Steps to the Spirit

Steps to the spirit is about my search for, discovery of, and use of the Spirit to live my life according to the wishes and plans of God. I also call them gifts from God because I believe He has given us these tools to enable us to find a closer relationship with Him. I invite you to join me in this quest that is at times both difficult and extremely fulfilling. I will try to explain how and why it became necessary to surrender, thus enabling me to begin to live according to God's plan.I will post additional info on my blog: http://www.StepsToTheSpirit.com/blog To contact me, please use: Chuck@stepstothespirit.com

Steps to the Spirit is a religion podcast hosted by Chuck Lutz, with 282 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Chuck Lutz hosts Steps to the Spirit, a religion show with 282 episodes published.

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  Episode #38

  The 12 Step Program - Step 12 (Part 6)

  Oct 3, 202616 minS6

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode I want to speak about the final phrase in step 12 which is, in all our affairs . To be consistent, here is the step with the underlined phrase that we will be speaking about: Having had a spiritual experience as a result of this course of action, we try to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. Basically, what we are saying is that this step does not have an on/off switch The step suggests that not just when possible, or when we feel like it, that we carry the message,or practice these principles. From the time I wake up in the morning, until I go to bed at night, I am working this 12th step and see if my life depended on it. Basically, I am talking about a new way of life. NOTE: This episode, for some reason, did not get posted. It is part number six of the 12 step. I was in a quandary as to what to do. I decided to post it after part number seven because it really will stand on its own. In the next episode I will start a series about my spiritual jo during my experience with the 12 steps. Thank you! You may ask, “When did I decide on this new way of life?” Well, if you have been doing these steps, you made that decision in the third step. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God . Once again, in this decision, I have not made any reservations that say I will turn things over to God when it’s convenient for me. It doesn’t say that if I am making a business deal that may not be best for all of my employees, I can turn off this 12th step mandate until the deal is over. Then I can turn it back on for lunch and the afternoon schedule. That night I can work with my buddy rationalization ,, and tell myself how well I am working the program. Sorry, it just does not work like that. What this program is telling me is that I cannot use it only when it is convenient for me. It is definitely a way of life , and I must fit my former lifestyle into the template forms by these 12 steps.

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  Episode #39

  The 12 Step Program - Step 12 (Part 7)

  Sep 26, 202615 minS6

  Send us Fan Mail For this episode, I'm not going to be putting much here in the way of description. This is mostly because this episode is going to be a rehash and overall talk about step number 12. This part seven (I can't believe I'm writing that) of step number 12. I never thought I would be doing 12 I never thought I would be doing seven parts to anything, no less one of the steps. However, the more I think about the 12th step the more I realize how important it is. As a matter of fact, I think I've told you that I am in the process of writing another book. This book is a redo of a book I wrote a few years ago and totally mucked it up. This new book, also called, Steps to the Spirit, will have three chapters devoted to one step. You guessed it, step 12! All of the other steps in the book are split into two chapters each, except for steps six and seven. Only step 12 is three chapters long. So, this episode will and this series on the 12 steps. I will redo the 12 steps at some point because, after all, they are the main theme of what this podcast is all about. Even when I podcast about other things like the Oxford Group or the Promises of the serenity Prayer, it is still about the 12 step program. I've been trying to think about the next podcast or group of podcasts and what they will be about. I would like to do a series on my spiritual preferences, and how they jive with my 12-step program. so, that’s how we will start episode number 40. See you then.

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  Episode #37

  The 12 Step Program - Step 12 (Part 5)

  Sep 12, 202613 minS6

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode I will continue to speak about the 12th step. This is the fifth part or episode about the 12th step and there will be one more part. I have never done six parts to any topic in the past, so I am thinking that this 12th step has become very important to me. The part of the step I am referring to is underlined below: Having had a spiritual experience as a result of this course of action, we try to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. As you can see, I will be talking about t hese principles . Now, I do not often do this, but I thought it would be helpful to get some definitions from Gemini AI and Google . This first definition is an overview of what these principles are. The principles referred to in the 12th step of a 12-step program are the spiritual and moral values embodied throughout all the preceding eleven steps. Each of the twelve steps corresponds to a core spiritual principle or virtue. When Step 12 mentions practicing "these principles," it refers to the entire cumulative set in my book, Gifts Fom God , I used similar attributes to each step, although not the same. However, these are the core principles that we have, (hopefully), both learned and absorbed into our personality. This is how those gifts are described by Google’s Gemini: • Step 1: Honesty • Step 2: Hope • Step 3: Faith / Surrender • Step 4: Courage • Step 5: Integrity • Step 6: Willingness • Step 7: Humility • Step 8: Brotherly Love / Self-discipline • Step 9: Justice / Love • Step 10: Perseverance • Step 11: Spiritual Awareness / Meditation • Step 12: Service Although these are not quite the same as my list of gifts, they are close enough. One thing I would like to remind you about is that both of the lists are really directly related to the Oxford Group’s spiritual principles. I really think there is not much more to say other than suggest that you look at this list and think about how you are living your life according to it. Personally, I seem to fall short of these high ideals a lot of the time. That doesn’t matter! The point is that I’m really trying my best to apply them to my life. This 12th step, when we really understand what it means, certainly gives us high goals and standards by which to live our lives. However, they are also spiritual goals that, when achieved, (and even then as we are working on them), leads us to our way of life that is second to none.

