| Turning Point |
| AN ALTERNATIVE FOR THE ADDICTED |
| CelebrateRecovery Eight Principals On The Road to Recovery Based on the Beatitudes. By Rick Warren 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." Matt. 5:3 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." Matt. 5:4 Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control. "Happy are the meek." Matt: 5:5 Openly examine and confess my faults to, myself, to God, and to someone I trust. "Happy are the pure in heart." Matt. 5:8 Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. "Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires." Matt. 5:6 Evaluate all my relationships; Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I've done to others except when to do so would harm them or others. "Happy are the merciful." Matt. 5:7"Happy are the peacemakers." Matt. 5:9 Reserve a daily time with God for self examination, Bible readings and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will 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. "Matt. 5:10 |
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| PRAYER FOR SERENITY God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next Amen. —Reinhold Niebuhr |
CelebrateRecovery Purpose - Driven Biblical/Spiritual Recovery For a List of Nationwide Meetings Click Below |
| THE 12 STEPS AND THEIR BIBLICAL COMPARISONS 1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors. That our lives had become unmanageable. 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. Romans 7:18) 2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13) 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God. 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. (Romans 12:1) 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord . (Lamentations 3:40) 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (James 5:16a) 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10) 7. Humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31) 9. Made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 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. (Matthew 5:23-24) 10. 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 Cor. 10:12) 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 3:16a) 12. Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and 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 tempted. (Galatians 6:1) |
| HOPE FOR THE ADDICTED Fiction By Ray Wiggs God, what is going on here? I don’t understand! That group leader said, “Trust me, I understand the felling of no hope. I’ ve been there. I have cried out time and time again… ‘Where are you today, Lord?’” Oh, God, I understand what he meant. It’s so dark tonight. Can I be sure of anything? Will there be any hope tomorrow? I’m doubting. God, is there any truth in your word? If it is, why am I not experiencing it?. What’s that? Who’s talking? I hear it again, where is that voice coming from? What is it saying? “NEVER GIVE UP ON HOPE!” Am I imagining it? Are you there God? I’m scared. How can I believe? Yesterday was horrible. A couple of days ago, everything seemed OK. I was staying clean. It has been a long time since I used. Yesterday, I thought, ‘I’m doing pretty good. It looks like I am going to make it. Maybe there is hope for me.’ But, today I woke up in the middle of the worst storm of my life. I’m afraid. I am terribly discouraged. Where is the hope now? Man, I need a fix! Just one more time. It will help me. I deserve it. I have been doing good. God, I promise I won’t do it again. Just one more time. No, no I truly want to stay straight. My heart hurts so much, and I am hurting so many other people. Life is way too hard. Oh, there is just so much pain. God, if you are real, you must be lost somewhere out there in space. This day is overwhelming. One horrible storm after another… constant struggles, our relationship is at the point of imminent meltdown, and to beat it all I am so sick. I think I’m going to die. I can’t deal with it. That text message she sent me, how can I respond? She said she had overdosed again. She is at the hospital. It’s all my fault. What am I going to do. Death might just be the answer for both of us. If only I could score some good stuff. I've still got my last pay check. It won’t be hard to find a deal. I’ll use some myself. I deserve it. I’ll sell the rest. Maybe if I could pay the rent she’d come back. Who am I kidding, I want it all for myself? I want to go away and get lost… I want to forget. No, I've got to make it. I’ll call my sponsor… no not now! Later! Maybe I've got too much hope. I've got to face reality. Its not going get any better. But, I still remember what the speaker said at the meeting the other night. I can hear him now, ‘Sometimes hope is all you have. Never give up on hope When everyone and everything tries to pull all hope out of your heart, grab hold, fight for it, don’t turn loose.’ Why can’t I hold on to it? Where is that paper he gave me? There it is, still folded up in my billfold. I‘ve got to read it again… I am going to stand firm… hold on now… I can endure this with your help. I want to give up on everything, but I can’t quit trusting you. I can’t resist temptation, but I remember what your Word said. You will keep me from the hour of temptation. CONTINUED IN NEXT COLUMN |
