Life's Healing Choices: Freedom from Your Hurts, Hang-Ups, and Habits

A pastor of the same Saddleback Church that's famous for bestselling author Rick Warren (who provides the foreword), Baker designs an eight-step Christian recovery program geared toward enjoying spiritual freedom from hurts, hangups and bad habits. Baker's book is based on Warren's sermon series Road to Recovery, which has been tested in the lives of more than 400,000 people in 10,000 churches. Baker's eight steps to spiritual freedom (admitting need, getting help, letting go, coming clean, making changes, repairing relationships, maintaining momentum and recycling pain) promise to help Christians overcome many kinds of addictive behaviors. Baker likens them to AA's 12-step program, but clarifies that Christ is the source of lasting change. He writes that as believers refuse to admit their powerlessness to overcome tendencies to do wrong, their lives are fraught with fear, frustration, fatigue and failure. The cure? Admitting weakness with a humble heart; then praying, writing and sharing with others about the problem. Each chapter includes moving narratives of participants in Baker's program who express how its principles changed their lives. These practical, pithy how-tos will galvanize Christians into action with the simplicity of Baker's easy-to-actualize plan. (Sept.)