The Fifteen Bible Truths

Transcription

1

2 Program Founder Pastor Rick Carter Jr., PhD. founded the H.O.P.E. program in Brother Carter currently pastors Beth Haven Baptist Church of Oklahoma City and is president of Beth Haven Baptist Seminary. He holds an earned doctorate in Biblical Counseling. He earnestly desires to help people who find themselves entangled in the snares of addiction to experience the freedom that only comes through applying the Word of God to their lives. Pastor Carter is committed to the task of making materials available to support other Independent Baptist Churches as they minister the grace of our Lord to meet the needs of life.

3 The Fifteen Bible Truths 1. Only God Knows How to Make Life Work - Jeremiah 10:23 2. God s Word is Absolute Truth - John 17:17 3. Addictions Come from Committing Sin - Proverbs 5:23 4. Sin Comes from Your Heart - Jeremiah 17:9 5. Sin Destroys Everything It Touches - James 1:15 6. You Can Choose the Sin, But You Can t Choose the Consequences - Galatians 6:7 7. Your Sin Affects Other People - Romans 14: Confession and Repentance Removes Guilt and Sin A Believer Does Not Have to Be Bound by Sin After Removing Addictions, You Must Replace Them with Godly Actions Holding On to Anger and Bitterness Will Hinder Your Life - I John 1:9 - Romans 8:2 - Colossians 3: Ephesians 4: The Company You Keep Will Influence You - I Corinthians 5: Controlling Speech Helps Control the Body - I Corinthians 15:33, James 3:2 14. Pride Produces Spiritual Failure - Proverbs 16: Freedom Must Be Maintained - Proverbs 4:2 1 P age

4 Welcome Welcome to H.O.P.E., a Christ Centered, International, Addictions Recovery Program. The acronym H.O.P.E. stands for Helping Others Put off Entanglements. This program began as a desire to see people set free from the entanglements that can destroy lives. The word entangled in the Bible conveys the idea of being trapped, and many people today seem to live in that condition. - Alcohol - Cigarettes - Drugs - Pornography - Sexual Sins - Gambling - Overeating - And Many Others Addictions are very powerful. Some of these very things may have cost you greatly, and you are ready to be free. You may have tried other support groups or programs without success. You will discover that the power to beat the odds does not lie within yourself. Many of these programs are self- help programs. You may have already discovered that you cannot help yourself, but if you will listen, learn, and receive the truths upon which this program is built, you WILL find true freedom. With great excitement, we invite you to discover what millions of people have already learned, that Knowing Christ Makes You Free! 2 P age

5 Steps Step 1 Memorize the Key Slogan: Knowing Christ Makes You Free There are three key parts to this statement. The first key is the word knowing. Many programs make promises, but only one way truly frees you from the bondage of addiction. This way is not through gaining more knowledge, but through knowing a person, which is the second key. Jesus Christ is not just a way; He is the ONLY way! As Jesus Christ Himself said in John chapter 14 verse 6 (John 14:6), I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life... There is no other option, no other way and no other answer. Proverbs 16:25 says, There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. You may even know someone who has died because of addiction. Some people choose to end their life because of the hopelessness of bondage that comes from a lifestyle of addictions. This brings us to the third and final key. The word free does not mean without cost. Your freedom is only possible at a great expense. It cost Jesus His life, and as you come to know Him, you too will become truly and completely free. To complete this step you must memorize the Key Slogan for the H.O.P.E. program, Knowing Christ Makes You Free! and quote it to an approved counselor. Student Sign- off: Counselor Approval: 3 P age

6 Step 2 Memorize our Program Format: Ready, Set, Go R.E.A.D.Y. We prepare ourselves to meet with God through Praise and Prayer time. Recharge Excited to Praise Asking in Prayer Ditch Distractions Yes, You! S.E.T. We strengthen ourselves and one another through the SET groups. Support Encouragement Togetherness G.O. We find out where we are and how to get where we need to be in the GO Session. God s Orders Student Sign- off: Counselor Approval: Steps 3-5 Memorize our Key Verse: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1 To complete these steps you must memorize the entire Key Verse for the H.O.P.E. program and quote it to an approved counselor. You may choose to do this by breaking the verse up into three parts or all at once. Even if you find it hard to memorize, the truth contained in this verse is worth the effort, and victory over each step moves you closer to putting off the entanglement with which you struggle. (Step 3) Galatians 5:1a Stand fast therefore in the liberty Student Sign- off: Counselor Approval: 4 P age

