly on our recoveries, since the profit received by faith that is accompanied by works is our recovery.

Jas 2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

The question here is the efficacy or effectiveness of faith. Faith is believing what God says. Can we be “saved” by believing alone, even if we don't produce works.

The word “saved” in these passages in James is translated from the Greek “sozo”, which in this context means “to keep one “safe and sound” from a temporal perspective, “to rescue from danger”, “injury or peril”. This is seen in the following passage.

Jas 5:15 And the prayer offered (works) in faith will make the sick person well (temporily); the Lord will raise them up (profit). If they have sinned, they will be forgiven (profit).

The question is clarified when we consider that the issue is not whether we have true faith or false faith, but rather, the question is do we have faith that is alone vs faith that is accompanied by works.

This is the “faith” that James is speaking of in James 2:14. So the question is paraphrased as “Can faith without works save (profit) anyone's physical life”?

We can see that further in the word “profit”, which is translated from the Greek “ophelis”, which means “to heap up, I.E. accumulate or benefit”.

So the question in James 2:14 has to do with whether or not there is any personal profit to be gained if someone has faith but no works. Faith alone saves them, but there is contemporary and eternal profit in works.

At this point, some should be seeing the connection between faith that is accompanied by works, and recovery. While faith that has no works may be sufficient to bring eternal salvation, there is no present temporal profit from dead faith, or faith that has no works. This directly connects recovery to works as works bring “profit”.

From an eternal perspective, there is profit to be had from works at the Bema Judgment, where our rewards are handed out. But it is also true that there is a contemporary profit in our present life here on earth while we are yet alive.

The kind of works James has in mind are seen in James 1:27, that can be seen in context as giving, and avoiding bad influences.

Jas 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James details this by showing that the works he has in mind have to do with being giving of oneself for the benefit of others. Virtually all volunteer work is giving of oneself to others.

Jas 2:16-17 If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? (17) In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Notice the question, “what good is it?”. This question is asked on behalf of the person without works accompanying their faith. What good is it to tell someone to go in peace without doing something to meet their need. There is no profit in that, so “what good is it?”. To “heap up profit”, faith is accompanied with works that meet needs.

In the context of Celebrate Recovery, as a Christ centered program, this is what giving is all about. Perhaps this is why the Church is set up with many opportunities for volunteers. By doing this, we are given a lot of opportunities to give, and thus fulfill faith with works. When you get involved, the profitable works that you do will benefit your recovery.

So let's take a look at some of the ways that you can “heap up” benefits and profit from your works of faith.

Give

God first

I becomes we

Victories shared

Example of your actions

The G stands for GOD first.

Rom 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Paul corroborates what James says here, and James gives context to what Paul says. We sometimes wonder why we pray and wait on God and nothing seems to happen. Faith accompanied by works are at play here. We can believe, but works release the profit. Jesus will give us all things, but we must have faith and works. Faith to believe, which is sufficient for eternal life, and works for profit in this life.

The second letter in give is I. When we give, the I becomes we.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. (10) If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble.

One of the benefits that works (giving) provides is fellowship. A giving person will “heap up” friends. Friends will provide support and encouragement. A person who is needy and a taker will find friends fleeing from them.

The third letter stands for VICTORIES shared.

2Co 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, (4) who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Paul here talks about the cycle of blessing. As we bless others with action (works), we both profit and are comforted by the Holy Spirit. Then as we are each comforted, we can continue the cycle by blessings others with our actions (works), and so it goes.

Some people keep this cycle going through regular volunteering. Volunteering on a consistent weekly basis keep a consistent flow of blessing coming our way.

E: EXAMPLE of your actions.

First John 3:18 (NEB) says, “My children, love must not be a matter of words or talk; it must be genuine, and show itself in action.”

John here is emphasizing what James taught. Words and talk can show the content of our faith, but without works, that faith is dead, or unprofitable. But when our faith is revealed in action, our faith becomes profitable and brings blessing (recovery) into our life.

Wrap-up

Faith alone is sufficient for eternal life.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

10:9-10 If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- (9) not by works, so that no one can boast.

Faith accompanied by works result in temporal salvation (recovery).

Jas 2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

Lesson 21 - Relapse

 Relapse

Principle 7: Reserve a daily 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.

Step 11: 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)

Introduction

We are going to look specifically at how to maintain the momentum of your recovery. Therefore, tonight we are going to talk about how you can prevent RELAPSE.

Jas 1:13-15 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; (14) but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. (15) Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

1. Tempted when we are “dragged away by our own evil desire and enticed”. (No sin yet).

2. “After desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin.”

