LEADERSHIP TRAINING Tracy Strawberry As We Begin TURN

LEADERSHIP TRAINING Tracy Strawberry

As We Begin… • TURN ON YOUR CELL PHONES: For a FREE copy of this Presentation, send an email now to serene@strawberryministries. org And now, please turn off or silence your cell phones. Thank you Kindly

The Focal Points: • To discuss general addiction and recovery basics. • To introduce you to the mindset of the recovery community and how it is developed. • To define the role of the local church in the recovery community. • How the secular 12 Step Model of Recovery can be used to your benefit to lead the lost to Jesus Christ. • How Clean Sober & Saved can be used as a powerful tool to help you minister and lead the recovery community to Jesus Christ.

Addiction and Recovery Basics 2016 Information from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. www. ncadd. org • Over 17. 6 million people suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence along with several million more who engage in risky binge drinking patterns. • More than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking. • More than 7 million children live in a household where at least 1 parent is dependent on or abuses alcohol.

Addiction and Recovery Basics • Alcohol abuse or addictions of any kind cause: • Serious Health Complications: Up to 40% of all hospital beds in the US are being used to treat health conditions that are related to alcohol consumption. (does not include beds for maternity or intensive care patients). • Damage to emotional stability, finances, career, ability to become a productive member of society, family member or any other relational unit. • Serious damage to one’s family, friends and community.

Addiction and Recovery Basics • NOTE: This number only references the individuals addicted to alcohol, no other forms of addiction. • Do you think there is a mission field out there within the recovery community?

Addiction and Recovery Basics • The most recognized organization for the treatment of alcoholism is Alcoholics Anonymous. • The organization’s founders developed the original 12 -Step Model and Program of recovery in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. Their stated “primary purpose” is to help alcoholics “stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. ” All other 12 -steps models of recovery are derived from this original fellowship.

Addiction and Recovery Basics • Narcotics Anonymous • Emotions Anonymous • Over-Eaters Anonymous • Co-Dependency Anonymous • Sexaholics Anonymous • Gambling Anonymous • Alanon: Anonymous program of recovery offered to family and friends of those addicted.

Addiction and Recovery Basics • 12 Step Model of Recovery: -Most sought after solution for addicts of all kinds and their loved ones. • Insurance companies require this model to approve coverage: EBT-Evidence Based Treatment. This model has been proven affective for the treatment of the specified disease of addiction.

Addiction and Recovery Basics “We must gain an understanding of the disease of addiction as well as the solution in order to understand the role of the local Community and the local Church in the recovery community, on a unified front. ”

Alcoholics Anonymous developed the model of recovery that has established an entire community. “The Recovery Community”

The Power of Community • Community can be defined as a group of people sharing common interests, a way of life, heritage, or beliefs. • Great comfort is found within communities of people who are just like you. You are accepted and understood. You can relate to the people and desire to spend time with them. This is called fellowship. Within a fellowship you find support, love, care, acceptance and share common ground or beliefs of some sort. These are a few elements that create the Powerful Dynamic of Community.

The Power of Community • The recovery community finds great comfort, safety, understanding, acceptance, and solution within their fellowship. • Mindset: A unified thinking is developed within a fellowship. Even though individuals within any community or fellowship disagree at times, their common bond, beliefs, primary purpose and mindset hold them together. • To better minister to the recovery community, it is helpful to understand the “Mindset” of the people you

The Recovery Mindset: Reaching This Community “Jesus”-Understands the Mindset

• Jesus: Our greatest example and teacher • Religious Community: Referenced the Law • When Jesus calls Peter: • Drop your nets • I will make you a fisher of men • Farming Community: • As a child of God we are restored, redeemed, an adopted child into our new family to become part of His unified Church, in service, to build the Kingdom of God with the Hope of Glory in our hearts. • An earthly approach with relational language that speaks to the Mindset of the Community to deliver the eternal truth.

The Recovery Mindset: Reaching This Community “Paul”-Understands the Mindset

1 Corinthians 9: 19 -23 19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

• What’s the point? He’s not affected by their rituals, traditions or program. He stays true to His “Primary Purpose”-Preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. • We don’t have to argue or be offended by the 12 step programs. Paul knows what is important. Delivering the gospel message. • One of Paul’s request to the Ephesians is found in Ephesians 6: 19: Pray for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. • Earthly approach with relational language that speaks to the mindset of the community to deliver the eternal truth.

