Transformation Series: Live Free 1

Transformation Series: Live Free[1]

A steps (or Life Style) group toward Freedom

The Live Free steps (Life Style) group for Christians toward freedom is a gateway program designed by The Salvation Army Mission and Resource Team specifically for people wanting to improve their lifestyle.

The program has been written with the intention that it will be run by the local Salvation Army Corps in addition to its current mission programs, with the objective of promoting and addressing fundamental Biblical principles and linking participants and their families to existing Church programs and community.

The aims of Live Freeare:

To focus primarily on participants and educating them in Christian life choices
To lead people into a personal relationship with Jesus
To provide an environment where practical and life equipping skills can be effectively communicated
To facilitate value forming of individuals
To foster the belief that everyone is essentially created with purpose and is therefore uniquely precious and of intrinsic worth.

The objective of Live Freeis to equip and empower people to:

Dream with a sense of hope for the future
Discover the power to make good decisions
Make changes that impact any situation they invest themselves into
Have confidence that they can move towards a better self through Christ
Realise that they have value, worth and strength: that they belong, are accepted and have a purpose
Discover the life principles and choices in Christ that determine their destiny
Be the best that they can be through a new life in Christ.

The format of Live Free should be developed by the following criteria:

An informal environment that helps people encounter and explore their own values
A hands-on, participatory approach
Discussion sessions
Short teaching sessions
Testimonies
Element of surprise
Worship
Small Group
Major group outings eg picnic or dinner

Thank you for partnering with us in this venture.

Signed:

The Salvation Army Mission and Resource Team Recovery

Sydney, Australia

 Information

God Grant me the serenity;

To accept the Things I cannot Change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;

Taking as Jesus did this sinful world as it is;

Not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will may all things right;

If I surrender to His, will;

That I may be reasonably happy with this life;

But supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

Amen

Reinhold Niebuhr

This package is designed using the Bible as the basis for the 12 steps with the recognition that God, as made know in Jesus Christ is our only real true source of a Higher Power.

It is designed to be interactive and personal so that participants, regardless of their journey are able to intersect with Jesus.

If you recognise that people in your community or you yourself need to live free and make positive change in their, or you in your life then this is the place you can begin to develop an ongoing relationship with God, through the person of Jesus Christ, others and yourself.

It is developed to help people to begin an ongoing personal wholeness, spiritual understanding and peace with God.

The purpose of developing Live Free is to encourage Corps to celebrate God’s healing power in the lives of their community. We change by sharing our lives with others in safe and nurturing places. We grow in strength as we fellowship and our hopes are given new vision when we grow together with one another in a safe and living free community of God’s people.

Live Free is an all encompassing concept that allows people to begin to live toward freedom and rid themselves of any weight that would hold them back from being all that they could be.

The 12 steps for recovery that Live Free follows is a pathway that millions of people have personally taken to discover or renew their own spiritual commitment. By the use of Live Free a biblically based steps group for Christians toward Freedom,will give topeople an opportunity to apply the principles of the 12 steps, and the wisdom of the life changing Word of God, in order to heighten their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Life Free will enable Corps to help people find release from self defeating behaviours that limit them from enjoying loving and caring relationships with others.

Live Free is rigorous but it will reward people with either a new relationship with Jesus Christ or it will help people to grow in their relationship with Him.

Accompanying this package is a training power point that should be used to provide the principles for all training.

Steps for Biblical Freedom

Surrender: Making Peace with God

1.I admit that I am powerless over the effects of my destructive behaviour, that my life has become unmanageable.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good but I cannot carry it out. Romans 7:18 NSAB

2.I come to believe that God can restore me to sanity.

My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 The Message

3. I made a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat—I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? Luke 9:23-24 The Message

Confess: Making Peace with myself.

4.I make a searching and honest inventory of myself.

Search me, O God, and know my heart,test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalms 139: 23-24 NLT

5.I admit to God, to myself, and to another human being the exact nature of my wrong.

Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. James 5:16 The Message

6.I am entirely ready to have God remove my sin and the defect of my character.

But that's no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. Ephesians 4:22-23 The Message

7.I humbly ask God to remove my shortcomings.

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. Philippians 1:6 The Message

Reconcile: Making Peace with others

8.I make a list of all persons I have harmed, and am willing to make amends to them all.

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behaviour. Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:30-32 NLT

9.I make direct amends to such persons wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit. Romans 14:12-13 The Message

Grow: Experiencing the peace of God.

10.I continue to take personal inventory and when I am wrong promptly admit it.

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7 NLT

11.I seek through prayer and mediation to improve my relationship with God through Jesus Christ, praying for knowledge of His will for me and a power to carry that out.
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Philippians 4:8-9

12.Now that I have a spiritual awakening through these steps, I commit to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all my affairs.
Your heart should be holy and set apart for the Lord God. Always be ready to tell everyone who asks you why you believe as you do. Be gentle as you speak and show respect. 1 Peter 3:15 NLV

Steps for Biblical Freedom

(Alternative)

Surrender: Making Peace with God

1.I admit that I am powerless over the effects of my sinful nature, that my life without the Power of Christ is unmanageable.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good but I cannot carry it out. Romans 7:18 NSAB

2.I come to believe that God can restore me to a sanctified life.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 The Message

3. I made a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God through His Son Jesus Christ.

Confess: Making Peace with myself.

4.I make a searching and Godly moral inventory of myself.

Search me, O God, and know my hearttest me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalms 139: 23-24 NLT

5.I admit to God, to myself and to another human being the exact nature of my wrong.

6.I am entirely ready to have God remove any trace of sin and any defect within my character.

7.I humbly ask God to remove my sinful nature.

Reconcile: Making Peace with others

8.I make a list of all persons I have harmed, and am willing to make amends to them

All.

9.I make direct amends to such persons wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Grow: Experiencing the peace of God.

10.I continue to take personal inventory and when I am wrong promptly admit it.

12.Now that I have a spiritual awakening through these steps, I commit to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all my dealings.
Your heart should be holy and set apart for the Lord God. Always be ready to tell everyone who asks you why you believe as you do. Be gentle as you speak and show respect. 1 Peter 3:15 NLV

Start-up Strategy

Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “Never stop praying.” TLV. It is important that if you are to work in the very important area of ministry, you need to make prayer your main concern.

Days 1-30

Pray; Start to develop a prayer team for this ministry
Put the Live Free program into the Pastoral Care Council agenda or on your ministry team agenda to be discussed and developed.
Order a copy of the Live Free material from (The Mission and Resource Team THQ)
Use the enlistment form to enlist members and leaders
Put up the poster that it is coming, watch this space

Days 31-60

Start to prepare to enlist a team or those people who show an interest in the ministry (remember to continue to grow your prayer team).
In conjunction with your Pastoral Care Council or Leadership team determine your meeting time and location.
Provide the material to your team so they become familiar with the resource.
Start the planning for your small groups. Identify the leaders/ and co leaders. Where possible identify your leaders and also those people who could be trained to become leaders. It is important that this group develops so that more small groups can be added us the need arises.
Put up the new poster that it is only so many weeks away (do not forget to change it every week) as well as change the PowerPoint.
Start to develop a list of AA, NA, Mental Health Teams and other services you can refer to and also receive referrals from.
Meet with Local Council, Local Courts, other Family services and Police as to your intention and start up times. See if they will let you put up a poster.
Contact Local Doctors and Medical Health Centres, put a notice up on their notice board. Change it if you intend to use a count down strategy in these centres.
Let other Churches know what you are intending to commence.
Contact local Media.

Days 61-90