Magnetic Church
RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP
THE TWELVE STEPS – A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
WEEK ONE
INTRODUCTION TO THE JOURNEY
The House of Hope Recovery Support Group, under the leadership of South Coast City
Church, Thirroul, is founded on the Word of God and the Twelve Step process outlined in
The Twelve Steps – A Spiritual Journey: A Working Guide for Healing (RPI Publishing Inc.,
1998).
By following these teachings, the program aims to provide participants with a personal
guide to understanding the spiritual power of the Twelve Steps from a Christian
perspective. These meetings are primarily directed at adults whose lives have been
negatively affected by substance abuse, emotional problems, or compulsive behaviors.
The Twelve Steps, as outlined in the program, offer a path to grow beyond the harmful
effects of these conditions.
The Twelve Steps – A Spiritual Journey follows the teachings of the Bible to help
participants rediscover and deepen their spiritual awareness. We learn how to live our
lives according to the guidance of God through the Holy Spirit. Through this program, we
realize that the void or despair we feel often results from ignoring or rejecting our
relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ.
This program has helped countless individuals recover from many forms of addictive,
compulsive, or obsessive behaviors. It combines the tested wisdom of Biblical truths with
the proven effectiveness of the Twelve Step principles. The program encourages self-
understanding and emphasizes the unchanging love of God for all humanity.
Scriptural passages are used throughout to illustrate the harmony between the practice of
Christianity and the principles of the Twelve Steps.
The use of Scripture provides an understanding of the Twelve Steps within a Biblical
context. When used as intended, the Steps are a profoundly powerful process that allows
God to heal damaged emotions. The Twelve Steps are a spiritual tool that helps us regain
balance and order, leading to improved health and increased happiness through a
renewed relationship with God.
As Christians, we believe that God reveals much of His plan for each of us in the Holy
Scriptures. Both mature Christians and those who are just awakening to a personal
relationship with God can find tremendous value in the Twelve Steps. By regularly
applying them to the events of one’s life, the Steps become a means for enriching one’s
relationship with God.
The Steps are especially powerful when used together with regular Christian practices
such as prayer, meditation, and Bible study. We will discover the unique ways in which the
Holy Scriptures support and expand our understanding of the Steps.
Your Story: Describe your practice of prayer, Bible reading, or quiet time.
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The Twelve Step process of recovery is a spiritual journey. It takes us from a life of
confusion and grief to a place of peace and serenity—one day at a time. Many changes
can and will come over us, but they do not happen all at once. The process takes time
and patience. God, in His timing, instills in us the strength of character that only comes
from a healthy relationship with Him.
Your Story: Describe your present spiritual condition.
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We may have many self-defeating habits or behaviors that need correcting. When
examining our inappropriate methods of relating to others, it is important to remember
the ways in which these patterns began. Because of the chaotic conditions of our
childhood, we developed behaviors that now sabotage and undermine the successful
management of our lives as adults. Having grown up in emotionally repressive families,
we became accustomed to denying our pain and discomfort. Most of us found it
necessary to shut down our feelings and keep everything locked inside. We learned that
expressing our own wants and needs often caused rejection. This rejection stimulated
intense feelings of inadequacy.
Your Story: Recall one painful incident from childhood.
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In our present environments, we may have trouble freely expressing pain, fear, anger, or
need. We repress our true feelings because we continue to view our environment in the
same way we did in childhood. When we openly express our needs, we risk rejection.
To avoid rejection, many of us compensate for our repressed feelings by doing things to
extremes. Our behavior may include preoccupation with relationships, church, or work.
Alternatively, we may cover our true feelings through overwork, overeating, or the use of
mood-altering substances such as drugs or alcohol.
Your Story: What behaviors do you use to compensate for or cover your uncomfortable
feelings?
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Your Story: How do these behaviors affect the rest of your life?
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The healing process begins when we look honestly at ourselves. We see the chaotic
conditions of our lives as a result of not being prepared for adult relationships and
responsibilities. God has given us free will. We can choose several ways of relating to the
people and events in our lives. It is important to set aside some of our negative childhood
messages and begin the work of learning new behaviours that will better serve us.
Some of us were taught to believe that if we are Christians, our lives will “automatically”
be in order and we will experience peace and serenity. Yet many Christians know their
lives are in turmoil despite their intense devotion to religion. Time, patience, and
commitment to God’s principles and ways are required to change. Our Christian
experience does not magically erase the pain and consequences of the past. Instead, our
faith empowers us to live life according to God’s will.
For Christians who suffer from an addictive disease, or who are the product of a family
with addictive traits, the Church’s message can sometimes be perceived as shaming. This
can keep a person from seeking recovery. There is rarely confusion, however, when the
Church’s message is honesty. The Bible modelled this honesty by documenting both the
strengths and weaknesses of God’s people. Unfortunately, for some, to admit to
imperfection means admitting we need God — and that is OK.
True recovery begins as we work the spiritual principles embodied in the Twelve Steps. It
is most easily accomplished when we acknowledge our need for help, comfort, and
courage to face our problems.
Your Story: Explain how your religious experience reinforced your tendency to deny your
need for healing.
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Working the steps with God’s help enables us to acknowledge much of our negative or
repressed nature. This process is similar to sunlight and shadow. When we stand in the
sunlight, we see that we cast a shadow. In the same way, as we begin to work the steps
and measure ourselves by God’s standards and principles, we see our need. Standing
before the Lord and seeking His healing grace does not automatically relieve us of the
pain or consequences of the consequences of our past behaviours. We do find, however,
that by asking God for help in facing our old behaviours, we are able to begin the work of
change and healing.
Diligently seeking God’s will for us and following this simple program enables us to re-
examine our relationship with God. This process helps us discover new ways in which the
Holy Spirit empowers our daily lives. We learn to look fearlessly at our “shadow” — that
part of us which has been ignored for so long. With the help of God’s grace, we
experience changes in unwanted behaviours such as people-pleasing, repressed anger,
obsessive thinking, or inappropriate sexual behaviour.
Through our relationship with Christ, we are able to redefine the limits we have set for
ourselves, and we discover that “all things are possible” for those who love God.
Thought: God's judgement: we get what we deserve.
God's mercy: we don't get what we deserve.
God's Grace: we get more than we deserve.
God doesn't have any problems only plans.
Your Story: What personal need brings you to this recovery support group?
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With God's power, the Twelve Step program can be a tool to relieve our suffering, fill our
emptiness, and help us extend God's presence in our lives. This releases energy, love, and
joy that are new to us. It is a program we follow at our own pace, in our own way. We
walk this journey one step at a time, with God's help and the support of others in the
program. All we need is an open mind. Much of the work is done by God's spirit working
through us. If we work the steps faithfully, we notice improvements in ourselves: our
awareness, our sensitivity, our ability to love and be free. Our spiritual and emotional
growth may surprise us.
Taken from: The Twelve Steps – A Spiritual Journey: A Working Guide for Healing, RPI Publishing Inc., 1998