The Addiction Connection Podcast: Recent Episodes
theaddictionconnection
"Connecting the Hope of the Gospel with the Heart of Addiction" – The Addiction Connection Podcast is hosted by Dr. Mark E. Shaw with new episodes weekly. Podcast Clips on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/tacpodcastclips Visit: https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/
0:00 Intro 33:00 Wrap-up
A streaming library for the addiction counselor:https://theaddictionconnection.thinkific.com/Listen to full episodes of The Addiction Connection Podcasts (New Episodes Weekly):https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theaddictionconnectionMark E. Shaw, D.Min., founded The Addiction Connection in 2012 and is the author of 28 publications on addictions and biblical counseling. He serves as Pastor on staff at First Baptist Church Jacksonville at Nocatee, FL.
243 - The Joy of Fearing God, Ep. 2 (with CJ McMurry) - The Addiction Connection Podcast
0:00 Intro
2:00 Prov. 14:27
3:20 Trusting God by Jerry Bridges, The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges
29:00 Wrap-up
Episode featuring CJ McMurry, and Dr. Mark Shaw.#242 - The Joy of Fearing God Ep. 1 (with CJ McMurry) | The Addiction Connection PodcastA streaming library for the addiction counselor:https://theaddictionconnection.thinkific.com/Listen to full episodes of The Addiction Connection Podcasts (New Episodes Weekly):https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theaddictionconnectionMark E. Shaw, D.Min., founded The Addiction Connection in 2012 and is the author of 26 publications on addictions and biblical counseling. He serves as Pastor on staff at First Baptist Church Jacksonville at Nocatee, FL.Need Help Now? The Addiction Connection offers hope and healing to those struggling with addiction. Start your search for biblical programs here.https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/addiction-help/Find a Program Near You:https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/non-residential-programs/What We Believe:https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/statement-of-faith/tagsThe Addiction Connection Podcastaddictionbiblical counselingtrainingresourcesChristianaddiction rehabdrug abuserelapsemental healthalcoholismthe consumption of alcoholcare group studyFamily Help For Addiction (A Care Group Study)counselor training for addictionministry leadershipcounselor training for addictioncounseling techniques for addictionaddiction resourcesaddiction recoveryaddiction help podcastbible based curriculumaddiction counselor training12 stepsalcoholics anonymousbig bookthe heart of addictiontac podcastconnecting the hope of the gospelcounseling techniques for addictionaddiction help podcastbible based curriculumcurriculum planning for group teachingaddiction counselor trainingself improvementsex addictionself-injuryaddiction recovery speakersdopesick huluinterviewdopesick reactiondopesick oxycontinmark e shawoliver underwoodshirley crowdertac summittac counselarischa connerarischa conner dopesickdopesick podcastarischa conner interviewacting coach los angelesdopesickleah turner dopesickactress arischa connerleah turnerfirst baptist church nocatee
0:00 Intro 3:00 What are respectable sins?32:00 The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life40:00 Wrap-up Episode featuring Lou Samaritano, CJ McMurry, and Dr. Mark Shaw.A streaming library for the addiction counselor:https://theaddictionconnection.thinkific.com/Listen to full episodes of The Addiction Connection Podcasts (New Episodes Weekly):https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theaddictionconnectionMark E. Shaw, D.Min., founded The Addiction Connection in 2012 and is the author of 26 publications on addictions and biblical counseling. He serves as Pastor on staff at First Baptist Church Jacksonville at Nocatee, FL.Need Help Now? The Addiction Connection offers hope and healing to those struggling with addiction. Start your search for biblical programs here.https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/addiction-help/Find a Program Near You:https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/non-residential-programs/What We Believe:https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/statement-of-faith/tags#241 - Respectable Sins? (with Lou Samaritano, CJ McMurry) | The Addiction Connection PodcastThe Addiction Connection Podcastaddictionbiblical counselingtrainingresourcesChristianaddiction rehabdrug abuserelapsemental healthalcoholismthe consumption of alcoholcare group studyFamily Help For Addiction (A Care Group Study)counselor training for addictionministry leadershipcounselor training for addictioncounseling techniques for addictionaddiction resourcesaddiction recoveryaddiction help podcastbible based curriculumaddiction counselor training12 stepsalcoholics anonymousbig bookthe heart of addictiontac podcastconnecting the hope of the gospelcounseling techniques for addictionaddiction help podcastbible based curriculumcurriculum planning for group teachingaddiction counselor trainingself improvementsex addictionself-injuryaddiction recovery speakersdopesick huluinterviewdopesick reactiondopesick oxycontinmark e shawoliver underwoodshirley crowdertac summittac counselarischa connerarischa conner dopesickdopesick podcastarischa conner interviewacting coach los angelesdopesickleah turner dopesickactress arischa connerleah turnerfirst baptist church nocatee
0:00 Intro 15:00 Wrap-up A streaming library for the addiction counselor:https://theaddictionconnection.thinkific.com/Listen to full podcasts (New Episodes Weekly):https://anchor.fm/theaddictionconnectionMark E. Shaw, D.Min., founded The Addiction Connection in 2012 and is the author of 26 publications on addictions and biblical counseling. He serves as Pastor on staff at First Baptist Church Jacksonville at Nocatee, FL.Need Help Now? The Addiction Connection offers hope and healing to those struggling with addiction. Start your search for biblical programs here.https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/addiction-help/Find a Program Near You:https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/non-residential-programs/What We Believe:https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/statement-of-faith/tags#240 - The Pod is Back! (Updates, The Summit, and 1 Peter 1) | The Addiction Connection Podcast#239 - Understanding Mar*juana-Induced Psychosis | #TACPodTAC Podcast ClipsThe Addiction Connection Podcastaddictionbiblical counselingtrainingresourcesChristianaddiction rehabdrug abuserelapsemental healthalcoholismthe consumption of alcoholcare group studyFamily Help For Addiction (A Care Group Study)counselor training for addictionministry leadershipcounselor training for addictioncounseling techniques for addictionaddiction resourcesaddiction recoveryaddiction help podcastbible based curriculumaddiction counselor training12 stepsalcoholics anonymousbig bookthe heart of addictiontac podcastconnecting the hope of the gospelcounseling techniques for addictionaddiction help podcastbible based curriculumcurriculum planning for group teachingaddiction counselor trainingself improvementsex addictionself-injuryaddiction recovery speakersdopesick huluinterviewdopesick reactiondopesick oxycontinmark e shawoliver underwoodshirley crowdertac summittac counselarischa connerarischa conner dopesickdopesick podcastarischa conner interviewacting coach los angelesdopesickleah turner dopesickactress arischa connerleah turnerfirst baptist church nocatee
0:00 Intro 17:00 Wrap-up Books:12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by Tony ReinkeThe Next Story: Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Technology-Addiction-Dummies-Computer/dp/1119711878
0:00 Intro 14:00 Wrap-up Article - https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-xpm-2013-jun-21-la-me-ln-michael-jackson-had-massive-sleep-deficiency-with-propofol-use-20130621-story.html#:~:text=The%20sleep%20expert%20testified%20that,tour%20or%20preparing%20for%20one.
Watch Arischa star in her new BET+ show "Christmas Ringer" in winter 2023!
0:00 Intro / How Arischa and the Shaws connected
1:15 Arischa's background, "Misery is Optional"
2:35 How Arischa draws inspiration, character acting
6:28 Arischa getting the part for Dopesick
14:30 Arischa on finding hope in addiction
19:00 Arischa's connection to the feelings as an actress
22:22 Arischa on turning 50 and pursuing her dreams
27:40 Arischa Conner's family, her single pastor dad, and her sister's cancer
32:00 Arischa's on compassion, hope and positivity
36:00 Arischa on teaching and coaching
38:30 Arischa's new shows 2023 and 2024
41:44 Arischa on discovering her voice, from touring and singing to acting
46:20 Arischa: "you're the star of your own show!"
46:55 Wrap-up
0:00 Intro / How Chad Wiles and Mark Shaw connected
3:15 The Nehemiah Project
8:55 Chad's story, how the Project began
21:00 Results, hurdles, and future goals of The Nehemiah Project
25:00 Sports Psychology, being raised poor
33:15 Addiction counseling outreach, through connecting with "hub churches"
40:12 After using integrationist counseling models in churches
47:30 Wrap-up / Prayer
0:00 Intro1:11 Beyond Self Improvement (1 Cor. 6:9-11)25:20 Wrap-up 27:00 Event Announcement
0:00 Intro
1:44 Dr. Carson takes the pilot seat!
4:30 Is 1 soul worth the investment of 10?
10:00 How do we send them or keep them with success?
18:18 Helping as family?
30:15 Already tried helping as family?
35:00 Managing the situations/emotions?
42:00 Keeping the big picture/future focus?
49:00 Wrap-up / Prayer
0:00 Intro7:00 "Australia Approves Controversial New Treatment..."40:00 Wrap upArticle: https://wng.org/roundups/australia-approves-psychedelics-for-some-ptsd-and-depression-patients-1691088987A streaming library for the addiction counselor:https://theaddictionconnection.thinkific.com/
0:00 Intro / Do people really outgrow an addiction? 46:31 Summary (Col. 2)
If you're struggling with addiction, or know someone who is, be sure to listen to this episode of #TACPod. It's important that we talk about addiction and its many different manifestations, the powerful examples of how addiction can affect anyone and how transformation is possible in Christ.
0:00 Intro / Next Steps! 14:00 The TAC Summit in 2023
If you're struggling with addiction, or know someone who is, be sure to listen to this episode of #TACPod. It's important that we talk about addiction and its many different manifestations, the powerful examples of how addiction can affect anyone and how transformation is possible in Christ.
0:00 Intro / Overdose deaths curve "flattening"? 6:59 Certainty of hope
If you're struggling with addiction, or know someone who is, be sure to listen to this episode of #TACPod. It's important that we talk about addiction and its many different manifestations, the powerful examples of how addiction can affect anyone and how transformation is possible in Christ.
0:00 Intro / Proverbs' word pictures 2:37 Reading it like a young man (The "Proverb of the Day") 13:29 Encouragement from Proverbs
For more information: https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/violent-crime/gangs
Proverbs 1:8-19
If you're struggling with addiction, or know someone who is, be sure to listen to this episode of #TACPod. It's important that we talk about addiction and its many different manifestations, the powerful examples of how addiction can affect anyone and how transformation is possible in Christ.
Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., founded The Addiction Connection in 2012 and is the author of 26 publications on addictions and biblical counseling. He serves as the Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY.
0:00 Intro / "He must increase..."2:38 How Harold found TAC5:50 Harold's testimony10:30 The cloud of medications, anxieties and secrets23:30 Transformation process 30:00 Praying for Harold
In this episode of #TACPod, Mark E. Shaw chats with Harold and Tim Brown. Harold shares his story of how antidepressants led to multiple addictions, and how he eventually overcame them all. His story is an important reminder that addiction is a complex and multi-faceted problem, and that there is a solution to ending it.
