September 11, 2016 Teaching Outline

​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)