This week was our final week of the Recovery series. Out of Philippians 3:1-16, we talked about what it looks like for us to continue to press into Recovery after the series ends. Here is a quick recap of this week’s gathering:
Throughout this series we have started to open up about the sins we haven’t told ever anyone. It’s helped us take steps towards finding real healing and hope in the gospel and it is very possible that we have just scratched the surface. The truth is growth and healing take time. There often isn’t a quick fix but knowing Christ is sweeter than having it all together. So as we end this series, here are the three things you can do in order to pursue Recovery:
- Confess and Repent quickly.
- Pursue Joy.
- Come back to the gospel daily.
Confess and Repent Quickly:
Stop dwelling on past failures. Stop dwelling on past sins. Stop dwelling on what is behind you. It’s been paid for and forgiven by God. Confess your sins and repent of them quickly. Don’t dwell on them in secret. We give more power to our sin when we hide and dwell on them than if we were to just bring them into the light and turn from them.
Pursue Joy:
You were made to enjoy God. Use the means God promises to use in our lives to grow our love for him and ask, what specific things most grow my love for God. These are the moments that develop a deep affection and appreciation for Christ. This looks different for everyone. For you it could be a morning alone, good music, or even looking at the stars at night; but whatever it is, do it. Enjoy the Creator who loves you. Obedience comes from love, love doesn’t come from obedience.
Come back to the gospel daily:
This is the real fight. Are we going to believe the gospel today? When we wake up in the morning and our insecurity, anxiety, or lust feels like its going to own us, are we going to believe that the gospel is true? Are we going to believe that we are forgiven, and that Jesus is better than whatever our sins promise?
We pray these past several weeks have begun to open the door for us to find the healing we need in Christ but Recovery is a marathon not a sprint. It’s not something we pursue for a few weeks in the summer, but something we press forward towards for the rest of our lives. We want to be a church about Recovery. A church that confesses, repents, finds true joy in Jesus, and comes back to the gospel over and over and over again until Christ returns.
Songs:
Praise the Lord Ye Heaven Adore Him by Young Oceans
Before the Throne by Shane and Shane
How Deep the Father's Love for us by Phillips, Craig, and Dean
Fix My Eyes by Kings Kaleidoscope
Oh God by Citizens