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  Episode #36

  The 12 Step Program - Step 12 (Part 4)

  Sep 5, 202613 minS6

  Send us Fan Mail In this fourth part of my discussion about step number 12, I would like to focus on the phrase “to others”. As a reminder step number 12: Having had a spiritual experience as a result of this course of action, we try to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. For the moment, if you happen to be in an open meeting, and do not suffer from a problem with alcohol, I would like to forget the phrase in the 12 step, to alcoholics. New strips were originally written by Bill W., 12th step said, “to others”. I believe that God, when he ensured his steps would reach the ears of ordinary people, meant for them to reach the ears of all people . Much of these 12 steps was taken directly from the words and ideas of the Oxford Group. And, the Oxford Group, (although they were primarily concerned with the Christian faith), would never have differentiated amongst alcoholics, over users, substance abusers, etc. All would have been welcomed. All would have had the same goal which, in simple terms, which have been to get right with God . However, when Bill Wilson broke from the Oxford Group, he did it because he knew alcoholics. He knew that a particular religion, or even some religious thinking, could not be forced upon, nor accepted by, alcoholics. So he decided, in this case, to go the easier, softer way. He wanted the alcoholic to not feel pressure in any particular discipline. He hoped that they would be concerned mostly with the 12-Step program, and include God, (whatever they conceived God to be), in their program. I’m sure that many of the other 12-step members felt the same way. Hence, this change in the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 steps from “others” to “alcoholics”. So, if you have problems in any area of your life other than or even including, alcohol, I urge you to ignore the word alcoholics in the current 12 steps and remember that the original 12 step said “others”. This means everyone , and that to the 12 step program applies to, everyone !

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  Episode #35

  The 12 Step Program - Step 12 (Part 3)

  Aug 29, 202614 minS6

  Send us Fan Mail In part number three of this 12th step, I will be speaking about the phrase “carry the message”. In order to help some of you, here is the 12th step in its entirety: Having had a spiritual experience as a result of this course of action, we try to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. I am truly sorry to be so repetitive, but it seems I want to tell you why I am using this version of the 12 steps. I use, for the purposes of all my writing about the straps in the 12-step program, the version of the steps that was published in the first edition of the book Alcoholics Anonymous . I do not use it only because, as far as I know, it is copyright free, but because I really like and agree with this version of the steps. Better So, many folks in the program, especially those we refer to as “old-timers”, will lead you to believe that carrying the message is what the 12 step program is all about. I am here to tell you that in my estimation that is not true at all. The purpose of the 12 step program, as I believe it was given to us through the influence of God, is for each of us to discover a new way of life; a way of life that has God as its center. It is my personal belief that this program revolves around the third, versus the 12 steps. This The 12th step, and all it entails, especially carrying the message is here for two reasons. The first case is to keep ourselves in check, and to make sure we are living this new way of life . The second is equally important and that those who have come before us and realized that one of the best ways of living this new way of life is to share what we have gained from it with others . Carrying the message is not the main activity of those who are involved in a 12-step program, but it is seriously necessary to preserve that spiritual knowledge that we have gained. It is also strongly suggested in order to keep what we have gained from the program by sharing this knowledge with others. What is the message, you may ask? Well, it is sharing these 12 steps with others while letting them know that by turning to their Higher Power, they can repair the wreckage of their past and embark on a new way of life . Better Who is it that shares this way of life? Part of the answer is given in the 12th step itself. Things like, “having had a spiritual experience as a result of this course of action”, or “trying to, practice these principles in all their affairs,”, are certainly good indications that one is ready to carry the message. I personally believe that those who were considered “changed” In the Old Oxford Group, were a good example of those who may be ready to “carry the message”. Remember however, those who do carry the message do so effectively because of that which has come into their hearts, not their heads.

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