HOFFICDVDParticipant's Guide

Helping Others
Find
Freedom in Christ
A six-session DVD-based course to equip you to

help every Christian take hold of their freedom.
Participant’s Guide
Freedom in Christ Ministries, PO Box 2842, Reading RG2 9RT

Tel: 0118 321 8084 E-mail: info@ficm.org.uk
www.ficm.org.uk
“Hello!” from Steve Goss
If I think back 15 years or so to my role in a small local church, I was very happy
when given the opportunity occasionally to teach or preach – that was right up my
street – but when it came to helping other people deal with issues in their lives, that
was just “not me”. And neither was anything remotely to do with spiritual warfare. In
fact I used to run a mile from opportunities to get involved in those kind of things!
So it’s ironic that I now find myself teaching regularly on how to help others find
their freedom in Christ and on dealing with spiritual issues. It’s been quite a journey.
I remember very well my own trepidation when faced with the prospect of leading
someone through The Steps To Freedom In Christ for the first time. I knew how well
it had worked for me personally and I had seen huge changes in others. But actually
sitting down with someone and asking them to share intimate details of their life was a
frightening prospect. I thought the onus would be on me to “work out the answer” or
“fix” them. It was such a relief to realise that actually that wasn’t my responsibility at
all and to find that Jesus always turned up and clearly guided the process.
I had not been using the approach that long when God brought Carolyn Bramhall our
way, a lady who had struggled for decades with the effects of extreme abuse (I will
introduce her to you in Session 6 of this course). Together with a small team of people
from the church, I had the privilege of leading Carolyn to freedom and seeing that the
approach works not just for those with more straightforward experiences but also for
those who have experienced deeper issues.
So, if you are feeling nervous about leading someone through The Steps To Freedom
In Christ, I sympathise. It’s great that you’re on this course! In putting it together, Tim
Baynes Clarke and I have focused single-mindedly on outlining the reasons why God
can use you to encourage another Christian along the path to freedom and maturity
and how practically to go about it.
We’re assuming, incidentally, that you are already familiar with the basic Freedom In
Christ principles through attending a FIC Discipleship Course or reading the
corresponding books and that you have already been through The Steps To Freedom
In Christ yourself. If that is not the case, you may wish to start with the companion
DVD, Making Fruitful Disciples, or with The Freedom In Christ Discipleship Course.
Enjoy the course!
© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 2

Contents
Session 1
Introducing The Freedom In Christ Approach
Introducing The Steps To Freedom In Christ
Session 2
The Freedom Appointment: The Participants
The Freedom Appointment: The Preliminaries
Session 3
Step 1: Counterfeit vs. Real
Step 2: Deception vs. Truth
Session 4
Step 3: Bitterness vs. Forgiveness
Step 4: Rebellion vs. Submission
Steps 5: Pride vs. Humility
Session 5
Step 6: Bondage vs. Freedom
Step 7: Curses vs. Blessings
Ending The Appointment
Stronghold-Busting
Session 6
Deeper Issues

Introducing The Freedom In Christ
Approach
Course Objective
To enable you to feel confident enough to take someone else through The Steps
To Freedom In Christ
We will:
 Explain what The Steps To Freedom In Christ are
 Explain why they work
 Look at the practicalities of using them
We are assuming that participants:

 are familiar with Freedom In Christ’s main teaching as contained in the
Freedom in Christ Discipleship Course, the corresponding four Discipleship
Series books by Steve Goss or Neil Anderson’s core books, Victory Over The
Darkness and The Bondage Breaker
 have been through our Making Fruitful Disciples training (run regularly as a
one-day workshop around the country and available as a companion DVD
series)
 are interested in working in a local ‘freedom ministry’ under the auspices of
their church
It is highly recommended that participants read Discipleship Counseling by Neil

Anderson which contains a detailed theological explanation of the approach and a
whole host of practical information on using The Steps To Freedom In Christ.
A Three-Pronged Approach
1. Discipleship teaching
Themes
 Understanding our identity and position in Christ

 Understanding and overcoming our enemies: the world, the flesh and the devil
 Growing as disciples

2. Resolving personal and spiritual conflicts
 Breaking the hold of the past using The Steps To Freedom In Christ
3. Ongoing renewal of the mind

 Stronghold-Busting
 Learning about truth and lies
 Teaching people a way of life in freedom
 Not a “one-off” event
This course concentrates on the second aspect but all three are necessary if someone
wants to take hold of their freedom and become a fruitful disciple.
Using the Steps to Freedom in Christ

 Either on an Away Day in a group
o Allows a lot of people to go through at the same time
o Still between the Freedom-Seeker and God
 Or in individual appointments
o The ideal
o An Away Day will still require you to do some individual
appointments as follow-up
Summary
 Rigorously biblical approach
 Highly effective
 Valuable for every Christian
 Highly transferable
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
How do you feel about the prospect of leading someone through The Steps To
Freedom In Christ? (Or, if you have already led someone through, how did you feel
before the first occasion?)