If you're struggling with addiction, or know someone who is, be sure to listen to this episode of #TACPod. It's important that we talk about addiction and its many different manifestations, and Harold's story is a powerful example of how addiction can affect anyone.
0:00 Intro2:00 Is. 6:8, how your evangelism is a seed7:07 12 Steps: False Religion?11:00 2023 TAC Summit19:50 How the TAC network is growing!
Is. 6:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Is.+6&version=ESV
Mark 10:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2010%3A17-31&version=ESV
0:00 Joe's family7:25 Joe's story, church and anxiety21:00 Recognizing the sin26:45 Too inwardly-focused, trusting God34:28 Joe's children, how God used the anxiety47:00 The hope.
0:00 Joe's family7:25 Joe's story, church and anxiety22:00 Recognizing the sin27:45 Too inwardly-focused, trusting God35:28 Joe's children, how God used the anxiety48:00 The hope.
0:00 Beyond sobriety.2:22 A pep rally mentality, humility5:27 Giving and changing no matter what it means7:25 What is beyond sobriety?11:55 Marching in step with the Spirit14:40 Others-focused and real liberty16:45 Prideful disciple-making?23:00 Summary
0:00 Beyond sobriety.
2:55 About Bill
4:24 Filled with the Spirit
7:55 Ephesians' cultural setting, the unsatisfying cycle
14:40 The worship disorder, and "why did I need this today..."
0:00 The Source Book.
7:12 Truth suppression... evil?
10:40 Movie/book overview
14:00 Special kind of addiction?
18:59 Americans over 50 OD'ing... solutions?
29:58 Treatments, success rates
41:14 Victimhood, affects of drug use
52:30 Following selfish desires... has the damage been done?
1:03:30 Being transformed
1:13:44 Portrayal of family members of an addicted person
1:16:16 Tough love, helplessness
1:18:16 Summary
0:00 Book Overview
5:39 100% God, 100% Man?
10:44 How symbols/prophecies are fulfilled throughout the old & new testaments
24:24 He Is Risen, Indeed
39:34 Creative passions!
Mark and Shirley discuss each chapter of the devotional in podcasts #150, #151, #152, #153, #154, #155, #156, #157
0:00 Overview
5:24 Episode 8
14:30 "Brain re-wiring"
21:40 Dr. Finnix, suboxone clinics, portrayals
29:17 Confrontations, "feeling normal"
40:55 Their new solutions
58:42 The series concludes
0:00 Overview
4:42 Episode 7, What are the meds doing?
8:48 An official document/report
14:45 Sackler depiction
20:30 “Don’t forget the good…”
31:45 A false label
34:48 The “savior” figure, defeats and victories
45:20 Uncompassionate counseling, enablers
50:00 “Saved”?
59:23 Black Box Warning
0:00 Overview
2:12 Episode 6 (It's not just Hollywood)
11:39 Rehabs, extremes & wrong theologies
19:43 Dr. Samuel Finnix, traditional solutions
23:46 Leah the nurse (Arischa Conner)
26:16 Pharmaceutical battles
28:54 Manipulations, one man's evolutionary skull hoax
34:34 Addiction blame game
37:55 Purdue Pharma arrogance, "life-saving medication"
45:49 A correct response to addiction
0:00 Overview / Oliver Underwood Introduction
9:30 Episode 5 reactions
12:12 Tensions
16:22 Watching the extent & implications of addiction
26:11 Just "as I am"?
28:33 Exposing execs, "relapsing from the stress"
35:30 Evaluating heart issues
41:00 Asking "what's really going on?"
45:40 Are they reliable?
51:00 Led toward destruction
52:55 Episode ending, "trojan horse"
- 0:00 Overview
- 6:39 Episode 4 reactions
- 8:44 CJ on experiences around overdoses, funerals
- 11:25 Finnix addicted, the court, victim vs responsibility mentalities
- 21:00 Purdue Pharma: "Pseudo-addiction... is a symptom of true pain"
- 25:17 Addicts as "degenerates", other deceptions
- 29:55 Billy/Finnix interactions
- 33:32 Betsy scene, reaction
- 37:40 A.A., spiritual guidance; Shame vs compassion
- 49:10 Purdue Pharma confrontations, contradictions
- 54:47 Addressing the heart issues
0:00 Overview 6:24 Episode 3 reactions 13:10 Pharmaceutical Study 15:15 Selfish Ambition vs Soul Care 18:00 "Vital signs", pain treatment 35:00 Clients' lives dominated, while worried about online reviews? 39:50 Research suppression, belief 46:00 Dr. Finnix 49:19 Freedom from addiction
0:00 Overview
4:40 Sackler's pills, "breakthrough pain" and patents
18:18 How they sold the solution to the problem.
26:18 Foreshadowing what’s to come: legal, moral, & elite resistance
33:44 Accurate depictions of clinics, opiate addiction
49:04 Freedom from addiction.
4:00 Have you seen Dopesick?
7:12 Overview, reaction, review (Rom. 5)
9:44 Episode 1 synopsis/overview
16:00 CJ on Sackler's redefining of addiction
20:00 CJ's Tim Keller quotes
24:04 Jim setting up what affects the agendas, character development
29:34 Fundamentalists, lesbians, and stereotypes
33:00 Jim's personal experience with pills
39:13 Dr. Samuel Finnix's oxycontin quote, targeting their market at all costs
50:00 How they pursue the case against the Pharma company
57:24 Hurting people being deceived
1:02:15 Power of bringing truth to life
1:05:01 The problem and the solution (1 Cor. 4)
Thanking supporters and helpers, Mark reviews 2022 and then describes a vision for what T.A.C. may accomplish in 2023, with your help!
0:34 Local church involvement, purpose and partnerships
4:17 Uneducated, common? Why TAC exists
6:00 2023 potential opportunities
9:35 The Summit 2023, Aug. 3-5
12:45 The TAC Team
14:10 Thank you for 2022!
0:40 Celebrating ourselves vs Glory to God
3:40 TAC, behind the scenes
6:15 You don't have to celebrate that way...
8:00 How one man's fatal alcohol-influenced tragedy took lives of several kids too
11:38 End of the year thoughts
2:55 Bill C-7 (Image of God?)
10:52 Homeless man's reason to be pro-euthanasia
13:00 Living in a "culture of death"
21:51 Story of hope: from foe to friend
Find Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum here:
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/next-steps-be-transformed-addiction-discipleship-program/
Need Help Now? The Addiction Connection offers hope and healing to those struggling with addiction. Start your search for biblical programs here.
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/addiction-help/
Find a Program Near You:
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/non-residential-programs/
What We Believe:
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/statement-of-faith/
Learn a truth in the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum (focusing on 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 and Matthew 28:18-20) that any addicted person can and should apply practically to one's life.
Learn a truth in the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum (focusing on James 4:7 and Ephesians 5:21) that any addicted person can and should apply practically to one's life.
Learn a truth in the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum (focusing on Colossians 3:1-3 and Ephesians 5:19-20) that any addicted person can and should apply practically to one's life.
Learn a truth in the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum (focusing on Proverbs 28:13 and Ephesians 5:18) that any addicted person can and should apply practically to one's life.
Learn a truth in the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum (focusing on Galatians 1:10 and Matthew 22:39-40) that any addicted person can and should apply practically to one's life.
Learn a truth in the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum (focusing on Galatians 5:22-27, 1 Corinthians 10:31, and Matthew 22:37-38) that any addicted person can and should apply practically to one's life.
Learn a truth in the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum (focusing on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7 and Psalm 4:1-3) that any addicted person can and should apply practically to one's life.
Learn a truth in the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum (focusing on Romans 6:4 and Philippians 2:12-13) that any addicted person can and should apply practically to one's life.
Learn a truth in the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum (focusing on Ephesians 2:8-9 and Hebrews 10:19-23 along with some of Matthew 5, 6, and 7) that any addicted person can and should apply practically to one's life.
Learn a truth in the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum (focusing on Matthew 3:2 and Acts 2:37-39, along with Exodus 20:3) that any addicted person can and should apply practically to one's life.
Learn a truth in the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum (focusing on Ephesians 4:15-16 and John 1:14) that any addicted person can and should apply practically to one's life.
Learn a truth in the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum (focusing on Romans 12:1-2 and 2 Corinthians 5:17) that any addicted person can and should apply practically to one's life.
Transformation testimony of Ray and Carol Harbaugh from Laurel, Mississippi, in which Ray looks for help with the misuse of medications, depression, anxiety, and despair, and finds the redeeming and transforming power of the Gospel of grace and forgiveness from God in Christ Jesus. Find out how the church was pivotal in his story.
Timestamps:
1:32 Mark reads Philippians 4:4-7
36:23 Mark reads Matthew 6:34
46:20 Referring to Galatians 6:6-8
55:09 Find yourself in all the characters of the parable of the prodigal son of Luke 15
57:24 Mark reads 1 Peter 5:6-11
Conversation between Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Shirley Crowder about taking responsibility for our sin, particularly the hope of God's transforming forgiveness for all sin choices, including those involved in addiction. Proceeds from the book Advent: Meditations for Addicts go to The Addiction Connection. It is available now at:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LTLSKPQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i7
Listen to full podcasts (New Episodes Weekly):
https://anchor.fm/theaddictionconnection
Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., CABC, ACBC, IABC, CADAC II, founded The Addiction Connection in 2012 and is the author of 26 publications on addictions and biblical counseling. He serves as the Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY.
Shirley Crowder, CABC, is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities including biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. She serves as Vice President of The Addiction Connection. Shirley is an award-winning author with several of her articles appearing in “Paper Pulpit” in the Faith section of The Gadsden (Alabama) Times. She also has published articles for David C. Cook, Student Life, and Woman’s Missionary Union publications. She contributes to several blogs. She is published as an author, co-author, and contributing author of fifteen books.
Mark and Shirley discuss each chapter of the devotional in podcasts #87, #89, #92, #94, #96, #97, #98
Timestamps:
2:41 Hymns applied to the daily meditations within the book Advent: Meditations for Addicts
5:56 Matthew 1:18-21 on the Birth of Jesus Christ and Joseph's response
9:40 "When I found out addiction is not a disease"
12:01 Can we improve upon the Bible by calling it something nicer and help more people?
15:55 John 1:1-5
21:20 What robs the person who is in addiction?
28:11 How did writing this devotional impact Mark Shaw?
30:30 What about the "should's" and the "you must" found in writing devotionals to addicts?
