Video Transcript: Friday Night Recovery

You our God, so Father, I ask, invade our minds, invade our hearts. Lord, every situation would come to the family, choices but paths to go.

Lord, have us,  please, and you direct our paths.  And Lord, thank You that You are in control when we're not. Just now, guide ourselves and transform our minds that they are more like Christ, fulfill the purpose that you've given to us, Lord, make recovery take root in our hearts and our minds, our lives, that Lord, You would do again the rest as we surrender to your Father, we give it over to you. We thank you. We also pray the full surrounding prayer together; for those who are new, the full surrounding prayer is on the screen. Here in a second, there it is. Now, we pray together. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the differece living one day at a time, joining all, accepting persons, taking, as Jesus did, the world as it is, right in this life, trusting in You, supremely Happy.

Tonight, because God is worthy of worship, absolutely from all of our all of our being. We give praise because he is one who initiates recovery inside of you. Thanks to God for  we are in awe of what he does. So let's do it one more time you can't get enough? Oh god, we're starting to Step 11 this month, and we're so glad we can't do it. For those who may not know, I'm Pastor Mark

And also Sarah, but also AKA, also known as our  our community advocate, and we're glad that she's here to advocate for you, to support you, connect you, and to be an inspiration. If you need prayer fter this worship time, pull someone aside. We're here to pray with you and give thanks to God for you. Let's read chapter 11 so we can get what God's going to do here tonight.

So we have the word of Christ. Jesus Christ is also called the word of our God. John, chapter one: in the beginning was the Word, and Word was God, and so he is the one who made it happen. He is the one who restored all the creation through His death and His resurrection. Also tonight, how we seek through prayer and meditation, to connect with God. After working on the steps, and we've gone through step one right through Step 10 this past year. And we do it every year, every month: January, step one, February, step two, and so on, to give you a good outline, and also preview, and also for you sort of step one or step two, or write from step three, and you're not sure about step four. And God is saying, Okay, keep going. Keep going. Here's what to look forward to. Here's what we can apply. Here's what we can, again, surrender to, as God's doing his work inside of you, and if the steps are there to do, the  tools provided by God to restore you to sanity and  also relationship with him and eventually to give back in the name of Jesus. That's what it's all about. So we're going to hear more about that, but before we do hear more about that, now it's time for Mama Bear.

First, the map. If this is your first time here and again from sky, we will bring you around a map with all of our groups on it, where they're located. Our room.s on it, where they're located, so you can kind of see what goes on after this and plan ahead, where you want to go. Up here on the screen is what the map looks like in the top corner, Red Dot View and the balloons are popping. That is our children's area that's in the back corner back there. If you're above the age of 17, we ask that you just stay out of that area so that our kids can have a good time tonight, learning about God, praising and worshiping and just having a good time. Amen. Keep your hands on this guy. He's still working his way around couple things tonight.

Start with the tough thing first, and then we'll move forward. Last Friday, we had a little influence, and it's already been taken care of, but it comes down to the point of rebel versus redeemed. Again. You guys remember this? We talked about this a few times now, and the thing that I want to talk about is when situations happen and there's a group of people involved, can I get before you guys to stand up here for me?

All right, so if this gentleman right here makes a mistake, and these three gentlemen face you, face them, and I want you all to be like this, and all three of these guys are angry, and they're telling him that he's a bad person, he's wrong, that he's not okay. Does this look like a rebel thing or a redeemed thing? Alright? So what do we do instead, love and slow? And if you can't do that because there's too much love into here, we can do it in so get some help. Amen.

Another thing that I found one time while I was reading, something that people do is, if there's somebody that's not okay, they're not acting right, they're not behaving correctly in a redeemed sort of way, every one of you put your hands on them right now: brother, God bless you. We're sorry for your struggle, but we love unconditionally in this family, and I just want everyone of us to claim that right now.

Again, the situation has already been corrected. Everyone that lives as well. God bless you all. Thank you so much, amen for letting me use this as a tool to teach us so that we can all grow and move forward. Alright, so last week, Sunday was a very special day for one of our family members here at Community Recovery. Yeah, we all kind of talked about a little bit montmort, but we all got together and we created something very special. See, we love you. I love you all. Thank you. Bless you.

I'm 49 , another year of life. I'm glad. I'm full of gratitude and but it gives me another opportunity to serve God and give back another day. Thank you. Bye. Oh, everybody got a piece of sunshine in the mouth.

From now on, everybody will make sure you get sunshine. Blessings Can I have? We can say I just need you to pick a number one through 25. 17 Alright, lucky number 17. I need all my 17th to come forward. Number one through 25 for me. Thank you. If you have, we started a new thing tonight. Everybody who has not have a phone will not subscribe to YouTube or unable to get onto Facebook because you're in a program. Mo bear has made some chores, some jobs that you will help with, and we kick these off tonight. So from going forward, if you want to be one that is selected to pick out of the basket, come find me. When you first get here, I will give you one of these. When you complete your task, you will get one of these. Yes, just like those couple guys got one already. See head mama bear on the back with a little bear cub, cute little orange teddy. Says, Thank you for your faithful services. You helped make us a cafe family. This is good for one Mama Bear, choice of the blessing basket. Look forward and let's show him some love.

