The Celebrate Recovery Participant's Guides are essential tools for the personal recovery journey. In the six lessons in Guide 1: Stepping Out of Denial Into God's Grace, you will experience the first 3 of the 8 recovery principles: 1 Realize I'm not God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable. "Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor" (Matthew 5:3). 2 Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him, and that he has the power to help me recover. "Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). 3 Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control. "Happy are the meek" (Matthew 5:5). By working through the lessons and exercises found in each of the four Participant's Guides you will begin to experience the true peace and serenity you have been seeking, restore and develop stronger relationships with others and with God, and find freedom from life's hurts, hang-ups, and habits. All the scriptures have been updated to the new NIV 2011 version.

Healing from past wounds requires hard work. It involves effectively examining of an individual's past, as well as remaining conscientious of the changes in his or her present behavior, thinking, and spiritual life. But what if, after all of that listening and examining, you still don't know what to say, what to do, or where to start? The Pastoral Counseling Handbook offers the much needed message of hope for the hurting and for those who desire to help them. Based on the healing work of Christ, author Ruth Hetzendorfer uses her personal experience of years of counseling to provide the steps and ideas to help you gain understanding and wisdom, and more effectively counsel others.