The Thorn In My Side

September 17, 2018, By: Jimmy Scruggs

“I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations…At first I didn’t think of it as a gift and asked God three times to remove it… He said ‘My grace is enough, it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness’ …Now I take limitations in stride…I just let Christ take over. And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
As we start our Celebrate Recovery journey, we work on conflicts from our past by applying the first 9 steps: admitting we have problems, turning our lives over to God, inventory, confession, giving our shortcomings to God, making amends, and forgiveness. There is a lot of healing going on in those steps, a lot of recovery. But where do we go from there; how do we deal with today? Have any of you noticed that conflict can be right around the corner? It may be with family, friends, co-workers, jobs, money, and health to name a few. But there is another ongoing conflict that we meet on a daily basis—the conflict within ourselves. There is an ongoing transformation of giving up the old and focusing on the new that involves the daily struggle of aligning our will with Gods will—our daily surrender. Should we be surprised to have this struggle? The Apostle Paul certainly wasn’t immune to this struggle; he called it the “thorn in his flesh.” He came to realize that God left it there to remind him that he needed God, he needed humility, and he needed God’s Grace. And so do we. I encourage you to utilize the spiritual tools given you in CR. If you are new I encourage you to work the step you are on. And if you are an old-timer, work the last 3 steps daily. Nothing will help us grow to be more like Christ than self-examination, making amends and offering forgiveness, spending daily time with God, and living a life of service. Our Christian walk is not about perfection, it’s about trusting God to lead us and transform us to be more like Jesus. May God bless you mightily this week! Dana Cramer // Celebrate Recovery at Crossroads

Celebrate Recovery at Crossroads Church Calendar September 17-23, 2018

Friday, September 21: Lesson Night
  • 6pm: Our Hospitality Team is preparing a wonderful dinner for you. Please join us for food and fellowship.
  • 7pm: Join us for an hour of worship and a lesson from Jimmy: Daily Inventory.
  • 8pm: Open Share Groups.
  • 9pm: Solid Rock Café.