Celebrate! Recovery

My wife has been helping our church start up a new ministry called Celebrate Recovery.  She attended for two years prior at another church and begged me to go with her.  I just didn't like it.  It wasn't for me.  There was very little that helped me deal with the sin in my life.  Their motto and purpose is to help people with the hurts, habits and hangups.  It's sin, well most of it.  Some people refuse to attend because it isn't just outright called sin, but that's their hangup and eventually, just maybe they will realize that.  I also have had the pleasure of meeting people who won't attend because they say they don't deal with "any of that stuff".  Again, their hangup.  The thing that made me start attending, other than my wife's incessant begging me to go, is the fact that we all struggle with things.  I love to teach that. (It makes people squirm in their seats)  It may not be an alcohol or drug addiction, it may not be a sexual addiction or a codependency.  It may just be the fact that you think you have it all together and that you don't need accountability from other believers, or to work through prior or current hurts.  It may even be that you meet the "standards" of a "good church going Christian" and that you're a "good person".  However, that is your hangup, because you made it a habit and you will either hurt yourself or others.  See what I did there?

I may be a little biased, but this program is amazing.  I don't have to opportunity to go like I want to because of work, or the kids, but when I do go, it is so refreshing to see that I'm not the only person with a messed up life.  You're not the only person with struggles.  You're not the only person wearing a mask telling people everything is ok when in reality, your world is falling apart all around you.  It's ok to admit that.  It's ok to admit you're messed up and we're all messed up, but God isn't.  It's all about celebrating that a perfect God loves an imperfect you so much He sent His perfect Son to save your messed up self.  The Bible tells us that even though we all are messed up, Christ died for us.  See, so even you belong in this journey.  I encourage you to go check one out.  The Celebrate! Recovery in our church will launch very soon and I would love to see you there.  Plus, if you don't like ours, there are others in the area you can attend.  Different churches fit different personalities, so don't be afraid to try out another location.  For more information, go to this link.