The 13th Step: What Comes After Recovery
It's a four-lesson booklet that helps people learn how to become a Christian and what the church is all about. And I gave him two copies of that booklet, and I said, Hey, would you mind just taking a look at lesson one, a few pages,…
See the principle clearly
It's a four-lesson booklet that helps people learn how to become a Christian and what the church is all about. And I gave him two copies of that booklet, and I said, Hey, would you mind just taking a look at lesson one, a few pages, and here's my phone number, and you just give me a call this week and we'll meet.
And by the way, at the end of this episode, I want to tell you more about how you can get your hands on the gospel message booklet so that maybe you can give it to someone who needs it, but we'll get to that in a little bit.
Let Scripture shape it
We talked about that 13th step for a few minutes, and then he and I walked into the auditorium up a few steps, and I had the privilege of being present to baptize him in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. so firstly, I want to walk you through the 12-step program before I reveal to you the thirteenth step that Patrick has added to the end of it and that I think should just officially become a part of the program.
I want to do that not so that you will understand Patrick better, but because addiction and being captured by sin and feeling helpless and overcome and desperate is a feeling that many of us have some familiarity with.
Bring it into daily life
Continue, step ten, to take personal inventory, and when you are wrong, promptly admit it. So that series of steps not only has us going to God asking for removal, but we're so honest and open about this, and it's become so real that we are willing to go to people that we have harmed and apologize to ask for their forgiveness while we continue to take inventory of how we're doing and what we'll be doing next.
Step 11, seek through prayer to improve our contact with God as we understand him, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out.
Take the next faithful step
How rewarding it is to know that no matter where you live, you will never be alone because you have taken the thirteenth step. You are a part of the body of Christ and a part of a family that will live forever.
Now, a month ago you might have said, Chris, that's a pretty good point, and I should look around at people in my life who lack that important community, and I should share this episode with them and say, you might want to walk this road to the water and into the body.
Take the idea with you.
- 01Where does the central idea of “The 13th Step: What Comes After Recovery” show up most clearly in my life right now?
- 02What does this episode call me to believe, stop, start, or handle differently?
- 03What is one specific action I can take today instead of merely agreeing with the idea?
Listen to the original episode
This article was adapted from The 13th Step. Continue with the podcast for the original teaching in Kris’s voice.
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