New Life Behavior – Course VIII Christians Against Substance Abuse Lesson 1

 To consider the initial step leading to an ongoing recovery from any addictive substance. “I admit I am powerless over ______________ and my life is unmanageable.” O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. (Jeremiah 10:23 NKJV)

 Luke 18:9-14 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' (Luke 18:13 RSV)  Whitewashing is not enough. (Matthew 23:27) We may be able to fool some people some of the time but we can never fool God!

 The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. (Proverbs 8:13 RSV)  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18 RSV)  The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. (Proverbs 8:13 RSV)  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18 RSV)  For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him. (Romans 12:3 RSV)

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5b RSV)

 Sinners for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23, NKJ)  “There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us that it hardly behooves any of us… to talk about the rest of us!”  Addiction Means Powerlessness = LAWLESSNESS (1 John 3:4)

 Drowning people do not care who saves them and ALL sinners are drowning!  When one hits bottom, he fearfully grasps for air and grabs anything resembling rope or hope! "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10 NKJV)

 And as he passed on, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:14-17 RSV)  Luke 5:  Luke 19:10  1 Timothy 1:15-17  Matthew 9:9-13

 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5 RSV)  Ephesians 1:3  for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:26-27 RSV)  John 14:6

 Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? (Mark 16:15,16; Romans 10:11)  Are you willing to repent of your sins? (Acts 2:38; Luke 13:3)  Will you confess before men that Jesus is the Son of God and the Lord of your life? (Romans 10:9,10)  Have You submitted to God’s Word and been baptized for the remission of your sins? (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16)  Are you living a faithful life to God! (Rev. 2:10) Jesus Cares For You!

 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV)

 New Life Behavior Ministries – Course VIII  Principles from Proverbs - #7 – Alan C. Cole  Rose Publishing – Clipart