“There is an earthly, relational approach that speaks to the Mindset of the community that leads the people into the eternal truth. ”

• The approach is relational. Community • The language earthly. Speaks to the Mindset. • The truth, eternal. Final result. • Jesus meets us right where we are at and He will do the same thing in the recovery community through us.

Recovery Mindset: The relational language of the recovery community that speaks to their Mindset includes: The Big Book, 12 Step Program, Meetings & Recovery Fellowship.

• The Big Book is one of the recovery communities greatest forms of influence. I have heard many addicts describe it as their bible and their “meetings” as their Church. • The Big Book describes how to overcome alcoholism. • It also includes “stories” of people who are sober to deliver hope to others. Christians call them testimonies. • It states the books main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem. • It describes the problem of the alcoholic. • It also delivers the solution to the one addicted: That solution is spiritual.

• It is imperative to know at this point that the 12 steps were originally derived from the Bible. Bill Wilson, the founder of AA, had a Spiritual Awakening, his Rebirth, while being ministered to by a reverend with biblical direction. • Jesus Christ and The Power of The Holy Spirit are not defined in the steps. They purposely left Jesus and The Holy Spirit out to ensure that everyone could get “sober” regardless of who or what you believe. The primary purpose became carrying the message of alcoholics anonymous instead of the “gospel message of Jesus Christ” to alcoholics that

• As you become educated about the program and the 12 steps, you clearly begin to see where they got their material to create this secular program and Who they received it from. Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit along with His Word, the bible. Let’s take a closer look!

The Recovery Mindset: • God created us to be a three part being: Spirit, Soul and Body. • The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous explains their problem to be a 3 -fold disease: Body, Mind and Spirit.

The Recovery Mindset: BODY • Body: “We have an allergy of the body”, which can be found in the Doctors Opinion of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous where there is an 8 page delivery of this description.

The Recovery Mindset: MIND • Strange Mental Block: Page 42 describes this strange mental block as “an obsession of the mind”. • As Christians, we know that our thinking is part of our soul.

The Recovery Mindset: SPIRIT • Spirit: Spiritual Malady: A chronic, spiritual disease. Page 64 states this, “Resentment is the “number one offender”. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease, for we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically. • As Christians we know we are “Spiritually dead” without Jesus Christ.

The Big Book’s Offered Solution: Which leads us right into the “role” of the Church in the recovery community!

• “If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have recovered long ago. But we found that such codes and philosophies did not save us, no matter how much we tried. We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with all our might, but the needed power wasn't there. Our human resources, as marshalled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly. ” (BB pp 44 -45) • Lack of power, that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves. Obviously. But where and how were we to find this Power? (BB pp 44 -45)

• “Well, that's exactly what this book is about. Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem. That means we have written a book which we believe to be spiritual as well as moral. And it means, of course, that we are going to talk about God. ” (BB pp 44 -45). • And thus the birth of “the spiritual & moral community”. I am spiritual because of my program and my own understanding of God can be anything I create Him to be.

• Why do they believe this so strongly? They have stopped drinking or drugging. They are clean and sober but not yet saved. They are still not right with God. They are deceived. • 2 Timothy 3: 5 describes this clearly: …having a form of godliness but denying its power.

Stay in Our Lane: The Role of The Local Church in the Recovery Community is to Clearly Define & Deliver The Spiritual Solution.

• Our primary purpose is defined by the Bible: • To Preach the gospel • Make Disciples • Baptize them • Teach them to obey all Jesus commanded • And remember-He is with you always

Mark 1: 14 -15: Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. “ • We are to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, repent and believe in the gospel and lead others to do the same.

Matthew 18: 16 -20: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. ”

The Role of The Local Church Clearly Define and Deliver the Spiritual Solution.

• Movie: God’s not Dead: Even playing field with all. • Free-Will, the power of choice is never taken away. • God never takes away free-will and neither should we. • Stick with what you know: • Do I still go to meetings? Take my medication? Chemo. Therapy? My insulin? • Sample Response: I believe God will speak to you about those things. AND they will through the Holy Spirit as they grow in Christ through His Word. • BUT-I do know this for sure, that God’s wants you to grow in your understanding of Him through His Word, the bible. You do that by coming to Church, getting into a bible-study and getting connected.

• Treatment Centers: Doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, therapists, nutritionists, CLEAN SOBER & SAVEDPastors and ministers. (REFERRALS) • NOTE: Every Christian is called to share the gospel and make disciples. Treatment Centers-Clean, Sober & Saved -specific assignments. • Local Church: The Spiritual part of the “disease” is dealt with by the specialists in the Spiritual Solution with our primary purpose defined- We carry the gospel message of our Lord Jesus Christ to all. This is our specialty! This is our lane!

