Do you believe in the Bible alone (Sola Scriptura) for spiritual guidance, or do you believe in a blend of the teachings of both God and man? The following article by James Sundquist reveals how Rick Warren borrows from psychology in the Celebrate Recovery (CR) movement. The CR plan ignores and overlooks several key scriptural principles, and adds a lot of fallen man’s philosophy. James Sundquist has been heavily involved in discernment ministries for many years, he is author of several books including “Who’s Driving The Purpose Driven Church,” and is endorsed by John MacArthur.
Colossians 2:8, KJV: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
Blessings, Pastor Steve <><
TEN QUESTIONS FOR CELEBRATE RECOVERY LEADERS
DECALOG
PRINCIPALITIES OR GRACE?
DOES CR STAND FOR CELEBRATE RECOVERY
OR COUNTERFEIT CHRISTIANITY?
Read the following expose on Celebrating Recovery by James Sundquist:
TEN QUESTIONS FOR CELEBRATE RECOVERY LEADERS
DECALOG
PRINCIPALITIES OR GRACE?
DOES CR STAND FOR CELEBRATE RECOVERY
OR COUNTERFEIT CHRISTIANITY?
I. Rick Warren: “Personal stories are also easier to relate to than principles, and people
love to hear them.” Then why are there 8 “principles” to recovery at the heart of his
Celebrate Recovery program instead of 8 “personal stories”? And why is John Maxwell
whose central core doctrine is “principles”, Warren’s key partner in his Global Peace
Plan? Maxwell’s principles are the first E for how to equip leaders in Warren’s
P.E.A.C.E. Plan. So then why does Warren have E for the principles to equip leaders
yet he publishes “7 Key Principles for Every Project” instead of personal stories in his
acronym and 7 key personal stories for every project? Personal stories are at the heart of
AA and CR, but how is it even possible to conduct these meetings without gossiping and
talebearing, forbidden in Scripture? Speaking of “persons”, did Christ teach Principles
or the Person of Christ? He is the “way the truth and the life”. So if Warren’s “story”
that people love to hear, that his Purpose Driven Life book is “bestselling nonfiction
hardback book in history” is forensically untrue and is a false claim: Proof of book sales
ranking chart:
https://amos37.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/BestSellingRankingListinHistory.pdf,
and false advertising is a crime according to the FTC Statute # 15 U.S. Code § 54,
then why should why should anyone trust him with his Celebrate Recovery and believe
it is also not fake news, or have hope in his Daily Hope radio program?
II. In reading the CR 12 Steps, where is the Blood of Jesus? (Can’t find it in a Google
Search or search on CR’s website). Scripture teaches that Christ’s blood is how we draw
near to Christ, so how do you draw near to Christ without taking this step as the most
important step? Scripture teaches that we are purchased by Christ’s blood, but there is
no Scripture where we have to purchase anything to be saved or sanctified, both are
gifts. A person who lives to be 80 statistically walks about two hundred million steps.
So if they become a Christian at 40, they walk approximately a hundred million steps as
a Christian if they live to be 80. Since “the steps of the righteous man are ordered by the
Lord”, why does CR have only 12 steps, and even those are works. How is the required
“working the steps” not works?
III. The Beatitudes present the pathway to blessings, but why is their no warning or
discussion about the steps that will cursed which Christ (Matthew 7:21-23)
and the Apostle Paul (Galatians 1:8) put the greatest emphasis on? Couldn’t Paul have
not been so brutal and offer the Judaizers a type of 12 Step Recovery Program for their
hurts, habits, and hangups, so they could celebrate? Where is the warning of the
doctrines of demons and seducing spirits in CR 12 Steps, or in their website search
engine that the Apostle John commanded to not give heed to? And where is the Wrath
of God (e.g., God’s Global Warming vs. Man’s that Warren signed) in the 12 Steps or
anywhere on CR website? Since part of the Gospel is about the Judgment that we are
averting, shouldn’t that be one of the first things presented at a CR meeting?
IV. If Roman Catholic doctrine anathematizes all Protestants, why are they embracing a
spiritual program created and promoted and sold by two Protestant pastors? If
Protestants like Warren and Baker are anathematized by Roman Catholic Doctrine, how
could they ever recover or celebrate unless (in their minds) unless Rick Warren and
Founder, John Baker convert to RC? This would be like going to the witch of Endor to
get counsel and comfort. And what do they recover and celebrate if they take CR that is
not provided in the RC Sacraments?
V. If the Reformation leaders taught that the Pope and RC are antichrist, why is Rick
Warren silent about this and does not tell them that Celebrate Recovery can’t work on
antichrists? If CR is so successful, why are Catholics who take CR still Catholics after
they take the program? Wouldn’t true repentance deliver them? And where has CR
marked false teachers and named names (i.e., Bill Wilson and Carl Jung), identify false
teachers and religions (the foundation of AA and hence the foundation of CR), as
Scripture commands? Does CR tell you this in its training? You can judge a tree by its
roots (as well as by its fruit). The roots of CR are AA, and the roots of AA false
religions and teachers. And Jesus said a thorn-bush can’t produce figs. AA is a thornbush, so aren’t you eating the fruit of a poisonous tree?
VI. If the Apostle Paul says being a drunkard (alcoholic) “such WERE some of you”,
before becoming born again Christians, but now they are no longer drunkards, then why
does AA (the foundation of CR) teach that you are an alcoholic for life even if you are
sober and never take another drink for 30 years or the rest of your life? So there is no
cleansing you of ALL unrighteousness (habits, hurts, and hangups) in CR? CR’s
foundation is AA, Christ is the alleged superstructure vs. true Christianity where Christ
is the foundation and there is no other foundation.
VII. If you never recover in your lifetime, what is there to celebrate?
VIII. Where in Scripture is repentance accomplished via a formalized group program
like CR vs. individually? Many repented simultaneously at the same time in many
cases, but not because of interactive, structured programs, confidentiality, or cost.
Where is the confidentiality in a public profession of faith, and where is the
confidentiality in Matthew 18, if the person does not repent so we are required to tell the
whole church?
IX. Where are there 12 steps in Scripture and what is deficient or missing in 2 Timothy
3:16 that says Scripture is sufficient for all good works and the perfecting of saints and
being thoroughly equipped for every good work, for two thousand years. And how is
Pastor Hess Hester, the leader of CR for pastors unable to obey the Scripture “Be kind
and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of
what Christ has done” Eph. 4:32, without and before CR or 12 Steps according to his
testimony? If you are thoroughly equipped for every good work with Scripture alone,
how is CR even needed? And how does it not usurp this very Scripture?
X. Though one can attend a CR meeting without cost, the materials kit at the CR
meetings for the package, even discounted, typically cost $89.99 (and more money for
leadership training). There are specific examples of paying money for counseling or
spiritual equipping in the Bible, but both examples were condemned: Saul consulting the
Witch of Endor in the Old Testament, and Simony in the New Testament. So if the Lord
told Isaiah (Isa. 55:1) and Jesus Christ is right when he said in Revelation:
“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come ” And let the one who hears say, “Come ”
And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life
without cost.” Revelation 22:17
you could obtain everything you need in Christ freely, how are all of those Christians
who believe and obey Christ’s own words, lacking anything by never participating or
paying any money in a Celebrate Recovery meeting or program? And even if you pay
money, the statistics on AA recovery vs. returning to drinking are catastrophic: 95%
return to drinking. Would you invest in a stock that has a 95% failure rate of return?
Even Steven 