Ephesians 4:31 tells us to ‘get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.’
Have you ever tried to do this by mere willpower, focusing only on the behavior itself? Most of us wouldn’t last a day. Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount that He wants us to apprentice under Him and undergo a spiritual transformation that will lead us more and more into Christlikeness. Writer Dallas Willard defines spiritual formation this way: Spiritual formation for the Christ-follower refers to the Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self in such a way that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself. Jesus often asked questions in the New Testament to reveal what was in people’s hearts – the good, the bad and the ugly.
Join us from 7-8:30 pm Wednesday at Celebrate Recovery as we discuss how asking questions of ourselves through an inventory process under the direction of the Holy Spirit will lead to growth in Christlike character.
What is Celebrate Recovery? Celebrate Recovery is a forward-looking spiritual growth discipleship program designed to help people live a free life devoted to Jesus Christ. Celebrate Recovery, rooted in the beatitudes, is the mechanics of how to talk and walk a Christian life. Personal responsibility and a spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ are emphasized. Our large group meeting includes live contemporary worship music, and alternates between a testimony and a recovery lesson week to week. CR is a safe, confidential and anonymous program that follows 12 biblical steps designed in a specific order to help you gain freedom from the compulsive behaviors, patterns, addictions, dysfunction and pain that may be weighing you down. These steps answer the ‘how’ of apprenticeship to Jesus while the 8 principles we follow based on the beatitudes answer the ‘why.’
These hurts, habits and hang-ups include, but are not limited to:
• abandonment issues
• abuse recovery
• anger
• apathy
• approval issues
• boundary issues
• bitterness/hatred
• chemical dependency
• codependency (aka the ‘disease to please’)
• control issues
• compulsive shopping
• depression
• distraction/hurried, frenetic lifestyle
• divorce recovery
• domestic violence
• eating disorders
• fear/anxiety
• financial issues
• flawed thinking patterns (catastrophizing, minimizing, blaming, etc)
• gambling addiction
• grief
• guilt
• hurtful or dysfunctional relationships
• insecurity
• legalism
• lying
• narcissistic behaviors
• manipulation
• obsessive-compulsiveness
• overspending
• performance mentality
• perfectionism
• viewing pornography
• pride
• procrastination
• fear of rejection
• resentments
• self-pity
• sexual abuse
• sexual addiction
• shame
• Trust issues
• Unforgiveness
• workaholism/accomplishment compulsion
Contact co-ministry leaders Andrea Gillhoolley at agillhoolley717@gmail.com or Jason Gillhoolley at jgillhoolley@gmail.com for more information. In addition to the large group, CR has small groups that meet on a separate day and time. Small groups are held Thursday evenings via Zoom. Men meet at 8 pm and can contact Jason to join the group. Women meet at 6:30 pm and can contact Andrea.