Celebrate Recovery Weekly Encouragement 7-12-23

Ready for Change - Principle 5, Celebrate Recovery
Principle 5 says, "Submit willingly to any change God wants to make in my life and ask Him to humbly remove them." We need to get ready and be willing to let God change us. Let's dig deeper into the Bible to help us understand it better.

“And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭64‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Reflection: The idea of readiness in Principle 5 has to do with submitting ourselves fully to God's will, like clay does to the potter. The potter can only shape the clay into something beautiful and useful when it is ready and soft. In the same way, we need to be open to God's guiding hands for our hurts, habits, and hang-ups to heal.

To be ready, we have to admit that we are not perfect and believe that God can use our weaknesses to show how strong He is. It's about admitting we have no control and reaffirming our faith in God's power to heal and restore us in amazing ways. This ready is a big step toward God's plan coming true in and through us.

1. Take a personal inventory of your character flaws, accepting that you are not perfect and that you have no control over them.

2. Praying for the willingness to submit to God's will and the desire to accept the changes He wants to make in your life.

3. Trust God's Timing: Know that God's timing might not be the same as ours. We may have to wait longer than we would like. Patience and trust are important.

Prayer for this week:
Lord, we're grateful that You want to change us and make us more like You. Give us the spirit to be open to the changes You want to make in our lives. May we fully give ourselves over to You, knowing that You are a potter who carefully shapes us into what You want us to be. Help us be humble about our flaws and believe in Your ability to change us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Principle 5 of Celebrate Recovery tells us to be ready for the change God wants to bring about in us. To be ready, we have to give up, believe in God's timing, and be humble enough to admit our flaws. When we are ready and as malleable as clay in His hands, the process of change starts, putting us on the road to healing our various hurts, habits and hang ups.

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

Testimony Night!
Michael will be sharing how he has experienced “life change” with God and the men that have supported him thru this program! 

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.

I am a grateful believer and follower of Jesus Christ. I celebrate Recovery from drugs, alcohol and Pornography, I still struggle with mental health, relationships and food, my name is Brian.
For over 30 years I spent my life in active addiction. Alcohol was a staple addiction as well as pornography and drugs. I was raised in a Christian home and knew what I was doing was wrong, I could not control or stop myself.
“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Always on the look out for a better “escape” methamphetamine took over my life.
My addiction to methamphetamine took me to the lowest places I've ever experienced, but there came a time in my life, a moment of clarity, when I knew I had hit rock bottom and was ready to stop, get help and listen to someone other than myself. God started to reveal himself to me in different ways for numerous years during this fight.
God provided men, that came into my life, thru the program of Celebrate Recovery. If God had not done that I would not be here today.
The first meeting I attended was in 2013. I was invited to hear a testimony, he bugged me to go for days so I finally gave in. It took another three years before I made a choice to work the program. Since then God has opened up doors that I would have never imagined. Blessings beyond what I deserve. Daily I give my life and will over to His care.
Life’s not rainbows and unicorns. In fact the previous six or seven years have been some of the hardest times of my life. However God has been faithful even when I have not and has extended His mercy and created opportunities to grow closer to Him, and to serve others.
“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.”
‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬
For two years I served almost every week at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla with Celebrate Recovery on the Inside. Every Friday night their would be 140-150 men going thru step studies and working on themselves. I served in Reedley at Redeemers Church Celebrate Recovery and was the men’s ministry leader there for over three years. For my day job I work with men and women that struggle with opioid dependency. I am a certified drug and alcohol counselor and I am currrently working on my bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis on addiction and recovery. In 2021, after much prayer and guidance an opportunity was created to open Celebrate Recovery at New Life Community in Dinuba. The process would take over a year before we were ready to open the doors.
It is by the grace and mercy of God that I am able to serve as the ministry leader for Celebrate Recovery here at New Life Community.
If anyone is looking for perfection or someone to set on a pedestal, keep looking because I am still broken and fallible. I still let people down, make mistakes and sin. I am a sinner saved by the grace of God.
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬
For the newcomer: Nothing changes if nothing changes. Just walking thru the doors to a recovery meeting is scary and a positive first step. If you have ever been hurt, have a habit that you wanna look at or a hang up that’s a negative in your life, then come join us Thursday nights at Celebrate Recovery New Life Community. I can guarantee you that there’s NO perfect people here!
Come as you are and bring a friend!