32:14 There is a lie out there that can hinder you
Conversation between Jim and Mark about a fuller understanding of the harms and impacts of marijuana use and the hope and peace that can come from a totally transformed life after addiction.
1 Corinthians 10:23
Proverbs 31:6-7
3:48 Dr. Shaw quotes the World News Group article, "Marijuana on the Ballot" by Addie Offerings can be found:
https://wng.org/roundups/marijuana-on-the-ballot-1668027897
5:55 "This ain't your mama's marijuana," is referring to the article The dangerous side effects of THC" by Bonnie Pritchett at World News Group which is found at:
https://wng.org/podcasts/the-dangerous-side-effects-of-thc-1659589171
11:22 Dr. Shaw refers to the Wall Street Journal article, "Cannabis and the Violent Crime Surge," by Allysia Finley, which can be found:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/cannabis-and-the-violent-crime-surge-marijuana-pot-use-thc-shootings-psychosis-mental-11654540197
15:41 Drug enforcement, homelessness, fentanyl, and meth addiction
17:26 What is the hope for the underlying spiritual heart issue with all addictions?
25:02 Use of psychedelics in Mexico as people search for things that only God can give
26:45 Dr. Shaw quotes the significantly increased risk of schizophrenia with marijuana usage article published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology (January 2022) can be found:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jclp.23312
Conversation between Greg Kirk, CJ McMurry & Dr. Mark Shaw about addictions, residential programs, and what God says about worship, idolatry, and redemption.
180 - Addiction Recovery: Staying After It!
Conversation between Dr. Mark E. Shaw, Jim Quigley, & CJ McMurry about addiction, biblical counseling, and the local church.
From running in rebellion to reconciling youths to God – this Transformation Testimony is how God pursued Andrew Held, (a CABC) and his wife Kat, transforming from a rebellious addictive lifestyle to loving and serve Jesus, helping other rebellious teens know God and the hope of the Gospel at Salem 4 Youth Ranch in Flanagan, IL (near Chicago).
Andrew Held is passionate about gospel-izing and disciple-making teens as he serves as Salem4Youth's addiction counselor, Associate Pastor, and on cottage staff.
Andrew's wife, Kat Held, faithfully serves Youth for Christ as a Risk Management Specialist and actively volunteers at Salem4Youth Ranch.
Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., founded The Addiction Connection in 2012 and is the author of 26 publications on addictions and biblical counseling. He serves as the Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY.
1:49 How does Salem 4 Youth love and serve hurting families?
3:30 The Ranch's daily schedule overview
6:43 Drew's calling; Program roles, and responsibilities
7:30 Drew's background story, rebellion, drug house
14:28 Kat enters Andrew's world, her background story of doubting God's goodness
19:48 A change in Andrew's heart, and Kat's salvation
22:20 Kat reflects on God's pursuit of them
26:19 Reaching gang members: Friendship Park, using Answers in Genesis' Creation Apologetics, Dare to Share
27:52 Utilizing Youth for Christ's Campus Life / City Life, entering high schools
28:58 Reaching troubled young men & sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
30:30 What Philippians taught Andrew recently
34:19 Drew's arrival at the Ranch
36:40 Avoiding full-time ministry loneliness, inaccurately perishing thoughts
38:36 Kat on great leadership
40:20 How to support Salem 4 Youth:
https://www.salem4youth.com/how-to-help/donations/
How does Salem 4 Youth reach hurting and hardened young men ages 12-17 with the Gospel? Exclusive in-studio conversation between Terry Benge and Dr. Mark E. Shaw about a residential program and boarding school for boys in Illinois. Terry shares his calling to serve both boys and their families through Christ-centered biblical counseling given through daily life on the Ranch.
Support Salem 4 Youth at www.salem4youth.com/how-to-help/donations/
Terry Benge serves as Executive Director, Lead Pastor and Family Counselor at Salem4Youth Ranch. He is a husband, dad, and grandfather.
Mark E. Shaw founded The Addiction Connection in 2012 and is the author of 26 publications on addictions and biblical counseling. He serves as the Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY.
[Full Podcast Timestamps]
2:44 Terry's call to serve at Salem 4 Youth Ranch (Isaiah 1:16-20)
6:27 How the Ranch serves a hurting family, facing challenging issues
7:33 Who is the Program really for/not for?
8:56 Eliminating state funding
10:28 Terry: "The best way is for us to live that way ourselves"
16:28 Terry on the 23 staff currently serving 12 young men
18:18 How to avoid staff fatigue, frustration, and burnout: "Nobody on the Ranch has to be the hero"
20:40 Certifications, lay people, and jumping into ministry
23:20 Salem 4 Youth's ministry ethos, some of the process
26:31 The Ranch's unique opportunities for students: Riding/Team roping/Equine studies, Photography... 30:00 Welding, Skilled trades, Sports, Beekeeping/Apiary
34:49 Worldview formed by age 13
37:20 The Ranch's dedication
39:34 Saving a stadium vs Individual ministry or "helping the 12"
How do we get into a never-ending cycle of doing things that we feel guilty about? What happens to make us lose all sensitivity? Conversation among Jay Younts, Jim Quigley & Dr. Mark Shaw about the lust cycle. In the second half of the conversation, Jay gives a first-hand account of personally knowing the late Dr. Jay Adams and serving alongside him.
Jay Younts is an author, counselor, and has a YouTube channel to provide daily encouragement from God's Word. He currently serves as an elder at Village Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC.
Mark E. Shaw founded The Addiction Connection in 2012 and is the author of 26 publications on addictions and biblical counseling. He serves as the Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY.
Jim Quigley is a CABC, serves TAC as Chairman of the Board, and is the Executive Director at Freedom Farm Ministries in Boone, NC, found at freedomfarmministries.org
Find out more about Jay Younts: EverydayTalk247.com
Find Everyday Talk About Sex and Marriage by Jay Younts: https://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Talk-About-Sex-Marriage/dp/1633420876/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PR596SXTAT4E&keywords=Everyday+talk+about+sex+marriage&qid=1663022376&sprefix=everyday+talk+about+sex+marriag%2Caps%2C81&sr=8-1
Find Get Wisdom! by Ruth Younts: https://www.amazon.com/Get-Wisdom-Ruth-Younts/dp/1936908123/ref=sr_1_15?crid=9RXR1UOUMQ6K&keywords=Get+Wisdom%21&qid=1663022292&sprefix=get+wisdom+%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-15
Conversation between Justin Lakemacher, Jim Quigley & Dr. Mark Shaw about current events, addictions treatment and ministry.
2:30 Labor in vain? (Ps. 127)
5:43 Justin and Redemption House
7:45 God's glory, like Gideon
11:11 "If they would just _____ , they would transform..." (2 Tim. 2:26)
13:40 Importance of challenging disbelief against the Bible
15:45 Justin on Exodus: "Worshipping our way out of addiction"
22:41 Instant gratification and how words matter
26:13 How "worshipping out of addiction" means connection
31:30 Why Ps. 127 shows God is at work more than we're aware
35:18 How Redemption House is growing
38:53 Jim on discovering the biblical counseling community
44:25 Justin on new fatherhood
48:07 Justin's son
50:00 Justin on writing for Desiring God, behind his writing process
53:23 Fun at Redemption House, whirlyball
Does Acts 19:25-27 give us insight into those who promote psychotropic medications, specifically SSRI's?
3:43 What is being said now about serotonin deficiency cause of depression?
9:40 What is "mechanism of action" and why you should care
15:12 Do no harm?
9/14/1989 mass shooting in the state of Kentucky
21:44 Where is the emphasis: solid research or self-reporting?
"Drugs are Not the Answer to Every Human Problem" by Tucker Carlson
24:19 Alzheimers' research, treatments beginning retracted now? article found at
https://www.science.org/content/article/potential-fabrication-research-images-threatens-key-theory-alzheimers-disease
32:15 Loni Willison 8-1-22 article found at
https://celebrities.awm.com/she-used-to-be-one-of-hollywoods-elite-but-now-shes-living-on-the-streets-2-2-2-2-2-2/
40:05 How can we help people talk about their driving motivations in addiction?
Find Kari's Home (for women in addiction) at https://www.freedomfarmministries.org/women/
Conversation between Jim Quigley, CJ McMurry, & Wes Pinkley about current events, addictions treatment and ministry.
1:20 Possible alcoholism cure, according to University of Iowa
5:15 Legitimate medical treatment for alcoholism?
11:07 Using psychotropics, searching for answers, and wanting to feel better
17:55 Who can answer the reason why people continue to be addicted?
21:40 Just a biological problem or spiritual problem, or both at play?
22:55 What is the largest hurdle the Christian world has to overcome?
Philippians 2:12-13
Conversation between Jim Quigley, CJ McMurry, & Wes Pinkley about current events, addictions treatment and ministry.
0:00 Pastor Wes Pinkley
1:26 The 215th Anniversary of his church
2:55 How Wes started doing Biblical Counseling
7:52 Wes: "If sin is the problem, Christ is the cure"
12:08 CJ on going through addiction treatments, learning transformation
18:48 Jim on his "vendetta against 12-Step programs", legalism/works vs. transformation
28:04 Wes: "Christ Steps Toward Us"
31:00 CJ: "If you get your whole life straightened up, and you still go to hell... that bothers me"
34:17 Jim: "We make terrible saviors..."
35:57 Wes: "Open my eyes to see what You're already doing..."
Conversation between Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Jim Quigley with Pastor Steve Short discuss addiction biblical counseling in the local church.
Pastor Steve Short is a CABC and an ordained minister, who after decades of pastoring a church, is now actively serving in a retired capacity at Beamsville Christian Church, his local church in Greenville, Ohio. He can be found at https://www.beamsvillechurch.com where they have an ACBC-certified training center for other pastors and lay people, and provide counseling for church members and for the community.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw is the Founder of The Addiction Connection, author, ordained minister, certified alcohol and drug addiction counselor, speaker, and professor who is a CABC, with IABC and ACBC certifications. He serves as the Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY.
Jim is a CABC, and is the Chairman of the Board of The Addiction Connection, while serving as the Executive Director of Freedom Farm Ministries in Boone, NC.
2:24 Gal 5:16 Am I walking by the spirit or am I walking in the desires of my flesh?
3:38 Day-to-day residential ministry struggles
6:27 What happened? Christian critic JD Hall of Fellowship Baptist Church in Sydney, Montana
11:53 Barna report on ministers' addictions – drugs, alcohol, pornography
16:08 Are there similarities between pornography and addictions to substances?
17:36 Pastor Short on longevity, consistency, and connections to his community
23:37 Opioid settlement funds?
25:15 Methadone, buprenorphine, and suboxone (medication-assisted treatment) non-addictive?
28:00 What are the success rates of counseling Christians biblically?
29:27 What makes a real leader?
