We are so excited to announce that we are beginning a new Biblical Counseling and Christian Life Coaching ministry here at Elpis Christian Church using the tremendous resources of the Celebrate Recovery program, first developed in 1991 at Saddleback Church by Pastor Dr. Rick Warren and Pastor John Baker.
Who might benefit from being a participant in this program? That’s easy – anyone and everyone. Consider this:
“You may think recovery is only for drug addicts and alcoholics—people whose lives seem out of control. But that’s just not true. The Bible teaches that all of us have addictions in our lives. Sin is addicting, and the Bible says, “all have sinned.” Not one of us is perfect. We’ve all blown it; we’ve all made mistakes. We’ve hurt ourselves, we’ve hurt other people, and others have hurt us. Because of sin, each of us needs repentance and recovery in order to live the way God intended. That’s why, years ago, we at Saddleback developed a Biblical recovery program based on the Beatitudes of Jesus. We named the program Celebrate Recovery.
The goal of the Celebrate Recovery program is not simply to recover from past sins and hurts. The goal is to become Christlike in our character.”
He continues,
“So no matter what situation you find yourself in, here’s good news: regardless of whether your problem is emotional, financial, relational, spiritual, sexual or whatever, regardless of what you need help with, God wants to help you. In Isaiah 57:18–19 God says of his people that he has seen how they acted but he will heal them, he will lead them and help them and will comfort those who mourn. So God knows us. He knows where we came from, where we stand today, and where we’re going to be tomorrow. And he says:
• If you’ve been hurt, “I want to heal you.”
• If you’re confused, “I want to lead you.”
• If you’ve ever felt you were helpless to change anything, “I want to help you.”
• If you’ve ever felt no one understands your problem, “I want to comfort you.”
• If you feel worried or afraid, “I want to offer peace to you.”
Zondervan,. NIV, Celebrate Recovery Study Bible . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Stay tuned… we will soon offer all sorts of opportunities to begin an exciting journey to growth… as a follower of Jesus Christ, our ultimate “higher power.”
In the meantime, click on the Celebrate Recovery link above, where you will find a video link explaining more about the ministry.
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