A Note from Rick Warren
You may think recovery is only for drug addicts and alcoholics—people whose lives seem out of control. But that’s just not true. The Bible teaches that all of us have addictions in our lives. Sin is addicting, and the Bible says, "all have sinned." Not one of us is perfect. We've all blown it; we've all made mistakes. We've hurt ourselves, we've hurt other people, and others have hurt us.
Because of sin, each of us needs repentance and recovery in order to live the way God intended. That’s why, years ago, we at Saddleback developed a biblical recovery program based on the Beatitudes of Jesus. We named the program Celebrate Recovery.
The goal of the Celebrate Recovery program is not simply to recover from past sins and hurts. The goal is to become Christlike in our character. To date, over 9,000 hurting people have participated in Celebrate Recovery at Saddleback church, and have experienced a biblically balanced approach to repentance and recovery.
So no matter what situation you find yourself in, here’s good news: regardless of whether your problem is emotional, financial, relational, spiritual, sexual or whatever, regardless of what you need help with, God wants to help you.
In Isaiah 57:18-19 God says, "I have seen how they acted but I will heal them, I will lead them and help them and I will comfort those who mourn. I offer peace to all near and far." So God knows us. He knows where we came from, where we stand today, and where we’re going to be tomorrow. And he says:
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If you’ve been hurt, “I want to heal you."
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If you're confused, "I want to lead you."
If you've ever felt you were helpless to change anything, "I want to help you."
If you've ever felt no one understands your problem, "I want to comfort you."
If you feel worried or afraid, "I want to offer peace to you."
The reality is that you're not going to get well on your own. Persistent temptations must be team-tackled through community. We need each other. Trying to fix your problems on your own only makes them worse than they were when you started. But there’s hope. God is ready and waiting to help you if you let him.
I'm excited that you’re beginning the journey to recovery. Your life will change. You’ll experience freedom from your sinful hurts, hang-ups and habits as you give up control and allow Jesus to be Lord in every area of your life.
Dr. Rick Warren, Senior Pastor
Saddleback Church
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Drawn from the Beatitudes, Celebrate Recovery helps people resolve painful problems in the context of the church as a whole. Rather than setting up an isolated recovery community, it helps participants and their churches come together and discover new levels of care, acceptance, trust, and grace.
Celebrate Recovery Resources
Specifically tied to the eight recovery principles of the Celebrate Recovery program, the Celebrate Recovery Journal is specially designed to help people go through the recovery process step-by-step. Includes tips on how to benefit from journaling, Scriptures pulled from the Celebrate Recovery program, and a 90-day review.
Celebrate Recovery, Updated Curriculum Kit:
A Program for Implementing a Christ-Centered Recovery Ministry in Your Church.
Celebrate Recovery® Updated Leader's Guide:
Stepping Out of Denial into God's Grace Participant's Guide 1:
Taking an Honest and Spiritual Inventory Participant's Guide 2:
Getting Right with God, Yourself, and Others Participant's Guide 3:
Growing in Christ While Helping Others Participant's Guide 4:
For additional resources and information on this wonderful program please visit the Celebrate Recovery website at: www.celebraterecovery.com