7 (Step 4) Galatians 5:1b wherewith Christ hath made us free, Student Sign- off: Counselor Approval: (Step 5) Galatians 5:1c and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Student Sign- off: Counselor Approval: Step 6 Memorize Our Working Definition of Sin: Disobedience to God The Bible tells us that sin is pleasurable for a season or a little while, but it will take us farther than we want to go, keep us longer than we want to stay and cost far more than we want to pay. The Bible tells us that sin caused death. Since God created everything, He has the right to tell us how to live, whether we want to admit it or not. If we get honest with ourselves, deep down we know that our ways just do not work. Therefore, we need to find out what God says to do and what He says not to do. Thankfully, He does not leave us wondering. He tells us how to make life work in the Bible. Student Sign- off: Counselor Approval: 5 P age

8 Step 7 Read: Can you be free from addictions? Then answer the questions that follow. Can you be free from addictions? Ask that question, and you will get a mixed reaction. There are those who would tell you that you are afflicted with a terrible disease, and there is no hope of a full recovery. Once an addict, you will always be an addict they will say. They teach that there may be ways to manage your addiction but no way to overcome it. Those people are not saying what God says on the issue. God has said that when a person comes to Christ for salvation, He gives that person a new life. The old things are passed away, and all things are new. God says that He can give us life and life more abundant, that if we know Him as our Saviour, He will make us free from the bondage of sin. As you start this journey of recovery we want you to know that through Christ you can do all things! If you will give yourself completely over to God s way it will work. Doctors say that the detox times for most substances is anywhere from a week to 10 days depending on the person. That is the time for the substance to be out of your system, and that deals with the actual physical addiction. The problem that we face is that once the body is free from the chemical, the mind still desires the effects. The problem with addiction is more than just a physical problem; it is a thinking problem. God explains this very clearly in His Word. He says in Proverbs 23:7, For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. The problem that you are having with the addiction that you are struggling with is not as much an external problem (physical) as it is an internal problem (thinking and feelings). The Bible uses three terms interchangeably to describe your inner person (your thinking and feelings). These terms are heart, mind, and soul. These terms describe whom you are inside, how you think and how you feel. How you think and feel work together to form your will, or what you decide to do. If you can change how you think and feel, then you will change what you do. Examine the following flow chart to see how this works. 6 P age

9 The Outward Man The Inner Man Thoughts Feelings Decisions Actions Habits Lifestyle Self- Reinforcing 7 P age

10 The process of changing how we think and feel is what God does in us when we know him as our personal Saviour and grow as a Christian. God has given us some tools to use that will help us with that process. This book will give you two of these tools to help you as you begin the task of changing how you think and feel. The first of these tools is found in 2 Corinthians 10:3-7, and we call it the three C s. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. The first C is Casting down imaginations. The time to deal with the problem is when the thought is first introduced. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. This verse teaches us that God s Word can divide between things that we often cannot, such as the point at which a simple thought in our mind becomes the intent to commit the act. Often we have the wrong concept that we can indulge thinking about sin without acting on it. However as we already learned, as a man thinketh in his heart so is he! If we are going to get victory over the addictions that control us, we must first get control over our thinking. The easiest point to defeat our lust for our addiction is when the thought first comes into our mind. We must at the very inception of the thought cast it down when it is still in the imagination stage, before it has time to develop into a mature thought. The way to do this is to stop the thought and mentally say, I will not indulge this thought, I am not going to allow it place in my thinking process, and I reject it. The second C is Capture every thought. At this point you will want to start a trigger list. A trigger list is kept on a small notebook that you keep in your pocket to record wrong thoughts and what circumstances occurred that might have induced them. The reason for keeping a list is so that you can examine it for patterns that emerge, and you can avoid those things in the future. Proverbs 1:17 says, Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. Often in the past you have walked through your day blind to the fact that there are traps set out there to trip you up and draw you into your addiction. However to gain lasting freedom you must stop being blind to these snares. The more watchful you are to see the traps the fewer you will fall into. This will be discussed in greater detail in 8 P age

