The 12 Steps

Before Bill Wilson and Doctor Bob formed AA, they were inspired to author the 12 Steps. At the time, recovery from alcoholism was thought impossible. However over time, belief in a healing God, fellowship with others on the path to sobriety and "working" the 12 Steps proved that recovery was possible.

The 12 Steps help us breakdown an overwhelming problem into smaller pieces that can be addressed. The old riddle, "how do you eat an elephant" and its answer, "one bite at a time" is parallel to the approach that is embodied in the 12 Steps. There are many people in recovery who would say that their sobriety would have been impossible without these Steps. Indeed, the Steps are about refocusing your way of living and your way of thinking. Most importantly, we believe that also includes building a spiritual relationship with God that becomes a source of strength, peace and joy that surpasses all understanding.

For each of the 12 Steps, we have included a biblical reference that coincides. See the full list to the right with the scriptural reference.

The 12 Steps of Recovery
(and their Biblical references)

Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors. That our lives had became unmanageable. (Romans 7:18)
Step 2 - Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. (Phillip. 2:13)
Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our life & will over to the care & loving concern of God. (Rom 12:1)
Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. (Lamentations 3:40)
Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human, the exact nature of our wrongs. (James 5:16)
Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. (James 4:10)
Step 7 - Humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings. (1 John 1:9)
Step 8 - Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. (Luke 6:31)
Step 9 - Made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. (Matthew 5:23-24)
Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. (1 Cor. 10:12)
Step 11 - Sought through prayer & meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. (Colossians 3:16)
Step 12 - Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to others, and practice these principles in all our affairs. (Galatians 6:1)