3. “Sin, full grown, gives birth to death.”

1Co 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

When are we presented with the way out?

Gal 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

How do we “crucify the flesh with its passions and desires?

2Co 10:4-5 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (5) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

When we take the way out, we are producing perseverance.

Jas 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, (3) because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (4) Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

A Temptation is either an enticement, or a test. And testing of our faith is an opportunity to show our godly character to the world around us.

Preventing Relapse

Tonight’s acrostic is RELAPSE:

Reserve a daily quiet time

Evaluate

Listen to Jesus

Alone and quiet time

Plug in to God’s power

Slow down

Enjoy your growth

R – (Principle 7) Reserve a Daily Quiet Time With God for Self-Examination, Bible Reading, and Prayer in Order to Know God and His Will for my Life and Gain the Power to Follow His Will.

Mark 14:38 tells us: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Perseverance (gaining the power to follow His will) when experiencing temptation comes through spending time with God ahead of time.

Remember, being tempted isn’t a sin. It’s falling into the action of the temptation that gets us into trouble.

Eph 4:26-27 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, (27) and do not give the devil a foothold.

E – Step 10: Evaluate

Romans 12:3–17: “Be honest in your estimate of yourselves.… Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other.… Be patient in trouble.… Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honest clear through.”

Evaluate your stance. Are you will prepared to withstand the temptations that we all know are coming our way. What are your chances. This list will give you a good indication.

L – Listen to Your Higher Power, Jesus Christ.

“Test everything that is said to be sure it is true, and if it is, then accept it” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, TLB).

How do you know that what you are hearing is true? How do you know that what I am telling you about recovery is true. There is only one bar to measure our words against, and that is the Word of God.

But still, knowing that is not enough. You have to know it yourselves in order to test it.

Psalm 1:1–3 (GNB) tells us: “Happy are those who … find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord, … they study it day and night. They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time.”

A – Alone and Quiet Time

This acrostic goes along with L – Listen. We can hear Him best when we set aside time to be with Him, and opportunity to hear.

Psalm 46:10 God tells us to “be still, and know that I am God.”

P – Plug in to God's Power Through Prayer

Philippians 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.”

Heb 4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. (15) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin. (16) Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

How do you approach God's throne of grace? Through prayer.

S – Slow Down Long Enough to Hear God's Answer

“Listen to me. Keep silence and I will teach you wisdom!” (33:33, TLB).

The S goes right along with the L – Listen and A – Quiet Time.

E – Enjoy Your Growth

You need to enjoy your victories. Rejoice in and celebrate the small successes along your road to recovery!

First Thessalonians 5:16 (GNB) tells us to “be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus.”

One of the ways we do that at CR is through Chips, that measure milestones. Everyone get's a chance to celebrate with you.

Share your victories, no matter how small, with others in your group. Your growth will give others hope!

Wrap-up

Here are some things to do to prevent relapse:

1. Pray and read your Bible daily. Establish a specific time of day to have your “quiet time.”

2. Make attending your recovery meeting a priority. Stay close to your support team. If you find yourself saying, “I’m too busy to go to Celebrate Recovery tonight,” make time. Flee from whatever you are doing and come share your recovery.

3. Spend time with your family if they are safe. If they are not, spend time with your church family. We are going to have Celebrate Recovery every Friday night throughout the holidays. You do not have to be alone this holiday season.

4. Get involved in service. Volunteer! You don’t have to wait until you get to Principle 8 to start serving.

Lesson 19 - Crossroads

 Crossroads

Principle 7: Reserve a daily 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.

Step 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)

Introduction

As we go through these lessons each week, you should understand that these lessons match the lessons in the 12 Step Studies. If you are currently in a 12 Step group, you will recognize the each lesson in the 12 Step participant’s guides.

If you are not in a 12 Step group, these lessons will give you a preview of sorts to what the 12 Step group is about. The 12 Step groups go through these lessons in a lot greater detail.

Let's review where we have been in this round of lessons.

1. (Step 1) Facing your denial that we are powerless

2. (Step 2) Come to believe in a power that can restore us to sanity.

3. (Step 3) Turn our lives over to Jesus
   
   Jesus is the one who brings recovery by His Holy Spirit. Believing this is fundamental to our recovery. This is why we invited people to a decision point at the conclusion of each meeting, to help they get off to a good start.
   
   

4. (Step 4) Taking an honest look at your life with a Moral Inventory

5. (Step 5) Confessing all your wrongdoing to God and someone else (A Sponsor).

6. (Step 6) Being humble enough to allow God to make major changes in you

7. (Step 7) Ask God to remove our shortcomings
   
   Steps 4-7 focus on how we allow Jesus to bring change to our minds.
   