Three Key Resources
Freedom In Christ Ministries has many resources that can help you as you encourage
others to take hold of their freedom in Christ. We particularly recommend the
following three:
Freedom Fellowship
If you are serving others using the Freedom in Christ approach, you will benefit from
joining the Freedom Fellowship. You'll get a binder with a whole host of very
practical information (including standard documents) and tools that will help you. The
contents of the binder are also available to download on a special members’ section of
our website where you can also take part in an on-line forum with other members.
Encourager’s Manual
This vital resource will help enormously as you lead others through the Steps to
Freedom In Christ. It's a step-by-step manual which contains the prayers and
checklists from the Steps together with hints, tips and guidelines for each point in the
process. It’s like having an experienced encourager on-hand to prompt you at every
point in the process. There is also space to add your own notes so that you can build
up your own store of hints and tips for next time. As we go through this course you
will see Jess using the Encourager’s Manual as she leads her first freedom
appointment.
Discipleship Counseling by Neil Anderson

This book by Neil Anderson, founder of Freedom In Christ Ministries and author of
The Steps To Freedom In Christ, is essential reading. The first half outlines the
Biblical principles behind the process whilst the second half is a comprehensive guide
to the general approach with copious information on taking people through each step.
Excellent!

Introducing The Steps To Freedom In
Christ
The Freedom Appointment is an opportunity to resolve personal and spiritual
conflicts, the second prong of the Freedom In Christ approach.
Format Of The Steps To Freedom
Step 1 Non-Christian involvement
Step 2 Deception
Step 3 Unforgiveness
Step 4 Rebellion
Step 5 Pride & self-sufficiency
Step 6 Bondage to habitual sin
Step 7 Generational issues
Characteristics
 Comprehensive
 Exceptionally kind to participants
 Based on prayers of repentance / renunciation
 Does not require “experts”
 Reliant on the Holy Spirit
Note that different people have different styles when it comes to leading freedom
appointments. Don’t get too hung up on what is “right” or “wrong”. This course will
put across what we consider to be best practice but there is plenty of scope for
flexibility once you have understood the core principles.

The Participants at a Freedom Appointment
The Freedom-Seeker
Needs to understand their identity in Christ (from the main teaching). They are
already:
 a whole new creation
 holy: a saint, not a sinner
 a child of God
 accepted: no longer under condemnation
 in Christ
Jesus
 Always turns up!

 Has already provided everything that the Freedom-Seeker needs to take hold of
their freedom (2 Peter 1: 3, Ephesians 1:3)
 Guides the Freedom-Seeker into all truth (John 16:13)
 Does not change the past but resolves completely the effects of the past (we are
not helping people to “cope” with the past but to walk free of it!)
The Encourager
 NOT called to “fix” someone else’s problems

 NOT called to be their saviour – Jesus is their only Saviour
 NOT called to a power encounter with the enemy
The Prayer Partner
 Joins in the battle by interceding for the Freedom-Seeker and the Encourager

Footholds And Strongholds
Footholds (Ephesians 4:26-27)
Influence given to the enemy through sin
Easy to deal with through repentance and renunciation
Strongholds
Mental habit patterns of thought that are not consistent with God’s Word
Ingrained beliefs
Usually built around a sin issue
Resolving Spiritual Issues

The Freedom-Seeker:
 Asks God to reveal where “doors” have been opened to the devil
 Chooses to repent, renounce or forgive as these are revealed to take away the
footholds of the enemy
 Having submitted to God in this way, tells the demons to leave (and they have
to flee!)
 Takes responsibility for going on to walk in freedom
Note that we encourage people to speak the prayers, renunciations etc. out loud. Satan
and demons are simply created beings and cannot read our minds (see Session 7 of the
Discipleship Course for further information on this).
Could You Be An Encourager?
The Freedom-Seeker and Jesus do the hard work.
Your role is simply to encourage.
Could you do that? We think so!

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
Explain your understanding of how people give ground to the enemy and how the
Steps To Freedom In Christ process helps them take that ground back.
Explain the role that the “Encourager” plays in this process. Can you begin to see how
you could fulfil that role?

The Freedom Appointment: The
Participants
In this session we’re looking a little more at the role of the various participants:
 Freedom-Seeker
 Jesus
 The Encourager
 Prayer Partner
 The Enemy
The responsibility for the outcome lies with the Freedom-Seeker not with the
Encourager.
In this process they will submit to God AND resist the devil
 most Christians have been taught to submit but not to resist
Summary Of How The Steps Process Works

Freedom-Seeker:
 Asks God to reveal where “doors” have been opened to the devil
 Chooses to repent, renounce or forgive as these are revealed to take away the
footholds of the enemy
 Tells the demons to leave
 Takes responsibility for going on to walk in freedom
Jesus:
 Guides the Freedom-Seeker into all truth
 Breaks the bondages as the Freedom-Seeker repents, renounces and forgives
Encourager:
 “Manages” the appointment
Prayer Partner:
 Engages in the spiritual battle through prayer

