Maximizing Ministry Part IX

This content was revised for a Call to Worship.

Morning Call to Worship – Day 6

Journal About Your Progress. Often, addictive behaviors are triggered by increased stress. When you feel overwhelmed, you are more likely to revert to habits that require less thinking at the moment since they have become mechanical parts of your behavior. Journaling about how you feel can help you to identify warning signs that you may not otherwise notice. Patterns of themes and issues identified in your writing can open your eyes to the when, where, and why of your addiction. Using these tools with your support system can help you to regain control of your behavior rather than being controlled by addiction.

Revert Your Energy. When you notice that a particular circumstance increases your stress level, try exercising or doing house chores rather than venting through destructive behaviors. This is a way to retrain your response to stress. You may not feel in the beginning that your craving is satisfied, but is true that actions create emotions. Your feelings will change with persistent behavior. You may find that improving a talent or skill can dissolve your addiction. Something such as joining a local bowling league or participating in a regular artistic event such as a weekly painting class and significantly reduce your stress and take your mind off of what triggers your negative addiction.

Change Your Inner Circle. If the company your keep encourages you to engage in a negative addiction, you may need to get some new friends. It does not mean that you stop loving your old friends. It means simply that you have a goal and you need to surround yourself with people and influences that will complement, not hinder your progress. You may be strong enough to spend time with your old friends and be a witness to help them also recover. Since evil communication corrupts good manners (I Corinthians 15:33), you may need to spend some time separating yourself from those influences that are at present too strong for you to resist. As you grow stronger, your circle of friends may continue to change. If you were a business owner, you would network with other business owners. If you are trying to overcome an addiction, you will need to draw strength from the strong.

Be Watchful. As a child, I learned a song that said, “Watch your eyes, watch your eyes, what they see; watch your hands, watch your hands what they do; watch your feet, watch your feet, where they go – ’cause there’s a Father up above, looking down with tender love. Watch your eyes / hands / feet.” In order to truly overcome addiction, we must learn to leave the state of mindlessness that accompanies destructive habits and become watchful. We must understand the principle of “garbage in – garbage out.” We cannot expect our consciousness to produce success whilst we inundate ourselves with bad examples. If we want out behavior to be fruitful and becoming of Christ, we must pay attention to the things that we allow to enter our temple through the medium of our eyes. We cannot fill our minds with the godless activities of every evil communication on some television shows, movies, gossip circles and the Internet. (Understand that these tools alone are not evil – but some things communicated through them are). We must pay attention to the things that we submit our hands to do, because doing things with our hands that are against God, will contradict your efforts of speaking, reading, and thinking about your recovery, causing inner chaos and confusion – of which God is the author of neither. We must pay close attention to where we allow our feet to go, because we can be carried into a situations that undermine our goals and progress, leaving us with a new record of sin in our memory databank, full of guilt because of a moment of failure, and struggling to come out from yet another sin. God forbid that we should found so doing when He calls our names.

Identify and Work in Your Gift. Negative addictions are proffered by Satan because they distract sufferers from fulfilling their God-given purpose. Negative addictions can destroy your influence, causing people to lose faith or discredit your testimony. This is usually a precursor of lost courage and a lack of holy boldness. Keeping you entangled in negative addictions, takes your focus and energy from perfecting your witness, to just trying to keep your head above water. The enemy wants to drown you in what can lead to depression wherein you lose sight of God’s blessings and many come to feel that they are not needed – which is false. The Internet is not the only thing that grows by way of a network. The church of God grows by the network of His perfect love (Jeremiah 31:3). God loves you and you are to be an extension of His love, ever farther reaching. When you know your God-given gift, turning your efforts toward fulfilling it by way of service to others, is another way to change your focus from selfish addictions to something that benefits the greater good. Knowing that you have a purpose and actively working in it, in tandem with other steps, makes you less likely to stray from God’s will for your life. It adds accountability to your daily walk, knowing that something greater than you, has a need for you.

Strengthen Your Brethren. When you are delivered, and so much as you can before that time comes, be a part of the healing process for others who are going through what you have overcome by the grace of God, with the help of others and through prayer (Jeremiah 31:18).

