Thursday Big Book Step Study

Step 9, Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 76-77

Words:
diffident

Tradition 8, AA Twelve and Twelve, pg. 166-171

(no words or writing assigned)

Step 8, AA Twelve and Twelve, p. 80-82

Words:
superficially
contemptuous
vengeful
miserly
callous
dominate
steadfast
aim
isolation

Step 8, AA Twelve and Twelve, p. 78-80

wretched
overwhelmed
conspired
hinder
snag
pride
mend
casual
apologies
restitution
deferred
accurate
exhaustive
survey
violent
twists
discolored
altered
paramount
extricate

The action of Step 8 is going through your inventory to identify your list of harms done to others. From the Fourth Step Resentments you wrote, make a list of people you have hurt or harmed.

Review your list, bringing God into the process. Ask God – meditate – on each person on your list and ask God for guidance on whether or not you owe this person an amends.

Make cards (3×5, or larger) for each person you have harmed. The cards should be portable, as you’ll bring them with you when you actually meet this person.

Find the person’s contact information and put it on the card.

Put a plus (+) or minus (-) on the card to indicate if you are willing to make an amends to them at this time.

Write the exact nature of your wrongs/harms for this person on the card.

On the back, you will write exactly what you will say to this person when you make amends to them (Step 9).

Step 8, AA Twelve and Twelve, p. 78

Words:
wretched
overwhelmed
conspired
hinder
snag

Questions:
1.  What real harm(s) have we done?

Step 8, AA Twelve and Twelve, pg. 76 – 77.

Words:
drastic
self-appraisal
unsparing
survey
forgiveness
tosspot

Questions:

1. If we are now about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn’t we start out by forgiving them, one and all?

2. Write out the value of why Bill gave us Step 8.

3. How willing are you today to take off the victim t-shirt?

AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Tradition Seven pgs. 160 – end 165

Words:

160:1
1. habitual
2. supposition
160:2
3. aversion
161:1
4. benefactors
5. havoc
163:3
6. boasted
165:1
7. prudent
8. reserve

Writing Assignment:

1. “There is a place in A.A. where spirituality and money would mix and that was in the hat.” Write on that as you have learned from reading Tradition Seven.
1a. Write on your own experience with this statement.

2. Gratitude for our sobriety and our Step One Fellowships is an action word. What actions are you doing to show your gratitude?
2a. Is supporting your group part of your gratitude actions?

3. “Whoever pays the piper is apt to call the tune.” What does this mean to you in your personal life?

4. Find out what home group keeps in its treasury?
4a. Find out what is your group’s decision on how much money by group conscience is kept.

5. Integrity. A.A. taught us what integrity with money is in Tradition Seven. It also teaches us that we must have integrity in all our affairs.
How are we doing in the area of integrity with money?
5a. How are we doing the area of integrity in all other areas.

AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Step Seven pg74: – end 76

Word:

1. transformed

Writing Assignment:

1. Humility is the nourishing ingredient which can give us serenity. Writing on your expeirence with this statement.

2. We began to fear pain less and desire humility more than ever. Write on this, too.

3. “Of myself I am nothing, the Father doeth the work, began to carry bright promise and meaning.” Write on that statement.
3a. What is the bright promise Bill talks about?
3b. What is the new meaning for our lives that Bill is talking about in this statement?

4. The chief actitvator of our charcter defects have been self-centered feard, primarily fear, that we would lose something that we already possess or that we would fail to get something we demanded.
Go back into the past few weeks and pull out examples of this statement and write about them.

A.A Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Step Seven, pgs. 73:2 – end 74:1

Words:

73:2

1. consternation

2. goaded

Writing Assignment:

1. Read AA’s Big Book “HOW IT WORKS” up to page 64 which is Step Three. Write about how Step Three and Step Seven are alike. Write about how they are different to you in your recovery today.

2. Has humility ever meant humiliation to you?

2a. Has humility now begun, in your life, to mean one of the nourishing ingredients which can give you serenity.