More specifically, CR teaches that the Beatitudes (Matt. Warner Alliance, Curb. January 2015 July 2020 But the steps that are put together still have biblical basis, though the Gospel and the delivering power of Christ would need to be much more emphasized. Stop wasting time and money on man made programs that cannot free sinners from their bondages. Additionally, the Beatitudes were never intended to be a recovery program. (LogOut/ [5] Promotional materials assert that over 5 million people have participated in a Celebrate Recovery step study in over 35,000 churches. [3], Celebrate Recovery is a recovery program aimed at all "hurts, habits, and hang-ups", including but not exclusive to: high anxiety; co-dependency; compulsive behaviors; sex addiction; financial dysfunction; drug and alcohol addictions; and eating disorders. Strength Its utter hypocrisy.) Luke 12:43-45. Hymns How is obeying God's Word legalistic? The program began in Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and is now used in churches around the world. None. Celebrate Recovery is a beautiful community of strugglers that courageously enter this safe and beautiful space to get honest about our pain, and the negative ways we may see ourselves, God and others. Ill just let Scripture speak to those points: If the world hates you, know that it has hated me [Jesus] before it hated you. (Steps 6 and 7) Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires (Matt. I would never recommend CR to a fellow believer, no matter how popular it is. What an insult to Jesus Christ our Savior to label Him with a name from a program (Alcoholics Anonymous) which directly contradicts His gospel! You gave such a positive outlook on CR, almost as if there are few if any failures. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. "Substitute anything for Christ, and the Gospel is totally spoiled! Some of the best known can be found in the blue menu bar at the top of this page at myPopular False Teacherstab. Having said all that, I led a man who had been a drunk for 12yrs to the Lord and prayed with him for deliverance; he was delivered, and never touched the stuff again! Predestination Proper Perspective Purpose Driven James 4:4, I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. Labels. Mark 16:15 says,"And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." That is out and out heresy. you will be shunned. Wouldnt it be wise for these people to attend meetings like CR and have a program to help them learn how to live a life free of sins that destroy lives and familys ? They make merchandise of Gods Word. Since CR claims to be Christian in nature, biblical (13), grounded in Gods word (12), and[b]ased on the actual words of Jesus rather than on psychological theory (12), it deserves to be evaluated as such. As if man can free someone from the bondage of sin. I go to Cr and agree some scripture is not spot on. The program has impacted adults and teens all over the U.S. and across . The second half isnt going to work for lost people because it doesnt biblically identify their problem, which is sin, not character defects. Biblically, theres no such animal. Also, how could you ever defend the gospel of Jesus Christ when you claim that people need to first come to accept a god of their own understanding and then they can come to Jesus supposedly through Celebrate Recovery? Then you are able to test it. Dec 27 2016. Principle Y takes us back into false gospel territory: Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others,both by my example and my words. Rather the terminology he uses is hurts, hang-ups, and habits (instead of sin) and healing from your hurts (instead of repentance). Growth would be stunted. As such, CR imposes a meaning other than the authorial intent upon the text. CR Tools. CRs 12 Steps are almost identical to the secular 12 steps. Taking an Honest and Spiritual Inventory: Participant's Guide 2: A Recovery Program Based on Eight Principles from the Beatitudes. Demonic Oppression Todd-April 2, 2018. SMALL GROUP GUIDELINES. Rick Warren writes, " [D]uring the ten-week series that I preached to kick . September 2017 John Blanchard, 54; James Boice, 74; D.A. Ashley, in what way does being involved in and defending Celebrate Recovery which is based on heresy bring glory to Jesus Christ? Starting a Celebrate Recovery is an exciting step for your church! Jesus was clearly teaching that once saved always saved. Words, "Any teaching that detracts in the slightest from the glory of God is not a biblical teaching.". We are born with a sinful nature, but we also choose to sin. c) The pastor, teacher, or ministry cannot currently and unrepentantly be teaching false doctrine. Meditation Obeying the commands of scripture is not legalism - it's a major aspect of the Christian faith. Sufficiency Of Scripture And the answer to that question is a resounding no. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. Below are the biblical criteria I use when deciding whether or not to recommend a teacher, ministry, etc. Jesus Christ by Chad Prigmore. Gospel 1 John 3:13, They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. The Bible puts those two people in two different categories and addresses them discretely and justly. (Whats interesting is that the author of the 12 Steps from the 1930s died from an addiction. [8], Celebrate Recovery uses both the 12 steps developed by Alcoholics Anonymous and a very similar set of eight sequential principles that are understood as a lesson of Jesus' Beatitudes. Each person has their own unique relationship with Jesus based on how the Holy Spirit translates the scripture to the individual, each person is free to seek outside sources for guidance on how to translate scripture and when they listen to a sermon or read a study it is that individuals responsibility to test the message against scripture and since we are all unique we dont have a right to determine that the other persons belief is wrong simply because it doesnt perfectly match our own. