The Twelve Laws of Life Recovery

1. Powerlessness will result in STRENGTH.

2. Humility will result in HONOR.

3. Connection will result in LOVE.

4. Willingness will result in GROWTH.

5. Sacrifice will result in FULLFILLMENT.

6. Faith will result in HOPE.

7. Surrender will result in VICTORY.

8. Service will result in REWARD.

9. Forgiveness results in FREEDOM.

10. Confession will result in HEALING.

11. Restitution will result in CLOSURE.

12. Responsibility will result in SECURITY. 

The Twelve Missteps of Life Recovery

1. "I can quit tomorrow."

2. "I can handle it by just trying harder or having more willpower."

3. "Turning my life over to Christ is the only step I need."

4. "Twelve Step groups that don't talk about Jesus aren't worth my time."

5. "While recovery might be good for some, it just isn't right for me."

6. "If I follow the Bible, I don't really need to work the Twelve Steps."

7. "Since I'm accountable to God, I don't need a sponsor."

8. "Since God has forgiven me, I don't need to go back to rehash what I've done."

9. "Since Jesus would want me to help my old friends, I don't need to change where I go or whom I hang out with."

10. "Though I can forgive more things some things are just beyond forgiveness."

11. "Since I'm involved in recovery.  I don't need additional counseling or medication."

12. "After making good progress in my recovery, I can start using again in moderation."

The Twelve Gifts of Life Recovery

1. Hope

2. Power

3. Character

4. Clarity

5. Security

6. Abundance

7. Wisdom

8. Self-Control

9. Freedom

10. Happiness

11. Serenity

12. Peace

The Twelve Christian Foundations

  • The Bible supports all the truths expressed in the Life Recovery process.
  • Jesus is not just the higher power of Life Recovery, but the higher power for all people.
  • Life Recovery calls upon God the Creator, Jesus the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit as the source, model, and power for everything in the recovery process.
  • Life Recovery is not an end unto itself but part of an eternal progression toward intimacy with God.
  • The process of Life Recovery is not just recovery from a problem, but is the recovery of a soul.
  • All activities and resources of Life Recovery are directed toward the saving, developing and strengthening of the soul.
  • Life Recovery begins when independent self-will is replaced by surrendering to God and cooperating with his work in us.
  • Life Recovery is a unique form of discipleship, spiritual formation, and regeneration.
  • Life Recovery is a path toward sanctification, a life set apart and holy.
  • Life Recovery is not about self-preservation but is about learning to love and help others.
  • Life Recovery is experienced best with the help of a sponsor or a coach.
  • Life Recovery will build up the church, helping to transform it into an authentic, inviting, safe, and supportive community.

The Twelve Self-Evident Truths of Life Recovery

  • Life Recovery can begin at any point in life, and that includes now.
  • The seeds of Life Recovery are planted as we become aware that life is not what it could be.
  • Hope for Life Recovery comes when awareness leads to a desire to find a better way to live.
  • Life Recovery is not an event but a process that starts when awareness and desire result in a willingness to surrender to God.
  • Surrender is shown either in the decision to comply with a program that has worked for others, or in the total submission of heart, mind, and body to God and his ways.
  • While Life Recovery can begin in isolation, it must involve walking with others for both encouragement and confrontation.
  • The first visible sign of Life Recovery is an openness to share you life with others through honest confession of past missteps and current struggles.
  • The Life Recovery process will redeem past pain and transform it into a purposeful future.
  • The end result of Life Recovery is experiencing more love from God, expressing more love for others, and feeling more love for yourself.
  • Life Recovery helps us realize how our selfish behaviors hurt others and leads us to take action toward making things right again.
  • The greatest enemy of Life Recovery is to completely deny our need for recovery, either rationalizing the causes of our plight or minimizing the depths of our despair.
  • Lasting evidence of Life Recovery is a greater understanding of self, deeper relationships with others, and solid growth in character.