The Road to Recovery:    “LETTING GO”
  "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me...For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Mt 11:28-30)

 
Realize I'm not God; I admit I'm powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable.
 
Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him, and that He has the power to help me recover.
 
Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.
 
                                         
​                                         WHAT KEEPS ME FROM TAKING THIS STEP?
           

• Pride: I don't want to admit I need help.

            “Arrogant people are on the way to ruin..."  (Proverbs 18:12, GN)
 “The self-sufficient fool falls flat on his face” (Proverbs 10:8. LB)
                                                                    

• Guilt: I'm ashamed to ask God for help.

"Problems far too big for me to solve are piled higher than my head.  Meanwhile my sins, too many to count, have all caught up with me, and I am ashamed to look up." (Psalm 40:12, LB)
 

• Fear:  I'm afraid of what I'd have to give up.

               “Those who sin are slaves to sin...[but] if you know the truth, the truth will set you free.”   (John 8:32, 34)
 

• Worry:  I confuse the decision phase with the problem-solving phase

 “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through...The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it”  (1 Thess. 5:23-24)
           
                                                                  HOW DO I TAKE THIS STEP?
 

• I accept God’s Son as my Savior

             "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved."     (Acts 16:31)
 
                                                                                 
 

• I accept God’s Word as my Standard

                       “The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right.”
                       (2 Timothy 3:16, LB)
 
 
                           

• I accept God’s Will as my Strategy

    “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified...” (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
 
                           “Understand what the Lord’s will is...be filled with the Holy Spirit”       (Ephesians 5:17-18)       
                                
 
 
                                       Luke 16: 19-30 The Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus
 
 
                      Luke 16: 31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets,
                              they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.”
 

                                        The Road To Recovery – Where do I get Help when I Hurt?”
                                    


                                                                 God’s Three Denial-Busters
 
       *Crisis                                               * Confrontation                                                 *Catastrophe
 
 Realize I'm not God; I admit I'm powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my          life is unmanageable.
 Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover.
 C
 O
 V
 E
 R
 
"Anyone who comes to God must believe that He exists
and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."  (Heb 11:6)

 
                                                                                                                                      
                                            Three Parts to Taking This Second Recovery Step
    
    1.  Acknowledge God’s Existence   
        
 "Since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities -- His eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen."  (Romans 1:20)
         
 “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1)
 
 "The fool says, "There is no God!"           (Psalm 14:1)
 
    2.  Understand God’s Character
         
 “Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15)
         
                                                 From Jesus, Three Things We Know About God      

• God knows all about my situation. (Psalm 56:8)

 
 “You’ve seen the crisis in my soul” (Psalm 31:7, LB)
 
  “You know how foolish I’ve been.” (Psalm 69:5)
 

• God cares about my situation.

 
 “He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic...for He knows we are made of dust”  (Psalm 103:13,LB)
 
  “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3)
 

• God can change me and my situation.

                   
 “I pray that you will begin to understand how  incredibly great His power is to help those who believe Him...the same power that raised Jesus from the dead”                     (Ephesians 1:19, LB)
 
 “What is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27)
                                                                    
     3.   Accept God’s Offer to Help
 
 "For God is at work within you, giving you the will and  the power to achieve His purpose."  (Phil 2:13, Ph)
 
 "The Spirit that God gives us ... fills us with power, love and self-control." (2 Tim 1:7, GN)
 
 
 
                                                                How Do I Plug Into God’s Power?
                                                                         Believe! & Receive!
 

    
 "When you go through deep waters and great troubles, I will be with you, you won't drown!  When you walk through the fires of oppression, you won't be burned up.” (Isaiah 43:2-3, LB)
 
 
 

​The Road to Recovery: “THE FIRST STEP TO FREEDOM!”
                                        
 
       "I have seen how they acted but I will heal them, I will lead them and help them and I will comfort those who mourn.  I offer peace to all near and far."  (Isaiah 57:18-19, GN)
           
                                                                    God’s Five Promises To Recovery

• If you have been hurt, God says -- "I want to heal you." 

• If you're confused, God says, "I want to lead you."

• If you've ever felt helpless to change, God says, "I want to help change you."

• If you've ever felt no one understands your problem, God says, "I want to comfort you."

• If you feel anxious and afraid, God says, "I want to offer peace to you.”

              
                                                                  Everyone Needs Recovery
                                                        “All of us have sinned”   (Romans 3:23)
 
 The 7 Steps to R.E.C.O.V.E.R.
 
Realize that I'm not God –
“I need to admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do wrong things
 and my life is unmanageable by myself.”

  
      Our Basic Problem – Our Sinful Nature -  “our inclination to self-centeredness”
           
"There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death."        (Proverbs 14:12)
 
“What we need is to get the influence of our sinful nature cleansed out of our lives and learn how to live above its power!”        (Paul testifies to this need in Romans 7:15)

 
 
Understanding This Key Problem

• The Cause of the Problem:  We want to play God!  Genesis 3:1-10

• The Consequences of the Problem

 
                 1. Fear  “I was afraid, so I hid”  (Genesis 3:10)
 
       2. Frustration   "My dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration."  (Psalm 32:3, LB)
 
3. Fatigue  "My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to You  and stopped trying to hide them."  (Psalm 32:4-5, LB)
 
4. Failure  "You'll never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins.  Confess them.  Give them up.  Then God will show mercy to you."          (Prov 28:13, GN)
 
  “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
                                                              (James 5:16)

 
                                                     God’s Cure for the Problem – 4 Facts

1. Admit that I am powerless to change my past!

 
                   2. Admit that I am powerless to control other people!

1. Admit that I am powerless to cope with my harmful habits, behaviors, and actions!

 
                  4. Ask God to sanctify you “through and through” 
                                                                 (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
 
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)

 

"No Longer a Slave"
Pastor Emily Greenhalge
Philemon v. 1-25

Note Three main characters:
Paul, Onesimus, Philemon


Do WE recognize the Grace God has given us? v. 8
The Faith Community is Accountable to its members! v.17
Share our Stories of Faith and Reconciliation v. 13

​God wants to use your story for good!