11 future material but at this point it is enough to say that you must learn to be watchful of the snares if you are going to avoid them and the trigger list is a helpful tool to learn how to identify the thought snares that trip you up on a daily basis. A trigger list may look like this: 7/2/12 10:45 a.m. - - Thought about how good a beer would taste right now. I just walked by the beer cooler in the store. 11:20 a.m. - - Remembered a party that I was at a few months ago. I saw someone wearing a Corona shirt. 11:50 a.m. - - Started to think about drink mixes - - caught some citrus smell. When you have that imagination come into your thinking, STOP! Say to yourself, I will not indulge this! I reject this thought! Then take out your trigger list and record it, along with the thing that happened which might have triggered you to think the damaging thought. The day and time are good things to record, because you might find that you have more trouble on certain days or at certain times as you develop your list. You also might find that certain senses trigger more thoughts than others. A trigger may be anything around you - - sights, odors, sounds, songs, certain people or people dressed a certain way. You may not be able to eliminate all these things from happening around you, but if you are aware of the link you can begin to sever the tie that those things have on your thinking. It is a good idea each week to have someone who is an approved counselor review this list with you to see if they notice a pattern that you might have missed. I recommend asking your pastor or H.O.P.E. Director about getting this set up. Do not show this list to just anyone - - only to those who are in spiritual leadership that can give you Biblical direction. The third C is to Correct all thinking. The correction of our thinking means that we get to choose what we think about. You do not have to allow your thinking to be controlled by random happenings. You do not have to allow others to control your thinking; you can take charge of your own thinking and bring it into a Biblical pattern, or as the scriptures said, into the obedience of Christ. God teaches us how to do this in several scriptures. First in Romans 12:1-3, God says, 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your 9 P age

12 reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. If you are going to bring your thinking into the obedience of Christ, it begins with putting your faith in God. You must cast out the thought of yourself as being great, and humble yourself to God. Most people have a very high estimation of themselves. They believe that they are good people and even with all of their problems are still as good or better than others. God says here that if we are going to be changed, we must see ourselves as God sees us, as sinners in need of salvation. God has shown us the truth about our condition in the Bible when He said in Romans 3:10, As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: You and I are not righteous in our own selves. We are sinners who have broken God s law, and as lawbreakers we deserve the punishment for our sin. The Bible says in Romans 6:23a, For the wages of sin is death; meaning that we deserve to be separated from God forever in hell. However God showed us in the previous verse that He has dealt to every man the measure of faith, meaning that anyone who will see themselves in the same way that God sees them (as sinners in need of a Saviour), and will believe upon Jesus Christ s death burial and resurrection to be the payment for their sin will be saved. God said so in Romans 10:8-10, 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. To believe in your heart that God gave Jesus to be the substitute for your sins and call upon Him to save you is to receive the gift of eternal life as it says in Romans 6:23b, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Once you have accepted Jesus Christ, God gives you a new nature and a new way to think, which is what the Bible is referring to with the words, to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you can bring your thinking into the obedience of Christ through a relationship with Him. Once you accept Christ, the Holy Spirit of God comes to live in your heart, and you have the opportunity to communicate with God directly through prayer. It is through prayer that you can choose to correct your thinking process. The Bible says in Philippians 4:6-8, 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, 10 P age

13 which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Through Jesus Christ you can choose to think on those things that will lead you to freedom from addiction rather than constantly having your thoughts bring you into the bondage of your sin. As God works in your heart, He will teach you all truth so that you can escape the lies with which the world, the flesh and the devil have deceived you. If you will follow Him and His Word, you will find victory over all the traps of addiction. Questions: 1. The problem with addiction is that it is more than a physical problem; what other kind of problem is it? 2. What are the three parts of the Inner Man? 3. What terms does the Bible use to describe the Inner Man? 4. If you can change how you think and feel what will you also change? 5. What is the first C? 6. When is it important to change our thinking? 7. What is the second C? 11 P age