The Enemy:
 Has no option but to flee as the Freedom-Seeker submits to God and resists the
devil (James 4:7)
What Kind Of Person Makes A Good Encourager?
Like Jesus in character!
Growing disciples are people who are on the way to becoming more and more like
Jesus in character. None of us have got there yet but all of us are growing in character.
Unshockable
Freedom-Seekers will bring their worst issues to Jesus because they sense, often for
the first time, that resolution is at hand.
Qualifications
Although an Encourager is not an expert but simply a fellow-Christian, we need to

exercise wisdom in choosing Encouragers and suggest the following “qualifications”:
 Have had their own personal freedom appointment

 Exhibit vulnerability
 Have a good grasp of truth
 Are walking in freedom
 Know that it is Jesus (not them) who sets people free
 Dependent on the Holy Spirit
Hearing From God

 Primarily the responsibility of the Freedom-Seeker
 But if you think God has spoken to you, handle it wisely
o remember you could be wrong!
Prayer Partner
 Intercedes
 Often able to pick up some helpful things
 Listening out for lies – this is a ‘truth encounter’
 Learning how to become an Encourager

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
What characteristics do you think an encourager should have?
In 2 Timothy 2:24-26, Paul describes someone who is helping someone else to escape
from the trap of the devil. What characteristics does he say such a person should
have?

The Freedom Appointment: The
Preliminaries
Before The Appointment
 No “third-party” appointments, ie someone who is not themselves requesting it
 Ensure that the Freedom-Seeker has attended the FIC Discipleship Course (or
has read the Discipleship Series books by Steve Goss, or Victory Over The
Darkness and The Bondage Breaker by Neil Anderson or equivalent
video/audio material)
 Put in substantial prayer (fasting helps a lot too)
 Enlist prayer support from others
Confidential Personal Inventory (available from Freedom Fellowship

Folder)
Ensure that you have received a completed Confidential Personal Inventory before
arranging the appointment
 Prepares Freedom-Seeker for appointment

 Gives Encourager background information
Preparation
 Arrange the Appointment
 Organise an Encourager and one or two Prayer Partners
 Generally speaking: same gender appointments
 Look for compatibility and empathy among participants
 Set appointment for start of day if possible, it can take at least 3 to 6 hours (or
more)
 Venue
 Church building recommended
 If home is used, ensure potential disturbances kept to a minimum
Preliminaries
 Seating
 Comfortable (eg footstool for smaller people)
 Small table for water, tissues, Bibles and materials
 Freedom-Seeker & Encourager face to face, Prayer Partner off to one side

 Put at ease
 Light conversation
 Emphasise that this is a safe place
 Complete freedom to leave at any time
 Fill in the Statement of Understanding (in Freedom Fellowship Binder)

 Reassure
 Complete confidentiality
 No written record kept except Statement of Understanding
 “Nothing you say will make me think any less of you”
Appointments For Young People Under 18
 Understand your church’s safeguarding policy

 CRB checks for encouragers and prayer partners are advised and may be
mandatory
 Ensure you get consent from their parent / guardian
Starting the Steps

Summarise the Introduction to the Steps
 “What more does Jesus or anyone else need to do for you to be free?”
 “The Steps don’t set you free, Jesus Christ does!”
 God and Satan not two equal and opposite super powers
 Remind the Freedom-Seeker to share any negative thoughts or physical pain
Explain the process

 You ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to your mind things to deal with
 As you choose to repent/renounce, “doors” are closed
 When no footholds remain, you will command the enemy to leave your
presence
 Because you have dealt with every issue God reveals, Satan and demons will
have no choice but to go
 This is a comprehensive process: take the opportunity to deal with absolutely
everything that God brings to your mind.

Practicalities
 Arrive early to prepare and pray
 Take comfort breaks
 Endeavour to complete the freedom appointment in one session
 Ask regularly, “How are you feeling?”, “What is going on in your mind?”
 Keep eye contact, keep in control
 Teach where appropriate
 Remember it is God who reveals
 Suggest gently and carefully
 Emotions are OK
What to avoid
 Going off on tangents
 Getting bogged down and feeling you have to resolve every minute issue
 Exaggerating what happened in the appointment as though they will not have
any more problems
 Telling them to stop taking medication or stop seeing a psychiatrist
 Not taking thoughts of suicide seriously
 Any physical contact until after the appointment is finished
 Breaking confidences
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
From what you have learned so far, why do you think The Steps To Freedom In Christ
makes such a difference in people’s lives?
If you have a personal story about this in your own life, why not share it?

