8 Principles and 12-Steps from Celebrate Recovery
The 8 Principles Based on the Beatitudes
Principle 1: 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 5:3a TEV
Principle 2: Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover.
Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. MATTHEW 5:4 TEV
Principle 3: Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.
Happy are the meek. MATTHEW 5:5a TEV
Principle 4: Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust. (Steps 4 and 5)
Happy are the pure in heart. MATTHEW 5:8a TEV
Principle 5: Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires. MATTHEW 5:6a TEV
Principle 6: Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who 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. MATTHEW 5:7a TEV Happy are the peacemakers. MATTHEW 5:9 TEV
Principle 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 gain the power to follow His will.
Principle 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 do what God requires! MATTHEW 5:10 TEV
Celebrate Recovery 12 Steps and Their Biblical Comparisons
Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behavior; that our lives had become unmanageable.
I know that nothing good lives 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 NIV
Step 2: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
For it is God who is at work in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. PHILIPPIANS 2:13 NIV
Step 3: We made a decision to turn our life and our will over to the care of God.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. ROMANS 12:1 NIV
Step 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 NIV
Step 5: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human, being, the exact nature of our wrongs.
Therefore, confess your sins to each other, and pray for each other, so that you may be healed. JAMES 5:16a NIV
Step 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 NIV
Step 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 sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 JOHN 1:9 NIV
Step 8: We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
Do to others as you would have them do to you. LUKE 6:31 NIV
Step 9: We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; and then come and offer your gift. MATTHEW 5:23–24 NIV
Step 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 CORINTHIANS 10:12 NIV
Step 11: We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. COLOSSIANS 3:16a NIV
Step 12: Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and practice these principles in all our affairs.
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. GALATIANS 6:1 NIV
The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
AA’s 12-Step approach follows a set of guidelines designed as “steps” toward recovery, and members can revisit these steps at any time. The 12 Steps are:
Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Step 7: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Step 8: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Step 9: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
The 12 Steps of Narcotics Anonymous
Step 1: We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
Step 2: We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Step 3: We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Step 4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Step 5: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Step 6: We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Step 7: We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Step 8: We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Step 9: We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Step 10: We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Step 11: We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.