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Growing in God and Sobriety!

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!!!!
Bible Study
Ephesians 1 Part 3
1:11-19


  • In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
(In whom also we have obtained an inheritance may be read, “by whom we were also made an inheritance.” That is, believers are God’s treasure. Why would Paul regard this as a blessing? As God’s treasure Christians are the apple of His eye, the special objects of His love. He is then determined to care and provide for His people who are His heritage.)


  • That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
(The purpose of being made God’s “inheritance” and having been “predestined” is that we should be to the praise of his glory, that is, that we should glorify God. Who first trusted in Christ refers to Jewish believers. —“ye.”)

  • In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
(In whom ye also (or, “by whom also you”): The first person plural (we, us) in verses 3–12 refers to Jewish Christians. The second person plural (you) refers to Gentile Christians. This seems evident from 2:11, 12 where the second person is explicitly applied to non-Jews: “Ye being in time past Gentiles . . . ye were . . . aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.” Compare 3:1 where Paul calls his readers “you Gentiles.” The apostle’s point in this “we–you” distinction is that all those spiritual blessings God has bestowed upon “us” Jewish Christians, He has also granted “you” Gentile brethren. There is no difference. In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise may be read, “By whom also, when you believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” The Christian receives the Spirit, not “after,” but when he believes in Christ as Savior. The sealer is Jesus; the seal is the Holy Spirit. In biblical times a seal denoted both identification of ownership and protection provided by the owner.)


  • Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
(Which is the earnest of our inheritance means “who is the guarantee of our salvation.” The Holy Spirit is here called “the earnest of our inheritance.” The word earnest means “down payment”; as such the gift of the Spirit is viewed as an installment or as part of our salvation. God therefore assures the Christian that the realization of the rest of his salvation is forthcoming. How long is the believer assured of his salvation? Until the redemption of the purchased possession may be read, “until God glorifies and perfects the believer [the purchased possession] whom He has bought by Christ’s blood.”)


  • Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
(The spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him means “a disposition consisting of wisdom and revelation in knowing Him.”)


  • The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
(When the figurative terms are removed from the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, the clause means that “your mind’s understanding may be fully enlightened.” This clause further explains verse 17. That ye may know signifies that the believer comes to know three things upon being enlightened: 
(1) what is the hope of his calling; that is, he realizes how sure and certain is his heavenly destiny; 
(2) what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints; that is, the illuminated Christian recognizes more and more both the priceless value of his salvation, and what a priceless treasure he is to God; and 
(3) what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe: perceiving how God’s power has changed him since conversion, he experiences to a greater extent this divine strength in daily living.)

Sealing of the Holy Spirit
The sealing of the Holy Spirit guarantees the benefits of our salvation, as a person might seal an envelope to guarantee its enclosures. The Holy Spirit is the seal. Illustration: The Holy Spirit as the seal to the believer is also a “down payment” of His commitment to someday give him all other things God has promised. Application: Christians should be careful to “grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (4:30). (First Reference, Eph. 1:13; Primary Reference; Eph. 4:30; cf. Heb. 2:3.)
My Prayer for the Day
"Heavenly Father, in Jesus name-Thank You for sealing me with the Holy Spirit-for opening my eyes, for being born into human bondage, suffering and dying, and then raising up for our redemption. The emptiness, purposelessness and hopelessness I felt, both in and out of sobriety, has vanished. Seeking to be filled by things and people of this world no longer exist for me. How is that even possible Father? All things are possible through you! I can't even begin to know how to explain this to anyone. I sought you for so long though things other then you, not even knowing it was You I was in search of...if that makes sense! I can't unknow what I know. I can lose everything, including my life, but I can never loose you-That I couldn't bare. I pray for ALL those seeking souls that don't know they are really seeking you. I pray they knock. I pray they reach the point of desperation that I was blessed with. I pray you continue to strengthen my faith by granting me the courage and wisdom to be able to convey this gift throughout my sobriety. I pray you continue to reveal what needs to pruned away and I Thank You for all you have removed already. In Jesus name-Amen"
Todays Action


  • Today I will reflect on ALL God has removed from me in much gratitude. Things like the guy I had to have but God said "Nope-gone", that idea, conception or perception that was ingrained from childhood that held me back, the political ideology that actually took from my soul, the need to drink, the desire to defile my body, the over consumption that enslaved me, the validation seeking from facebook, the grass is always greener and the fairy tales designed to divide and conquer man against women, the need to comfort or distract "entertain" myself with meaningless TV because I can't stand to be alone in my own hed, the comparing myself to others....SO MANY THINGS I was in bondange to that I am free from! No matter how new you are in sobriety or new you are to emotional sobriety, we all can make a list of things that we once could not live without and are now in awe that we can!
  • Today I will seek to serve Him by asking where I can serve you
  • Today I will not seek my version of happiness-instead I will seek God version through seeking his will that ganrentess REAL happiness and, its organic! Meaning, it's real...It wasn't obtained my my thought-action-manipulation to recreate or generate my desired outcome-never filled me! Never worked! Pissed other people off! 

3rd STEP
"God, I offer myself to Thee—to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!" (p. 63 BB) God, Take my will and my life. Guide me in my recovery. Show me how to live. AMEN 
(the step on p. 59 BB)


Podcast of he Day

The Famous “Drop The Rock” Talk – 1976

Sandy Beach
Listen to more AA Podcast:


Big Book
How It Works...continued 
"Selfishness—self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.

 So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn’t think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us! God makes that possible. And there often seems no way of entirely getting rid of self without His aid. Many of us had moral and philosophical convictions galore, but we could not live up to them even though we would have liked to. Neither could we reduce our self-centeredness much by wishing or trying on our own power. We had to have God’s help.

 This is the how and why of it. First of all, we had to quit playing God. It didn’t work. Next, we decided that hereafter in this drama of life, God was going to be our Director. He is the Principal; we are His agents. He is the Father, and we are His children. Most good ideas are simple, and this concept was the keystone of the new and triumphant arch through which we passed to freedom. When we sincerely took such a position, all sorts of remarkable things followed. We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well. Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. More and more we became interested in seeing what we could contribute to life. As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter. We were reborn."

Hil's Blah
I can trace each of my "troubles" I've had or have strait back to me. So annoying! It was easier to blame you! My fears were delusional but I justified and defended having them based on some sort of story my mind would convince me was truth. Extreme people that think they are normal. I can't "do life" the way the civilians do-never could and never will. I accept that I am NOT them. I need Go. I need purpose. I need more than what hollywood fed me, what school told me, what happily ever after is supposed to be. I would never have been satisfied with it even if I had had it. I know me. Nothing makes feel safe, satisfied or secure...nothing made me happy.....If things were going good, I would intentionally mess it up...I didn't see that at the time of course. Or if someone started to feel too comfortable or got a little too happy about something other then me, I would have to rile them up and bring them down. If there wasn't a certain amount of excitement at all times, I would generate some through inoperate behavior or delusional accusations....No peace to be had by anyone who dared love me.
She had to die so that I could be reborn.