| CelebrateRecovery A PURPOSE–DRIVEN Recovery Resources of 25 Lessons Developed and Written By RICK WARREN & JOHN BAKER A 12 month recovery program based on eight principles from the Beatitudes. By our affiliation with Celebrate Recovery we are becoming a part of a local and international network of 250,000 Like-Minded Bible-Based, Christ-Centered People in Recovery. Celebrate Recovery Is a Proven Groundbreaking Recovery Curriculum For Broken People Discovering Hope and Change While Being Transformed by the Power of Christ. |
| RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM We work in cooperation with TEEN CHALLENGE FOR ADULTS and other residential programs as needed. We will put you in touch with the right program when you need help. TEEN CHALLENGE FOR TEENS & ADULTS Greensboro Web Site CLICK BELOW http://teenchallengeusa. com/greensboro/ Contact the above website. They can direct you to hundreds of Teen Challenge Centers all over America and Around the world. PERSONAL GUIDANCE For personal Biblical and Spiritual guidance we encourage you to contact your pastor. If you do not have a pastor we will assist you. Pastoral Care is an important part of your recovery. “So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them . What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" 1 Cor. 5:16, 17 (NLT) |
| God, I am going to pray like that old preacher said, I am going to pray ‘til I pray through. Where’s that bible? I've got to find that verse I read the other day. There it is. Luke 21:28. I am glad I folded over that page. “Now when these thing begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Lord, see me, I am looking up. Do you see me? I am not going to give up, no matter what. I will never let go of hope. Even if my prayers are never answered the way I want them to be, some how, I will survive. God, this has to be You. Your must be real. My life has been so horrible, it has to be You. You are getting through to me. I am going to make it. Oh, man, why does the phone have to ring now? Let me alone. I’m trying to think… Hello! Who?… Yea, I remember you from that meeting on Thursday. Why did you call me? Why do you care about me? I can’t believe it, I was about to end it all, but I starting praying…Yea, I’m going to make it… Thank you for calling me. I feel the presence of God again… something is happing to me… right now. Yea, I’ll pray with you…Yea, I’ll repeat after you?…OK, go ahead… I‘ll do it. I‘m ready. Dear God, I am at a turning point in my life… I recognize that my sin has made my life ugly in your site… Things are certainly not what they ought to be…Thank you for loving me anyway… Thank you for coming to me. I recognize that I need forgiveness, physical freedom, and spiritual recovery… I ask you, Jesus… Come into my heart… I turn from my sin… Restore the beautiful shine of innocence that I have let fade away… I turn away from the darkness and the addictions. I will go into your light… I will follow your direction for my life… I accept you, Jesus, as my Lord and Savior… I’ll do the right thing… I will do what you want me to do… I am going to change… With your help, and the power of the Holy Spirit, I am going to put off this old man and put on the new… Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for setting me free. I know I don’t deserve it, but I believe you are giving me eternal life. Thank you for loving me. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. HOLD ON, NEVER GIVE UP ON HOPE! Jude 21 (TLB) "Stay always in the boundaries where God's love can reach you and bless you." “Romans 5:5 (NIV) “…hope dose not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” O, I want to believe that so badly. Where are the miracles, I am praying for? I can’t give up. I will hold on to hope. God, my heart is braking, help me, please. God it seems so impossible, but I am going to try… I’m going to hold on to hope. I am so discouraged. I don’t believe anything any more. I’m about to give up. God help me! Lord, let me feel your presence again, please. I remember how it felt before. God, I need you. I know you are real. You have been here in my past. I am going to trust you again even if I don’t feel a thing. Lord, I am just going to sit here awhile… Jesus… O, thank you God. I fell that buzz again. Thank you, thank you, thank you! If you need personal guidance, please feel free to contact me at... RNRWiggs68@yahoo.com I will respond, Ray Wiggs |
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