Hurts, Hang-Ups and Habits

HURTS, HANG-UPS & HABITS

FINDING FREEDOM ON FRIDAY NIGHTS

by Kaleb Amos

“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” A wonderfully provoking story is found in the seventh chapter of the gospel of Luke. Here’s the scene: Jesus gets invited to eat at the home of a member of the Pharisees. This was a group of people who practiced strict observance of the Law found in the Torah, a.k.a. the first five books of the Old Testament. Needless to say, these were some pretty uptight and fairly self-important religious folks. People never scared Jesus, though, so He enters the home and sits down to spend some time with them and talk over a good meal. All of a sudden, a woman with a really bad reputation shows up. She’d made some awful life choices that hurt herself and others. Despite all of this, she knows Jesus has something she needs, and when she hears Jesus is in town, she walks into the home of the Pharisee. In an incredibly scandalous moment, she pours a vial of expensive ointment on Jesus’ feet while she weeps and dries his feet with her hair. This was a symbolic and repentant act of love that the Pharisee, whose name is Simon, just can’t understand or deal with; he is floored Jesus would allow this. moneylender forgives both of their debts, which Jesus uses to show Simon that people who are forgiven of a whole lot tend to love the one who forgives them a whole lot. The encounter closes with Jesus offering some words for those watching, and most beautifully, some liberating words for the woman. “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little”... And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:47, 50) What’s so awesome is Jesus hasn’t stopped restoring like this. He’s doing it today. We all have struggles we’re facing. A few of us are just really good at hiding them. For some, those struggles could be things like impatience, anxiety, anger, or bitterness that are dominating the way they live. Maybe for others, bad habits or substances could be the things bringing life to a complete standstill. In the moments where people are desperate for understanding, love and support, Celebrate Recovery steps in.

Sensing the disgust of the Pharisee, Jesus tells him a story of two people: one who owed someone a lot of money, and a second person who only owed him a little bit. The Celebrate Recovery describes themselves as “a Christ centered, 12 step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, pain or addiction of any kind.” Since 1991,

it has been instrumental in helping people overcome their hurts, hang-ups, and habits. The program has grown to include over 35,000 churches globally and is affecting transformation in prisons, universities, missions, and more. Based on the words and person of Jesus rather than psychological theory, Celebrate Recovery is “a safe place to find community and freedom from the issues that are controlling our lives.”

Bernie's Story

Bernie Maestas is the ministry leader at CR Canyon Hills, where it’s affectionately known as “the best place to be on a Friday night.” Bernie is passionate about seeing people step out of the shadows of shame and step into the light of recovery. Originally coming to CR for his wife, he soon realized it wasn’t just for people with substance or chemical issues, but was a place for him to find healing as well.

“I realized I had many character defects and one was being co-dependent, which enhanced the problems my wife was going through,” he recalls. “I stayed in CR after my wife stopped going because I had to deal with my own hurts.”

Bernie insists that what people receive when they enter Celebrate Recovery is special. “We have a saying ‘once you enter through the door, you are family.’ That is exactly what we are. There is such freedom every Friday night. I’ve been a part of this ministry for over seven years, and it’s been going every Friday night regardless of holidays, events, or even earthquakes. It’s hard to explain the feeling when you come and fellowship with family and worship together with other true seekers of freedom.”

Going to a Celebrate Recovery meeting is probably one of the most real experiences one can have. Looking over a room filled with people who truly feel the worth of God’s redemption in their lives makes me want to live with more conviction. Listening to the stories of some of the ugliness others have been brought out of makes me more thankful. As a worship leader, just hearing the way people in that room sing and worship God with so much passion and abandon reminds me how worthy He really is — worthy of a never-ending lifestyle of praise.

After getting clean and overcoming his addictions, the Lord led Rus down a new path of helping others needing recovery from life-controlling issues. Now, Rus and his wife Kerri are key leaders in CR and watching Jesus bring restoration to those in Bakersfield who are willing to leave their shame behind and come to Jesus. Seeing people like the Nelsons sing their guts out in praise to God is contagious and stands as a testament to how good God is. Rus agrees. “If He can save a hopeless dope fiend like I was, wreck me, and convert me to a dopeless hope fiend,” he muses. “He can and will do it for anybody.” Rus just celebrated 27 years of being clean and sober. “Because of Celebrate Recovery, and the path God uses in this program, my relationship with God has grown leaps and bounds,” he says. All through Scripture, God has a habit of restoring people and places that have experienced brokenness. It’s an essential part of what He’s about, and so it should also be something you and I are about. because they fear the stigma of being judged by the people who should support them the most. The truth is, regardless of what kind of battles we’re facing, we’re not that different. The flaw of thinking “other” people are the ones who need freedom from their hang-ups, while we’re doing fine because we’re merely gossiping a little bit or get a little too angry at times, can be a devastating mistake. Often, the method for the enemy to bring destruction to your life doesn’t start out as alcohol or pornogaphy or methamphetamines. The little things and small details of life can be crucial to who we become. The apostle Paul warns us to be careful even when we’re angry, admonishing us to “not give the devil an opportunity” (Ephesians 4:27). The point? No one is above coming to Jesus. Simon the Pharisee wasn't, and neither are we. “If you are depressed, angry, co dependent, a compulsive overeater, judgmental, dealing with sexual addiction or any other character defect you can think of, there is so much to CR that it literally is for everyone,” Bernie says. No matter what is holding you back from living the full life God always intended for you, CR is a place to grow and experience Biblical restoration. CR meets at Canyon Hills every Friday night at 6:30pm and would love to partner with you so you can “go in peace” the way Jesus has won for you. Rus's Story It goes without saying that God brought Rus out of some difficult life experiences. As a young child, he was raised in an unpredictable environment where his parents abused substances, with a marriage sadly ending in divorce. Being exposed to drugs like speed and hallucinogens for the first time in junior high, Rus remembers during that time “any drugs were fairly easy to get.” Come high school, blackout drinking was a normal practice, and he was introduced to cocaine. For times when he got too high, he would drink to take the edge off, but after getting drunk, would simply use more cocaine in a vicious cycle of addiction. In desperation, Rus wondered if God was even real as he longed for freedom from the maze he found himself in. Things weren’t looking good. "My attitude toward others, anyone, was bitter, hatred at times," he remembers. "I was extremely physical, violent, loud, and usually the one in the room to want to be provoked." Finally landing in AA, Rus began a journey toward sobriety. But he wasn’t alone — God was doing something in his life. A series of questions and encounters led him to a place of surrender. The same place of surrender the woman in Luke 7 found herself in. Rus found himself at the feet of Jesus and was baptized, starting a brand new life. If He can save a hopeless dope fiend like I was, wreck me and convert me to a dopeless hope fiend, He can and will do it for anybody.

A struggle for some Christians is the same issue Simon the Pharisee had: he thought he was more worthy of God’s forgiveness than the woman. His life was more clean, more put together. There weren’t as many pitfalls or mistakes on his record. Many in the Church are fighting a secluded battle

For more information on Celebrate Recovery, visit the Canyon Hills App.

Kaleb Amos is a husband, a father and is a worship leader at Canyon Hills.