Recovery is not for “those people.”
Recovery is for anyone who has discovered that self-effort is not enough.
Re:Generation is built on a simple but radical truth:
God changes lives when we stop pretending and start surrendering.
The twelve steps are not a ladder to climb.
They are a path God walks with us—from honesty, to healing, to freedom, to purpose.
Step 1 — Admit
What It Is
To admit is to stop negotiating with reality. It is the moment we acknowledge that willpower, intelligence, discipline, and good intentions have not solved our deepest struggles. Admit is not weakness—it is clarity.
This step names the truth: something is broken that I cannot fix on my own.
Why It’s Important
Until we admit powerlessness, we will keep trying to manage symptoms instead of surrendering the disease. Pride fuels isolation; admission opens the door to grace. God meets us not where we pretend to be, but where we truly are.
Foundation verse: Romans 7:18
Additional verse: Psalm 51:3
Step 2 — Believe
What It Is
To believe is to trust that God is both able and willing to restore us. It is moving from despair (“nothing can change”) to hope (“God can do what I cannot”).
Belief is not optimism. It is confidence in God’s character.
Why It’s Important
Admission without belief leads to shame. Belief reminds us that God’s grace is greater than our sin, habits, trauma, or failures. Recovery stalls when we believe in our brokenness more than we believe in God’s power.
Foundation verse: Psalm 103:2–5
Additional verse: Hebrews 11:6
Step 3 — Trust
What It Is
To trust is to transfer control of our lives and recovery to God. It is a conscious decision to stop playing God and to let God lead.
Trust says: I don’t know how to fix this—but I know who does.
Why It’s Important
Many of our struggles are rooted in control—trying to manage pain, people, outcomes, or emotions. Trust dismantles false control and replaces it with dependence. Without trust, recovery becomes self-improvement. With trust, it becomes transformation.
Foundation verse: Ephesians 2:4–5
Additional verse: Proverbs 3:5–6
Step 4 — Inventory
What It Is
Inventory is a fearless and honest examination of our lives—patterns, sins, wounds, resentments, and responses. This is not self-condemnation; it is truth-telling with God.
We stop asking “What’s wrong with me?” and start asking “What happened—and how did I respond?”
Why It’s Important
What we do not name cannot be healed. Inventory exposes roots, not just fruit. God uses truth to bring freedom, and this step creates clarity where confusion once ruled.
Foundation verse: Psalm 51:6
Additional verse: Lamentations 3:40
Step 5 — Confess
What It Is
Confession is bringing what has been hidden into the light—before God and a trusted believer. It is the practice of radical honesty without self-protection.
Why It’s Important
Secrets keep us sick. Isolation intensifies shame. Confession breaks the power of hidden sin and restores connection—with God and others. Healing accelerates when truth is shared in safe community.
Foundation verse: 1 John 1:7–9
Additional verse: James 5:16
Step 6 — Repent
What It Is
Repentance is not regret; it is redirection. It is choosing to turn away from destructive patterns and pursue a new way of living.
Why It’s Important
Forgiveness removes guilt, but repentance changes direction. Without repentance, recovery becomes talk without transformation. God empowers us not just to stop sinning, but to start living differently.
Foundation verse: 2 Timothy 2:22
Additional verse: Acts 3:19
Step 7 — Follow
What It Is
To follow is to learn how to live daily under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. This step is about formation—learning new rhythms, new responses, and new dependence.
Why It’s Important
Recovery is not sustained by rules alone. It is sustained by relationship. Following the Spirit produces fruit that self-discipline cannot manufacture.
Foundation verse: Galatians 5:22–25
Additional verse: Romans 8:14
Step 8 — Forgive
What It Is
Forgiveness is releasing our right to revenge and entrusting justice to God. It does not deny harm; it refuses to let harm define us.
Why It’s Important
Unforgiveness chains us to the past. Forgiveness frees our hearts to heal. We forgive not because it is easy, but because God has forgiven us first.
Foundation verse: Ephesians 4:32–5:1
Additional verse: Matthew 6:14–15
Step 9 — Make Amends
What It Is
Making amends is taking responsibility for the harm we caused and seeking reconciliation where possible and appropriate.
Why It’s Important
Recovery restores integrity. Amends repair trust, rebuild humility, and align our actions with our faith. This step is about obedience, not outcome.
Foundation verse: Romans 12:17–18
Additional verse: Matthew 5:23–24
Step 10 — Continue
What It Is
This step is about ongoing awareness—regularly examining our hearts and responding quickly to conviction.
Why It’s Important
Recovery is not a one-time event. Pride returns when vigilance fades. Continuation keeps us grounded in humility and dependent on grace.
Foundation verse: Psalm 139:23–24
Additional verse: 1 Corinthians 10:12
Step 11 — Intimacy
What It Is
Intimacy is deepening our relationship with God through prayer and Scripture—not to earn approval, but to enjoy connection.
Why It’s Important
Recovery without intimacy becomes mechanical. Intimacy keeps God at the center and transforms obedience into relationship.
Foundation verse: John 17:3
Additional verse: Psalm 63:1
Step 12 — Regenerate
What It Is
Regeneration is living out our new identity in Christ and helping others experience the same freedom.
Why It’s Important
God does not waste pain. He redeems it. This step turns wounds into testimony and recovery into purpose.
Foundation verse: 2 Corinthians 5:17–18
Additional verse: Galatians 6:1
Closing: Why Recovery Matters
Re:Generation is not about fixing bad people.
It is about God restoring broken people—which is all of us.
If you are tired of cycling through the same patterns, carrying the same weight, or hiding the same struggles, there is a better way—and you do not have to walk it alone.
Next Steps
Find Re:Generation Near You
If you’re ready to explore Christ-centered recovery in a safe, biblical, and structured community, the following resources can help you take your next step:
Lakepointe Church — Re:generation (Support & Recovery)
Lakepointe offers Re:generation for anyone seeking freedom from hurts, habits, and hang-ups, with groups available at multiple campuses and online.
👉 https://lakepointe.church/support-recovery/
Re:generation Recovery — National Ministry Site
Learn more about the Re:generation discipleship-based recovery program and use the “Find a Group” tool to locate a Re:generation ministry near you.
👉 https://www.regenerationrecovery.org/
Watermark Community Church — Re:generation Recovery (Founding Church)
Watermark is the founding church of Re:generation and provides a comprehensive overview of the ministry, including its biblical foundations and structure.
👉 https://www.watermark.org/ministries/regeneration-recovery