The Art of Dying to Yourself in Christian Recovery

From the beginning of time, mankind has sought to prolong life. Whether it was learning survival techniques in the caveman days, receiving heart transplants in modern times, or looking for the fountain of youth in natural therapies, the goal has always been to live longer.

In Christianity, we are to die to ourselves every day. In 1 Corinthians 15:31, the Apostle Paul writes, "I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." In other words, Paul willingly destroys the works of the flesh in order for the Spirit of God within to control his soul.

This does not come naturally. Human instincts are to live. With Satan's encouragement, the sin nature continually rises up to wreak havoc in our lives. Therefore, we must commit to our own death so that we can rise up in the resurrection of life in Christ.

When we die to ourselves, the Spirit of God is revealed and engaged in the battle for your mind and soul. Your spiritual death brings honor to God and establishes your place in His Kingdom. It also keeps us humble.

Go to our Twitter site at wwww.twitter.com/solidrockroad or to www.thesolidrockroad.com to purchase Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery

Who is Sitting on the Throne: You or God?

Whenever you depend on your own strength, God can’t give you His. When you admit you’re weak compared to God, He happily intervenes and everything falls into its proper place.

So why do we struggle with letting God be God? If it’s been proven that our lives work better when God is in control, why do we persist in doing things our own way? Why do count on our flawed minds when we have access to the mind of Christ? Why do we forget that God has the power and love we need to live a great life and be free from addictions?

We could all write out long lists filled with reasons we go in and out of our faith and submit to God intermittently. But the main problem is that many Christians are comfortable on the throne and refuse to get off.

God belongs on the throne. If you step down and put God in His rightful place, your life will be blessed.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. Also look for a book I've co-written called Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.

Is it the Devil or is it You?

In our Christian recovery ministry, people talk a lot about how the devil is destroying their lives. And though we see the damage Satan does, we also see that Christians are often their own worst enemy.

The devil can tempt you -- and he will -- but ultimately, you make the choice to continue your sin of addiction. The Bible says that you are given the ability through Christ to resist all temptation. Therefore, your recovery depends on you making the right choice.

This sounds way too easy. In a way, it is. You complicate the matter by justifying behaviors, blaming others for your weakness, and living in the past.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. Also, look for a book I've co-written called "Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery." It will be out in January 2010.

Freedom Comes When God is First

God wants to take first place in your life and be the source of power for all things.
God is way more powerful than Satan. Unfortunately, you may see Satan as the one with all the power. But the reason you can't resist him is because you’re surrendered to him. If you transfer your obedience to God, you will be shocked and amazed by His power, love and grace.

This is your first step to overcoming addictions forever. Think about God more than you think about your drug of choice. If God is first, then He will be on your mind and His righteousness will become you.

You can see this as simplistic or you can see this as an amazing opportunity to be quickly transformed. I challenge you to soak yourself in the presence of God and be immersed in His Word for one month straight. Go to very church event and Bible study you can. Make dates with faithful people who will build you up spiritually. Get prayer every day and be in prayer every day. You will see the power of God, you will be able to resist the temptations and you will be free from your addictions.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. And look for a book I co-wrote called Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.

Christian Recovery: Put On the New You

Why would you want to live as your old self when you have a completely new identity in Christ? For Christians in recovery, the answer can be the difference between continual relapse and freedom for a lifetime.

The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 4:22,23: "put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

Paul was talking to Christians -- reminding them of their identity as sons of the king. We have to kill the sin nature at the cross of Jesus so that new life can emerge. When we say goodbye to who we were, we welcome the new us. That is what Christian living is all about. We become a new person that looks more like Christ, and that is in a continual progression of spiritual growth.

If you're hanging on all or parts of your old self, you can't be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Ask God to show you what you must let go of so you can enjoy the gift of true righteousness and holiness.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad

The Solid Rock Road Leads to Jesus

It's really clear that addictions to drugs and alcohol are on the rise, even in Christian communities. As a result, more and more Christian programs focus on the addict and their issues. In the Solid Rock Road ministry, we believe that Christians must focus on the new creation reality -- not themselves.

The power of God and the blood of Jesus set us free from addictions. We just have to believe what the Bible says. The New Living Translation of 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells it like it is: "But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it."

If you believe the Word of God, then you can resist all temptation. In our book: Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery, we offer 10 Bible-based principles to get and stay free from addictions forever. It will be out in January 2010. Meanwhile, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad

Christian Recovery Brings Total Freedom

Many people get sober and are better able to cope with life. But coping isn't thriving. Coping is attempting to overcome, which means that those who are just coping have yet to experience victory.

For Christians in recovery, the power of God, the blood of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit result in a life transformed. In the Solid Rock Road program, we call this radical recovery.

If you are a Christian battling addictions and continual bouts with relapse, you need to claim the freedom you were given as a gift when Jesus died on the cross. You must agree to suffer all the way to the cross, die to yourself and be renewed into the image of Christ.

Follow us on www.twitter.com/solidrock road. We'll let you know when you can purchase our Christian recovery book titled "Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.

Freedom from Addiction is a Gift from God

You don't have to wonder if you'll ever be free from addictions, you already are. Jesus paid the price for freedom on the cross, and said "It is finished." If you understand the new creation reality, you know that you've won the battle for your own soul. But if you don't, then you will most likely continue to relapse.

Freedom is a gift from God. Will you receive it? Do you even believe it? So many Christians in recovery have discovered that everything they needed to live a lifetime of sobriety is found in the Bible. You can read about the strength of God, the transforming power of God, the deliverance of God, the protection of God, the promises of God and so on, but you must have faith that it is all true.

