Celebrate Recovery Weekly Encouragement 7-5-23

 Allowing God to Work in Your Life

In our recovery, one of the biggest steps we can take is to be ready and willing to allow God to work in our lives. Surrendering to His plan requires trust, humility, and a deep desire for His transforming power.
Isaiah 64:8 (NIV)
"Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay; you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."
As we come before God we must recognize that He knows what is best for us. Just as a potter molds the clay, God desires to shape our lives according to His perfect plan. We need to allow Him access to every area of our hearts, minds, and lives. But how do we prepare ourselves for this?

Trust in God
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Trusting in God means surrendering our lives and our will over to him. When we let go of our own plans and yield to His guidance, we position ourselves to experience His love, grace and mercy. “Let go and let God”

Embrace Humility
James 4:10 (NIV)
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
Humility opens the door to God's work in our lives. By recognizing our need for Him and willingly letting go of pride and self will, we create space for His grace to flow into every aspect of our lives.

Aligning with Gods will
Matthew 6:10 (NIV)
"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
To allow God to work in our lives, we must surrender our desires and align ourselves with His will. Seeking His kingdom first means making His agenda our top priority, trusting that He knows what is best for us.

Daily Surrender
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
Daily surrender involves offering ourselves fully to God, not just once but as a continuous act. It requires intentionally renewing our minds according to His Word, allowing Him  to shape our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

Trusting Him in humility, seeking alignment with His will, and practicing daily surrender will enable us to experience Him and will transform us. As we yield to His will we can be confident that He will mold us and make us into the men and women that He wants us to be.

Brian Willems CADC 1
Ministry Leader
Celebrate Recovery
New Life Community Dinuba

This week we are going to be talking about surrendering our lives and will over to God.
The following is an excerpt from this weeks lesson:
I’m an alcoholic, have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder and had an addiction to pornography, but there came a time in my life, a moment of clarity, when I knew I had hit bottom and was ready to stop, get help and listen to someone other than myself. But was I ready to stop lying? Stop being greedy? Ready to let go of resentments? I had been doing these things for a long time. Like weeds in a garden, they had developed roots!

Opioid deaths are at an all time high here in the Central Valley, as well as all across our country.
Naloxone (Narcan) is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. It is an opioid antagonist. This means that it attaches to opioid receptors and reverses and blocks the effects of other opioids. Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose. But, naloxone has no effect on someone who does not have opioids in their system, and it is not a treatment for opioid use disorder. Examples of opioids include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, and morphine.
After the training BCJC will be on hand to distribute Narcan to everyone that attends.

Hello! I am a grateful believer in Jesus Christ, and I am in recovery from anxiety, depression, and emotional abandonment stemming from childhood sexual abuse and grief & loss after my father's murder. My name is Mari.
Nearly fifteen years ago, I mustered up the courage to put my pride aside and walked through the doors of Celebrate Recovery (CR). My initial journey was lukewarm. I assumed the program was exclusively for individuals struggling with substance use/abuse addiction. My then-pastor recommended my now ex-spouse and I to attend CR. Honestly, I had feelings of resentment and could not understand why "I" should be at CR, especially when I had a valid reason to be upset with my ex. Neither of us struggled with substance use/abuse. After all, he was the one that needed the program, not me! I was so wrong. Soon, I discovered CR was an evidence/ faith-based program that served individuals with any hurts, habits, or hang-ups.
After two weeks, my ex stopped attending, and I continued. Hearing and seeing the diverse women and men who shared their testimonies of recovery and restoration inspired me to return. I got my feet wet in a confidential open-share group with the support of Christ-led trained facilitators who also went through the program. I felt ready to learn about myself FOR myself and committed to a step-study group. Here is where I learned about myself and no longer ran from my anxiety, depression, or emotional abandonment. Even when I tried, I had a sponsor and accountability partner who walked alongside me gently. I say gently because I would have left the program if I felt pressured or judged.
As a result, I'm no longer tormented by night terrors, feelings of unworthiness, or doubt. Instead, they have been replaced with faith-based interventions, self-love, forgiveness, hope, and accountability! In September, I will celebrate 15 years of restoration and the honor of serving Christ in CR leadership. Nonetheless, my heart is meeting newcomers who walk through our doors for the first time. As for my children, I have provided them with tools to break unhealthy cultural intergenerational coping skills by leaning toward Christ's guidance. Possible newcomers: Please visit us! Learn about an existing forever family that will meet you exactly where you are! Your story is our inspiration!
Psalms 40:1-4 NIV
I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.