The Role of The Local Church Suggestions.

• Become experts in the Gospel message • Leadership Training that clearly defines the gospel message • Witness training: Teach them how to witness “THE GOSPEL MESSAGE” • New believers class that clearly defines the gospel for new Christians. • (SALVATION TO SERVING: BE CAREFUL!)

• High School & College Campus Ministry: • Reach them when they are young. • Many parents come to the Lord through their children. • Prevention: Many addictions develop at this age

• Outside Resources: • 24 Hour Prayer Lines: • They can call anytime day or night if they can’t reach you. • Doctors, Treatment Centers, Non-for-Profits • Government Agencies-government help and assistance programs • Education and Opportunities: • Grants, Colleges with special program, Vocational Counseling, Training, Job assistance agencies.

The 12 Steps of Recovery to our Benefit.

The 12 Steps of Recovery to our Benefit. AA 12 Steps CSS Biblical 12 Steps • Traditional 12 steps of • Clean Sober & Saved (CSS) uses biblical 12 recovery were steps to lead you into a designed to lead you into a relationship with personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the God and into a process of change through the Person and based on the Big Book power of The Holy Spirit of Alcoholics based on the Bible.

The 12 Steps of Recovery to our Benefit. AA 12 Steps CSS Biblical 12 Steps • God is not clearly • God is clearly defined as you are as well as how He encouraged to create works according to His your own Word, the Bible. understanding of Him and how He works. -Or is He?

The 12 Steps of Recovery to our Benefit. AA 12 Steps CSS Biblical 12 Steps • The 12 steps do begin • CSS Clarifies. to clarify God. They state, Him as well as give God-a personcharacteristics as well as a demand on Him.

The 12 Steps of Recovery Remember, the Big Book teaches that when the “spiritual malady” is overcome, we straighten out mentally & physically. Pg. 64 We as Christians know that we are Spiritually dead, not sick. Once you “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6: 33

Step One: AA: The Program CSS: God’s Plan • We admitted we • We are powerless were powerless over the sinful over alcoholnature that (addiction) that our separates us from lives had become God and enslaves unmanageable. us to sin.

Step One: AA: The Program • References the Big Book for readings. • Powerless over alcohol • Result: Unmanageable life CSS: God’s Plan • Scripture defines meaning. • Powerless over the sinful nature gets to the “root cause”. • Result: Separated from God / enslaved to sin. Defines greater problem.

Step Two: AA: The Program CSS: God’s Plan • Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. • Came to believe that the Power of The Holy Spirit will transform and restore our lives.

Step Two: AA: The Program • The Power: not defined but they use a capital P. • The first demand of this Power, to possess the ability to completely restore your mind. • Right thinking leads to right living. CSS: God’s Plan • Power clearly defined as The Holy Spirit. • Restoration of both your mind and your relationship with God; your entire life. • Total change: not just your thinking.

Step Three: AA: The Program CSS: God’s Plan • Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as care of God based we understood on the true Him. understanding of Him.

Step Three: AA: The Program CSS: God’s Plan • Power is no longer • Made a decision to turn used, God, capital G is to God and away from used. sin: to repent. • Defines God as a • God’s will is His Word. person, Him. His Word clearly defines Who He is and How He works. -What a great relief you do not have to create all of this.

Step Three: AA: The Program • “As we understood Him” is used for emphasis. – Create your own understanding. • You turn over your entire being-everything-to a God you created with the same “sick” mind that led you into your very condition. Putting your trust in your own creation. CSS: God’s Plan • A clear definition of God to base and build trust. • True understanding of Him to emphasize that it is already created and is found in the Bible.

Step Four: AA: The Program CSS: God’s Plan • Made a searching • Through selfand fearless moral examination, we inventory of have become ourselves. aware of the pain and destruction we have caused ourselves and others by living a

Step Four: AA: The Program • Sin Focused: Reveals how bad we are by focusing on all of our wrongs. • Danger: Deep guilt, shame and regret are heavily felt=condemnation. • Still separated from God: You are left to carry the weight of your sin, guilt and shame. What is the real purpose of this and what do I do with all of these horrible things? CSS: God’s Plan • Salvation focused: looking at our sin through the eyes of grace to reveal our great need for God and what happens when we reject Him. • Reveals what you are taking to the cross and placing in Jesus’ hands to forgive and putting it to death • Forgiveness of sins.

