Celebrate Recovery at Racine Christian Church

10/11/2026

Join us tomorrow night.

10/10/2026

DID YOU KNOW YOUR TESTIMONY CAN HELP SOMEONE ELSE FIND HOPE?

There is power in telling the truth about what God has brought you through.

Your story doesn’t have to be perfect.
It doesn’t have to be dramatic.
And you don’t have to have everything figured out.

You simply have to be willing to say…

“This is where I was. This is what happened. And this is what God is doing in my life.”

When we share our testimony, someone listening may realize they aren’t alone.

Someone may hear their own struggle in your story.

Someone who thought change was impossible may begin to believe recovery is possible for them, too.

Revelation 12:11 reminds us that we overcome “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

Your story has a purpose.

Don’t be ashamed of the chapters God has redeemed.

What He has brought you through may become the very thing He uses to help bring someone else through.

10/10/2026

Four Friends

In chapter two of the gospel according to Mark, we read about an incident that happened when Jesus was teaching in someone’s home. It was very crowded. Everyone wanted to see Jesus and touch him since they had heard news of his miracles. People not only filled the house but the yard as well. Four men heard that Jesus, the healer, would be there and had the idea to take a friend who was paralyzed. They felt certain that if they could get their friend in front of Jesus, something could be done for him.

Seeing that the doors and windows were blocked, they decided that they might be able to drop their friend down through the roof on a mat. And guess what, their crazy scheme worked! They peeled back the roofing and made a hole large enough to lower their friend down. Jesus, seeing their faith, immediately responded. He both forgave the man’s sins and healed him.

That man was certainly fortunate to have four friends ready not only to take him to Jesus but also to fight to get him in front of the one person who could heal him. We all need to be that kind of friend because there are people all around us who need miracles. Let’s keep our eyes open for opportunities to use our faith on behalf of others.

Prayer

Thank you, Father, for showing me who it is that needs my help finding a miracle. Show me how to bring that person to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

10/08/2026

The Third Step

One step at a time—that’s how it’s done! In the first step, we acknowledged that we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors. In Step 2, we came to believe that there is a power greater than ourselves who loves us and wants to restore us to wholeness. Those first two steps were so important they established a cause for action. Step 3 is our first action step.

Step 3: We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God.

God has given each of us a precious gift: the freedom to choose. It was a risky proposition for him. He wanted us to choose good, but knew we might choose evil. He wanted us to choose life, but what if we chose death? He wanted us to choose freedom, but knew we might choose addiction. Still, it was a risk he was willing to take so that he would know this: when we ask him into our lives, it is because we have freely chosen to have him there.

The third step offers us the opportunity to choose to surrender our lives to God, an opportunity to choose freedom over our self-will, which always falls short of the mark.

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for giving me the power to choose. I see that it is a wonderful gift. Help me use it in a way that is pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

10/07/2026

Course Correction

Most of us tend to think that we have a lot of control over our lives. But the reality is that what we truly have control over is a pretty short list. Take just a moment to think about it—the only things we can control are our choices and our reactions. In so many ways we are powerless, but we do have the ability to make course corrections in our choices and reactions along the way. We need to ask ourselves these probing questions:

• Do I see myself heading down a road that won’t end well for me? Course correction.
• Am I tempted to do something I know is wrong? Course correction.
• Have I seen myself react in an inappropriate way? Course correction.
• Am I aware of certain relationships that aren’t good for me? Course correction.
• Am I involved in a situation that I know could lead to disaster? Course correction.

It’s true that we don’t have much control over our lives. It’s better just to acknowledge that. But we do have the power to correct our course and change the situation we’re in. We have the power to call someone for support, pray over the situation, make adjustments when necessary. When we hear ourselves say, “I don’t have a choice,” we should think twice. We always have a choice. We may not make the right one or react the right way every time, but we have the ability, with God’s power, to change things in our lives.

Prayer

Father, help me to make good choices for my life—choices that will keep me headed toward all you have for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

10/06/2026

Monday October 12 we are blessed with a live testimony.

10/06/2026

The Second Step

The admission that we are powerless over an addiction or compulsive behavior in our lives opens us up to reach out to God. We begin to understand that he wants to fill our lives with his love, his joy, his hope, and his presence. That first step turned our eyes away from ourselves as the source of healing, and the second step turns our eyes toward God.

Step 2: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

If we can’t heal ourselves, then who can we turn to for help? God is the only one who has the power to exchange our chaos for freedom. Of course, he knew long before we did what would be needed. He sent Jesus to save us from sin and sickness. He sent his power player to earth, someone who was tempted as we are in all ways but without sin. He is not just a higher power. He is the “highest” power, because he has conquered all life can dish out. He did that for us so we could imagine freedom from sin in our own lives.

What freedom it brings to know that when we are powerless, we have an ally to help us through the hard times—and all the times are hard, aren’t they?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I’ve made such a mess of things. I’m so grateful that you cared for me and came to show me the way out of chaos and into freedom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

10/04/2026

One Day at a Time

Most of us don’t seek help until we realize that something is out of control in our lives. Sometimes another person realizes it for us, but either way, we come looking for help in an area that obviously needs attention. After we’ve been in recovery for a while, however, it becomes clear that flaws in our character may have been what got us into big trouble in the first place. If we don’t deal with them, they will keep us from living a life fully committed to Christ.

The bad news is that we all have these character flaws. No one is perfect. Maybe we are people pleasers, or we have anger issues. We might feel we have to spend money to feel good about ourselves, or we use food to stuff our emotions. We may have control issues. Whatever the case, these character flaws are always at the root of our big problems.

It’s important to acknowledge these character flaws and offer them to God. We start with the big issue, the one causing us the most pain, and
then we begin working on all the smaller areas God reveals to us. The process works because God is in it. All we need to do is acknowledge the need for change, offer ourselves to him, and then work alongside him while he works those things out in our lives.

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for helping me to see the f laws behind my failings. With your help, I will face them one day at a time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

10/03/2026

10/03/2026

Celebrate Your Recovery

Have you ever wondered why Celebrate Recovery is called Celebrate Recovery? Well . . . people usually seek help when things are bad. Which means none of us has much to celebrate when we first enter the program. That isn’t always the case, of course, but usually people begin coming to Celebrate Recovery when things are far from ideal.

But soon, God begins to change things. He takes our pain and gives us purpose. He takes our crying and turns it into praise. He gives us joy and peace and freedom from our hurts, hang-ups, and habits. He gives us reason to celebrate.

Of course, it doesn’t happen all at once. There will still be days when we hurt, feel stuck, or don’t believe there is much to celebrate. There are sure to be hard times in recovery—pain we have to face, amends we have to make, forgiveness we must offer. But for those who hold on, there is hope and healing. There is reason to celebrate!

The important thing to remember is that we must hold fast to our commitment. We must refuse to quit. Each day we actively work toward our recovery, we will be able to thank God and share our testimony with someone who needs to hear it. Each day, we come one step closer to complete healing for our lives.

Prayer

Father, I feel stuck right now. Please give me the resolve to continue to seek recovery. In Jesus’ name, Amen.