31:24 What is the CABC process like? (Pastor Steve's strategy)
33:30 Pastor Steve discusses a crucible analogy
Conversation between Dr. Shaw & Jim Quigley about current events, addictions treatment and ministry.
Conversation between Dr. Shaw, Jim Quigley, CJ McMurry, & Kathryn Inman about current events, addictions treatment and ministry.
1:30 What is the significance of these verses to Kathryn? (Eph. 2:4-7)
4:21 How God used the writing process of Counting Spoons in Kathryn’s life
8:47 Glimpse into “God’s Purposeful Sovereignty” (Piper quote from the book, Providence)
10:20 Some of the God-ordained connections that happened at The Addiction Connection Summit
11:02 A sibling’s perspective
14:06 “Success” vs. the long journey of discipleship in addictions ministry
15:12 Jim on relapse
18:20 A mother’s heart after several relapses of her son
19:45* Can books like The Heart of Addiction: A Biblical Perspective push people further away from God?
22:04 A mother in law’s heart toward who God sent for her son
24:16 Justin growing up
28:29 About the title, Counting Spoons?
31:45 Kathryn on prayer (Her blog: https://www.kathrynminman.com/blog)
33:25 Mother story about son coming off the street
35:08 Jim’s on family members of those in addiction
39:01 Jim on the hopelessness of the addiction rehab world vs the biblical lens of hope
40:13 Kathryn responds to Jim’s descriptions of parents’ desire to fix the loved one and control the process
42:35 Desiring to disciple the parents of those in residential addiction programs
43:45 Jim’s gentle promise and admonition to the loved ones
45:30 1 Timothy 2:5
46:09 CJ’s encouragement: God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:8-10)
48:30 Kathryn on the Gospel's urgency for those in addiction
***Note:
The Heart of Addiction is not a 'handout' book that you just give to someone exhibiting addictive behaviors. While it is written directly to the person struggling with an addiction, it is clear in the book that readers need someone more mature in their Christian walk reading it alongside with them. If you want to just hand out The Heart of Addiction to people, please commit to reading it with them. It's a great opportunity to meet and talk about it with them to help clarify things and help them understand who God is, and who He isn't, and what salvation is and what it isn't, and what the Bible is for, and how to live out the Christian life.
CJ refers to Piper’s phrase “purposeful sovereignty” and more on that can be found in the interview, “Are God’s Providence and God’s Sovereignty the Same?” Desiring God, found at https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/are-gods-providence-and-gods-sovereignty-the-same accessed June 23, 2022.
Mark Shaw is the Founder of The Addiction Connection, author, speaker and professor. He serves as the Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY.
CJ is a CABC with The Addiction Connection and serves on TAC’s Board of Directors. At the same time, he is the Program Director of The Refuge.
Jim Quigley is a CABC and Chairman of the Board of TAC. He also serves as Director at Freedom Farm Ministries in Boone, NC.
Conversation with Dr. Shaw and Jim Quigley about current events, addictions treatment and ministry.
1:21 The void in every person’s heart (Ecc. 3:11)
2:30 Mark’s college job?
4:25 Convincing people of...
6:23 USA Belief in “God” : What is the Gallup Poll really telling us?
10:03 The graph from Gallup
10:38 Suffering and faith
12:41 Opinion: How the downward trend happened (Jim’s thoughts)
17:42 Good Debate vs Bigotry
19:40 Opinion: How attendance and confidence declined in organized religion
20:57 Wesley vs Whitefield
22:30 John 14:6 exclusivity: what would this verse do to the polls?
24:20 Current trends and responses to the “thoughts and prayers” phrase
25:43 “I’m the captain of my ship” mentality (Rom. 1)
26:26 “There’s a special place in hell for…” (Ecc. 3)
27:34 How the Word of God is working through His Spirit and His people, transforming character (Heb 4:12)
Article by Jeffrey M. Jones, "Belief in God in U.S. Dips to 81%, a New Low" GALLUP, 06/2022: https://news.gallup.com/POLL/393737/BELIEF-GOD-DIPS-NEW-LOW.ASPX
Jim mentions a quote from Whitefield about John Wesley, which can be found here: https://bible.org/illustration/whitfield-and-wesley
1:07 Who is Ryan Arrington and where does he serve?
3:54 Ryan tells funny CJ story
8:17 Ryan’s hardships
11:20 Globally connected through support and prayer through Ryan’s hardships
13:40 Working with or releasing someone unrepentant
16:41 Redeemer Church's prayer and tangible support from the beginning of Ryan and Abbi's relationship
17:40 Reading of 2 Sam. 12:22-23 (Mark)
19:26 Ryan reads 2 Cor. 1:3-4 and talks about pain softening his heart
23:20 Ryan’s experiences in several programs (his plans vs. God’s plans)
28:55 Impacted by people who Tim Brown discipled
29:35 TAC’s Leadership Summit Nov 3-5, 2022 in Florence, KY, at Grace Fellowship Church
31:21 Damascus House operations in Bothell, WA
35:45 SLT Program after Damascus House and becoming CABC (Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor)
37:40 Theme reveal of The Addiction Connection Leadership Summit
Ryan refers to MacArthur’s Safe in the Arms of God: Truth from Heaven about the Death of a Child: https://www.gty.org/store/books/451146
Mark mentions Vroegop’s Dark Clouds Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament: https://www.christianbook.com/clouds-deep-mercy-discovering-grace-lament/mark-vroegop/9781433561481/pd/561482
Ryan refers to TAC’s addiction discipleship program, Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED (a video curriculum by Dr. Mark E. Shaw). Learn more: https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/next-steps-be-transformed-addiction-discipleship-program/
Conversation between Dr. Shaw, Jim Quigley, & CJ McMurry about current events, addictions treatment and ministry.
1:06 What does “a good name…” mean? (Prov. 22:1)
4:28 From substance abuse to marriage, family, and employment
5:10 Chasing fame and fortune or Psalm 84 v 10
6:45 Discussing the list of celebrity deaths (www.drugs.com/celebrity_deaths.html)
9:13 What sadly often happens after getting everything you’re chasing?
11:47 Resting, satisfaction, and what to do with the unfixable
13:03 Dying while under the influence or by accidental overdoses
17:48 Amy Winehouse death (Rehab song)
19:06 Michael Jackson’s shocking death (Mark) and the medications found in his system
20:21 Chris Farley’s sudden death (CJ) – “speedballing” same as Belushi
21:56 SNL cast members, overdose deaths
23:49 Why we talk about overdose deaths
24:30 “He gives to His beloved sleep…” (Ps. 127:2)
25:49 Ecc. 2:1-11 (CJ)
28:38 Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s years of “recovery” and what Lance Dodes says in NPR’s interview
29:39 Steven Tyler’s multiple relapses (and how TAC is unified to transform addiction)
31:14 Jim's RTS class notes on change without redemption (professor Dr. Nate Brooks)
36:17 Man transformed from panic attacks
38:40 Finishing the list of celebrity deaths (www.drugs.com/celebrity_deaths.html)
40:24 Gratitude and satisfaction in the present place God has us
Jim refers to TAC Podcast #75 “Seattle grunge bands” – Celebrity Addicts: 80s and 90s Musicians (Quigley and Dr. Shaw) found at https://anchor.fm/theaddictionconnection/episodes/75--Celebrity-Addicts-80s-and-90s-Musicians-Quigley-and-Dr--Shaw-ekpdlo
Jim refers to NPR’s interview of Lance Dodes from https://www.npr.org/2014/03/23/291405829/with-sobering-science-doctor-debunks-12-step-recovery
Conversation between Dr. Shaw, Jim Quigley, CJ McMurry & Maggie Boggan about current events, addictions treatment and ministry.
2:24 How and when Maggie was introduced to biblical counseling
6:03 Grace and truth
6:55 Where is Maggie currently serving and studying?
11:20 Who poured into Jim’s life at a young age?
12:55 Distinctives with counseling women who are struggling with drunkenness
20:20 Proverbs 11:12, Proverbs 14:6
21:12 What should counselors look for when counseling women?
22:40 Maggie on being a widow in the local church
26:20 CJ’s biblical encouragement for Maggie- 2 Cor 1:3-4
29:12 Maggie and Mark talk about “diversity” in the local church
31:31 John Crotts book, Hope: Living Confidently in God, recommended by Maggie
Maggie refers to Jay Adams’ concept “Discovering Problem Patterns” and it can be found in Dr. Adams’ book, The Christian Counselor’s Manual, p.280, available at INS bookstore at https://shop.aer.io/INS/p/The_Christian_Counselors_Manual_The_Practice_of_No/9780310511502-4165
Maggie refers to John Crotts’ new book Hope, available at https://www.christianbook.com/hope-living-confidently-in-god/john-crotts/9781629957371/pd/957371
Mark will be speaking at the IABC International Association of Biblical Counselors conference 2022 Register here. https://www.iabc.net/2022conference
Conversation between Dr. Shaw, Jim Quigley, & CJ McMurry about current events, addictions treatment and ministry.
Article #:1 https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/debunking-two-chemical-imbalance-myths-again
Article #2: https://www.kptv.com/2022/06/03/oregon-botched-drug-treatment-plan-tied-decriminalization/
1:57 Psalm 34:18
3:40 Humility in addictions counseling (1 Cor. 1:27)
5:16 Taking refuge in the Lord (Psalm 34:18)
5:50 When success rates seem dismal (1 Cor. 3:6)
9:25 How Psalm 34:19-21 encourages CJ in ministry
10:44 Fact-checking chemical imbalance theory (Psychiatric Times)
15:30 A note about CABC training that Jim is currently involved in
17:00 Recent problems with Oregon’s 2020 “decriminalization experiment”
21:53 Experimental PSA’s regarding harm reduction (Jim)
24:30 The problem with thinking “people are inherently good”
31:00 Are consequences bad? (Mark)
32:42 The Gospel’s exclusivity (CJ)
35:20 Union Gospel Mission in Salem, Oregon (3 CABC’s)
Conversation between Dr. Shaw, Jim Quigley, CJ McMurry, & Josh Brunk about current events, addictions treatment and ministry. Josh Brunk is the director of Village Mercy Ministries in East Rand, Gauteng, South Africa. Visit: https://villagemercy.co.za/
1:40 Being Relational, Micah 6:8
3:27 Redeeming The Times (Addiction Vaccines) Eph. 5:15-16
7:30 Quigley on addiction treatment trends
17:50 Brunk on addiction treatment trends
20:12 “There’s a way that seems right to a man…”
24:20 Safe-Smoking Kits
32:08 McMurry on power of God (1 Cor. 1:18-25)
33:36 Brunk on South Africa ministry
38:00 Nyaope
39:26 Ministry challenges and blessings
41:20 Treatment options in South Africa
45:18 Quigley on new drug inventions, government intervention
49:52 South African government programs
54:23 1 Cor. 1
56:20 Supporting South Africa addictions ministry: villagemercy.co.za
Conversation between Dr. Shaw, Jim Quigley, Josh Coleman, & CJ McMurry about current events, addictions treatment and ministry.
1:17 Freedom Farm & Jim Quigley
2:59 Overdose statistics
4:18 NFL Quarterback Dwayne Haskins
8:44 Talking to the addicted
10:05 The "Spell" of Ketamine
11:47 SSRI's and bizarre treatments
14:25 Deep Brain Stimulation
19:04 Bible on sin nature
22:25 James Fisher's DBS experience
24:37 Addiction treatment success?
28:00 Transformation success?
29:26 Evidence-based treatment (Dr. Lance Dodes)
34:54 Getting to know Josh Coleman (CABC)
36:51 Biblical Counseling Services of Nashville
39:55 The Church's role in addictions ministries
45:08 Josh Coleman on The Addiction Connection
49:52 BCS of Nashville operations
1:02:30 Fentanyl in marijuana
1:03:23 Closing
Dr. Shaw talks about WVU's experimental brain surgery to treat addiction cravings.
How much is it? How did this man qualify?
0:19 Hebrews 2:14-15 "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery." (ESV) [1]
2:30 DBS
5:58 What will they do to him and call it "treatment" for addiction cravings?
6:58 Has anyone had "success," how is success defined, and what other factors are involved?
9:20 Same treatment for Parkinson's disease?
10:30 Pills to fix emotions? Brain surgery to fix brain disease of addiction? Using the material to fix the immaterial.
14:00 What does Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., biblical counselor, say about this DBS surgical procedure as treatment for addiction?
16:36 What is the reality of hell?
18:06 Disorder or disease? Does it matter how you "treat" addiction?
21:23 Where is your hope placed?
The Addiction Connection blogpost, Worldview Determines the "Cure" for Addiction, by Mark E. Shaw, posted February 24, 2022. Found here https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/worldview-determines-the-cure-for-addiction/
World Magazine article in which Dr. Mark E. Shaw was interviewed on the topic of brain surgery for addiction can be found at https://wng.org/roundups/brain-surgery-for-addiction-1645657349 Addie Michaelian, Brain Surgery for Addiction? World, February 23, 2022.
James Fisher's story is found in the article, Brain Surgery treating drug disorders at WVU, one patient's reason, 'I don't wanna die' by Sam Kirk, 12WBOY, updated Oct 1, 2021. Found at https://www.wboy.com/news/monongalia/brain-surgery-treating-drug-disorders-at-wvu-one-patients-reason-i-dont-wanna-die/
What Drugs Cause Tardive Dyskinesia? article: https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/drugs-tardive-dyskinesia-3564907/
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Overdose deaths from 2021 are reported, [1] fentanyl book to be published, gambling addictions are not going away. Dr. Shaw reports some highpoint and low points about the day in the life of a Law Enforcement Officer with whom he had a recent conversation.
108,000 deaths in 2021 from overdose (most related to fentanyl). Every 5 minutes, there is 1 person who dies from an unintentional drug overdose.
Coming soon! New Booklet by Dr. Mark E. Shaw to be released soon on Fentanyl with Focus Publishing - www.focuspublishing.com
6:26 Kentucky Derby 2022 update: what was wagered on this one race? stats from https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/2022-kentucky-derby-sets-betting-record-with-179m-wagered-on-race/
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." (1 Tim 6:10, ESV)
"For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[fn]—is not from the Father but is from the world." (1 John 2:16)
Quoting someone who had been gambling in 2020 by betting on the weather, it "lets me come home from work and have something to watch, something to pay attention to... Without that, there's a void in my life." [2]
12:03 Things that give me pleasure - enjoying the experience of the addictive substance or activity
12:30 A desire to possess something or a relationship I want
13:30 A pursuit of the pride of life - to "earn" the bragging rights of success or power
Does winning it all satiate the desire?
Luke 4 and Matthew 4 tell about Jesus overcoming the sin temptations of the devil.
16:59 Live for here and now and make the most of today?
19:20 Why are people so hopeless and depressed?
20:05 Find help from one of our CABC's at www.theaddictionconnection.org/people
Find a program for addiction here https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "US Overdose Deaths in 2021 Increased Half as Much as in 2020 - But are Still up 15%" https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/202205.htm
[2] Quote from: "Now You Can Bet on the Weather" by Johnny Kampis, March 26, 2020, Online Gambling: Giving You the Edge
Grief, compassion, comfort, and addiction counseling – today from CJ McMurry, from The Refuge, and Dr. Mark E. Shaw, Founder of The Addiction Connection. CJ is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with TAC, and serves The Refuge Program Director.
The compassion of Jesus toward Mary and Martha when Lazarus died.
"Holed up" and "locked down," or bold in Christ?
Eccl 7:1-9 "A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools."
Connecting the dots from mourning to the heart desire problem of addiction.
Psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."
Death shuts the mouth and quiets the noise in a "sobering" way.
Mirthing?
2020 Stats on alcohol-related reasons for death vs. covid
John 16:33
Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."
Proverbs 14:13 "Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief."
Dr. Mark E Shaw is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and leads an international team of Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors (CABC) who are leading the way in offering the "Hope of the Gospel for the Heart of Addiction."
CJ McMurry is a CABC (Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor) with The Addiction Connection, serves on TAC's Board, and facilitates TAC's network as the Midwest Regional Director as well. He lives and works in Iowa as the Program Director of The Refuge in Winterset, a men's residential program for those in alcohol and drug addictions. Find more biblical residential programs for addiction which is what the world calls Substance Use Disorders.
Looking for programs? Visit: https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
Looking for addictions biblical counselors? Visit: www.theaddictionconnection.org/people/
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Grief, compassion, comfort, and addiction counseling – today from CJ McMurry, from The Refuge, and Dr. Mark E. Shaw, Founder of The Addiction Connection. CJ is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with TAC, and serves The Refuge Program Director.
Psalm 31:9-10 ESV Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.
Eccles 7:2 "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.
Prov 14:13 "Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief."
8:15 When to speak Romans 8:28-30 vs. Romans 12:15?
Ps 119:50 "This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life."
Some verses from Psalm 31 read by Dr. Shaw
17:23 Are you turning to drugs or alcohol to find an answer or relief to the pain of this life?
Rom 5:6-11 read and taught by CJ.
Dr. Mark E Shaw is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and leads an international team of Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors (CABC) who are leading the way in offering the "Hope of the Gospel for the Heart of Addiction."
CJ McMurry is a CABC (Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor) with The Addiction Connection, serves on TAC's Board, and facilitates TAC's network as the Midwest Regional Director as well. He lives and works in Iowa as the Program Director of The Refuge in Winterset, a men's residential program for those in alcohol and drug addictions. Find more biblical residential programs for addiction which is what the world calls Substance Use Disorders, Go to https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/ for programs and www.theaddictionconnection.org/people/ for addictions biblical counselors.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Begin the Sunday after Resurrection Sunday: Chapter entitled: "Go Tell"
EASTER: Meditations for Addicts (available at Amazon) is part of a series of books that includes ADVENT: Meditations for Addicts and is published by The Addiction Connection. Shirley Crowder is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities including biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. She serves as Vice President of The Addiction Connection. Shirley is an award-winning author with several of her articles appearing in “Paper Pulpit” in the Faith section of The Gadsden (Alabama) Times. She also has published articles for David C. Cook, Student Life, and Woman’s Missionary Union publications. She contributes to several blogs. She is published as an author, co-author, and contributing author of twelve books.
Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and serves as Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY. He has authored over 23 books on biblical counseling and addictions.
Each week of this book of Easter meditations has a special connection point with someone struggling with addiction.
"Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of[fn] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:18-20, CSB)
2:55 Debunking "If you have struggled with addiction you will not be able to reach other people with other struggles!" and debunking, "You have to be an addict to reach an addict!"
4:06 What is "O Zion Haste!" about?
11:52 What did Jonathan Edwards' prayer mean?
14:20 How do we respond to the great commission?
16:36 What damage do concepts like the "disease of addiction" concept, the 12-Step messaging, do to the message of salvation?
Isaiah 52:7 CSB
John 3:16 ESV
Words quoted from the hymns, "O Zion Haste!" and "We've a Story to Tell to the Nations" are public domain.
NEED HELP? Consider contacting one of our Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors who are available to help you.
Residential Programs we recommend.
Non-residential Programs we recommend.
Scriptures quotations marked "ESV" are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Scriptures marked "CSB" are from Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers.
EASTER: Meditations for Addictsis part of a series of books that includes ADVENT: Meditations for Addicts and is published by The Addiction Connection.
Resurrection Sunday, the day the world celebrates as Easter, you may here the words, "He is Risen Indeed!" "He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay." (Matt 28:6, ESV) "Yet the LORD was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the LORD’s pleasure will be accomplished." (Is 53:10, CSB)
2:20 “For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights." Matt 12:40, CSB)
2:57 "As they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised up.” And they were deeply distressed." (Matt 17:22-23, CSB) "For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," (1 Cor. 15:3-4, CSB)
8:40 In your efforts to maintain sobriety, how do you maintain your focus? - from p. 186 in EASTER: Meditations for Addicts (Shaw and Crowder, 2022)
Words quoted from the hymns Christ the Lord is Risen Today, lyrics by Charles Wesley, and Praise Him! Praise Him! lyrics by Fanny Crosby are in public domain.
Shirley Crowder is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities including biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. She serves as Vice President of The Addiction Connection. Shirley is an award-winning author with several of her articles appearing in “Paper Pulpit” in the Faith section of The Gadsden (Alabama) Times. She also has published articles for David C. Cook, Student Life, and Woman’s Missionary Union publications. She contributes to several blogs. She is published as an author, co-author, and contributing author of twelve books.
Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and serves as Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY. He has authored over 23 books on biblical counseling and addictions.Consider contacting one of our Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors who are available to help you.
Residential Programs we recommend.
Non-residential Programs we recommend.
Scriptures quotations marked "ESV" are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible. Scriptures marked "CSB" are from Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers.
The Beautiful Cross
EASTER: Meditations for Addictsis part of a series of books that includes ADVENT: Meditations for Addicts and is published by The Addiction Connection - both tools to draw you closer to Christ.
1 Sunday before Easter: Chapter 5, entitled, "The Beautiful Cross"
"Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished. After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities".- (Isaiah 53:10-11, CSB) [1]
1:25 What is the cost of salvation?
3:20 What do we do with the temptation to wonder why bad things are happening even though I'm transforming from my addictive lifestyle?
11:30 What are the implications for the cross for addicts?