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. Neither are they ways to be happy (12). Are we to avoid all womens bible studies and Christian book studies as well? Once youre saved (or if youre already saved as youre reading this), find a doctrinally sound church, make an appointment with your pastor, and ask him to point you to someone who can disciple you in obedience to Gods Word. The Pharisees, who largely set the religious/spiritual tone of the day, would have propagated the photo-negative of the Beatitudes, and, thus, an incorrect understanding of the believer. Free-will Trials Righteousness The terms they use to identify themselves are secular and psychologized (addiction co-dependency adult child of family dysfunction) rather than biblical (the sin of drunkenness, fear/idolatry of man, and sinful family relationships, bitterness, unforgiveness, or whatever adult child of family dysfunction actually means. WALLACE, N.C. , Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Focused Addiction Recovery (FAR), a behavioral health treatment center in Wallace, North Carolina, has officially opened its doors and is now . Its not that God isnt powerful, its that as an unbeliever you dont have access to, or a right to that power. Absolutely not says researcher John Lanagan. Exposing Recovery - THE WAY MINISTRY CHURCH The Truth about Recovery from a Biblical Perspective There is a common assumption and belief in the recovery industry that the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are Christian in origin. July 2015 November 2015 Your First Step to Celebrate Recovery: How God Can Heal Your Life. No one can judge who is saved and who isnt because the person has fallen in life or the person is attending a program that others interpret as not biblical. Matthew 5:23-24 NIV. Heresy CR is open to professing Christians as well as the lost (in the CR program at Saddleback, non-Christians make up over 70% of CR participants see below), and is modeled after secular 12 step programs (ex: Alcoholics Anonymous). Therapeutic Humanism In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Contemplative Prayer Celebrate Recovery (CR) is a Christ-centered, 12 step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, pain, or addiction of any kind. Page 11 of the Celebrate Recovery Bible states, "The Celebrate Recovery Bible is based on the eight principles and the underlying twelve Christ-centered recovery steps of the proven Celebrate Recovery program." you will be branded as one who has gone back to alchohal or drugs even though you havent. This leaves room for lost people to infer, These are their beliefs, but they dont have to be mine.. Principle R2 is great if youre saved, since all Christians are supposed to be doing these things anyway. I am sorry to be blunt, but your entire comment reeks of the secular humanism that is the foundation of the program of Celebrate Recovery. Further evidence of CRs false gospel can be found near the end of the video. Anything thats not biblical in the CR program should be pointed out and discussed but to claim you know who Jesus has not saved is very dangerous. I do not endorse anything on these sites that deviates from Scripture or conflicts with my beliefs as outlined in the Welcome or Statement of Faith tabs in the blue menu bar at the top of this page. A male teacher or pastor cannot allow women to carry out this violation of Scripture in his ministry. (And God doesnt use people to bring heresy to others except as a judgment against them.) Scary, how many people we know that are full on CRs. No sound theologian would tell you that is proper. Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him and that He has the power to help me recover. Journal of Psychology & Christianity 22.4 (2003). Word of Faith Salvation Catholicism (RCC) Eschatology (End Times) In this particular segment, Johnny skips directly from Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sin, rose again, and lives now, to He sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of us. That is a false gospel. This post reminded me of that ministry. The indwelling Holy Spirit is a sign, seal, and guarantee of our salvation, and salvation does not take place without the repentance of sin and placing ones faith in Christ. He was instantly changed! Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Another dangerous and unbiblical component of this concept of sin is hurting others is that the CR gospel conflates sinning against others with being sinned against under the banner of hurts. February 2016 (2) Though claiming to be Christian based, its theology often clashes with sound Christian theology. They present a works-based gospel, which is no gospel at all. And if were walking in obedience to Scripture and preaching and teaching the true biblical gospel the world will hate us, not love us. Over the years we adopted a 12-step model. Judging and Examining Ourselves [podcast] February 1, 2023. Truth There simply is no way to justify the need for anything else - especially something as far from the Christian gospel message as the Twelve Steps. April 2019 Testimonies Change). [9][10][11][12] In addition to issue non-specific large group gatherings and individual mentoring, Celebrate Recovery encourages participants to form a small group of "accountability partners" who all have the same problem and support one another closely. To claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection is not only unbiblical but could lead to spiritual uncertainty and backsliding. Celebrate recovery is a biblically balanced approach to help bring sustainable recovery and healing to our hurts. Both sons remained his sons no matter what. A Way Which Seemeth Right at The Berean Call (This link is not a blanket endorsement of this blog or author, only this particular article. Twelve Steps Youll probably also notice that even though Johnny uses the word sin a few times, he never speaks in biblical terms about everyones need to repent of their sin. An Analysis of Celebrate Recovery Addictions Program Part 1 and Part 2 at The Cripplegate. Celebrate With Us at Saddleback Church! CR Training Conferences. Instead, the Beatitudes are descriptions of kingdom citizens; of individuals having been saved by Gods grace. The Good News of Celebrate Recovery? Proverbs 30:5,6 says, "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. The program is just a tool and study book like any other study. Openly examine and confess my faults to myself,to God, and to someone I trust. The one thing that Rick Warren, CR, and even Mr. Davis have left out is genuine repentance and an explanation of the effects it has on the one who was given the repentance as a gift from God in the first place. (LogOut/ Contents 1 History 2 Programs 3 Methods 4 Program fidelity constraints 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 Further reading People are addicted to things because they like it, and refuse to seek God for His help to remove their illicit desires forever-they would rather have the pleasure of their sin, no matter the cost. Baker, John. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. At 20:11ff, Johnny quotes Romans 3:23, and then proceeds to define sin as mistakes. Scripture July 2016 But I do agree that the message is watered down. The step programs are not about earning any kind of grace or favor (works) in Gods eyes. 6:6 and Col. 1:13). Marriage During the past 25 years, some 20,000 churches in the United States have reportedly used CR, with some 2.5 million people having completed the program. This Good News capital G, capital N? Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Participants are taken through the material in 25 lessons and testimonies, meeting once per week for 52 weeks. Actually, we judge Celebrate Recovery by what it is based on and what it teaches - the teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Twelve Steps which directly contradict the gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The twelve steps referred to in the above excerpt are the demonically inspired twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous which directly contradict the gospel of Jesus Christ. 7,416,908 journeys have been made to this site. If you are considering commenting or sending me an e-mail objecting to the fact that I warn against certain teachers or ministries, please click here and read this article first. Celebrate Recovery Summit 2023 For the first time in years, we will be hosting the Celebrate Recovery 2023 Summit at Saddleback Church, CA. Have you actually read all the material? If God's word in scripture is sufficient and the final authority - then why would the Twelve Steps need to be added to it as CR does? The father never disowned his fallen son. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Read the articles on this site entitled "Was Alcoholics Anonymous Started by Christians?" With compelling storytelling, memorable characters, and a resounding message of female empowerment, Devil Ki Shaadi is the ideal way to celebrate the phenomenal women in our lives this Women's Day. Rick Warren: Purpose Driven Deception. God Bless, New Mexico was the first state to adopt Celebrate Recovery into its state prison system and now has Celebrate Recovery pods in all its state prisons. The program, created by John Baker and Rick Warren, is supposedly based on biblical principles. The gospel is the gospel. But the lost people hes talking to do not have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help them because theyre still lost, because CRs gospel doesnt call them to repent and believe. If it involves anything Purpose-Driven, you should avoid it like a sexually transmitted disease. Celebrate Recovery is a safe place to find community and freedom from issues that control us. It was born out of the heart of Saddleback Church with Ricks approval and under his oversight, and, as you might expect, is fraught with unbiblical issues at nearly every turn. I recommend against any teacher, ministry, or evangelical trend that violates one or more of these biblical tenets. Apostasy [6][7] Leaders seek to normalize substance abuse as similar to other personal problems common to all people. Also, look who comes first here in this line of confession not God, but self. Learn how your comment data is processed. 1 Corinthians 10:12. Repentance is grieving from the heart that you have sinned against a holy God, wishing you had never done it, and striving never to do it again. This likely stems from the idea in secular recovery groups like AA that alcoholism is a disease you need to heal and recover from like the flu or the chicken pox. Sunday. 2022 by Berean Research. November 2014 Yoga. All of the sources you recommend are simply another writing of yours. Alcoholics Anonymous promotes idolatry through urging its adherents to believe in a God of their own understanding - which can be pretty much anything or anyone. Ephesians 5:11tells believers, "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them." No one has the ability, nor should they attempt to face their hurts on their own. