Step Four: Courage: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.*

RinC includes principles taken from the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous®, the program practiced by Bill W., Dr. Bob, Clarence S., and the other early rummies as found in the book Alcoholics Anonymous published in April 1939. The language used in the RinC 12 Steps is as originally written by A.A. cofounder Bill W., according to A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature. Our thanks to Dick B. and his son Ken B. for their detailed research into the history of Alcoholics Anonymous® which is available and published at DickB.com.

The Purpose of the Parables (Matthew 13:10-17)
Recovery begins when one person shares their story with another. Joyce and I pray that the stories told by Jesus through His parables, visualized in the context of the 12 steps given to Bill W. late one evening of December 1938, will bring His rest to all who are heavy laden. Invite Jesus into your life, listen to Him, and He promises to give you His peace.

Matthew 25: 14-30 (ESV)
The Parable of the Talents

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[a] and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents,[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

This parable is also found in: Luke 19: 11-27 (ESV)

* ‘PASS IT ON’  (New York, N.Y.: A.A. World Services, Inc., 1984), 198.
Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age (N.Y.: A.A. World Services, Inc., 1957, 1985) 166-67.

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