Hymn of Response -lyrics for The Love of God by Frederick M. Lehman (public domain) are found at http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/l/o/v/e/loveofgo.htm
14:50 Lyrics found written on a wall of a patient's room?
How to purchase a copy of EASTER: Meditations for Addicts
Shirley Crowder is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities including biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. She is published as an author, co-author, and contributing author of twelve books. She serves as Vice President of The Addiction Connection. As an award-winning author, several of her articles appear in “Paper Pulpit” in the Faith section of The Gadsden (Alabama) Times. She also has published articles for David C. Cook, Student Life, and Woman’s Missionary Union publications. She contributes to several blogs.
Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and serves as Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY. He has authored over 23 books on biblical counseling and addictions.
Need Help? The Addiction Connection points anyone struggling with addiction to God's answers and hope in Jesus. Start your search for biblical programs here.
Consider contacting one of our Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors who are available to help you.
Residential Programs we recommend.
Non-residential Programs we recommend.
Do you want to start a Biblical outreach to those in addiction? Check out this disciple-making curriculum we created just for you entitled Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED.
[1] Scriptures verses are read (marked CSB in notes) from The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Do you know Him?
EASTER: Meditations for Addictsis part of a series of books that includes ADVENT: Meditations for Addicts and is published by The Addiction Connection - both tools to draw you closer to Christ.
2 Sundays before Easter: Chapter 4, entitled, "I Don't Know the Man!"
"After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” “Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing." - (Matthew 26:30-35, CSB) [1]
3:46 What is your attitude toward Peter?
5:20 What might isolation and fear have to do with this scenario?
6:30 Do you have any Proverbs 27:5-6 relationships?
7:05 Hymn of Response -lyrics for Stand Up! Stand Up! for Jesus by George Duffield, Jr. public domain found at hymntime.com/tch/htm/s/t/a/n/standufj.htm
20:15 Dr. Shaw answers: Who is this God about whom we are writing and talking?
How to purchase a copy of EASTER: Meditations for Addicts
Shirley Crowder is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities including biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. She serves as Vice President of The Addiction Connection.
Shirley is an award-winning author with several of her articles appearing in “Paper Pulpit” in the Faith section of The Gadsden (Alabama) Times. She also has published articles for David C. Cook, Student Life, and Woman’s Missionary Union publications. She contributes to several blogs. She is published as an author, co-author, and contributing author of twelve books.
Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and serves as Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY. He has authored over 23 books on biblical counseling and addictions.
Need Help? The Addiction Connection points anyone struggling with addiction to God's answers and hope in Jesus. Start your search for biblical programs here.
Consider contacting one of our Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors who are available to help you.
Residential Programs we recommend.
Non-residential Programs we recommend.
Do you want to start a Biblical outreach to those in addiction? Check out this disciple-making curriculum we created just for you entitled Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED.
[1] Scriptures verses read (marked CSB in notes) are from The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ESV
EASTER: Meditations for Addictsis part of a series of books that includes ADVENT: Meditations for Addicts and is published by The Addiction Connection - both tools to draw you closer to Christ.
3 Sundays before Easter: Chapter 3, The Lord's Supper
2:15 What is the background of the symbolism of the Lord's Supper from the book of Exodus 12 and the blood on the doorposts?
7:15 Why was Jesus coming into Jerusalem the day of the Triumphal Entry?
11:05 What is the significance of what Jesus experienced on the cross?
11:50 What are the implications of the Passover and the crucifixion and the Last Supper in the lives of those struggling with addiction?
15:35 Hymn of Response - Deeper and Deeper by Oswald J. Smith public domain from www.hymntime.com/tch
22:40 How to purchase a copy of EASTER: Meditations for Addicts
24:40 Senses involved in today's celebration of the Last Supper
Shirley Crowder is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities including biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. She serves as Vice President of The Addiction Connection.
Shirley is an award-winning author with several of her articles appearing in “Paper Pulpit” in the Faith section of The Gadsden (Alabama) Times. She also has published articles for David C. Cook, Student Life, and Woman’s Missionary Union publications. She contributes to several blogs. She is published as an author, co-author, and contributing author of twelve books.
Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and serves as Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY. He has authored over 23 books on biblical counseling and addictions.
Need Help? The Addiction Connection offers hope to those struggling with addiction. Start your search for biblical programs here.
Consider contacting one of our Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors who are available to help you.
Residential Programs we recommend.
Non-residential Programs we recommend.
Do you want to start a Biblical outreach to those in addiction? Check out this disciple-making curriculum we created just for you entitled Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED.
EASTER: Meditations for Addicts is part of a series of books that includes ADVENT: Meditations for Addicts and is published by The Addiction Connection - both books are tools to draw you closer to Christ.
4 Sundays before Easter: Chapter 2, The Triumphal Entry
John 12:12-13
2:00 What about the palm branches from this scene?
4:10 What is the warning for the addicted (and all the rest of humanity too!)?
5:15 How was the donkey's inclusion in the event significant?
9:30 Is it okay to ask God to fix our situations?
10:50 How do we pray according to God's will?
11:45 The enslavement of addiction and the freedom Christ offers
13:30 Following your feelings and the commands of God
"Some who struggle with addiction relapse after a lengthy period of sobriety simply because life's circumstances were not giving them what they wanted, wished for, or thought they deserved." - quote from the book EASTER: Meditations for Addicts. p. 59. - published by The Addiction Connection
Shirley Crowder is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities including biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. She serves as Vice President of The Addiction Connection.
Shirley is an award-winning author with several of her articles appearing in “Paper Pulpit” in the Faith section of The Gadsden (Alabama) Times. She also has published articles for David C. Cook, Student Life, and Woman’s Missionary Union publications. She contributes to several blogs. She is published as an author, co-author, and contributing author of twelve books.
Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and serves as Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY. He has authored over 23 books on biblical counseling and addictions.
Need Help? The Addiction Connection offers hope and healing to those struggling with addiction. Start your search for biblical programs here.
Consider contacting one of our Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors who are available to help you.
Residential Programs we recommend.
Non-residential Programs we recommend.
Do you want to start a Biblical outreach to those in addiction? Check out this disciple-making curriculum we created just for you entitled Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED.
Colossians 1:19-20 (ESV)
EASTER: Meditations for Addictsis part of a series of books that includes ADVENT: Meditations for Addicts and is published by The Addiction Connection.
5 Sundays before Easter: Chapter 1, Fully God and Fully Man
2:05 What is the daily devotional format and theme for the book EASTER: Meditations for Addicts?
8:35 Is EASTER: Meditations for Addicts an interactive devotional and how many days per week are included?
11:52 What is the significance of the symbol of Easter from Isaiah 9:6?
14:50 What does the term hypostatic union of Jesus mean for our salvation?
16:30 Why was the hymn I Cannot Tell chosen?
20:48 What is the significance of the phrase from the hymn, "But this I know.."?
26:15 How can John 1:1-2, 14 encourage us as addictions biblical counselors?
Shirley Crowder is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities including biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. She serves as Vice President of The Addiction Connection.
Shirley is an award-winning author with several of her articles appearing in “Paper Pulpit” in the Faith section of The Gadsden (Alabama) Times. She also has published articles for David C. Cook, Student Life, and Woman’s Missionary Union publications. She contributes to several blogs. She is published as an author, co-author, and contributing author of twelve books.
Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and serves as Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY. He has authored over 23 books on biblical counseling and addictions.
Need Help? The Addiction Connection offers hope and healing to those struggling with addiction. Start your search for biblical programs here.
Consider contacting one of our Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors who are available to help you.
Residential Programs we recommend.
Non-residential Programs we recommend.
Do you want to start a Biblical outreach to those in addiction? Check out this disciple-making curriculum we created just for you entitled Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED.
Colossians 1:19-20
EASTER: Meditations for Addicts is part of a series of books that includes ADVENT: Meditations for Addicts and is published by The Addiction Connection. Both tools are meant to draw you closer to Christ.
1:45 What is Easter celebrating and how is it related to Christmas?
2:38 What does Jesus mean when he says, "It is finished"?
3:38 About the cover of Easter: Meditations for Addicts
5:03 Why write devotionals for addicts, and is it only for addicts?
7:55 Shirley's Easter memories
10:29 How to purchase EASTER: Meditations for Addicts
13:19 How does this resource help support The Addiction Connection?
Shirley Crowder is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities including biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. She serves as Vice President of The Addiction Connection.
Shirley is an award-winning author with several of her articles appearing in “Paper Pulpit” in the Faith section of The Gadsden (Alabama) Times. She also has published articles for David C. Cook, Student Life, and Woman’s Missionary Union publications. She contributes to several blogs. She is published as an author, co-author, and contributing author of twelve books.
Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and serves as Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY. He has authored over 23 books on biblical counseling and addictions.
Need Help? The Addiction Connection offers hope and healing to those struggling with addiction. Start your search for biblical programs here.
Consider contacting one of our Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors who are available to help you.
Residential Programs we recommend.
Non-residential Programs we recommend.
Do you want to start a Biblical outreach to those in addiction? Check out this disciple-making curriculum we created just for you entitled Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED.
Oliver Underwood is a CABC (Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor) with The Addiction Connection, a certified biblical counselor with ACBC, serves on TAC's advisory board. He is also the Director at Damascus House in the Seattle, WA area. Find more recommended residential addictions programs at TheAddictionConnection.org/residential-programs/ Habakkuk 1:2-4 "O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? 3 Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. 4 So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted."(ESV) Habakkuk 2:15-16 “Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink—you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! 16 You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the Lord's right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory!" (ESV)
6:08 How does God's response to Habakkuk's plea relate to today? 9:00 How bad is the Fentanyl-lacing crisis that is pouring into the USA and what can Addictions Biblical Counselors do about it? 12:35 What insight does Oliver have from his experience at Damascus House? 15:10 Eric Smith from DEA, Houston, reported seizure of fentanyl. 15:38 Tim Murphy, Congressman in 2017, predicted fentanyl's rising overdose deaths. 16:15 What is the rising cause death those age 18-45? 17:12 What is hindering many local churches from taking opportunities to reach the addicted? 21:10 How did the stigma about alcoholism, recovery, and addiction occur and what is the only remedy to the problem of stigma? Does the biblical approach to addiction reduce it to a moral failure? 25:18 Jeremiah 17:5 "Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord." (ESV) 25:45 In what ways can a local church get involved combatting the problem at the heart of addiction with the hope of the Gospel? 27:01 What is the latest on the development of the women's program at The Damascus House?