Step Four: AA: The Program • Give them to the God of my own understanding? What does He do with them? • Where is the real hope, help and purpose? CSS: God’s Plan • Forgiveness of sins. • Hope and Help is in Jesusclearly defined. • Purpose is to produce Godly sorrow, which will turn you away from this life of sin.

Step Five: AA: The Program • Admitted To God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. CSS: God’s Plan • Confessed and admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Step Five: AA: The Program • Who is God and why do you bring all this to Him? What does He do with it? • What is the exact nature of your wrongs? • What is the result and purpose of this step? • What is going to turn you away from this life of dysfunction, danger, defeat and even death? CSS: God’s Plan • In CSS, God has been clearly defined as well as the exact nature of our wrongs-sinful nature. • God will forgive your sins and remember them no more. -Hebrew 8: 2 • Healing is experienced through confessing to others and praying. James 5: 16 • This admittance produces Godly sorrow within you.

Step Five: AA: The Program • What’s the demand on God? What’s the promised result? What is happening to you right now while you are admitting these things to God, to yourself and to me. • Why God, yourself and me? What’s the purpose of that? • I’m giving it to God and He is going to forgive me. • How is your God going to forgive you? What does He do with these sins-your inventory once you give it to Him? • What is the great result? CSS: God’s Plan • Result: Repentance & Salvationnew way of life in Jesus Christ. • For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. -2 Cor 7: 10 • The Demand on God-The Result: Cleansing, Healing & The production of Godly sorrow, through the power of God will bring forth a natural desire to turn away from this life of sin, destruction,

Step Six: AA: The Program CSS: God’s Plan • We are entirely ready • Were entirely ready to have God to surrender our defects of character remove all these and receive the defects of character of Jesus character. Christ. Characteristics of my new Spirit Nature.

Step Six: AA: The Program • How does He remove them? • What kind of character is supposed to be in me? CSS: God’s Plan • Surrendering all characteristics that are not of Jesus Christ. • I am excited to receive the character of Christ through the Holy Spirit. • The Holy Spirit will produce in me the “Fruits of the Spirit”. -Galatians 5

Step Seven: AA: The Program CSS: God’s Plan • Humbly asked Him to remove all that is not to remove our of Him and to shortcomings. empower us to live through His Holy Spirit

Step Seven: AA: The Program • You do this through the “seventh step prayer”. - What is He doing through this prayer? What is the demand on Him? • You’re now ready to move onto Step 8. CSS: God’s Plan • Sample Prayer in the CSS workbook. • We are reminded of forgiveness and the Mighty work God is doing us. -Psalm 51 • Full Surrender and submission to Jesus Christ- He is the Potter and we are the clay. We are not in control. -Isaiah 64: 8 • Great awareness and need for

Step Eight: AA: The Program • Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. CSS: God’s Plan • Made a list of all the people we have harmed and sought to make amends to them all based on the true understanding of boundaries, forgiveness, trust, healing and Godly sorrow.

Step Eight: AA: The Program • We are sorry and the goal is “to make things right”. • What makes you willing to do so? • What I we can’t make it right. • What if you are rejected? • Does the program work? CSS: God’s Plan • All things can only be Spiritually made right in Jesus Christ. . • We are willing because we have experienced Godly sorrow: A real heart change. • We are building a great faith with clarity and an experience with the One True God, Jesus Christ. • We are not only working a program to become clean and sober, we are becoming right with God, beginning to understand His plan and embracing what it really means to be saved.

Step Eight: AA: The Program CSS: God’s Plan • God, didn’t I do it right? • Goal: Righting wrongs and cleaning up your side of the “street”. • Result: Is it really clean? Are the wrongs made right? • Based on earthly outcomes of doing our part. • Result: Godly sorrow which produces healing, forgiveness of sins, trust and real restoration. • Based on Spiritual Principles and receiving God has done through His son Jesus. • Practical application on approach, forgiveness, boundaries and living this whole process out while the Spiritual work is being done on

Step Nine: AA: The Program • Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. CSS: God’s Plan • As a result of Godly sorrow, we are ready to make direct amends to these people except when to do so would harm them, myself or others.

Step Nine: AA: The Program • Moving along in my program. It is the direction of the next step. • Measuring stick: Don’t do it if it would injure myself or others. • Trusting in our program. • Believing that working these steps will make it right through my own understanding of God. CSS: God’s Plan • I’m prompted by the healing and Power of God that has resulted from Godly sorrow, not a program. • We learn to use discernment and to be led through prayer and The Holy Spirit. • Trusting in God. • We proceed with the proper mindset, motive and mission according to God’s plan.