Step 1: Counterfeit vs. Real
Starting The Appointment

Page 12 of the Steps book
 Opening Prayer – all together
 Declaration – Encourager and Prayer Partner(s)
Hearing the Freedom-Seeker’s Story (page 14 & 15)
 No great details needed
 No more than 45 – 60 minutes (more will come out in the process)
 Look for footholds & strongholds (e.g. unforgiveness, generational issues)
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
Break into groups of three and get someone to volunteer to act as the Freedom-Seeker.
Practise taking them through their personal and family history (see pages 14-15 of
The Steps To Freedom book). If time allows swap round.
A “Truth Encounter”
 Look out constantly for things that the Freedom-Seeker believes that are not in
line with the truth in God’s Word
 A good role for the Prayer Partner
 Look for lies, footholds and strongholds
 Use the “Truth and Lies” sheet (available from the Freedom Fellowship)
Check assurance of salvation

 This only works for people who are “in Christ”
 If they don’t yet know Him, invite them to make a commitment!
Working Through The Steps

 The Holy Spirit will reveal what needs to be dealt with

Step 1: Occult, False Religion & Cult Experiences
 After Freedom-Seeker has prayed opening prayer in bold (page 16) get them to
tick every occult activity and counterfeit religion participated in; the lists are not
exhaustive
 Encourage them to renounce whatever comes to mind – trust that Spirit of
God is answering their prayer
 Even if they thought it was a joke or a game they need to renounce it, or even
if they were just standing by and watching others do it, they need to renounce
passive involvement
 If Freedom-Seeker doesn’t know what the activities are, they probably didn’t
do them. (However, if needed see glossary in Freedom Fellowship folder)
 Note that this list, although long, is not meant to be exhaustive: other things
may well come out.
 Answer the 9 questions
 Question 3 – if the spirit guide has no name, renounce it by the fruit borne in
their life.
 Question 4 – for repeating and nagging thoughts (or voices), use the second
prayer on page 20
 Question 9 – if unsure ask God about the spiritual experience
Prayer of renunciation to be prayed for each item
“Freemasonry Renunciations” can be used here (document in Freedom Fellowship

folder)
Evaluate Your Priorities (idols)

 Emphasise that most (if not all) of areas are not evil in themselves
Special renunciations for Satanic Ritual Involvement

 Get everyone to say this declaration
 some may have blocked memories
 some may have unknowingly had their name signed over to Satan
 note that renouncing is not the same thing as confessing involvement
 Not appropriate to use on an Away Day, only in an individual appointment
Emphasise that these things have now been dealt with once and for all
Ask Freedom-Seeker, “Who is your Lord?”

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
Find some Bible verses that say what is really true to someone who is prone to believe
that they are:
· unloved
· abandoned
· rejected
· inadequate
· hopeless
· stupid
· ugly

Step 2: Deception vs. Truth
Deception is a major weapon of attack from the enemy
“What lie are they believing?” – a good question to ask yourself throughout the
process
Satan’s strategies: temptation, accusation, deception.
Deception is the most effective because, by definition, you don’t know that it is
happening!
Ways You Can be Deceived by the World

 Things that focus on meeting our legitimate God-given needs for security,
significance and acceptance independently of God
 Look particularly for strongholds – repeated patterns of behaviour
 By definition there is a lie behind every item ticked
Ways To Deceive Yourself

 Look for lies they have believed about themselves – eg “Thinking you are
something when you aren’t”.
 The Freedom-Seeker needs to renounce the lies and announce the truth
Ways To Defend Yourself Wrongly

 False mechanisms which we have developed to defend ourselves when under
pressure
 Christ is now the only defence we need; we never need to defend ourselves
 Add “Blaming self (when you are not responsible)”, “Co-dependent
relationships (substituting a person for God)”, “Sleep, TV, drugs, alcohol, food,
etc.”
None of the lists are exhaustive
Prayer of confession – get Freedom-Seeker to rate the importance of the areas of

deception; for any with high rating, get them to pray the prayer individually,
otherwise they can be grouped together for general areas of deception
The Truth About Father God

 From Session 2 of the Discipleship Course
 Ask if there are truths they found difficult to believe
 Encourage them to read it out loud every day for 40 days

Appendices On Anxiety And Fear
Of critical importance for most people
Anxiety (Appendix A) – do everything within your responsibility and leave the
rest to God
 If anxiety is an issue get the Freedom-Seeker to work through Appendix A
with a friend after the appointment.
 Sometimes resolving conflicts in Steps resolves the anxiety
Fear (Appendix B) – need to uncover the lie behind each fear
 Take everyone through the Overcoming Fear appendix (possibly on a
subsequent occasion)
 For a fear to be legitimate, it must be both potent AND present (note that
God is omnipotent and omnipresent)
 Renounce the fears during the appointment, but note will need some
homework after the appointment to determine the lie believed, the truth that
counters the lie and to work out how the wrong belief has affected behaviour.
Doctrinal Affirmation
 Encourage them to read boldly and loudly
 watch for facial expressions and stumbling over words
 If going too fast, get them to slow down
 If they can’t read the statement, get them to repeat the words after you
 Ask whether there was anything in the prayers they found particularly
powerful or difficult
During the affirmation, the Freedom-Seeker submits to God and resists the devil for
the first time. This can be a convenient place to take a break
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
Pick two or three of the following fears (or some from the list on page 75 of The Steps
To Freedom In Christ) and, for each one, identify the possible lie behind it that the
Freedom-Seeker may believe and what the effect of believing that lie may be in their
lives. Then find some truth from the Bible to counteract the lie.
· fear of going to hell