God is enough. You don't need a program or a group of people to depend on. You must simply become dependent on God.

Follow me on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/solidrockroad. And look for a book I've co-written called Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.

Christian Reocvery and the Power of God

In 12-step programs, you're told that your struggle is one day at a time. In Christian circles, the Bible tells you to pick up your cross daily. The Bible says you are a new creation "Behold, all things have become new." The Bible encourages believers to suffer with Christ, which means we have to pick up our cross every day and deal with our issues properly. As Christians, we're expected to suffer ALL THE WAY to the cross, not halfway, not most of the way -- all the way!

Christians in recovery must agree with the Bible, not a secular program where you depend on your self-will to make it one day at a time. In 2 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul says this: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness." WOW! That's awesome.

Acknowledge you're weak and allow the strength of God to do what you haven't been able to do. With the grace of God, you'll experience a lifetime of freedom from addictions.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. Also, look for a book I've co-written called Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.

Surrender and Realize Your Need for God

If you're a Christian in recovery, the most important thing you can do is surrender to God. You may think you've already done that just by getting saved, but if you continue to struggle with drugs and alcohol, then you really haven't.

When you surrender, you trade your will for God's will. This isn't a nonchalant act. In fact, if it doesn't hurt and it isn't hard, then it most likely won't last. Surrender means you give up, you let go, you say "yes" to every command in the Bible.

When you surrender and realize your need for God, you get the strength of God to fight and win the battle for your own soul. You renounce the works of the flesh and willingly kill your sill nature. In the process, Christ in you rises up and the grace of God empowers you to resist temptation.

Simply put, surrender gives you all the power you need to live a clean and sober life forever.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. Also, look for the new book I've co-written called "Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery. It's coming out in January 2010.

Claim to be a Christian, Not an Addict

According to the Bible, we're new creations in God. That means we're changed, we're different, we're made new. This is an amazing reality, but one that many Christians in recovery seem to forget.

You can't claim you are an addict for the rest of your life if you claim you are a Christian. You must see yourself as transformed, and you must believe that the power of God and the blood of Jesus is enough for you to resist all temptation. When you continually claim your addiction, you are empowering your old self to rise up.

Your old self is the problem. You must walk in your new creation reality so that you can live as a victorious, addiction-free Christian forever. This is what the Bible says, and this is what the blood of Jesus has done for you.

Follow The Solid Rock Road ministry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad, and look for our book to come out in January 2010 called "Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery."

Christian Recovery Requires Forgiveness

There's no doubt that as a Christian you understand that addiction is unacceptable. However, you often find yourself in a continual state of relapse. You get sober, your life gets better, you feel better, then you start to focus on the negative aspects of life, and you give in to temptation and relapse.

While there are many reasons for relapse, a major one is that you may have missed the important step of forgiving yourself and others. Forgiveness isn't an option. According to the Bible, we are all commanded to forgive. More importantly, if you want to be forgiven, you have to extend forgiveness.

Forgiveness starts with yourself. Many Christians in recovery feel shame and guilt. These emotions are not of God and will bring condemnation. Take yourself to the cross of Jesus Christ and allow yourself to feel the pain of your life. See the truth and admit what you've done so you can have true remorse and you can repent. Repentance is important because it causes you to do a complete moral u-turn.

Our book is coming out in January and includes a chapter on Forgiveness. The book is called Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery. For now, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad.

Christian Recovery: Your Temptation and Your Testimony

You can't have a testimony if you haven't had a test that you have passed. The reality of relapse is that you continually have to retake the test of temptation. Therefore, if you're sick of taking the same test over and over, then you have to study and commit to passing that test once and for all.

Can you imagine taking the same spelling test for years and years? Wouldn't you be determined to pass it so you can move forward and get smarter? And wouldn't your teacher make sure you learned the words you've already been given before she gives you another set of words to spell? If your school teachers won't let you fake your way through, why would God?

The simplest way to understand your chronic relapse is to see that God wants you to resist temptation based on HIS strength and the grace he's given. God expects you to change your pattern so that you can get out of the cycle of addictions. If He hasn't delivered you out, then you're test is to resist, resist, resist.

In the Solid Rock Road ministry, we teach you how to resist. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad, and look for our book "Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery

God's Grace is Sufficient for Christians in Recovery

Many Christians who battle with addictions believe that grace means that God is quick to forgive. While God forgives when we repent, it's vital to understand the true work of grace in our lives.

There is a saving grace and an empowering grace that follows. It's the grace of God that enables Christians to get set free. Grace is the way of escape. Think of the acronym that many people use for the word grace: God's Riches at Christ's Expense.

If we have God's riches, then what could we possibly be missing? If God delivers, then we have deliverance. If he heals broken hearts, we're healed. The only thing that's missing is a complete understanding of what Christ accomplished at the cross.

Christian recovery really depends on Christians living in grace as defined in the Bible.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad

Radical Recovery from Addictions for Christians

The radical lifestyle of addicts never ceases to amaze me, even though I've done my share of partying and admit to being equally outrageous. If you battle with addictions and are a Christian, you would win if you lived as radical a Christian lifestyle as when you were in the height of your addiction.

Your addiction to drugs and alcohol occupied your mind and dictated your actions. Everything in your life evolved around getting your drug of choice and consuming it. You went to bed high and you woke up wanting to be high again. You tended to your addiction at all moments, sometimes ignoring your work, family, friends and children in the process.

If you switched your pre-occupation to serving God and others, you would never relapse again. You would establish a legacy of sobriety and move into your destiny. I've co-authored a book titled "Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery" which provides 10 Bible-based principles that takes readers on an experiential journey of discovery. It will be out in December.

Meanwhile, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad