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CelebrateRecovery L e a de r’s G uide9780310082422 celrecovery LG int.indd 14/25/16 11:41 AM
John Baker is the founder of Celebrate Recovery , a ministry started atSaddleback Church. It is estimated that over the last 25 years more than 1.5million people have gone through this Christ-centered recovery program.There are currently over 27,000 churches that have weekly Celebrate Recovery meetings.John has been on staff since Celebrate Recovery started. He has served asthe Pastor of Membership, the Pastor of Ministries, and is currently the Pastor of Saddleback Church’s Signature Ministries. He is also serving as one ofthe nine Elder Pastors at Saddleback. John is a nationally known speaker andtrainer in helping churches start Celebrate Recovery ministries.John’s writing accomplishments include Celebrate Recovery’s The JourneyBegins Curriculum, Life’s Healing Choices, the Celebrate Recovery Study Bible(general editor), and The Landing and Celebration Place (coauthor). John’snewest books are Your First Step to Celebrate Recovery and The CelebrateRecovery Devotional (coauthor).John and his wife Cheryl, the cofounder of Celebrate Recovery, have beenmarried for more than four decades and have served together in CelebrateRecovery since the beginning. They have two adult children, Laura andJohnny, and five grandchildren.Johnny Baker has been on staff at Celebrate Recovery since 2004 andhas been the Pastor of Celebrate Recovery at Saddleback Church since 2012.As an adult child of an alcoholic who chose to become an alcoholic himself,Johnny is passionate about breaking the cycle of dysfunction in his familyand helping other families find the tools that will lead to healing and openness. He knows that because of Jesus Christ, and by continuing to stay activein Celebrate Recovery, Maggie, Chloe, and Jimmy — his three children — will never see him drink. Johnny is a nationally recognized speaker, trainer,and teacher of Celebrate Recovery. He is a coauthor of the Celebrate RecoveryDaily Devotional, Celebration Place, and The Landing, and is an associate editor of the Celebrate Recovery Study Bible. He has been married since 2000 tohis wife Jeni, who serves alongside him in Celebrate Recovery.9780310082422 celrecovery LG int.indd 24/25/16 11:41 AM
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AUTHOR’S NOTE:Because I have picked up a variety of quotes and slogans from numerous recovery meetings, tapes, and seminars, I have not been able to provide some sources for all of thematerial here. If you feel that I have quoted your material, please let me know and I willbe pleased to give you the credit.ZONDERVANCelebrate Recovery Leader’s Guide, Newly Updated EditionCopyright 1998, 2005, 2012 by John BakerRequests for information should be addressed to:Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546ISBN 978-0-310-08242-2All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, NewInternational Version , NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used bypermission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The “NIV”and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patentand Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Scripture quotations marked LB are taken from The Living Bible. Copyright 1971 byTyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked GNT are taken from the Good New Translation in Today’sEnglish Version—Second Edition. Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used bypermission.Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version . 2005 byThomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked MSG [or The Message] are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of TyndaleHouse Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked AB are from The Amplified Bible, New Testament. Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Usedby permission.Scripture quotations marked NEB are taken from the New English Bible. CambridgeUniversity Press and Oxford University Press 1961, 1970. All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked PH are from J. B. Phillips: The New Testament in ModernEnglish, revised edition, J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972.Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book areoffered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsementby Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers forthe life of this book.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopy,recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the priorpermission of the publisher.Cover design: Brand NavigationCover photography: 123rf.comPrinted in the United States of America16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 /PHP/ 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 19780310082422 celrecovery LG int.indd 44/25/16 11:41 AM
This book is dedicated to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.To my wife, Cheryl, and my children, Laura and Johnny,for loving me no matter what.To Pastors Rick Warren and Glen Kreun,for trusting and believing in me.To the Saddleback Church staff, for their support.To the thousands of courageous men and women who have celebratedtheir recoveries with me over the last twenty years!9780310082422 celrecovery LG int.indd 54/25/16 11:41 AM
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ContentsThe Road to Recovery: Eight Principles Based on the Beatitudes / 9Twelve Steps and Their Biblical Comparisons / 10Foreword by Rick Warren / 12From My Heart to Yours / 14Getting Started / 21The Journey Begins: Part 1Principle 1: Realize I’m not God. I admit that I am powerless to controlmy tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.“Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor.”Lesson 1: Denial / 67Lesson 2: Powerless / 74The Journey Begins: Part 2Principle 2: Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matterto Him, and that He has the power to help me recover.“Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”Lesson 3: Hope / 89Lesson 4: Sanity / 93The Journey Begins: Part 3Principle 3: Consciously choose to commit all my lifeand will to Christ’s care and control.“Happy are the meek.”Lesson 5: Turn / 105Lesson 6: Action / 110The Journey Begins: Part 4Principle 4: Openly examine and confess my faults to myself,to God, and to someone I trust.“Happy are the pure in heart.”Lesson 7: Sponsor / 123Lesson 8: Moral / 129Lesson 9: Inventory / 134Lesson 10: Spiritual Inventory Part 1 / 1389780310082422 celrecovery LG int.indd 74/25/16 11:41 AM