· fear of disapproval
· fear of failure
· fear of the future
· fear of financial problems

Step 3: Bitterness vs. Forgiveness
Start with prayer on page 35
Get a list of people to forgive

After the Freedom-Seeker has prayed the opening prayer, write on a separate piece of
paper the people that need to be forgiven (to be torn up after prayer).
At this point encourage them not to dwell on why they need to forgive but simply to
speak out / write down the names that the Holy Spirit brings to their mind.
If they are having trouble, take them through their life in portions: primary school,
junior school etc.
Do they need to add their own name to the list?
Do they need to put God’s name on the list?
Note: God has not done anything wrong, of course, but forgiveness is not about actual
right or wrong but about what the Freedom-Seeker felt. There are additional prayers
in Appendix D that can be prayed to forgive self and God.
Summarise the need to forgive and clarify what forgiveness is

 Jesus commanded it
 To stop the pain!
Forgiveness is:
 Not forgetting
 A choice, a decision of the will
 Agreeing to live with the consequences of another person’s sin
 From the heart
 Choosing not to hold someone’s sin against them anymore
 Not waiting until you feel like forgiving
“I can’t forgive”
 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13)
 Matthew 18 – the parable of the unforgiving servant

Process of Forgiving
Encourage the Freedom-Seeker:
 to be specific and not general (words, abuse, etc.).
 to get in touch with pain
 not to pray for the person who hurt them at this stage
 not to rationalise what was done
 to say how it made them feel, e.g., “worthless”, “unloved” etc.
Write down everything they say after “which made me feel” and look for recurring
words – these are probably lies (strongholds).
Record the lies on the “Truth & Lies” sheet.
Encourage them to make a choice not to hold someone’s sin against them – it is a
choice you make, not a feeling that comes over you.
Encourage them that they are not judging or condemning the person by forgiving
them. They are just dealing with the perceived hurt and the damaged emotions.
Even if they feel they have already forgiven people who hurt them, it is helpful to go
back over forgiveness. Many times there are still damaged emotions in the same way
that after surgery from cancer, the cancer is gone but there is still damaged tissue.
Additional Helps
 If necessary, recommend exercise for dealing with residual pain (in Freedom
Fellowship folder)
 Appendix C of the Steps (page 80) provides some useful guidance for the
Freedom-Seeker who may need to seek the forgiveness of those they have
offended.
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

These two statements were taken from real Steps To Freedom appointments. Work
out what lies the statements may reveal and how the Freedom-Seeker might address
them:
“I forgive my church for not supporting me when my marriage broke up which made
me feel isolated and unimportant.”
“I forgive my mother for not standing up for me when my father abused me which
made me feel abandoned.”

Step 4: Rebellion vs. Submission
 Rebellion is a big spiritual issue: it’s the same as witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23)
 Can be the big issue for people with eating disorders, co-dependent
relationships, obsessive/compulsive disorders
 Explain that God’s authority structures are for our own protection (Romans 13)
 Abdication of responsibility = rebellion (e.g. husband against his wife if he
refuses to be the spiritual and moral leader)
Authority figures
 Civil government – traffic laws, drug abuse, stealing
 Parents – not biblically required to obey parent in act of abuse
 Teachers – the Freedom-Seeker may not have overtly rebelled but may have
tried to get away with things in school that were against the rules. Some
teachers may have been shown no respect and made the focus of cruel jokes
 Husband – (note possible abdication of responsibility as above)
 Employers – employees sometimes think they know better
 Church Leaders – rebellion through gossip and/or slander, and/or divisiveness
 God – rebellion against of these authority structures = rebellion against God
Abusive authority
When an authority figure requires us to do something that is forbidden by God or
beyond the realms of their authority. It’s important that people understand that they do
not have to obey abusive authority. In fact they need to “draw a line in the sand” to
put an end to it by putting Biblical guidelines in place or withdrawing themselves
from that situation.
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
Having seen the story of the lady who stood up to her mother, from what you know of
the situation, do you think she was right or was she being rebellious?
How would you define rebellion?
And why is rebellion against human authority also rebellion against God?

Step 5: Pride vs. Humility
We were created to be completely dependent on God. Satan wants us to act
independently of God and that is a good definition of pride. Spiritual conflict follows
pride.
 Emphasise that none of us can make it on our own – we need God’s help
 Two sides to pride – anything with an “I” focus, a dependence on oneself
 Obvious pride – arrogant view of life and self,
 Hidden pride – can be mistaken for ultra humility - “My problems are too big
for God”
 Humility is “confidence properly placed in God.”
Extras:
 a rebellious attitude
 not waiting on God
 having inferior feelings (“woe is me”)
Prayer of confession – the Freedom-Seeker can keep repeating the first sentence of the
prayer for each item and when they have done them all they can finish the prayer.
Prejudice and bigotry

A particular aspect of pride.
 Satan’s strategy is to set one person or group against another
 No lists because the range is enormous (often bizarre)
 People find this one difficult to admit
 God has given us a ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:19)
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
At this stage of the course, how are you feeling about leading someone through an
individual Steps To Freedom appointment?
What are your anticipations?
What encouragement can you give to each other?