You. I lost some stuff. Look at stuff.

Me, you asked through an offering, so do make sure. Here, if you're able, you have a phone YouTube, watch the video. If you do not have a phone, they have a library. We'll find a way if you can't program. Thank you guys, so much. God bless you as your gift, thank you.

Make a noise here.

Getting ready for the message, the talk Dwayne's going to bless us with the song, Dwayne, same man, here we go celebrate this day because tomorrow, today is now. Promises, which is one of my spiritual songs I wrote. This wasn't called servant, cuz I had a deal for God. Then when I thought about it, was good. So I'm-a say it without you. And I don't want all you like. It's called several, alright, My Lord, I want to, want to do your way, my lord, my lord, help me. Help me. Do your will. I'm the servant. I'm the only friend here. I will walk down the road, and you want me to go, pour my strength to my feet so I can walk for you Lord, guide you down the road, and you want me to go. I'm your servant. I'm your puppet. On your strength, I'm your glory. It all your strength. I'm your lord, my lord. I want to do your will, my Lord, let me. Let me do Your will. My Lord. Help me. Help me do Your will. I will serve. Here I am. I will speak the word that you will draw me to speak before my strength to my mouth so I can speak for you. Lord, say your words with you, my lord, Want me to speak? Yes, I'm the servant that shall puff it all your strength. Yes, my lord, want to do your will, your will, my Lord, let me. Let me do Your will. Let me, Please, Lord, help me. Help me do Your will, my Lord. I am the servant of Your purpose. All your strength. Here Rise, my Lord. I want you to do your will, your will, my glory. Help me. Help me. Do your ear, my Lord. I am your servant. On your strength, here I am. I will raise my hand while singing praises to you, Lord, strength to my hand. It was a strength to my mouth. Praise your name in the way that it will want me to praise you unto Your servant, this your brother. Strangers. Lord, let me. Let me do the. 

Thank you for

Thank you. Two letters. I need seven males. I need seven males right now. Okay, 123452, okay, now you have over here, closer, okay, all right, now, right. I need one more male. One more mail here, alright, got it. Thank you so Matthew, thank you, sir. Anton, so Jesus, okay, right there, good. Thank you, Matthew, okay, here is the deal. Step 11 says sought through meditation and prayer God's will and this whole process of recovery has been where we get rid of our resentments, we deal with our own character defects, we deal our shortcomings, we make them right with other people, unless it would injure them or us. We then, when we are wrong, promptly admit it. Step 10, and that brings us into a spiritual experience, because a lot of ourselves by this time with Step 11 is supposed to be purged out. Okay? Supposed to however, as the scripture says that the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as the Holy Spirit coming on in so as you look at at the words, meditate, seek right sought through prayer. I'm still seeking in the book of John chapter seven, and also John chapter eight, as they follow. If you have your Bibles on your phones or in the hard copy Bibles, turn to John chapter seven, and there's where we're going to take up the story from here with Jesus, and also the Pharisees. Oh yeah, they are. I know it's okay. You're here to teach us. Okay, so you guys, I want stones up like this. You're brought ready to stone, ready to stay in that position. There you go. Look ominous, to stone the woman who was caught in adultery, the woman in question. But they're ready to do it. But we're going to pick up that from the story here in a minute before this happened, they were in the temple, and it was at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, a big festival that the Jews did every single year at the temple. And what they would do is that they would then go to a a natural spring, and they would get jars of pure, pure living, therefore, water, and they would take the pure living water and take it to the temple, into the temple, and where all the people were assembled, like you are here, and they would pour out all that living water on on the altar, the marble floor of Solomon's temple. It was an amazing experience, because it was at the height of this festival where people were just, they were lit. I mean, they were just, wow, the greatest day, the final day of this festival, and everyone was there. Okay, this happens every year.

He is standing right there, he and he comes to the front where all the people are, and he pretty much says to them, I am the living water. I'm living water. Absolutely as they're pouring out the water, he's coming out and saying, I'm he, I'm he. I am yet, I'm it, yeah, let's pick up a scripture a minute. The scripture. It says this, John, chapter seven, verse, what? Right? Let me write at you that with 37 John seven verse, 37 You're welcome on the last and greatest day of the festival. That's what it says. The last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said a loud voice, 'Let anyone, let anyone who is thirsty, is who is thirsty, come to me, come to me and drink and drink. Whoever believes

in me, whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water. Rivers of living water will flow from within them down and flow from within them.' By this, he meant the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Who, who those who believed in him were later to receive and up to that time, the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. And I'm hearing His Word. Some of the people said, Surely, this man is a prophet. Others said he is the Messiah. He's the one that's going to get us out from underneath the Romans. They didn't understand he is the living water to save them from their sin. Still others ask, How can this be? How the Messiah come from Galilee? Doesn't that Scripture say that  the Messiah will come from David's descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived, thus the people were divided because of Jesus, someone deceives him, but Noah lay that hand on him. In other words, everybody in a different opinion and someone that deceives him and kill him.

