A resource for addiction support and recovery groups, Grace-Based Recovery is a small-group study designed to help people suffering from addiction and those close to them understand God's grace and why it is the only path to true freedom.
With nine easy-to-use lessons, Grace-Based Recovery highlights the significant differences between a performance-based approach to recovery and a grace-based approach, and establishes a safe environment where addicts can learn from their mistakes rather than be punished for them. Through practical exercises, readers will learn the principles of grace and how to apply those truths to the false beliefs that have held them captive. Participants will be encouraged to see freedom from addiction as a lifelong process and to live without shame and fear as they grow, stumble, grow again, and, by God's grace, change.
Author Jonathan Daugherty, the founder of BeBroken Ministries and the popular podcast and radio show Pure Sex, has nearly twenty years of personal recovery experience and over fifteen years of professional recovery experience. Nearly five years into his own recovery journey, he realized that simply behaving well could never truly liberate him, and that only God's grace could cause that kind of transformation.
In a world that is finding itself increasingly more addicted, Grace-Based Recovery carries the timely message of the grace, self-worth, and confidence found in Jesus Christ and tears down the strongholds of addiction in our lives.
"Grace-Based Recovery is a comprehensive package for groups seeking a ready-made guide to overcoming sexual brokenness. Leaders will appreciate how easy it is to use, as groups are led through the ultimate Solution found in Christ, the grace of God."
Ron DeHaas, CEO, Covenant Eyes
"Far too many of us have struggled in our efforts because we have missed the grace of God and the role it plays in our ongoing recovery. Jonathan Daugherty doesn't write from a theoretical perspective but as one who has experienced and lives out of the amazing grace of God."
Troy Haas, Executive Director, HopeQuest Ministry Group; author of Building for Freedom and Walking in Freedom
"Daugherty's approach aligns with the good news of Christ and contains principles that are about transformation, not mere 'spiritual effort,' which fails when our own strength runs out. Further, he speaks of true grace not cheap grace. Those in the recovery journey will benefit from the thoughtful, careful guidance in this user-friendly tool."
Geremy F. Keeton, Senior Director of Counseling Services, Focus on the Family
"What Jonathan has given the body of Christ in Grace-Based Recovery is, frankly, amazing. These are invaluable insights born of scriptural depth, years of working with real people and things he could only learn from Jesus."
Russell Willingham, Director of Fresno New Creation Ministries, author of Breaking Free: Understanding Sexual Addiction & the Healing Power of Jesus
Jonathan Daugherty's Grace-Based Recovery: A Safe Place to Heal and Grow is a unique and much needed approach to addiction recovery in the church. Although I've never participated in a recovery program, I have many people dear to my heart who have and I wish something like this had existed for them. Daugherty's methods for recovery aren't typical as the roots of his method are gracious and gentle. Just reading this resource made me hopeful and excited for what recovery could look like within the church. It's always a great encouragement to know that true change is possible through Jesus Christ and Grace-Based Recovery exists to point people to this truth. While many recovery programs focus on behavior modification, Grace-Based Recovery reminds readers that true change first begins in the heart. While it can be tempting to overlook the Introduction to a book, I highly recommend reading it in this one as it is rich with helpful information. I particularly enjoyed the section on page xvi titled, "What Grace-Based Recovery is Not." The book is divided into 8 lessons and even contains a Leader Guide in the back. Each lesson follows the same format which includes: Main Idea, Bible Passage, Grace-Based Recovery Article, Discussion Questions, and Group Exercise. The lessons are short and simple which is great because it fosters an environment for open and honest communication in which recovery and healing can truly occur. I am deeply grateful for this resource and am excited to see how God uses it to changes lives for His glory! I received Grace-Based Recovery compliments of New Growth Press in exchange for my honest review.
Jonathan Daugherty's Grace-Based Recovery: A Safe Place to Heal and Grow is a unique and much needed approach to addiction recovery in the church. Although I've never participated in a recovery program, I have many people dear to my heart who have and I wish something like this had existed for them. Daugherty's methods for recovery aren't typical as the roots of his method are gracious and gentle. Just reading this resource made me hopeful and excited for what recovery could look like within the church. It's always a great encouragement to know that true change is possible through Jesus Christ and Grace-Based Recovery exists to point people to this truth. While many recovery programs focus on behavior modification, Grace-Based Recovery reminds readers that true change first begins in the heart. While it can be tempting to overlook the Introduction to a book, I highly recommend reading it in this one as it is rich with helpful information. I particularly enjoyed the section on page xvi titled, "What Grace-Based Recovery is Not." The book is divided into 8 lessons and even contains a Leader Guide in the back. Each lesson follows the same format which includes: Main Idea, Bible Passage, Grace-Based Recovery Article, Discussion Questions, and Group Exercise. The lessons are short and simple which is great because it fosters an environment for open and honest communication in which recovery and healing can truly occur. I am deeply grateful for this resource and am excited to see how God uses it to changes lives for His glory! I received Grace-Based Recovery compliments of New Growth Press in exchange for my honest review.
Really helpful and practical.
Really helpful and practical.
Just a question: Does the book cover the important connection between grace and power? This is most clearly seen in 1 Cor. 1 (all of 1 Cor. really) and the connection between "charis" and "charisma." Grace is much more than just "unmerited favor" and I'm wondering if this gets addressed. Thanks.