You Can Read The Bible In One Year

Parent Series	Current Series	Part	Title	Tools
Seeds of Promise	Maximizing Ministry	IX	Overcoming Negative Addictions	Audio

About The SandLine Mentoring Program

Background

Several years ago, GOD gave me a vision for a mentoring program tailored to survivors of abuse. That was, the HealHer Program. This vision grew to include males. Now, it is the SandLine Program. It will help millions of people to overcome negative addictions, among other services. Praise God for HE is the potter for all broken people.

We believe that mentoring is ministry. The SandLine Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Mentoring Program (The SandLine Program) is a ministry of Heir Force University Online. The SandLine Program leverages the power of the Internet to empower the reach of traditional mentoring. Participants are matched in one-to-one relationships with trained mentors and communicate weekly through a secure website. The needs and interests of program participants drive service development.

All Aboard For Your Best Life!

The sands of time are always moving; as such, life is in constant motion. The concept and process of “drawing a line in the sand” is a message to the participant and his or her family and community that he or she is making a decision to end negative behaviors and build positive character within himself or herself. This decision is not one to be entered lightly. You must be ready to close doors to past negatives and never turn back. To help you establish and hold the line, the SandLine Creed will be your daily affirmation.

S.A.N.D.L.I.N.E. stands for:

• S. Second Chance. This is my opportunity to do over what I should have done, could have done, and would have done had I had the level of knowledge and resonance that I have now.

• A. Accountability. I am accountable for my thoughts, words, and deeds, to establish a process this wholesome, empowering, motivating, and does not infringe on the rights of others, but allows me to grow personally and professionally.

• N. No Nonsense. I will manage my time, talents, and resources with care. I will not violate the highest level of character to which I have attained. I will behave responsibly and with integrity.

• D. Determination. I will not quit, though I may tire. I will persist. I will resist the temptation to lower the highest standard to which I have attained. I will not compromise on doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do. I will survive. I will progress. I will succeed.

• L. Love. I will transmute any negative vibration into a positive influence, including but not limited to exchanging fear and unforgiveness for love and peace.

• I. Intuition. I will listen to my inner spirit nourished with prayer, meditation, and study. I will not easily act against my intuition and spirituality.

• N. Neighbor’s Keeper. I will intentionally not violate the rights of others. I will treat my friends, family, co-workers, subordinates, leaders, and strangers with respect and appreciation as I would like to be treated.

• E. Effort. I will perform at my highest possible level in any work, project, or play in which I am engaged. I will aim for my highest level of ability, knowledge, and service. I will put my best effort forward – no matter who is watching or not watching, listening or not listening, and honoring or not honoring my effort.

The SandLine Mentoring Model is a faith-and-recovery-based, psycho-social rehabilitation program tailored to the unique needs of at-risk populations including youths, teens, and adults, living within or transitioning from the justice system. Participants are empowered to overcome obstacles in life, relationships, education, career, and business.

The SandLine vision spans over two decades. The program offers mentoring and leadership training, a life-coach connection, vocational tools, service opportunities, educational resources, inspirational support, and empowerment. Leadership training is available for parents, teachers, individuals, organizations, and other leaders who work with at-risk populations, and to those who are in or transitioning from the justice system.

The SandLine Program’s mission is to empower at-risk youths, teens, and adults to make positive life choices, maximizing their personal potential and empowering them to overcome obstacles and reach their achievable goals. We envision a world community in which every youth, teen, and adult experiences nurturing relationships and community support, allowing each of them to live with purpose and achieve their full potential. By providing youth participants with consistent, caring mentors, they will learn life skills and develop core values through exposure to golf and the world of work. Mentors will learn how to use teachable moments to illustrate these values. Our goal is to help people build character and life skills through connection to their Creator, quality mentoring, and support programs and services.

Recovery begins with your belief that GOD is able to change your life. Surrender to HIS purpose, receive Christ and stir up the gift of faith within you.

I Timothy 1:3-14
3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

Thank you JESUS! Hallelujah!

• Stir Up The Gift // Colorado Mass Choir – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xabno3DIoE
• Stir The Gift // Deitrick Haddon – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU4UxEmqJ7E

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