2022 | Day Sixteen | Discussion Starter
Early in my recovery I remember many people who spoke like they knew what recovery was all about.
Latest Posts
2022 | Day Sixteen | Morning Harmony
Tomorrow I am going back to work after three weeks off. Three weeks in which the omicron virus has run riot in Victoria, Australia.
2022 | Day Fifteen | Discussion Starter
Matthew 9:28 When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!”
Seeing isn’t always believing. Often when we start attending recovery groups we see what is going on but we don’t believe it. There is a saying “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.” For some of us until we start experiencing changes in our lives because of recovery we just don’t believe it.
This scripture tells of some of the miraculous healing powers of Jesus. In the featured verse, Jesus asked two blind men “do you believe I can do this?”
Do you believe Jesus can heal people?
A question we all need to answer as we progress in the process of recovery.
- Do I believe Jesus cares enough about me to heal me?
Prayer: Just for today, Lord help me to believe that You love me and care enough about me to heal me
“The health of the apple tells the health of the tree.” You must begin with your own life-giving lives.
We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now.
Jesus said to His disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. “ Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there’s no getting around it.
Recovery is not always going to be easy
But it is always going to be worth it
2022 – Spiritual Foundations – Week Three
LIFE IS VALUABLE
Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever.
1 Timothy 4:8
Living life in recovery according to God’s will makes life valuable. Through this process God asked us to choose life through following Jesus rather than leading life according to our own sinful desires.
God wants us through the process to stop trying to control our own destiny and let Him guide us. This makes sense based on the way we lived prior to recovery and the fact that Christ knows better than us what is good for us and what we need to keep moving forward in life.
God also asks us to submit to Him in order that we might lose our self- centredness and understand the value of our own lives and the lives of others i n our circle of influence.
– What value do you place on your life and the lives of others now that you are progressing spiritually in recovery?
Prayer: Lord help me to place the same value on life as You do.
- GOD CREATED US
God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female. Genesis 1:27
Hebrews 11:3 By faith, we see the world called into existence by God’s word, what we see created by what we don’t see.
John 1:3 Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!— came into being without him.
- GOD LOVES US
Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.
Ephesians 1:4
Romans 5:8 God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.
Zephaniah 3:17 God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he’ll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.
- GOD VALUES US
We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin.
Hebrews 4:15
1 John 3:2 Friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him.
God’s name is a place of protection— good people can run there and be safe.
Proverbs 18:10
2022 | Day Fifteen | Morning Harmony
PRAYER: Just for today God help me to apply Your truth to my life. Teach me the areas that need refining. In Your time, when You think I am ready use me to help others on the road to recovery so they may triumph over their addictions and compulsions and be all that You want them to be,
2022 | Day Fifteen | Verse For Today
Don’t set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father’; you have only one Father, and he’s in heaven. And don’t let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ. “Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. Matthew 23:9-11
- A life of humble service is the goal of all recovery.
2022 | Day Fourteen | Discussion Starter
Legalism is faith gone wrong. It puts the emphasis on doing what you are allowed to do instead of following God.
2022 | Day Fourteen | Morning Harmony
Time is a talent God gives to us. Our time is misused when it is not used according to God’s design.
2022 | Day Thirteen | Discussion Starter
Throw out anything tainted with evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22
I learned bad habits by doing bad things. I did bad things because they felt good. Notice I said ‘they felt good’ not ‘they were right.’
Recovery is about doing the right thing. We are all born knowing the difference between right and wrong. Most of us end up in trouble because we choose to do wrong. I did.
In recovery and in life the best source I have found to learn the right thing from is the Bible. God created us in His image and He gave us His Word as a guide of how to live life as He wants us to.
- Do you read the Bible?
- Do you Pray?
- If not, why not?
- Are you willing to start?
Prayer: God today give me a desire to do the right thing. Give me a thirst to know Your Word and to apply it to my life.
don’t take God for Granted
Psalm 18:21 Now I’m alert to God’s ways; I don’t take God for granted.
bad habits are as bad as vandalism
Proverbs 18:9 Slack habits and sloppy work are as bad as vandalism.
listening to god is a good habit to adapt
Romans 6:17-18 Thank God you’ve started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!
prayer is a good HABit to adapt
Acts 10:1-2 There was a man named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea, captain of the Italian Guard stationed there. He was a thoroughly good man. He had led everyone in his house to live worshipfully before God, was always helping people in need, and had the habit of prayer.
2022 | Day Thirteen | Morning Harmony
We can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. All praise to God and our One True Higher Power, Jesus Christ! God is the Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God, turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,” ignore what the world worships; The world’s a huge stockpile of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
MEDITATION
When the Holy Spirit convinces us to receive Christ we get a new perspective and a new mindset on life, We trust that God has our lives planned and He will guide us and equip us for wherever He wants us to go. Faith in God helps us to face the truth about ourselves, our lives, and our need for change. Some of us believe because Godcomforts us our problems are going to go away. We need to understand God will give us the strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our problems.
If today you are feeling overwhelmed at what lies ahead of you, I ask you to remember God is there to help. He places in our lives other people on the same path so we can help us and they can help us move forward in the recovery process. The passage above says ‘blessed are you who give yourselves to God.’ It also says we need to turn our backs on the world’s ‘sure thing’ ACTION IS THE MAGIC WORD!
PRAYER
Just for today, God help me to turn my back on the things that seem like a shortcut to solving my problems. Give me the strength, encouragement and, hope to listen to the people you place in my life. Help me to help them where I can as they also help me on the road to recovery.