14 8. What tool can you use to accomplish the second C? 9. What is the third C? 10. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour? Student Sign- off: Counselor Approval: Step 8 Requirements: Church Attendance To complete this step, you must attend a Sunday Morning service at a local church in your community. Sadly, though, not every group claiming to be a church qualifies for this requirement. A qualifying church upholds the standards that God set in His Word The Holy Bible. He requires that we worship at a Bible- believing, Bible- teaching church. Bible- believing means the church teaches that Salvation (God s forgiveness of our sins) comes through God s grace alone and not by works (such as following a set of rules, joining a church, or baptism). Bible- teaching means the church teaches that baptism as a symbol of obedience, and not a requirement for Heaven. In other words, a qualifying church teaches and believes that Jesus is God and the ONLY way to Heaven. Such a church stands firm on the Bible as the complete Word of God, kept pure by Him throughout the ages without a single error. If you cannot find a church that believes and teaches these important Bible truths, the one that hosts this H.O.P.E. chapter lines up with these things, and we encourage you to attend their services. 12 P age

15 Church Service Behavior Notes: Please do not disrupt others by getting up or moving around. Use bathrooms and water fountains before and after services only. Turn your cell phone off completely calls and texting during services disrespects those around you. No smoking on church property at all. Church Attended: Topic of Sermon: Preacher s Signature: (Signifies agreement with the statements above) Student Sign- off: Counselor Approval: Step 9 Requirements: Be There or Be Square Attendance In order to complete this step, you are required to attend two H.O.P.E. meetings in a row. You need to be here before the program starts. Being on time is very helpful in your life of discipline. The requirement includes staying until the fellowship time at the close of the program. Student Sign- off: Counselor Approval: 13 P age

16 Congratulations! You Joined the Program! You have completed your first major milestone in the H.O.P.E. Addictions Recovery Program. You have earned your H.O.P.E. badge and can now begin working on the Formula for Life Steps. Remember the Key Verse, Galatians 5:1, and be determined to stand in the liberty only Jesus Christ gives, and do not become entangled again with that yoke of bondage! 14 P age

17 Main Program Map The program intends to Help Others Put off Entanglements, but that will not happen by accident. Reaching full effectiveness in a person s life requires commitment to all three of the Main Program Elements: The Formula 4 Life Book, the Knowing Him Daily Guide, and the S.E.T. Weekly Support Group. Enter Anyone serious about changing his or her life is welcome to attend with no cost at all. Please bring friends, and help spread the word. Everyone needs this. Orientation: Beating the Odds You are here. Everyone who participates goes through this material one time. Complete beginner steps before you are eligible to receive the H.O.P.E Award Lanyard. Lanyard After completing the orientation steps, receive the H.O.P.E. Award Lanyard. This first milestone in the program tracks progress through the material with award stars. The participant pays $4 to cover materials. Main Book: Formula 4 Life Daily Guide: Knowing Him Weekly Support: S.E.T. Group 8 Promote The main program workbook Formula 4 Life contains 200 steps (divided into eight booklets of 25 steps each). Receive one Silver Star for each five steps completed and one Gold Star for each book completed. These steps Help us Put off Entanglements. The professionally printed book costs the participant $12. Achieve all eight Gold Stars to receive an Achievement certificate. Now the participant has the opportunity to help someone else along the way. This program is a journey and but also has a destination. Choose from a pool of advanced material to continue to grow in true Freedom! 15 P age

