"12 Steps"

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Finding Freedom Through the 12 Steps: A Christian Path to Healing

For anyone struggling with hurt, habit, or hang-up, there is hope—and there is healing. At ATLAS, we believe that no matter what you're carrying, God has made a way forward. One powerful tool He’s given us is the 12 Steps, a Christ-centered framework for transformation rooted in biblical truth and spiritual surrender. These steps are done one-on-one, for those who are reluctant to experience the group setting of Celebrate Recovery. 

These steps, adapted from the original Alcoholics Anonymous model, aren’t just for those battling addiction—they are for anyone who feels stuck, overwhelmed, ashamed, broken, or simply tired. Whether you're struggling with trauma, resentment, codependency, perfectionism, grief, anger, or anything in between—the 12 Steps are a way to freedom.

đź’ˇ Why Are the 12 Steps So Important?

Because they guide us to do what Jesus so often invited others to do:
âś… Acknowledge our need (Matthew 5:3)
âś… Lay our burdens at His feet (Matthew 11:28)
âś… Examine our hearts (Psalm 139:23-24)
âś… Confess and be healed (James 5:16)
âś… Live in reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18)
âś… Help others with the same comfort we’ve received (2 Corinthians 1:3–4)


🔄 What Do the Steps Actually Involve?

The 12 Steps walk us through a journey that starts with humility and ends with service:

  1. Admit powerlessness – We realize that we can't fix ourselves, and that's okay.
  2. Believe in a higher power – We trust that God can restore what is broken.
  3. Turn our will over to Him – We surrender control to the One who knows best.
  4. Take a moral inventory – We honestly examine our lives and the pain within.
  5. Admit our wrongs to God and others – We bring our secrets into the light.
  6. Become ready for change – We invite God to transform our hearts.
  7. Humbly ask for His help – We rely on His grace and strength, not our own.
  8. Make a list of those we’ve hurt – We prepare to restore what’s been broken.
  9. Make amends when possible – We live out reconciliation and humility.
  10. Continue to evaluate ourselves – We stay accountable and honest.
  11. Seek God through prayer and His Word – We grow in daily dependence on Him.
  12. Share this hope with others – We help others find the freedom we’ve found.

✝️ The Christian Difference

What makes this process powerful is not just the structure—it’s the presence of Christ in every step. Jesus is not just our example; He is our Savior, our Healer, and our Redeemer. Through Him, we are made new.

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here!”
—2 Corinthians 5:17

In the 12 Steps, we learn that it's okay to be weak because God's power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). We find that confession is not condemnation—it’s the doorway to healing and grace. And we discover that we are never alone. As we take each step, we move closer not just to recovery, but to relationship with Jesus.


đź’¬ Your Invitation

So if you’re holding onto pain, shame, addiction, fear, or bitterness—don’t walk this path alone. Come walk with others who know what it’s like. Work the steps. Let Jesus meet you where you are and begin to heal you from the inside out.

You don't have to have it all together. You just have to be willing.

Take the first step. There’s freedom on the other side.