Step 6: Bondage vs. Freedom
This Step is in three parts
1. General sins
2. Sexual sins
3. Specific problems
We are looking for sins that have become bondages: sin-confess cycles
“Threshold thinking” – deal with the tempting thought as soon as it appears
General Sins
Possible extras:-
Controlling Divisiveness
Gambling/lottery Cursing (Taking God’s name in vain)
Comparison Lack of self-care
Performing (hypocrisy) Perfectionism
Exaggeration
Prayer of confession – keep repeating the first sentence for each sin:
“Lord, I confess that I have committed the sin of____….” and then finish the prayer.
Sexual sins
 Don’t assume that you have heard the whole story – more may come out
 Reassure again of confidentiality and no condemnation, e.g., John 8:11
 Need to renounce sins done to them as well as by them
 Sex outside the covenant of marriage creates a spiritual bond that needs to be
broken (1 Cor. 6:15-20). Sometimes it is helpful to read the passage.
 Holy sex = everything within marriage that does not violate the other partner’s
conscience.
 Get them to write a list of names on sheet of paper - to be torn up after prayer.
If the names are no longer known, then as he/she renounces the place (city,
country) where they met them, have them pause and let God bring faces of these
people to their mind.
 Prayer of renunciation – get Freedom-Seeker to say the prayer for each sexual
activity and encounter individually. The Prayer Partner can leave the room if
the Freedom-Seeker really wants it.
 Best to do other specific sexual sins, e.g., homosexuality and abortion, before
the final cleansing prayer
 Sometimes, there may be need to forgive others or themselves for issues
exposed in this Step that did not come up in Step 3.
Other sexual issues

(note additional prayers in Encouragers Manual and Freedom Fellowship Folder)

Sex for acceptance: use the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I renounce the lie that I need to give my body to someone so that I
can be accepted and special. I announce the truth that I am accepted and loved
by Christ just as I am, in Jesus’ name. Amen
Molestation and sexual abuse: use the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I renounce the lie that I am evil or dirty as a result of my
molestation. Thank You, Lord, that You know I was only a little child, and I
needed love and acceptance.
Add if appropriate: I receive Your forgiveness for any way I might have co-
operated, and I choose to forgive myself. Amen
 Additional prayer to be used as applicable
Lord, I renounce all of the ways that Satan has perverted my attitude toward sex
as a result of my past involvement. I specifically renounce (pornography,
masturbation, oral sex, other forms of perverted sex, homosexuality). I
announce the truth that I don't have to continue to be a victim of those past
experiences. You are the God who makes all things new. I ask You, Lord, to
renew my mind so that I am free to enjoy sex and my sexuality in the way You
intended. Amen
 Conclude the confession of sexual sins with the final cleansing prayer, “I
renounce all these uses of my body ”
Specific Problems
 Divorce – reassure them that this does not make them a second class
Christian and also that God’s will for their life can be perfectly fulfilled
 Homosexuality - use even if they have only been approached in this way
 Abortion - use for promiscuous men whether or not they know that there has
been an abortion
 Suicidal tendencies - ascertain whether there is a current plan
 Substance abuse
 Good for any addiction, e.g. co-dependent relationships, sex, etc.
 Eating disorders or self-mutilation
 Psalm 107:17-20 is useful
 Drivenness and perfectionism
 Encourage everyone to use this
Ask if there are any other skeletons in the cupboard – these can be renounced here
Good for people who have prayed through Eating Disorders or Substance Abuse to
pray “I receive my body back as a gift from God”
Conclude with the final prayer of confession

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
Most people come to Step 6 with some trepidation because it contains areas –
particularly perhaps the area of sex – where they feel ashamed and embarrassed.
What can you do or say to help put them at their ease and reassure them?
How do you think you will react when you hear something from someone’s past that
shocks you?

Step 7: Curses vs. Blessings
This step is concerned with influences on the Freedom-Seeker from previous
generations that might predispose them to particular weaknesses or sins.
It’s important to note that we are not guilty for the sins of our ancestors but we can
suffer from their effects until we put a stop to them.
There are three areas of influence:

 Genetic – possible inherited genetic makeup that can predispose a person to
specific tendencies (but this never makes sin inevitable – our personal choice
is a far more important factor than what we inherit!).
 Environmental – the patterns of behaviour picked up from those around us
particularly in the early years of life that can influence behaviour in later life.
 Spiritual – influences that come from the sins of a person’s ancestors being
passed down through family links. This can include false religions,
witchcraft, freemasonry etc.
Using The Step

