Step Three: Faith: Made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care and direction of God.*

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 13: 1-9 (ESV)
The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.

Matthew 13: 18-23 (ESV)
The Parable of the Sower Explained

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

This parable is also found in: Mark 4: 1-9 (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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