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* R ealize I’m not God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable.

* E arnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover.

* C onsciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.

* O penly EXAMINE and CONFESS my faults to God, to myself, and to SOMEONE I trust.

·        “What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record.” Ps. 32:1–2 (TLB)

I. THE REASON FOR THIS STEP

* 1. Guilt destroys my CONFIDENCE

* 2. Guilt damages my RELATIONSHIPS

* 3. Guilt keeps me STUCK IN THE PAST

·        “You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up, then God will show mercy to you.” Prov. 28:13 (GNB)

II. HOW TO DO THIS STEP

* 1. Take a personal MORAL INVENTORY

·        “Let us examine our ways and test them.” Lam. 3:40

·        “Search me, O God, and know my heart, test my thoughts. Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad.” Ps. 138:23–24 (TLB)

* 2. Accept RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY FAULTS

·        “The Lord gave us a mind and a conscience. We cannot hide from ourselves.” Prov. 20:27 (GNB)

·        “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8

* 3. Ask GOD FOR FORGIVENESS

·        “If we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable … he forgives our sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil.” 1 John 1:9 (Phillips)

·        “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you clean as freshly fallen snow.” Isa. 1:19 (TLB)

* 4.  Admit my faults TO ANOTHER PERSON

·        “Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16 (TLB)

·        Who?

·        What do you say?

·        When?

* 5.  Accept God’s forgiveness and FORGIVE MYSELF

·        “All of us have sinned … yet not God declares us not guilty if we trust in Jesus Christ, who freely takes away our sins.” Rom. 3:23–24 (TLB)

·          “There is no condemnation for those who live in union with Christ Jesus” Rom. 8:1

James Caldemeyer’s Story