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NASB 1995) says, "Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though **the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, 18 Yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. 19 The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet**, And makes me walk on my high places." (NASB1995)
2 Timothy 4:2 (NASB1995) "...preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." (NASB1995)
Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Scripture quotations marked NASB1995 are from New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Hebrews 1:1-4 "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs." ESV [1]
5:15 What wisdom and insight comes from this passage about God revealing Himself to those who struggle with addiction? 7:10 What is the leading cause of death for those ages 18-45? 9:00 Is there any hope in the mindset of disease of addiction? 10:00 Why is Jesus better than the progression of drunkenness from alcohol, to weed, (marijuana) and to pills laced with fentanyl? 11:55 An overview of being deceived/deception of sin, unbelief, and disobedience from the book of Hebrews chapters 3 & 4 by Dr. Martin. Heb 3:12 "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God." 15:20 What is the present and future rest for Christians? What prevents us from entering that rest and what keeps us in that rest? 19:00 How does this apply to those suffering in addiction / what the world is now calling substance use disorders? 20:10 What is the contrast between the Intervention show on A&E channel and the biblical form of confrontation and the wisdom of the warning passages from Hebrews 6? Does this mean you can lose your salvation? 23:20 What is Dr. Martin's current pastoral, teaching, and counseling role now in Natchez, MS? 25:35 How can the local church be stirred to action and involvement in the problem of addictions? 32:00 What foundational truths from Hebrews can be used in addictions biblical counseling? 33:00 How does Proverbs 20:5 "The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out," apply to addictions biblical counseling? 35:12 What is the central difference between secular world's addiction counseling and addiction biblical counseling? 39:18 What opportunity does the church have today?
Training, addiction resources, and programs are at TheAddictionConnection.org
Contact information for CABC's who can help you are found at TheAddictionConnection.org/people/ and residential addictions programs that offer the hope of the Gospel for the heart of addiction are found at TheAddictionConnection.org/residential-programs/
Dr. Matt Martin has a Ph.D in biblical counseling and serves as the Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Young Adults at First Baptist Church, Natchez, MS. You can learn more about him at trainedintruth.org and contact him at trainedintruth@gmail.com
Dr. Mark E. Shaw, CABC, ACBC, and IABC is the Founder of The Addiction Connection, the author of The Heart of Addiction: A Biblical Perspective and Relapse: Biblical Prevention Strategies, and serves as the Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church, Florence, KY.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Dr. Mark E Shaw is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and leads an international team of Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors (CABC) who are leading the way in offering the Hope of the Gospel for the Heart of Addiction.
Jim Quigley is a CABC (Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor) with The Addiction Connection and serves as Chairman of the Board of The Addiction Connection as well. Jim serves as the Executive Director of Freedom Farm Ministries in Boone, NC which has separate but identical men's and women's residential program (which is called Kari's Home). Find more biblical residential programs for addiction which is what the world calls Substance Use Disorders, or find help here https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
7:15 What is another way The Addiction Connection network has worked together to help those suffering from addictions?
What is the key to change in someone's life?
Ephesians 5:1-2 "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." ESV [1]
What separates the programs in The Addiction Connection network from other programs in the world?
10:40 What is the current news about age 18-45 overdose deaths due to fentanyl and what does the Church have to offer?
15:15 What is fentanyl and what has happened on the streets in the history of the opioid epidemic, the heroin trend, and now the fentanyl problem?
18:05 Are people who are overdosing intending to die? What are pressed pills and the dangers?
21:40 What was said in the hearing in the House of Representatives, March 2017, "Fentanyl: The Next Wave of the Opioid Crisis"?
26:30 Why were there such startling fatalities in teenagers in 2021?
31:30 How can we as Bible-believing Christ-followers sound the alarm about drug overdose deaths and addiction to local churches everywhere?
34:45 "Beyond the drug itself, this is probably the biggest problem in dealing with the addicted..." - Jim Quigley
39:00 What can individual members of the local church do? (James 1:22, 2 Peter 1:3)
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
1:34 The Background: Why are the Sadducees annoyed by the miraculously healed man from Acts 3?
2:18 Acts 4:7-10 "... By what power or by what name did you do this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well." (ESV) [1] 2:45 To whom are they giving all the credit, glory, and honor? vv.11-12 "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 3:30 What does this have to do with addiction, disease, choosing a higher power, sobriety, being clean and sober, drunkenness, and idolatry? 4:45 What/Who is the only true remedy you need to know and why?
5:35 Acts 4:13-14 "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition." What is one of the foundational tenets of TAC found in this verse? 7:10 Who is the persecution surprisingly coming from?
9:45 Who wants to be called these words?
11:30 Nick
14:05 Matthew 4:18-22 “While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately ...followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” 16:30 What does it mean to be recognized as having “been with Jesus”? 18:15 What are the results of ministry to those who were in addiction?
Start your search for other genuinely biblical residential addiction ministries from TAC's network here: https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
20:15 Is there a difference between a Christian ministry and a biblical program?
21:10 What was the initial launch of The Addiction Connection like and who was present?
22:30 Announcing IABC National Conference in 2022 – with Mark E. Shaw as a keynote speaker, and CJ McMurry, Bill Hines, will be present as well. Find out more at www.iabc.net
25:30 Whom does God choose to use?
28:37 Why are words like “addiction” creeping into all kinds of areas in society’s behavioral descriptions? And what is really at the heart?
Dr. Mark E. Shaw is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and leads a growing global network of servant-leaders in addictions biblical counseling. Find out more about TAC's network at theaddictionconnection.org
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw teaches on Philippians 4:4-14 which says "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble." ESV [1]
Mention of Tom Webb, ACBC certified biblical counselor in Knoxville, TN, to whom Dr. Shaw gives thanks for one of the teaching points.
How does lack of gratitude breed anxiety?
Shout out to Phil Moser also who teaches about gratitude in his work entitled, Safe in the Storm: Biblical Strategies for Overcoming Anxiety https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzPG54RJ4ko is a link to Moser's video trailer.
How important is gratitude and a thankful heart in the struggle against an addictive lifestyle? How can this teaching be central in addictions biblical counseling?
For help in locating an Addictions Biblical counselor https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/people/
For help in locating a genuinely biblical residential addictions ministry with a focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
3:55 What does verse 5 mean in relationship to anxiety?
4:45 Is it hard to be content when we are abounding?
1 Peter 5:6-8 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." ESV
Dr. Mark E Shaw is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and leads an international team of Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors (CABC) who are leading the way in offering the Hope of the Gospel for the Heart of Addiction.
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw, the Founder of The Addiction Connection, teaches from Proverbs 31:1-9 which says, "The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy." [1] (ESV)
3:15 To whom is verse 4 referring?
5:00 Is it a sin to drink wine? What about for the perishing person? What about for the ailments of the stomach?
6:10 What does verse 5 say is the "why"?
8:12 Is bullying in this passage? What about those in the womb?
11:05 Psalm 82:3 "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed." (NIV) [2]
11:30 What typically happens when a father drinks excessively?
"Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, for the Lord will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them." (Prov 22:22-23, ESV) "This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed." (Jer 22:3a, NIV) "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—when you already have it with you." (Prov.3:27-28, NIV) "Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses." (Prov 28:27, NIV)
Shout out to Michael Fargarson who is a voice in speaking out for the poor, helping the poor and those in need. Prov 22:22-23 in the NIV says it this way, "Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the Lord will take up their case and will exact life for life." (NIV) "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." (Isaiah 1:17, NIV) "A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." (Prov 11:25 NIV)
15:30 What does alcohol do to us? If you need help, find an Addictions Biblical Counselor who can help here https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/people/
17:20 What does The Addiction Connection need right now?
[1] Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
[2] Scripture quotations marked "NIV" are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
God's Word says: "Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass." - Joshua 21:45 ESV [1] as opposed man's promises. Dr. Shaw picks apart 3 of the empty promises of the self help secular addictions world that won't be kept. The lies and empty promises found in Step 1: "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol--that our lives had become unmanageable." [2] (ADMISSION) vs Proverbs 28:13 which says, "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy."
Is ignoring eternity okay? Is admission a form of concealing your transgressions? At what point was your life ever manageable?
7:47 Empty promises in Step 2: "Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity." [2] Is the person's problem drinking a problem of insanity or a problem of sin? What does the prevailing thought of the psychological world (of diseases and disorders) teach about insanity?
13:03 Lies/Empty promises from Step 12: "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs." [2] Who gets the glory for the results?
15:05 Does pleasing God contend with the goal of achieving sobriety?
Luke 9:59-60 "To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61-62 "Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
17:26 Why is sobriety as your primary goal an empty promise?
More training, addiction resources, and programs are found at TheAddictionConnection.org For training to become a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection go here. www.theaddictionconnection.org/commissioning/
Contact TAC Addictions Biblical Counselors who can help here. https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/people/
Find more addiction residential programs at https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
[2] AA (R) Twelve Steps (R) and Alcoholics Anonymous (R) are trademarks of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. Alcoholics Anonymous ® The Third edition of the Big Book, the Basic Text for Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc, New York, 1976. The Twelve Steps(R) of AA are found at https://www.aa.org/the-twelve-steps accessed January 4, 2022.
Dr. Shaw discusses the article How Dry January Can Be a Gateway to Addiction Recovery [1] in light of biblical truth.
2 Peter 1:3-4 "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire." ESV [2]
Positives: People getting out of their negative habits by abstaining from alcohol for a month and evaluating themselves for health and wellness.
Warnings: When you fast, (and abstaining from alcohol can be considered a form of fast) be sure you pray. Fill that time with prayer, with service to the Lord to draw you closer to HIM during the time that you are trying to make "no provision for the flesh." Romans 13:14
What does WebMD says are the benefits of Dry January?
Find more Addictions Biblical Counselors who can help here. https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/people/
Find training to become a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection here.
Find addiction residential programs at https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
[1] WebMD Connect to Care, How Dry January Can be a Gateway to Addiction Recovery, Jacqueline Hensler, August 11, 2021, found at https://www.webmd.com/connect-to-care/addiction-treatment-recovery/alcohol/how-dry-january-can-be-a-gateway-to-addiction-recovery accessed January 4, 2022
[2] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Open your Bible and follow along with Dr. Mark E. Shaw as he teaches about some of the last moments of Jesus on the cross-- the Biblical references that inspired The Addiction Connection's three cross logo.
Kudos to Jude Gavin, creator of the logo and scheme. He is the son of Dan Gavin, who leads Addictions Victorious, in New Jersey.
Three people were crucified that day that Jesus died.
Matthew 27:38-44
"And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way." - Matthew 27:44, ESV [1]
Mark 15:27-32
John 19:18
Luke 23:32-43
"But the other rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.'” - Luke 23:40-41
1) Jesus, the One True God who is the Highest Power, is central to the message of "The hope of the Gospel for the heart of addiction."
2) Some will fear God, realize their guilt, and turn to Jesus in faith to receive the gift of salvation by grace.
3) Some will rail at the message of the Gospel, demanding God to serve them and fix their problems.