18 Promotion The H.O.P.E. Program meets people where they live, just as they are and teaches skills to help them put off entanglements. Simply finishing a book or performing a few simple steps does not effectively change one s life. The process requires the Power of God in Christ Jesus and committed participation to the Program. Therefore, the H.O.P.E. Program is not merely a destination but also a continued journey in living free. Promotion requires significant effort with all three of the Main Elements, Freedom and Time. Requirements No participant may promote without at least nine months devoted to the H.O.P.E. Program. This limit only applies to a minimum time; the participant may use as much time as needed to complete the requirements. Attendance Attend thirty- five (35) regularly scheduled H.O.P.E. meetings. Participation o Formula 4 Life Book Complete all 200 steps (eight Gold Stars). o Knowing Him Guides Complete 156 days (Reading and S.T.O.P.). Freedom Experience six months of freedom from the specific entanglement. Freedom The power to obtain true freedom comes from Jesus Christ, not from within or by self- help. If everyone already had it, there would be no reason for this program. The H.O.P.E. program tracks freedom by the honor system both the participant and God will know the truth. Some entanglements are easy to track. For example, with alcoholism, freedom means no drinking of alcoholic beverages. However, others, such as overeating, may require help from a counselor to define. (See Beating the Odds.) 16 P age

19 Elective Participation Bible Award H.O.P.E. Healthy Key Club Commitment Complete one year of Knowing Him guides to read the Bible completely through and the Proverbs 12 times. Collect 10,000 H.O.P.E Healthy Points for a silver pin; collect 20,000 points for gold level. Sponsor seven guests to enter the Key Club. Guests must attend one full regularly scheduled meeting. Pins for years of commitment to the program, 45 scheduled meetings each 12- month period. Bible Award The Knowing Him Daily Guide walks the participant through the entire Bible in 12 months plus the Book of Proverbs once each month (a chapter of Proverbs each day). Promotion requires only about six months of dedication to the daily guide, however, 12 full months earns the Bible Award pin. This honor requires filling out all pages in each monthly book, without repeated months. If a book includes missed days, the participant must use additional effort to catch up. The participant may speak to a counselor to resolve a conflict with the current month versus a needed month. H.O.P.E. Healthy Track healthy self- discipline each week (15 categories times 10 points per day = 1050 points per week). H.O.P.E. Healthy compliments the putting off entanglements by using positive reinforcement in two ways. First, good health motivates the participant and assists in detoxification. Secondly, the tracking sheet provides additional avenues for bringing the flesh into subjection to the spirit. Turn in completed tracking sheets, and pick up new ones each week at the check- in desk. Silver Level H.O.P.E Healthy requires 10,500 points. The Gold Level requires 21,000 points, or around six months of faithfulness and dedication. (Please Note: H.O.P.E. Healthy was formerly known as H.O.P.E ) Key Club Sponsor seven different guests to a regularly scheduled H.O.P.E. meeting to receive the Key Club Award. To receive credit, complete the Guest Sponsor sheet. Each guest must attend one full meeting. Commitment Each participant receives a pin to commemorate the level of commitment to the H.O.P.E. program. Requires attendance to at least 45 scheduled meetings in each 12- month period. 17 P age

20 Knowing Him Guide How to Apply the Daily Walk Booklet to find Good Success A Conversation with God To have a conversation, both individuals must take an opportunity to speak. The daily devotional guide, Knowing Him, works just like that. God speaks to you through His Word, and you speak to God through Prayer. God s Turn The top section of each day has a few chapters of Scripture referenced with some blank lines. Read the entire selection for the day. When we read God s Word diligently, He will always put His finger on a verse. So write down a note for what God has for you today on the lines. You might notice a small line at the top corner labeled 3x5 Card. You can find some blank index cards at the sign- in table. Use these cards to write down the verse from your reading that you will need for the day and keep it in your pocket. When you find yourself tempted, pull out the card! Memorize it! The Bible says in James 4:8, Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Your Turn This middle section helps you Seek The Options Prayfully. Before you pray, take a moment to reflect, and write down something for which to Praise and Obey God, something for God to Provide and Forgive, and something from which you need God to Deliver you. Write these along with any other requests and then in a quiet place speak them respectfully to the Heavenly Father. (Use the Enhanced Walk section as directed in the Formula 4 Life book.) 18 P age

21

22