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Growing Daily in God and Sobriety!

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!!!!
Bible Study
1 Corinthians Part 8
4:1-6


  • Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 
( Ministers (lit., “a subordinate,” or “servant” "sponsors"): This term is used only here in Paul’s epistles. It differs from the word translated “ministers” in 3:5 in that it has the idea of an attendant or helper who assists a master. The apostle or minister of Christ is simply an attendant of Christ. He takes orders and executes them.)


  •  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
(I know nothing by myself (lit., “I know nothing against myself”). This sort of total commitment gave Paul the authority to make such a statement as “be ye followers of me” (cf. 1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1)

  • Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
( Not to think . . . above that which is written is a proverbial expression. Paul is telling the Corinthians not to go beyond Scripture. In other words, learn to live by the Book, and stop following men.)

Todays Action

  • Today I will not make emotional decisions from feelings stirred up by worldly matters. I will not use my old "go to" manipulations and defense mechanisms -Instead I will go to the tools I have been blessed with in AA and scripture- then to prayer for answers.
  • Today I will fully accept my choices and be accountable for them
  • Today I will fully commit myself to being a steward of God through sponsorship
My Prayer
Heavenly Father, in Jesus name, I humbly ask that you have mercy on me. That you strengthen my faith in You so that I don't replace You again with things of this world. Help me to let go of the ways I use to deal with things. Help me to see through feelings and emotions as they are temporary. Help me to pause and seek you. Help me to accept reality-Help me to take responsibility and to be accountable. Help me to fully comment myself to those you send me. In Jesus name-Amen


May today there be peace within you.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities
that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received,
and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing that you are a child of God.
Let His presence settle into your bones,
and allow your soul the freedom to sing,
dance, and to bask in the sun.
It is there for each and every one of you.

Send this to the people in your life
and witness...

Podcast of the Day
The Nature of Alcoholic Self-Centeredness, Resentments, and Steps 3-5
https://www.recoveryaudio.org/aa-speaker-tapes/nature-alcoholic-self-centeredness-resentments-steps-3-5


Big Book
Into Action...Cont

 "If we cannot or would rather not do this, we search our acquaintance for a close-mouthed, understanding friend. Perhaps our doctor or psychologist will be the person. It may be one of our own family, but we cannot disclose anything to our wives or our parents which will hurt them and make them unhappy. We have no right to save our own skin at another person’s expense. Such parts of our story we tell to someone who will understand, yet be unaffected. The rule is we must be hard on ourselves, but always considerate of others.

 Not withstanding the great necessity for discussing ourselves with someone, it may be one is so situated that there is no suitable person available. If that is so, this step may be postponed, only, however, if we hold ourselves in complete readiness to go through with it at the first opportunity. We say this because we are very anxious that we talk to the right person. It is important that he be able to keep a confidence; that he fully understand and approve what we are driving at; that he will not try to change our plan. But we must not use this as a mere excuse to postpone.

 When we decide who is to hear our story, we waste no time. We have a written inventory and we are prepared for a long talk. We explain to our partner what we are about to do and why we have to do it. He should realize that we are engaged upon a life-and- death errand. Most people approached in this way will be glad to help; they will be honored by our confidence.

 We pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character, every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator. We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience. The feeling that the drink problem has disappeared will often come strongly. We feel we are on the Broad Highway, walking hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe.

 Returning home we find a place where we can be quiet for an hour, carefully reviewing what we have done. We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better. Taking this book down from our shelf we turn to the page which contains the twelve steps. Carefully reading the first five proposals we ask if we have omitted anything, for we are building an arch through which we shall walk a free man at last. Is our work solid so far? Are the stones properly in place? Have we skimped on the cement put into the foundation? Have we tried to make mortar without sand?"
Staples

"I'm trying to do the Steps" -"Trying" is not Doing. "Trying" is an excuse the ego uses to keep us in bondage to the many obsessions of the mind. This mind wants you dead but will settle for you drunk and miserable. 