Okay, that's the context, that's the landscape, that's what's going on now. Just imagine the woman that these Pharisees over here have caught, quote, unquote, in adultery. Turn to John eight. And verse one, John eight, verse one to over the page John chapter eight, verse one says this, of course, then that's where people went home. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, and at dawn he appeared again the temple courts from Back to the temple. And this happened just after he was here, saying, I will obey water. I'm it. I'm going to make any life, forgiveness, hope and so on. Alright, the teachers verse three, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. There they are. Good. Good job, guys. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, have you seen over the group? That's right. And you go right. And you go right by the Lord number four, and number four, there you go. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. And they asked Jesus, verse four, Teacher, Teacher, this woman was caught adultery in the Law of Moses, He commanded us Amen to stone such Women, such women. Now, what do you say?

Here'sHere's what happened. Here's a real story. Verse six of John eight. They were using this question as a trap in order to have their faces recusing Jesus, but Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. And when they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, let anyone of you who is without sin, who is without sin, be the first to throw a stone at her. He stood down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left. So now you guys walk away and drop your rocks, go back. Thank you very much.

And then Jesus says to the woman who is standing there, 'Who now accuses you?' And her response was no one, and Jesus says to her, lifting her up, restoring her. Go and sin no more. 

And what he was saying to her was this: go because you are now free. Yes, you are now free to do God's will, and it is in the law and the prophets. And as I Jesus, Messiah, Holy God, holy man, tell you, you are not forgiven and set free. She was seeking. She was seeking the living water, and she then experienced it right there in the midst of controversy, conflict and condemnation, God, rescue, amen.

As we apply the story to our own situation, as we think about our own recovery, keep up. Keep that step up there on the screen, please. Thank you. As we think about our own seeking through prayer to improve our conscious connection with God. That's what it means. Prayer is constant communication and discussion and conversation, interactive with God, because what God is doing is: I'm in relationship with you. I'm not the God who has you under my thumb, like all the ancients thought the gods and were their position, their role. No God saying, I lift you up because I'm redeeming, I'm restoring, I'm filling you to overflowing with life. Because just before this event happened, Jesus was over here saying that I'm the living water and giving life to the full God's way. Okay. Now hang with me.Iin Jeremiah 17, the Prophet says to Israel, anyone who rejects God, (I'm paraphrasing) anyone who rejects God, alright, your name be written in the dust and therefore gone forever. Why the Pharisees walk away one at a time and drop their stones? Because they knew the Scripture, and they knew that they were not without sin, and what Jesus was doing was saying, you, by theGod standards, what you're doing your mind. 

Because they rejected the same thing, that's right. And the challenge you and me in our recovery is this, are we seeking the Savior? Well said, Are we seeking the one who makes your recovery happen in spite of you? And when you do, name everybody's attention. What do you do?

You gain knowledge, as that woman who was liberated, given life. You gotta give life to someone else. Yes, Step 11 is a spiritual transformation. For example, perhaps you're at the heart of the stage in recovery. You're hurting, you're exhausted, the E apart, the A part, you're angry, you're resentful, like these guys, and you're tense. You tensed, even though you're Step 11, assuming he does that whole but you're hurting because of choices and circumstances. You're exhausted from everybody else and you're angry because your expectations are being met. It's not about you, is it? 

You're resentful because your pain has been prejudice, based on fear and based on pain. You're tense because all the anxiety you've created for yourself helped by the problem. Because you need peace and you don't have it and your heart is empty. That's craving, as wanting the living water. Come on, fill you up, overflowing with your bursting with life, forgiveness, hope, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self control and nothing can take away. And when Jesus fills your heart, as he did with that moment, it all rise and it continues to do that. Here's a new meaning of heart, because God gives you a new heart.  You are healed, you are empowered as you see conscious contact. It's absolutely truly. You are made in God's image. It's absolutely true. You have hope and eternal life as you accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life and Savior. Eugene Peterson, who wrote the message, you know, the message, Bible, he passed away just recently. And before he passed away, his wife and other family members were saying, dad, dad has talked to people who are on the other side. What's it like? Eugene? Because he was began to see covenant, talking to people on the other side.

He was making the transition to Jesus, eternal. Absolutely true. We have heaven. The R of heart is that you're restored. And finally, the T of heart God gives you triumph over trial, triumph over trial.

And he did this every single time, to a point where they crucified him, killed him, and he rose from the dead that the day. Because trials forces to God. They help us to depend on God, and we are transformed by God become the person he wants us to be conscious content now, end of this.

And Jesus said to the woman, 'Sin no more.' Why? Because we now know Jesus, and we know peace. If there's no Jesus, there's no peace. But if we know Jesus, we will be with him on the other side.  Join those hands, so we know that you're not alone. The Word of Christ dwells in you richly. You say yes to Jesus. He says yes to so we pray as we look forward to group. For those who are new, we go to group here, right now. As we exit these doors, we go to the groups we're all around the building. We pray to the Father, Alright? 

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen