The document discusses themes of recovery, restoration, addiction, and degradation of the soul. It contrasts heaven and hell, with heaven being the natural result of a restored humanity and hell the natural result of a degrading soul feeding on itself. It references biblical stories like the parable of Lazarus and the rich man to illustrate that being rich is not a sign of blessing and being poor is not a sign of punishment. The document emphasizes that church is for recovering addicts and is not just a place to go but who you become through repentance, commitment to help, and community.

1. FRESHSTART
It’s time for a…

2. Life after Life
Who am I?
Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church

3. Do I Measure Up?

4. If you spend your life trying to Measure Up…
1. You’ll stop when you reach the minimum
Disconnected, uninvolved, phantom.
2. Become judgmental, grumpy, cold, cynical
3. Give up!

5. Heaven is not a reward for good behavior, but
the natural result of restored humanity.

6. “I have come home at last! This is my real
country! I belong here. This is the land I have
been looking for all my life, though I never
knew it till now!”
― C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle

7. Hell is not a
punishment for
not being good
enough, but
The natural
result of a
degrading soul
feeding on itself!

8. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But
you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
Revelation 3:17
Delusion

9. The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim
good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the
prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed freeLk 4:18
Slavery

10. This people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their
ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with
their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn,
and I would heal them.’ Matthew 13:15
Self-Absorbed

11. “The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they
do not know what makes them stumble.” Proverbs 4:19
paranoid

12. Hell is not a
punishment for
not being good
enough, but
the natural
result of a
degrading soul
feeding on itself!

13. Jesus said,
“I Am the Light of
the world.
If you follow me,
you won’t
stumble through
the darkness, for
living light will
flood your path.”
John 8:12

14. “Every human being, is in the process of
becoming a noble being; noble beyond
imagination. Or else, alas, a vile being beyond
redemption.” C.S. Lewis

15. Recovery &
Restoration
Addiction &
Degradation
“Imitate Jesus!” “Me!”

16. Lazarus and the Rich Man

17. “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple
and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his
gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with
sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s
table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

18. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels
carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died
and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment,
he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with
Lazarus by his side.

19. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on
me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in
water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in
this fire.’

20. “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your
lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus
received bad things, but now he is comforted here
and you are in agony.

21. And besides all this, between us and you a great
chasm has been set in place, so that those who want
to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross
over from there to us.’

22. “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus
to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn
them, so that they will not also come to this place of
torment.

23. “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the
Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “‘No, father
Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead
goes to them, they will repent.’

24. “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and
the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if
someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:19-31 (NIV)

25. Life after Life
Who am I becoming?

26. Being Rich is NOT a sign of being blessed by God
Being Poor is NOT a sign of being punished by God
Hell is NOT the result of overt EVIL

27. Lazarus literally means God is My Help

28. You Become what you WORSHIP
‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things’

29. You Become what you WORSHIP
ATROPHY – waste away, gradual decline due to underuse or neglect

30. Sin makes ADDICTS of us all
"Sin is the suicidal action of the HEART against ITSELF."
Reality is skewed.
Strength consumed.
Relationships destroyed

31. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For
in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging
war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work
within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is
subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Rms 7:21-25

32. Church is for RECOVERING Addicts
Church is not just a place to go, It’s WHO YOU BECOME!

33. Repentance is the Start,
Restoration the Process,
Renewal the Goal.

34. I am seriously flawed – CONFESSION
I need Help – COMMITMENT
I can’t make it on my own. – COMMUNITY

35. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you
will find; knock and the door will be opened to
you. For everyone who asks receives; the one
who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks,
the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

36. “I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no
powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor
anything else in the whole world will ever be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus
our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

37. Death is like your car…
It will take you where you want to go.