Step Ten: AA: The Program CSS: God’s Plan • Continued to take • Continued to personal inventory examine ourselves and when we were and to grow in the truth and knowledge wrong promptly of God. admitted it.

Step Ten: AA: The Program • Sin-Focused. • The wrong prompts us to make it right. CSS: God’s Plan • The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and prompts us to want to do right because He is making us right on the inside. • Our desires are changing as we character is being

Step Eleven: AA: The Program CSS: God’s Plan • Sought through prayer • We sought through and meditation to prayer. improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for the knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Step Eleven: AA: The Program • P is no longer capitalized. As we understood Him, where did the understanding go. • Clearly define who you are praying to? • What do you meditate on? • How does he answer you? • What is your measuring stick of truth to know that what you heard is really from God? CSS: God’s Plan • Prayer is conscious contact with God and we meditate on His Word. • God’s will is His Word. • We if our answer is from Him if it lines up with His Word.

Step Eleven: AA: The Program • Pray only about His will for us. • Asking Him to give us the power to carry that out. • What is His will? How does your God answer you? -Define His will. • How does your God empower you to live this will out? • What’s the power? How does it work? How do you know the power is working? CSS: God’s Plan • The Power to live out your Godly life is The Holy Spirit. • The Holy Spirit responds to the Word of God. • You know He is working if your life produces “fruit”results that reproduce and reflect the image and likeness of God.

Step Twelve: AA: The Program CSS: God’s Plan • Having had a spiritual • Having been awakening as the transformed by the result of these Steps, power of God and we tried to carry this the process of message to alcoholics, change, we carry and to practice these “The Good News principles in all our Message” to of those affairs. who are still lost and suffering.

Step Twelve: AA: The Program • Steps is emphasized with a capital S-the focus. • The spiritual awakening is a result of the Steps. • You practice program principles as proof that you have changed and to keep you on the right track. CSS: God’s Plan • The Good News Message-The Gospel is emphasized and the focus. • The Spiritual awakening is the result of our Spiritual birth through the true understanding of God and the process of change according to the Word of God. • There is promise of eternal life-a life so much greater than our earthly time. -Everything now has an eternal purpose and truth.

Step Twelve: AA: The Program CSS: God’s Plan • This message is for alcoholics • We following His will which are only. Not everybody is an outline through the principles of alcoholic in need of a program. the Bible. • Lead people to the program • The Good News Message is for and the support group. everyone for we all sinners, haven fallen short of the Glory of God in need of a Savior. Jesus Christ. • We are leading people to the Savior Jesus Christ and into the Plan of God for their lives.

Facilitation

• Clean Sober & Saved is a resource tool –a biblical study-to lead the recovery community into the full gospel message of Jesus Christ through a simple and practical way. • It is not a 12 -step meeting format and we do not “identify” ourselves with sin. • Example: Hi my name is Tracy and I am alcoholic and drugaddicted. • There is no introduction. Simply share and introduce yourself by name if you would like. • Do not be surprised when a person comes in and identifies their “addiction” during their introduction. This is simply being done out of habit. You know where they came from. Speak to them in love and away from the group. -”No need to do that here. We keep it simple-just your name. ”

• Leaders, ask questions after the viewing of the DVD to get the conversation going. • Did this DVD help you find out what is really wrong with us? • Have you ever heard about the sinful nature before? • How has this video helped you? • What questions do you have about the teaching? • Be creative, be kind and be a great listening who is armed with the truth of God’s Word. Remember, we as Christians hold their hope and have the answer to their “spirit condition”.

The Goal

• Goal: Is to have these individuals become part of the Family of Jesus Christ, the Christian Community. • CSS is a ”biblical group study”, not a separate Church program. It is designed for them to “graduate” and grow in Christ with the body of believers, in unity.

• Graduate into the next bible study at Church to become part of the Church-not a separate group that is identified as “recovery” that continues to instill a “recovered” mindset. We become part of the Church who “celebrates” Christ! • As a child of God we are restored, redeemed, an adopted child into our new family to become part of His unified Church, in service, to build the Kingdom of God with the Hope of Glory in our hearts.

Now let us go and Preach the Gospel and Make Disciples on a Unified Front for the Lord!

The LORD is with you! www. strawberryministries. org