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ, God's truth in His Word in scripture. [13] A study of Celebrate Recovery participants published in 2011 by the Journal of Religion and Health, found that levels of spirituality were associated with greater confidence to resist substance use. in the 80s and 90s, I worked as a correspondence counselor for an ex-gay ministry. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. There is an enormous difference between a man getting drunk and beating his wife half to death and a wife who has been beaten half to death by her drunkard husband. Sins. Click here for meetings today (Monday)! Death Human Nature Seeing our church succumb to this "Jesus and ______"; or more specifically, "Christianized AA Lite 12 Step Program" false form of so called psychology laced body ministry, is very sad to say the least! They tell sinners Jesus loves them, invite Him into your heart, make your decision, choose Jesus, get baptized, etc. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Celebrate Recovery (CR) was created by John Baker, a member of false teacher Rick Warrens Saddleback Church. Commentary, stories, and side notes have been added. And we dont need to heal from our sin, we need to repent of it, forsake it, and mortify it. Further, the purpose of this review is not to question whether the 2.5 million participants have felt that they were assisted with enslaving behaviors, nor to doubt the sincerity of individuals seeking to help, but, instead, to examine CRs claim to be biblically based. Life I basically drank everyday for 40 years. Celebrate Recovery is a safe place to find community and freedom from the issues that are controlling our life. 10. Baker, John, and Richard Warren. Also on page 11 it is stated, "Accustomed to a traditional twelve-step program and hesitant to make a switch? Advanced trainings that continue to build on your foundational knowledge of how to successfully run your own CR; Face-to-face connection with the national and global team of Celebrate Recovery. CR Official Podcast. . It produces diligence to be sure no sin is left still covered by a fig leaf of denial; clearing of yourselves is round two of being sure nothing remains of any known sin; indignation toward yourself for having sinned against God; fear that you may return to your favorite sin out of rebellion; vehement desire to please God in all things and lay down your sins and the pleasure of them before your Savior; zeal so as to always keep yourself in check, away from sin and its pleasures; and vindication not of yourself, but on Gods behalf because He is once again proven to be right and righteous in all that He does. We are in desperate need of an Elijah, Apostle Paul, John the Baptist, or Jonah type of man that truly has been regenerated by God, empowered by the Spirit, trembles at His word, and will stand up and proclaim the whole counsel of God as well as speak out biblically against nonsense like celebrate recovery! Print. The facts Johnny states about Jesus life and that He sent the Holy Spirit are technically correct, but whats missing? There is NO man made program that can free a sinner from his/her bondage to sin, theres only ONE who can set us free from the grasp of sin, for sin overpowers all sinners. God taught us this way back in Psalm 51 where David, repenting of his sin with Bathsheba said, Against You [God], You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight. God is the first, last, and ultimate object of our sin. Emergent Church I am a sinner like everyone else walking this rock we live on. Print. Celebrate Recovery Shoreline Church Beginning August 21, we will be offering THREE Sunday gatherings at 8:15, 9:30, & 11 AM. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. No mention is made of personal repentance of sin or placing ones faith in Christ as the Bible defines it anywhere in this video. As an unbeliever, you cannot just make a fleshly decision of the will to commit all of your life and will to Christs care and control. [4] Celebrate Recovery is one of the seven largest addiction recovery support group programs. [2] The only capital G, capital N Good News is the Good News of the biblical gospel, which CR has repeatedly failed to present and instead has substituted its own false gospel which is devoid of sin, faith, and repentance. Jesus commands us to repent. House, 1998. celebrate recovery is a cult, and slavery. Grace 7:10-12 gives very specific evidence of genuine repentance and the effects it has on a believer. Thats pragmatism. Its called fellowship!!! The Oxford Group was a quasi Christian group that corrupted the gospel and Christian doctrine. Declan Pierce, a DJ who hosts Block Rockin' Beats on Dublin-based station Today FM, thanked staff who helped him after a brain haemorrhage. Who will replace retiring Rick Warren at Saddlebacks Helm? Mormonism February 2015 Any CR program should teach that only Jesus can heal someone from addiction or any other sin. We also know that God can and does work through others to help us. Psalm19 6;14, but RW and company would rather make merchandise of the masses and have them play the victim card and be FOREVER subservient to their programs and dictates*****************no thank you. When Christ preached the Beatitudes, he did not intend for them to be a protocol for recovery. I am not thoroughly familiar with the websites below. Only a omnipotent, omniscient God has the power to free the sinner. But the ideas in the 8 Principles are very similar to the ideas in the secular 12 steps. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The eight principles upon which CR is derived are as follows (the principle is stated, followed by the corresponding Beatitude): Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. Spiritual Formation That was enough for both of us!! Sermon On The Mount Eternity Luke 15:11-32 (NIV) , Jesus clearly said the father had two sons. People really need to get back to believing in the transforming power of Christ through true repentance and faith. The Twelve Steps also falsely teach forgiveness of sins by a God of our own understanding while Christ is no part of the Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve Step program whatsoever. Celebrate Recovery does not convey the gospel of Jesus Christ and is not needed. [14] Celebrate Recovery has not been significantly studied, so there is no empirical evidence regarding the impacts or efficacy of the Celebrate Recovery program. Jesus begins this great sermon by turning the common understanding of those in Gods favor on its head. 1 John 4:5, You adulterous people! Occult What program should be recommended? Nowhere does Scripture suggest that we need to heal and recover from sin. During his solo career, he recorded eight studio albums. Celebrate Recovery: Growing in Christ While Helping Others: Participant Guide 4. That CR adapts worldly means and methods is abundantly evident below in the video introduction to CR (found on the CR websites What is Celebrate Recovery? This article is kept continuously updated as needed. Celebrate recovery is a biblically balanced approach to help bring sustainable recovery and healing to our hurts. I now vow to never go back. Sober Recovery Expert Author. Sermons Baker, John, and Richard Warren. I believe these facts are important to disclose when you are making claims against something. New Age The prophets of Baal all believed in Gods existence and power (right before Elijah slaughtered them all). God is the only judge of each individual relationship. Recovery Celebrate Recovery [9] Celebrate Recovery groups are held under the management of local church organizations. page): Another issue made plain in the video is that Celebrate Recovery teaches a false gospel: At 3:24ff, speaking to lost people, Johnny gives an incomplete (and partially false) presentation of the gospel as a means of differentiating secular recovery programs from CR. If you have never attended a Celebrate Recovery group before, you might be wondering, How do I know Celebrate Recovery even works? Why even invest time and commitment into something that might not be effective? Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998. I have a question for you. Celebrate Recovery is an American Christian twelve-step program designed to facilitate recovery from a wide variety of troubling behavior patterns. These kind of statements turn away so many non believers. John Baker and Rick Warren of Saddleback Church created the program in 1991 to help people with various addictions. I cringed whenever Id hear someone say, Im (insert name), and Im a grateful follower of Jesus Christ! Its obvious why the 12 steps are included, because the world is familiar with them. Actions Now lets take a look at some of the unbiblical 8 Principles and 12 Steps of the Celebrate Recovery program: Its a little confusing as to why CR has both 12 Steps and 8 Principles of recovery, but if Im understanding it correctly, CRs 12 Steps are designed to be sort of a bridge to assimilate people already familiar with the 12 steps of secular recovery groups (such as AA) into CR. Other Alcoholics Anonymous Writings and Publications. I get lots of questions about particular authors, pastors, Bible teachers, ministries, and evangelical fads and trends, and whether or not I recommend them. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered and Bible-based 12 Step Recovery Program. In 2020, the organization was present in 10 countries around the world. And that is what makes RW and all his co-hearts the consummate Pharisees of our day, hypocrites, pretenders, and frauds. Celebrate Recoverys very foundations are unbiblical, and Jesus stressed just how crucial biblical foundations are: Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Celebrate Recovery began 25 years ago with 43 people at California's Saddleback Church. Alcoholics Anonymous No 12-step program needed. try to leave it and see what happens. Hi Emily, The issue here is that the unbeliever is not indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit to resist and flee from sin. The wife has been sinned against. A local Celebrate Recovery ministry should follow the policies of their local church and continue to be grateful for their continued support. Did God forget something in His Word so that we humans had to come up with a program to help people instead? 5:48). Continue reading, 12-step program, Addiction, Alcoholics Anonymous, Beatitudes, Celebrate Recovery, Context, Eisegesis, Eric Davis, Exegesis, Healing, Hermeneutics, John Baker, Matthew 5:3-12, Recovery, Rick Warren, Sin. The sinner simply asked Jesus to save him and Jesus said your faith has made you whole. Forgiveness Our service offers engaging live worship and biblical-based teaching relevant to your circumstances. I have noticed that almost all CR attendees who have quit one addiction just turned to another. If you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else, please call: 911 - Emergency or 988 - Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or 1-800-273-8255. These findings barely scratch the surface of Celebrate Recoverys means, methods, and philosophy, but I think Christians who value sound doctrine will agree that this information is more than sufficient to warn people away from this unbiblical ministry. Because Celebrate Recovery is mix of heretical worldly teachings with scripture it is on the broad worldly way. Print. You state that, "Its obvious why the 12 steps are included, because the world is familiar with them."