After the opening prayer the Freedom-Seeker needs to write down a list of sins,
negative character traits, sickness (mental or physical). The list can include any
occult, cult, or non Christian involvement, freemasonry, divorce, broken relationships,
abuse, addictions, financial difficulties, familiar spirits etc.
Encourager can help here using information from Confidential Personal History and
Personal History at the beginning of the Appointment.
Sometimes, if the Freedom-Seeker has generational issues this Step can be done first
and then be repeated at the end of the appointment.
Final declaration
Having submitted to God by dealing with all of the issues He has shown them, the
Freedom-Seeker resists the devil and every enemy of Jesus has to flee from them!
Final prayer Freedom-Seeker asks God to fill him/her with the Holy Spirit
Ask what it is like in their mind

 Ask Freedom-Seeker to close their eyes, be quiet and say what is happening
in their mind. If not yet clear or quiet, then ask them to pray something like:
“Lord Jesus, is there any other issue in my life I need to renounce and forsake
that is producing this negative feeling inside? Please reveal it now, so I can be
free.”

Ending The Appointment
A key thing is to help the Freedom-Seeker stand firm in the freedom that they
have taken hold of.
 Share with them the lies that have come out during the appointment (or at least
the most significant ones)
 “Truth & Lies” List
 Give to Freedom-Seeker and encourage them as part of their homework to
find truths from the Bible to counteract the lies in left hand column – teach
on Stronghold-Busting
 “In Christ, I am ” truth statements, might be useful if read daily for 40 days
 Give the Freedom-Seeker scriptures that have been prayed for him/her during
the appointment.
 Get the Prayer Partner to pray specifically for the things that may continue to
be difficulties in their life, i.e., marriage, children, work, church, etc.
 Return or destroy any notes made about Freedom-Seeker.
Onions and bananas: some people’s issues come out all at once like a banana – others
have layers like onions!
Aftercare
 Encourage daily use of Daily Prayer & Declaration and Bedtime Prayer (page
62) for 40 days
 All will benefit from Walking In Freedom an excellent 21 day devotional which
works through the truths behind the Steps.
 Some may need to go back to Victory Over The Darkness and The Bondage
Breaker or the four Discipleship Series books. Some may need Winning the
Battle Within, or one of the ‘Overcoming’ series of books which deal with
specific issues such as addiction, anger, depression and fear.
 Encourage them to do the Discipleship Course again – they may well take in
much more second time, especially as a load of rubbish has now been cleared
out of the way
 People must take responsibility for themselves and walk in freedom and grow in
discipleship. Point out that it is necessary to take hold of freedom and that
sometimes it will be necessary to go back over some of the material with a
trusted friend.
 Accountability is a necessity for people with addictive problems.
 Point out the prayers in the Aftercare section including cleansing prayers for the
home.
After The Freedom-Seeker Has Left

Encourager and Prayer Partner(s) can pray for each other (there is a Cleansing Prayer
you can use in the Freedom Fellowship folder).

Stronghold-Busting
Understanding Strongholds is crucial – it is covered in Session 10 of the Discipleship
Course. People are transformed by the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:2)
 Strongholds are places of moral darkness that provide a place of “rest” for
demons
 Stronghold-Busting is a structured approach to help people renew their minds
 It takes about 6 weeks (i.e. 40 days) to form or break a habitual way of thinking
1. Determine the lie (and its effects in your life)

2. Find as many Bible verses as you can that state the truth and write them down
3. Write a prayer/declaration:
“I renounce the lie that…. I announce the truth that…”
4. Read the Bible verses and say the prayer/declaration every day for 40 days
 This tool is one of the key things the Freedom-Seeker takes away from the
Appointment
 Worth spending time making sure they have understood it well
 Start with the most significant lie and deal with that – once that is done, they
can do another Stronghold-Buster for a different lie
 We are teaching people a way of life – the best way of teaching Stronghold-
Busting is to speak from experience in your own life
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
Pick a typical lie that people believe (or perhaps one that you are prone to believing)
and create a Stronghold-Buster to address it:
1. Determine the lie and write down the effects that believing this lie has had in
your life.
2. Find as many Bible verses as you can that state the truth and write them down.
3. Write a prayer/declaration based on the formula:
I renounce the lie that…

I announce the truth that…
Note that this marks the end of the main teaching we wanted to share with you. There
is one more session on “Deeper Issues” but we suggest you come back to that once
you have some experience of taking people through the Steps. For now, go and get
started!

Deeper Issues
This approach is for everyone – every Christian needs to understand who they are in
Christ and take hold of their freedom in Christ.
But that includes those who are struggling with even the deepest issues: no Christian
is so badly messed up or in circumstances so difficult that they cannot become a
fruitful disciple of Jesus (2 Peter 1:3)
The same principles work for every Christian. No one gets labelled as a “problem” or
anything like that.
 Nothing is impossible for God

 Not all those that appear to have difficult issues actually turn out that way
 No right or wrong way
Key principles to remember:
 Jesus always turns up!