   

8. (Step 8) Make a list of those we harmed and becoming willing to forgive or make amends

9. (Step 9) Offering your forgiveness to those that have hurt you
   
   Steps 8 and 9 focus on behavior change following a change of mind regarding those behaviors, and especially our relationships with others.

By the time you complete these 9 steps in your 12 Step group, you will be experiencing major behavior change in your life. When you get to this point, the temptation can be to think all of your work is done. Some drop out of recovery at that point and attempt to go it without the support you have had, hence, Crossroads. What will you decide to do at that point?

1Co 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!

Your “Crossroad” is to determine if you are going to continue with the last three steps:

• (Step 10) Continue to take personal inventory, and when wrong, promptly admit it.

• (Step 11) Seek through prayer and meditation to improve your conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for yourself and the power to carry that out.

• (Step 12) Carry this message to others and practice these principles in all our affairs.

These last three steps are the steps focus on making the change in your life solid and permanent. These are not just a recovery steps, but they are steps that every Christian should consider for themselves in living out a Christ centered life.

Step 10

Tonight we are going to spend a little time looking at some practical steps in Step 10. (We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.)

It is broken down into three activities:

 

The what: “We continued to take personal inventory …”

The why: “ … and when we were wrong …”

The then what: “ … promptly admitted it.”

 

Of course, we need an acrostic. Tonight the word is TEN.

Take time to do a daily inventory

Evaluate the good and the bad

Need to admit our wrongs promptly

 

1. TAKE time to do a daily inventory

The what: “We continued to take personal inventory …”

Lamentations 3:40 exhorts us to “examine our ways and test them, and … return to the Lord.”

To inventory something is simply to count it.

We continue to need to ask ourselves these questions:

• What good did I do today?

• In what areas did I blow it today?

• Did I do or say anything that hurt anyone today?

• Do I owe anyone amends?

• What did I learn from my actions today?

I do this on a daily basis. I reflect on my day to see if I harmed someone, acted or reacted out of fear or selfishness, or went out of my way to show kindness.

As we stressed in Principle 4, our daily inventories need to be balanced. We need to look at the things we did right as well as the areas in which we missed the mark and blew it!

Believe it or not, by the time we get to Principle 7, (Reserve a daily 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.) we actually start doing a lot of things right (change of behavior). But if we are not careful, we can slowly slip back into our old habits, hang-ups, and dysfunctions, so we need to take regular, ongoing inventories.

 

2. EVALUATE the good and the bad.

The why: “ … and when we were wrong …”

First John 1:8–10 (TLB) says: “If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves, and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. (And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins). If we claim we have not sinned, we are lying and calling God a liar, for he says we have sinned.”

The reality is that we all sin, pretty much all the time. Taking a daily inventory and reflecting on our day will surely reveal that to us. But God's grace provides forgiveness as we sin. Should we go on sinning? Of course not, and the purpose of evaluating the listed items in our daily inventory is to bring awareness to them and to ask God for help in those areas.

Rom 6:1-2 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? (2) By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

 

3. We NEED to admit our wrongs promptly.

The then what: “ … promptly admitted it.”

In Matthew 5:23–24 (MSG), Jesus tells us, “This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then, and only then, come back and work things out with God.”

Matthew conveys a sense of urgency in this passage. Jesus is providing instruction for correct living. He is telling us to make things right with our fellow mankind, before coming to Him to make things right. If our relationships with others is not right, then our relationship with God will be constricted. Obedience to God in matters like these result in blessing. 

 

Wrap-up

The 12 Steps provide a systematic path to recovery. The first 3 steps focus on developing our relationship with Jesus, and steps 4-7 focus on bringing a change of mind. The last three steps focus on how to allow Jesus to bring mind and behavior change and life through our relationships with others.

This happens by allowing the Holy Spirit to help us in making an inventory of the good and bad in our life. The Holy Spirit then guides and leads us to asking for forgiveness from God and the people in our past and present lives.

In the last three steps, starting with this one, we determine with God's help to go down the road that will enable lasting recovery by maintaining a close daily contact with Jesus and those around us.

The Crossroads Lesson brings this decision to your awareness. The temptation is to say we have done enough and risk sliding back to old behaviors, or to keep going and make what we are learning a permanent way of life.

This decision at some point is made by every Christian, not just those in recovery. Let me close with a collection of scriptures from the Letter to the Hebrews.

Heb 3:14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

Heb 6:11-12 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. (12) We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Heb 10:35-36 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. (36) You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.