Celebrate Recovery offers freedom from life's hurts, hang-ups and habits through God's healing and redemptive power using the “Eight Recovery Principles” based on the Beatitudes with a 12 step approach. The 12 Steps with accompanying Scriptures and the 8 Principles based on the Beatitudes offer participants a clear path of salvation and discipleship; bringing hope, freedom, sobriety, healing, and
the opportunity to give back one day at a time through our one and only true Higher Power, Jesus Christ. The 12 Steps and the 8 Principles work seamlessly together, tying historical recovery to timeless Biblical teaching. Print Email
CELEBRATE RECOVERY 12 STEPS AND 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. We 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 NIV
3. We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills 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 NIV
4. We 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 NIV
5. We 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 NIV
6 We 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 NIV
7 We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 NIV
8 We 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 NIV
9 We 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 NIV
10 We continue 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 Corinthians 10:12
11 We 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 NIV
12 Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we try 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 them gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Galatians 6:1 NIV
CELEBRATE RECOVERY'S EIGHT RECOVERY PRINCIPLES
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY BASED ON THE BEATITUDES
Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable. (Step 1)
“Happy are those who know that they are spiritually poor.” Matthew 5:3a TEV
Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him and that He has the power to help me recover. (Step 2)
“Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 TEV, NIV
Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. (Step 3)
“Happy are the meek.” Matthew 5:5a TEV
Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust. (Steps 4 and 5)
“Happy are the pure in heart.” Matthew 5:8a TEV
Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. (Steps 6 and 7)
“Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires” Matthew 5:6a TEV
Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others when possible, except when to do so would harm them or others. (Steps 8 and 9)
“Happy are the merciful.” Matthew 5:7a TEV; “Happy are the peacemakers” Matthew 5:9 TEV
Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will. (Steps 10 and 11)
Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and my words. (Step 12)
“Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.” Matthew 5:10 TEV
LIFE'S HEALING CHOICES
5 WAYS TO USE LIFE’S HEALING CHOICES IN YOUR CELEBRATE RECOVERY®
OUTREACH TOOL
Just as the rest of the Celebrate Recovery curriculum, Life’s Healing Choices should be available on your resource table for purchase by your Celebrate Recovery participants. This will provide an outreach opportunity to purchase the book and give it to someone they want to invite to Celebrate Recovery. This is a great tool to reach more people for Christ, as well as, inform them about Celebrate Recovery. OVERVIEW FOR NEWCOMERS
When someone new comes into the program, they can be completely overwhelmed. By reading Life’s Healing Choices they can get a quick, solid understanding of the Eight Principles and what Celebrate Recovery is all about. This is not to be a replacement for working the program, but it can serve as a great way to help the newcomer get started. DEEPEN ALL PARTICIPANTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF THE 8 PRINCIPLES
It doesn’t matter where someone is in their Celebrate Recovery journey, if they are newcomers or have been attending for years; Life’s Healing Choices presents the 8 Principles / 8 Choices in fresh new ways. We can all afford to learn more about these biblically-based principles. Also, the 16 testimonies contained within are a great source of encouragement to those in the program. ADDITIONAL RESOURCE FOR STEP STUDIES
Using Life’s Healing Choices in Step Studies as devotional reading and as outside assignments allows participants a chance to dig deeper into the Principles and find more healing through the Bible verses and references. TEACHING THE CELEBRATE RECOVERY LESSONS
Those who teach the lessons from the Celebrate Recovery Leader’s Guide will find a wealth of knowledge in Life’s Healing Choices. Celebrate Recovery teachers will find material in the book not covered anywhere else. There are insights found in Life’s Healing Choices that will provide teachers with new illustrations and teaching opportunities