Grace-based Recovery: A Safe Place to Heal and Grow by Jonathan Daugherty Grace-based Recovery: A Safe Place to Heal and Grow by Jonathan Daugherty is a 9-session study guide aimed at a new small group focused on recovery from addiction. The addiction could be of any type, and as a pastor it is striking to me how many types of addictions exist. From habitual lying, compulsive shopping, gambling, to the more common sexual addiction (porn addiction) and substance abuse, we humans, in our sin, are incredible at making up false gods and enslaving ourselves to them. It seems to me this study guide could forge a group that can deal with any of these. That seems like a remarkable feat, but really stems from an excellent understanding of the nature of sin, and the power of the gospel. The study provides a sound experiential-theological basis for understanding God, and self. It thoroughly deals with fundamental issues of confession, repentance, spiritual disciplines, reparation, and perseverance. As such, it provides a framework that can be used for any group dealing with any issue! I have one small complaint in the epilogue on “Hearing God’s Voice” – which encourages us to combat lies by replacing them with God’s word to us. In it the author encourages us to listen for God’s “Small-still voice”, based on a common, popular, but in my opinion erroneous understanding of 1 Kings 18. God did not speak in the silence, he spoke after it. He spoke clearly, not uncertainly. The prophet knew he was hearing God, not perhaps fallibly perceiving a “whisper of truth.” But that is a small complaint. Of course I agree with the author that we ought to “spend time alone with God” – but I would urge us not merely to have our bible handy “in case the Lord wants to lead us to a specific promise or passage”, but rather urge us to have the bible wide open because God certainly has passages and promises to speak to us. The bottom-line however, is that the author really wonderfully lifts up the life-transforming power of the gospel of God’s magnificent grace which changes everything, and shows the vast superiority of a group that strives to embrace and walk in that grace over against a group merely aiming at correcting behavior.
If you are looking for a well laid out serious recovery guide to overcome sexual brokenness, to be used with a small group. This book might do the trick. It is absolutely straight forward and clinical, no personal stories, no ideas only 9 Lessons with Bible passages, an article with discussion questions and a group exercise. An excellent exploration of what Grace is, it is not a sin management program, not an easy fix. It is a long-standing environment to recover. The whole last half of the book is a leader’s guide to the previous chapters. I noticed all the reviews given on Amazon where from professional male counselors, not I am a female librarian with no education background in counseling but a sincere wish to provide useful material for men’s groups, especially in our congregation. The author is the founder of the Be Broken ministry and hosts a weekly radio broadcast Pure Sex Radio, and is in demand nationally as a speaker on sexual purity and men’s issues. I feel this book is mostly usable for men, where the book “Hope after Betrayal” by Meg Wilson has a softer feminine feel for counseling and recovery. I reviewed this book at the same time and found they both emphasized that there is hope through grace and plenty of hard work. This book just might be what your men’s groups need.
If you are looking for a well laid out serious recovery guide to overcome sexual brokenness, to be used with a small group. This book might do the trick. It is absolutely straight forward and clinical, no personal stories, no ideas only 9 Lessons with Bible passages, an article with discussion questions and a group exercise. An excellent exploration of what Grace is, it is not a sin management program, not an easy fix. It is a long-standing environment to recover. The whole last half of the book is a leader’s guide to the previous chapters. I noticed all the reviews given on Amazon where from professional male counselors, not I am a female librarian with no education background in counseling but a sincere wish to provide useful material for men’s groups, especially in our congregation. The author is the founder of the Be Broken ministry and hosts a weekly radio broadcast Pure Sex Radio, and is in demand nationally as a speaker on sexual purity and men’s issues. I feel this book is mostly usable for men, where the book “Hope after Betrayal” by Meg Wilson has a softer feminine feel for counseling and recovery. I reviewed this book at the same time and found they both emphasized that there is hope through grace and plenty of hard work. This book just might be what your men’s groups need.
First it is a great book for a life group or a small group to go through to deal with recovery. The way it is laid out allows for the leader to have some tips and guidelines as where to go. Without these the leaders can cause the groups to go off on the wrong tangents if not trained in counseling. Second the book is a great resource just to read and doesn't have to be used as a group. It contains a lot of research and work that is invaluable.
Grace-based Recovery: A Safe Place to Heal and Grow by Jonathan Daugherty is a 9-session study guide aimed at a new small group focused on recovery from addiction. The addiction could be of any type, and as a pastor it is striking to me how many types of addictions exist. From habitual lying, compulsive shopping, gambling, to the more common sexual addiction (porn addiction) and substance abuse, we humans, in our sin, are incredible at making up false gods and enslaving ourselves to them. It seems to me this study guide could forge a group that can deal with any of these. That seems like a remarkable feat, but really stems from an excellent understanding of the nature of sin, and the power of the gospel. The study provides a sound experiential-theological basis for understanding God, and self. It thoroughly deals with fundamental issues of confession, repentance, spiritual disciplines, reparation, and perseverance. As such, it provides a framework that can be used for any group dealing with any issue! I have one small complaint in the epilogue on “Hearing God’s Voice” – which encourages us to combat lies by replacing them with God’s word to us. In it the author encourages us to listen for God’s “Small-still voice”, based on a common, popular, but in my opinion erroneous understanding of 1 Kings 18. God did not speak in the silence, he spoke after it. He spoke clearly, not uncertainly. The prophet knew he was hearing God, not perhaps fallibly perceiving a “whisper of truth.” But that is a small complaint. Of course I agree with the author that we ought to “spend time alone with God” – but I would urge us not merely to have our bible handy “in case the Lord wants to lead us to a specific promise or passage”, but rather urge us to have the bible wide open because God certainly has passages and promises to speak to us. The bottom-line however, is that the author really wonderfully lifts up the life-transforming power of the gospel of God’s magnificent grace which changes everything, and shows the vast superiority of a group that strives to embrace and walk in that grace over against a group merely aiming at correcting behavior. I’m thankful for this book and commend it to you! Note: I did graciously receive a copy of this book from New Growth Press to review and comment on, but decided to only because I felt it would be helpful resource for the church!