1. Realize I am not God
1.1. God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs
1.2. Learn the lesson today
1.3. Admitting need: the reality choice
1.4. Cause of our problems
1.4.1. Our tendency to do wrong
1.4.1.1. There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
1.4.1.2. 15 I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. 16 I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. 18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't.
1.4.2. Our desire to be God
1.4.3. Our attempts to play God
1.4.3.1. We try to control our image
1.4.3.2. We try to control other people
1.4.3.3. We try to control our problems
1.4.3.4. We try to control our pain
1.5. Choice 1
1.5.1. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.
1.5.1.1. "Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!"
1.6. Consequences of problems
1.6.1. Fear
1.6.2. Frustration
1.6.3. Fatigue
1.6.4. Failure
1.6.5. Anger
1.7. Cure
1.7.1. Admitting weakness
1.7.1.1. I admit that I am powerless to change my past
1.7.1.2. I admit that I am powerless to control other people
1.7.1.3. I admit that I am powerless to cope with my harmful habits, behaviors and actions
1.7.2. A humble heart
2. Earnestly believe that God exists
2.1. Grief: God's pathway to comfort
2.1.1. We mourn our past mistakes
2.1.2. We mourn our loss of control
2.1.3. We discover God's pathway to comfort
2.2. Pain: God's antidote to denial
2.3. Denial: Refusing God's power to help
2.3.1. Denial busters
2.3.1.1. Crisis
2.3.1.2. Confrontation
2.3.1.3. Catastrophe
2.4. The truth about God
2.4.1. God exists
2.4.2. I matter to Him
2.4.3. He has the power to help me
2.5. God's character
2.5.1. God knows about your situation
2.5.2. God cares about your situation
2.5.3. God has the power to change you and your situation
2.6. Plugging into God's power
2.6.1. Power
2.6.2. Love
2.6.3. Self control
2.7. Believe and receive
2.7.1. Believe that God exists
2.7.2. Believe that you matter to him
2.7.3. Believe that he has the power to help
3. Consciously choose to commit my life to Christ
3.1. What is holding you back?
3.1.1. Pride
3.1.2. Guilt
3.1.3. Fear
3.1.3.1. Fear of trusting
3.1.3.2. Fear of losing control
3.1.3.3. Fear of becoming a religious fanatic
3.1.4. Worry
3.1.5. Doubt
3.2. Moving forward
3.2.1. Softening up
3.2.2. Establish a beachhead
3.3. Make the commitment
3.3.1. Embrace Jesus as your savior
3.3.2. Embrace his word as your standard
3.3.3. Embrace his will as your purpose
3.3.4. Embrace his power as your strength
4. Openly examine
4.1. Happy are the pure in heart
4.2. Guilt
4.2.1. Destroys our confidence
4.2.1.1. "All is found out. Flee at once"
4.2.2. Damages our relationships
4.2.3. Keeps us stuck in the past
4.3. Moving past guilt
4.3.1. Take a personal moral inventory
4.3.1.1. Make time
4.3.1.2. Open your heart and mind
4.3.1.3. Rely on God's grace
4.3.1.4. Analyze your past honestly
4.3.1.5. List good and bad choices and events in your life
4.3.2. Accept responsibility
4.3.2.1. Be radically honest
4.3.2.2. Don't rationalize
4.3.2.3. Don't blame others
4.3.2.4. Don't deceive yourself
4.3.3. Ask God for forgiveness
4.3.3.1. Don't beg
4.3.3.2. Don't bargain
4.3.3.3. Don't bribe
4.3.3.4. Do believe
4.3.4. Admit your faults to another person
4.3.4.1. See book
4.3.5. Accept God's forgiveness and forgive yourself
4.3.5.1. God forgives instantly
4.3.5.2. God forgives freely
4.3.5.3. God forgives completely