Lesson 11: Spiritual Inventory Part 2 / 143Lesson 12: Confess / 147Lesson 13: Admit / 152The Journey Begins: Part 5Principle 5: Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to makein my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects.“Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.”Lesson 14: Ready / 165Lesson 15: Victory / 169The Journey Begins: Part 6Principle 6: Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to thosewho have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others,except when to do so would harm them or others.“Happy are the merciful.” “Happy are the peacemakers.”Lesson 16: Amends / 185Lesson 17: Forgiveness / 190Lesson 18: Grace / 195The Journey Begins: Part 7Principle 7: Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination,Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His willfor my life and to gain the power to follow His will.Lesson 19: Crossroads / 207Lesson 20: Daily Inventory / 212Lesson 21: Relapse / 217Lesson 22: Gratitude / 223The Journey Begins: Part 8Principle 8: Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good Newsto others, both by my example and by my words.“Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.”Lesson 23: Give / 235Lesson 24: Yes / 239Lesson 25: The Seven Reasons We Get Stuck / 250The Journey Continues: Celebrate Recovery’sAll New Revolutionary Step Study255Closing Thoughts / 267Appendices / 2699780310082422 celrecovery LG int.indd 84/25/16 11:41 AM
The Road to RecoveryEight Principles Based on the BeatitudesBy Pastor Rick Warren1. Realize I’m not God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.“Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor.” (Matthew 5:3)2. Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that Hehas the power to help me recover.“Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”(Matthew 5:4)3. Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care andcontrol.“Happy are the meek.” (Matthew 5:5)4. Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and tosomeone I trust.“Happy are the pure in heart.” (Matthew 5:8)5. Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my lifeand humbly ask Him to remove my character defects.“Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.”(Matthew 5:6)6. Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who havehurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others, except whento do so would harm them or others.“Happy are the merciful.” (Matthew 5:7)“Happy are the peacemakers.” (Matthew 5:9)7. Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading,and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gainthe power to follow His will.8. Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others,both by my example and by my words.“Happy are those who are persecuted because they dowhat God requires.” (Matthew 5:10)99780310082422 celrecovery LG int.indd 94/25/16 11:41 AM
Twelve Steps and TheirBiblical Comparisons11. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsivebehaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable.“For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”(Romans 7:18)2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restoreus to sanity.“For it is God who works in you to will and to actin order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)3. We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care ofGod.“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer yourbodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is yourtrue and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1)4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”(Lamentations 3:40)5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being theexact nature of our wrongs.“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each otherso that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”(James 4:10)109780310082422 celrecovery LG int.indd 104/25/16 11:41 AM
7. We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings.“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sinsand purify us from all unrigh teous ness.” (1 John 1:9)8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing tomake amends to them all.“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)9. We made direct amends to such p eople whenever possible, except whento do so would injure them or others.“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and thereremember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your giftthere in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them;then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23 – 24)10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong,promptly admitted it.“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”(1 Co rin thi ans 10:12)11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our consciouscontact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us andpower to carry that out.“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly.” (Colossians 3:16)12. Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we tryto carry this message to others and to practice these principles in allour affairs.“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live bythe Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves,or you also may be tempted.”(Galatians 6:1)1. Throughout this material, you will notice several references to the Christ-centered 12 Steps. Our prayeris that Celebrate Recovery will create a bridge to the millions of people who are familiar with the secular12 Steps (I acknowledge the use of some material from the 12 Suggested Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous)and in so doing, introduce them to the one and only true Higher Power, J esus Christ. Once they beginthat relationship, asking Christ into their hearts as Lord and Savior, true healing and recovery can begin!119780310082422 celrecovery LG int.indd 114/25/16 11:41 AM
Foreword by Rick WarrenThe Bible clearly states “all have sinned.” It is my nature to sin, and it is yours too.None of us is untainted. Because of sin, we’ve all hurt ourselves, we’ve all hurtother people, and others have hurt us. This means each of us needs repentance andrecovery in order to live our lives the way God intended.You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression “time he
in Celebrate Recovery, Maggie, Chloe, and Jimmy — his three children — will never see him drink. Johnny is a nationally recognized speaker, trainer, and teacher of Celebrate Recovery. He is a coauthor of the Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional, Celebration Place, and The Landing, and is an associate edi - tor of the Celebrate Recovery Study Bible. He has been married since 2000 to his wife .