Back to Basics
If you would like to know more about what is really wrong with you and how to RECOVER then watch this, all the Steps, take notes and get out your Big Book and a highlighter. If you just want to linger in the program, go to meetings, and listen to a bunch of rehab psychobabble from a therapist that does not understand our mind and get paid for your pain, treated or not, you will never benefit from the fourth dimension of sobriety. You won't understand what it feels like to be FREE from the bondage of alcohol and your thinking mind that wants you dead but will settle for you drunk. Only an alcoholic knows what it’s like to be an alcoholic which is why God choose the broken to work with the broken! 
Steps 1,2,3

Steps 4&5

Steps 6,7,8 &9

Steps 10,11 &12

Peter M. AA Speaker
This man saved my life. When I was going to meetings, lingering in steps for months and months without guidance I found this podcast AA Big Book Thumpers. I learned the Solution. I learned HOW to do the work. I didn't get that from meetings.
Peter M Steps Series 

Joe Elliot, of (Joe and Charlie) Steps
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4 & 5
Step 6&7
Step 8, 9
Step 10
Step 11 & 12

Joe and Charlie Big Book Study
disk 1
disk 2
disk 3
disk 4


Websites I use to Grow

Joe & Charlie Through The Big Book
Joe and Charlie Podcast Version




WHEN I AM DISTURBED BY THE CONDUCT (SYMPTOMS) OF OTHERS
"This is a sick man. How can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done."
(p. 67 BB)
God help me to show this person the same tolerance, pity and patience that I would Cheerfully grant a sick friend. This is a sick person, how can I be helpful to him? God save me from being angry. Thy will be done.
(see above and p. 141 of 12&12)

WHEN I AM AFRAID
"We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be."
(p. 68 BB)
God, relieve me of this fear and direct my attention to what you would have me be. AMEN


WHEN I AM AWARE OF MY OWN DEFECTS AND SEEKING GOD'S HELP TO CHANGE
"We asked God to mold our ideals and help us to live up to them. . . we ask God what we should do about each specific matter."
(p. 69 BB)
God, I'm agitated and doubtful right now. Help me to stop and remember that I've made a decision to let You be my God. Give me the right thoughts and actions. God save me from fear, anger, worry, self-pity or foolish decisions that Your will not mine be done. AMEN


SUGGESTIONS ABOUT PRAYER AND MEDITATION FROM BB
(1) Make no requests in prayer for yourself only.
(2) Never pray for your own selfish ends.
(3) Select and memorize a few set prayers that emphasize the principles of the Steps.
(4) Ask a priest, minister or rabbi about helpful books and prayers that emphasize the principles of the Steps.
(5) Be quick to see where religious people are right.
(6) Make use of what religious people have to offer.
(p. 87 BB)


NIGHT PRAYER
God forgive me where I have been resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid today. Help me to not keep anything to myself but to discuss it all openly with another person - show me where I owe an apology and help me make it. Help me to be kind and loving to all people. Use me in the mainstream of life God. Remove worry, remorse or morbid (sick) reflections that I may be of usefulness to others. AMEN
(p. 86 BB)

MORNING PRAYER
God direct my thinking today so that it be divorced of self pity, dishonesty, self-will, self-seeking and fear. God inspire my thinking, decisions and intuitions. Help me to relax and take it easy. Free me from doubt and indecision. Guide me through this day and show me my next step. God give me what I need to take care of any problems. I ask all these things that I may be of maximum service to you and my fellow man in the name of the Steps I pray. AMEN
(p. 86 BB)



AA MORNINGS
  • On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.

  • In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.

  • What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind. Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God, it is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times. We might pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas. Nevertheless, we find that our thinking will, as time passes, be more and more on the plane of inspiration. We come to rely upon it.

  • As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day “Thy will be done.” We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do not tire so easily, for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves.

  • Be kind to others. Smile. Open doors. Drive without freaking out and just be grateful that you are not in jail or dead….You have a second chance. There is nothing you have done that God can’t and won’t forgive...If there is a name for it, it’s been done before so just get to work.

We alcoholics are undisciplined and create drama. So we let God guide us in the simple way we have just outlined. But this is not all. There is action and more action. 
“Faith without works is dead.”
(from "Alcoholics Anonymous pg. 86-88)


AA NIGHTS
When we retire at night, we constructively review our day.
  • Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid?
  • Do we owe an apology?
  • Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once?
  • Were we kind and loving toward all?
  • What could we have done better?
  • Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life?
But we must be careful not to drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our usefulness to others. After making our review we ask God's forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.
(from "Alcoholics Anonymous pg. 86)

The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change; 
courage to change the things I can; 
and wisdom to know the difference

The Set Aside Prayer
God,
Please help me set aside
everything I think I know
about myself, my disease,
the 12 steps, and especially You;
So I may have an open mind
and a new experience
of all these things.
Please let me see the truth.




It works - it really does!