 The outcome is not your responsibility
Remind them that they are not a product of their past but of Christ’s work on the cross
The traumatic experience itself is not the problem – it’s the lies it caused them to
believe
Support From Freedom In Christ For Those Helping People With Deeper
Issues
 FIC is happy to advise leaders and church teams helping those with deeper
issues
 It works best with churches who already use the basic approach because they
already understand the principles (which are essentially the same)
 Ongoing telephone and e-mail support to church teams (we strongly suggest
teams to prevent burn-out)
 Start by coming on one of our regular "Helping Others With Deeper Issues"
workshops (details on the website)
Jesus has always had a special focus on those with deeper issues.

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
If you were going to encourage someone carrying a lot of damage from the past
towards freedom, what are some of the key Biblical principles that you would need to
know and put into practice?

Become a Friend Of Freedom In Christ
Have you seen lives transformed through the Freedom In Christ approach?
Would you like to be involved in making the impact even greater?
If you are excited about the effect this teaching can have on individuals, churches and communities,
you can be involved in making that impact even greater. We’d love to have you in the team!
Freedom In Christ Ministries exists to equip the Church worldwide to make fruitful disciples. We rely
heavily for financial support on people who have understood how important it is to give leaders the
tools that will enable them to help people become fruitful disciples, not just converts.
Friends of Freedom In Christ commit to giving a regular monthly sum to us. In return, we keep you
fully up-to-date with what we are doing and how your money is being used.
Typically your support will be used to:

 help us equip UK church leaders
 help people overseas establish national Freedom In Christ offices
 translate our material into other languages
 partner with other organisations worldwide to equip leaders
 develop further training and equipping resources
Please complete the form below or sign up via our website at www.ficm.org.uk.
Two Other Ideas

We have been really blessed by some groups who, at the end of a Freedom In Christ course in their
church, have appreciated it so much that they have wanted to take an offering and send us the proceeds.
Would your church consider supporting Freedom In Christ Ministries? There is a PowerPoint
presentation you can download from our website that can be used to explain how we would use that
support.
Please send form to: Freedom In Christ Ministries, PO Box 2842, READING RG2 9RT
Title: _________ First Name: ________________________ Surname: _________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________ Postcode: ______________________________
Phone: ______________________________ E-mail: ________________________________________________
 I enclose a one-off gift of £___________


 I have set up a standing order for: £100 £50 £20 £_____ per month to:
Account Name: Freedom In Christ Ministries Sort Code: 60-17-21 Account number: 54191653
GIFT AID (please complete if you pay UK tax)*. I am a UK taxpayer and wish Freedom In Christ Ministries to treat all
donations I make as Gift Aid Donations.
Signature: _________________________________________________ Date:_____________________________
*Please note that you must pay an amount of income or capital gains tax equal to or greater than the tax we reclaim
on your donations. Please remember to inform us of any change in your tax status. Freedom In Christ Ministries is a
registered charity no. 1082555.

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Helping Others

A six-session DVD-based course to equip you to

Freedom in Christ Ministries, PO Box 2842, Reading RG2 9RT

Enjoy the course!

© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 2

Introducing The Steps To Freedom In Christ

The Freedom Appointment: The Preliminaries

Step 2: Deception vs. Truth

Step 4: Rebellion vs. Submission

Steps 5: Pride vs. Humility

Step 7: Curses vs. Blessings

Ending The Appointment

© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 3

We are assuming that participants:

It is highly recommended that participants read Discipleship Counseling by Neil

 Understanding our identity and position in Christ

© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 4

3. Ongoing renewal of the mind

Using the Steps to Freedom in Christ

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 5

Discipleship Counseling by Neil Anderson

© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 6

Format Of The Steps To Freedom

Step 1 Non-Christian involvement

Step 5 Pride & self-sufficiency

Step 6 Bondage to habitual sin

Step 7 Generational issues

 Exceptionally kind to participants

 Based on prayers of repentance / renunciation

 Does not require “experts”

 Reliant on the Holy Spirit

© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 7

 a whole new creation

 holy: a saint, not a sinner

 accepted: no longer under condemnation

 Always turns up!

 NOT called to “fix” someone else’s problems

The Prayer Partner

© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 8

Footholds (Ephesians 4:26-27)

Influence given to the enemy through sin

Easy to deal with through repentance and renunciation

Usually built around a sin issue

Resolving Spiritual Issues

Could You Be An Encourager?

The Freedom-Seeker and Jesus do the hard work.

Your role is simply to encourage.

Could you do that? We think so!

© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 9

© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 10

Summary Of How The Steps Process Works

© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 11

What Kind Of Person Makes A Good Encourager?

Like Jesus in character!

Although an Encourager is not an expert but simply a fellow-Christian, we need to

 Have had their own personal freedom appointment

Hearing From God

© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 12

What characteristics do you think an encourager should have?

© FICM 2010 Helping Others Find Freedom In Christ Page 13

Confidential Personal Inventory (available from Freedom Fellowship

 Prepares Freedom-Seeker for appointment