Recovery Alaska, Christ-Centered

11/14/2025

God is Good all the time❤️

Recovery Alaska is a place to fellowship and celebrate God’s healing power in our lives through the “8 Recovery Principles.” This experience allows us to “be changed.” By working and applying these Biblical principles, we begin to grow spiritually. We become free from our addictive, compul...

11/28/2022

11/18/2022

When God puts a dream in your heart, you don’t necessarily have to act on it right away. The Bible says, “There is a right time and a right way to do everything” (Ecclesiastes 8:6).

Pitchers understand the importance of timing in baseball. Every pitcher throws the same 5 ¼-ounce ball and stands the same 60 feet, 6 inches from home plate. But the difference between a pro pitcher and an amateur is timing. A pitcher’s timing can make or break them.

Another good example of timing is found in Nehemiah 2. Nehemiah knew timing could make or break his dream to rebuild Jerusalem. He could have made a grand entrance into town with trumpets and flags, announcing the reason for his arrival: “I’m here to save the day!”

Instead, Nehemiah stayed quiet for three days after arriving in Jerusalem. What was he doing those first three days? Since he was a man of prayer, there’s no doubt he was praying. He was also a planner, so he likely spent time watching, observing, listening, and learning.

The best example of timing is seen in the life of Jesus. His timing was perfect. He would often say things like, “It’s not my time yet.” He said this to his mother when she looked to him to do a miracle at a wedding. And he said this to his brothers when they wanted him to show himself to the world through the works he was doing.

And God waited thousands of years for just the right time to send his Son. The Bible says, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children” (Galatians 4:4-5).

We don’t know why God sent Jesus when he did, but we know it was the right time to do what he wanted to do.

The same is true with the dreams God gives you. Trust in his timing. You may not see or understand his timing right now, but you can trust that his plan is perfect.

10/24/2022

Hope matters.

In a world that often looks bleak, you need to understand that God’s best is yet to come.

In 1 Peter 1, you find five reasons why you can have hope, no matter what’s going on in your life.

God chose you before you chose him.
God always treats you with grace and mercy.
God has secured your future.
Today we’ll look at the fourth reason to have hope: God’s power will protect you.

The Bible says, “And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation” (1 Peter 1:5 ).

Let’s be honest: Sometimes we all find ourselves in situations where we feel hopeless, helpless, and powerless.

But the truth is, that’s a lie. You’re not hopeless, helpless, or powerless when you have God’s Spirit in your life. God says that his mighty power will protect you.

Have you ever walked by a house and seen a sign that says, “Protected by a security system”? As a follower of Christ, you could have something similar, a little sign that says, “Protected by God.”

The word “protect” in 1 Peter 1:5 literally means “garrison.” It means you’re continuously guarded by God’s power.

God is watching over you every moment of the day, just as a sentry or bodyguard would. Everything in your life is Father-filtered. He uses even the hard things caused by your sin or others’ sin for his good.

What’s your role in all of this? It’s really simple: You trust God. You are surrounded by an all-loving, all-powerful God, and you can always have hope, knowing that his power will protect you.

10/02/2022

heaven, think again.

You’re not going to sit around on a cloud doing nothing in heaven. God wired you and knows what you’re interested in. All your hobbies, skills, and talents come from him. He shaped you with your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. God didn’t make you extraordinarily unique just for Earth. He’s going to use your shape in eternity.

You will have work in heaven, but here’s the difference between work in heaven and work on Earth: In heaven, you’re guaranteed to enjoy your work. You won’t experience any heartache or stress over your work. It will be meaningful, enjoyable, and fulfilling all the time. You’ll have your dream job forever!

I don’t know what your specific roles or responsibilities will be in heaven. But I do know that they will be based on how faithful you are with the roles and responsibilities God has given you on Earth.

God is watching you, and he’s testing you. Life is a temporary assignment, and God wants to see how responsible, faithful, and trustworthy you are with the responsibilities you have now.

What are you doing with what you’ve been given? If you make the most of what you’ve been given, then God is going to give you more in heaven. You’ll make it into heaven because of God’s grace, but your rewards and responsibilities once you get there will be based on how faithfully you served God on Earth.

The Bible explains: “For unless you are honest in small matters, you won’t be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” (Luke 16:10-11)

God is watching to see how you manage your finances, your time, your relationships, your health, and your opportunities.

The way you manage your money is a test of your faithfulness, and it’s going to help determine what you do in heaven. If God can’t trust you with worldly wealth—you’re always in debt, you can’t afford to tithe, and you’re not generous—then what do you think he’s going to trust you with in eternity?

God is watching how you handle your responsibilities too—not because he wants to make you feel guilty but because he wants you to enjoy all the wonderful things heaven has to offer.

When you choose faithfulness in everything God has entrusted to you on Earth, then you will be entrusted with much more in heaven.

09/22/2022

Jesus is the only perfect human being who ever lived. He was God in human form and lived a perfect life. Jesus showed us exactly what it means to be fully human.

That’s why God wants you to learn to think like Jesus, act like Jesus, and value what Jesus does. God wants you to grow up and become more like Jesus.

You’ve probably spent a lot of time trying to determine what you want to do in life. But God is far more interested in who you are than what you do. You’re not taking your career to heaven. You are taking your character.

The Bible says, “From the very beginning God decided that those who came to him—and all along he knew who would—should become like his Son” Romans 8:29

God’s plan has always been for you to become like Jesus. It was God’s plan from the very beginning, even before Adam sinned.

The fruits of the Spirit are the perfect picture of who Jesus is and how he acts: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” Galatians 5:22-23

So how does God produce this kind of fruit in your life? He puts you in situations that are opposite of the fruit he’s growing in you. It’s easy to love people who are lovely; God will teach you love by putting you around unlovely people, so you have to learn love. During periods of grief, you’ll learn joy. You’ll learn patience when it’s tested.

God wants to build character in your life. You might want the process to be quick and easy, like a vending machine. A vending machine gives you what you want immediately, but much of what it offers is just junk that will harm you in the long run. How God works is the opposite of a vending machine. It’s slow and sometimes difficult, but over time it will build strong character in you.

Remember that growing up spiritually is a lifelong journey. Be patient.

The Bible says, “God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again” Philippians 1:6