HOPE FOR RECOVERY COURSE
Week 8
Linda Larson Schlitz

STEP Eight. “Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.”

AMENDS 
Something done or given by a person to make up for a loss or injury he or she has caused.

WHY DO IT?

Making amends, letting going of resentments through forgiveness can lead to:
●	Healthier relationships
●	Improved mental health
●	Less anxiety, stress and hostility
●	Lower blood pressure
●	Fewer symptoms of depression
●	A stronger immune system
●	Improved heart health
●	Improved self-esteem
●	Freedom
●	Godly annointing (openness to God’s spirit working through you)
VERSES THAT MAY HELP GET YOU STARTED
Ephesians 4:32-BE kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Colossians 3:13-bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
Matthew 6:14-For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Mark 11:25-Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.
Matthew 18:27-And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.
Mark 11:26-[But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”]
Matthew 18:35-My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”
Matthew 6:12-‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
STEP 8	                              							Hope for Recovery Course	
Luke 17:4- And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
Luke 11:4- ‘And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
Luke 23:34- But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.
2 Corinthians 2:7 so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
2 Corinthians 2:10 But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
ROMANS 12:18 KJV "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."
A Living Sacrifice
Romans 8
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

STEP 8	                              							Hope for Recovery Course									

More lists! The good news is that you have already done much of this in the last few steps if you were truly considering the exact nature of your wrongs. Now is where you get down to the nitty gritty and look beyond the obvious to the little things… Perhaps it is stealing from someone, or borrowing money or something and not paying it back. Or talking bad about someone and hurting their reputation. It could be lying to people, or betraying them. It could be a sin of omission or commission meaning it could be something you have done or something that has been undone. Maybe it’s a friendship that has been strained and you have avoided it and left it undone. Somebody needs to take the first step toward healing.

This is NOT the step where you run out and make amends. This requires some prayer and perhaps some discussion with your sponsor or trusted friend or counselor. Just because you have someone on your list doesn’t mean it is in their best interest for you to come into their life and make amends. It may make things worse so give it some thought and prayer. Here is a start to making a list… don’t stop here. And unfortunately this isn’t the end of it. You will need to do this the rest of your life but that is in another step. We are selfish people and we need to be reminded frequently to keep things in order and clean up our conscience.

Here is a PDF that I found that may give you some further thoughts on working step 8  DOWNLOAD HERE
Here is a song that may help us reflect on how to heal relationships when things are BROKEN 

WHO I HAVE HARMED			WHAT I DID			AM I READY FOR NEXT STEP  

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