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw, President and Founder of The Addiction Connection calls Christians everywhere (not just pastors) to step up and step into the lives of those struggling with addictions to offer Gospel Hope. Fentanyl is killing more people (30% increase in drug overdose deaths shows the current methods of rehab are not working). Fentanyl is being sold on the street as fake pills and the buyer is unaware and being tricked leading to death. Find out the facts at DEA.gov/onepill
Psalm 107:17-22 "Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; 18 they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. 19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.20 He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.21 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 22 And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!" [1]
Ready to use digital curriculum to reach those struggling with addiction is found at TheAddictionConnection.org/curriculum
Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors can be found at TheAddictionConnection.org/people
Residential programs that offer genuinely biblical hope and help can be found at TheAddictionConnection.org/residential-programs
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Pastor Steve Short joins Dr. Mark E. Shaw again for Part 2 of their conversation, "Designer Crucibles." from James 1.
Pastor Steve Short, from Greensville, Ohio, can be reached at beamsvillechurch.com
He faithfully served one church for 34 years, has retired as Senior Pastor, and is now teaching and counseling there.
Proverbs 9:9-10 says, "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." [1]
4:40 What are some of the hindrances of senior pastors who want to do more biblical counseling ministry in their local churches?
Galatians 6:1 says "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."
8:15 Some of Pastor Short's life story and spiritual journey
14:10 Going through the "crucible" moments
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." - Joshua 1:8
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Dr. Mark Shaw interviews Josh Brunk, Executive Director of Village Mercy Ministries, which is a residential men's program located in South Africa. Village Mercy (https://villagemercy.co.za/) is listed on The Addiction Connection as a resource for those looking for biblical residential addictions programs.
About Village Mercy
“Helping People Enslaved To Addictions Find Freedom Through Jesus Christ”
Village Mercy is a not-for-profit, intensive Biblical-Counselling based discipleship residential program for men that uses a Bible-centered approach to counsel people who are trapped in addictions to find freedom through the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Located in a South Africa, where “this problem (of addictions) has been identified by the National Drug Master Plan, as a fuel for crime, poverty, reduced productivity, unemployment, dysfunctional family life, political instability, the escalation of chronic diseases, such as AIDS and TB, injury and premature death,” Village Mercy stands as a beacon of hope for liberation to all men caught in the grip of this cruel tyrant and their families.
How to Get Involved:
PRAY
- Prayer is central to the ministries of Village Mercy because the challenges we deal with are fundamentally spiritual in nature. Please pray for us. Pray for godliness, wisdom, care, patience, love, faithfulness, endurance, positive attitudes and joy amongst the leadership. Pray that those who are ministering may continue being conformed into the image of their Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Please pray that we may aim for faithfulness to God’s call rather than success. Pray that those who come to Village Mercy for help might come to a saving knowledge of God through our interaction with them. Pray for more healthy biblical churches throughout South Africa that the men who graduate can go back to. And pray for God’s leading in this ministry.
GIVE
- Donate to The Addiction Connection and leave a comment or memo designated to "South Africa".
- Another way you can help us is by Donating Supplies, Providing Groceries & Giving Financially for the various needs of the house. Sign up for our newsletter and contact us for ways to get involved in our ministry and to find out more details about how to support us.
HIRE US
- Hire the residents of VMM to do paid manual/physical labour for you.
- Part of what we emphasize in the program is the necessity to work, the guys in the program are involved in a lot of supervised manual labour (yard work, cleaning, mowing, cleaning pools and providing man power for a lot of handiwork jobs) during the week to help pay for the expenses of the program and equip themselves in return with job skills.
REFERRALS
- Mention Village Mercy to those who may be struggling with addictions, or those who may be in need of training in the area of this ministry. If you think of other ways to lend a hand, please contact us. Thank You.
Dr. Mark Shaw interviews Dr. Bill Hines about his life and ministry.
How has Proverbs 30:5-6 impacted Bill Hines? "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar." [1]
Who impacted Bill's life in a large way as a child/teen? How did he meet his wife? How can you start leaving a legacy even with a 9-year-old?
Memories of ministry in South Africa and Village Mercy pre-launch serving trip.
Bill's role at IABC. The National Annual IABC Conference--with guest speaker Dr. Mark E. Shaw, Save the date July 28-30, 2022. Find out more at IABC.net
Bill Hines, D.Min., is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection and serves as Vice-President of IABC (International Association of Biblical Counselors). Dr. Hines is an ordained minister, author, and the President of Covenant Ministries, Inc., a biblical counseling and education ministry in Ft. Worth, Texas, and holds ACBC, IABC, and CABC. Find more commissioned addiction biblical counselors (CABC) residential programs that TAC recommends at
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
You can purchase Leaving Yesterday Behind at https://www.amazon.com/William-L-Hines/e/B0034PBRC8/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Bill Hines, D.Min., is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection and serves as Vice-President of IABC (International Association of Biblical Counselors). Dr. Hines is an ordained minister, author, and the President of Covenant Ministries, Inc., a biblical counseling and education ministry in Ft. Worth, Texas, and holds ACBC, IABC, and CABC. Find more commissioned addiction biblical counselors (CABC) residential programs that TAC recommends at
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
1 John 3:1-3 says, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure." [1]
What does God's mercy, the new identity God gives when He redeems, and the fullness of life He offers have to do with anger, depression, self-pity, and the issues of this life? What is success? How should we rightly view the wicked?
Find out what Bill's "man-sized book" is all about.
You can purchase Leaving Yesterday Behind at https://www.amazon.com/William-L-Hines/e/B0034PBRC8/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Connecting the Hope of the Gospel With the Heart of Addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
2021 article [1] analyzes these 2014 American statistics. Benzodiazepines; "z-drugs" (or sleep aids); anti-depressants; psycho-stimulants; and anti-psychotics are some of the drugs addressed in this analysis of the dangers of overdoses and death as compared to heroin. Death rates from overdoses rapidly increased as prescriptions for these drugs increased. What horrible side effect is a result of some anti-psychotics? What is the origin of suffering and corruption in our world? What is the latest on Fentanyl-related deaths and counterfeit pills?
2 Corinthians 3:1-6 says, "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life..." ESV [2]
"12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
...
Are you reaching out to the people in your area who are struggling with addictive lifestyles? You can use this discipleship care group study called Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED in your local church or ministry theaddictionconnection.org/next-steps-be-transformed-addiction-discipleship-program/
[1] Kenneth Anderson, "Psychiatric Medications Kill More Americans than Heroin," American Addiction Centers, June 24, 2021. Accessed October 31, 2021, found at rehabs.com/pro-talk/psychiatric-medications-kill-more-americans-than-heroin/
[2] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Connecting The Hope of the Gospel With The Heart of Addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
John 6 is the chapter focus of this teaching on the Word of God's sufficiency in counseling and the Holy Spirit's work in the hearts of people.
Topics covered include:
What are these hard things Jesus is teaching in John chapter 6?
What does Jesus mean by "the flesh is no help at all" in verse 63?
Who the two types of people you will counsel?
What makes a faithful counselor and who gets all the glory for the impact and results?
What about the current trend of a quest for more and more "knowledge" and what does the word sufficient really mean?
Why does The Addiction Connection exist--what is the message we promote?
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Free Preview & full 66-lesson package, NEXT STEPS: Be TRANSFORMED: https://theaddictionconnection.thinkific.com/courses/next-steps-betransformed
Dr. Mark E. Shaw demonstrates how to use this NEXT STEPS: Be TRANSFORMED curriculum for your ministry and for your church. -play starting fall 2021! He explains the acronym that organizes the topics he teaches in the curriculum - Next Steps: Be T.R.A.N.S.F.O.R.M.E.D., sharing tips on how to organize your care group study, whether you use it plug-and-play, or focus key elements.
With over a decade in the making, this 100% digital-access curriculum has everything you need to start ministering to addicts in a small-group setting right where you are, right now. Give the same hope & help you've received to those within your reach!
What's Included in Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED:
- Leader's Guide - Video & Manual (.pdf download)
- 2 curriculum guide choices
- 66 pre-recorded video lessons online (over 15 months of teaching for long-term relationship building)
- Downloadable student handouts for every single lesson
- Bonus: Testimonies to share with your group as openers or closers!
Romans 12:1-2 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." ESV [1]
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one-half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Free booklet with any Mark Shaw book purchase available at FocusPublishing.com here Understanding Temptation: The War Within Your Heart Dr. Mark E. Shaw teaches on Temptation from James 1. Addiction counseling is about a sinful heart desire, not a disease that overtakes a person. "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12)
"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." (James 1:13-14)
Each person's desires are different according to their preferences. Is alcohol the problem? No, the Word tells us it's our own heart desire.
"Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." (James 1:15-18)
AW Tozer Quote: "The widest thing in the universe is not space; it is the potential capacity of the human heart...." (AW Tozer's The Root of Righteousness, p.63)
11:05 About the sad last day of John Belushi's life.
There is hope in Christ Jesus and nothing else. Death is closer than when we think. Find more training through The Addiction Connection's wide selection of video and audio courses here: https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/addiction-counselor-training/
"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb. 4:16-17)
Dr. Mark E. Shaw is the Founder of The Addiction Connection and serves his local church as the Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence Kentucky. Join us there for The Addiction Connection's 2021 Leadership Summit.
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one-half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Final pre-conference conversation for the Grace Fellowship Church Counseling and Discipleship Training 2021.
Find out about this year's conference at graceky.org/CDT September 16-18, 2021. Click here for the video about why we love biblical counseling in the local church from Grace Fellowship Church https://www.graceky.org/cdt/
Human frailty and our present and future hope! A sneak preview of "A Biblical Approach to Mental Illness"
2:22 Dependence on Christ because I am weak and I need a Savior. Jesus went through the frailty of being human but not the depravity. Looking for an answer to their sorrow (Berger)
5:30 Living in the power of Christ right now if we are regenerate- a new creation in Christ - it's not my power (Ham)
7:45 Delusion is the secular word; madness is the biblical word. What is the difference? What is the living scientific evidence that the power of God changes people? (Berger)
10:20 Isaiah 44 and the foolishness of idolatry and the god of self (Shaw)
12:20 Understanding our fragile nature (physically) and the lusts of the flesh and our desperate need for a Savior (Berger)
16:48 Understanding our sure death is coming, billions of dollars being spent trying to deliver man – using science alone – from death, biological reductionism, but they know that death is something they cannot overcome (Shaw, Berger)
19:10 Our sin must be dealt with in order to deal with our weakness- using Christ as a false strength that is not promised by God (Ham)
20:05 Opposing the victimhood error as well (Berger, Shaw)
22:08 Giving God glory as opposed to overcoming addiction in the flesh as secularists are able to do. Giving God "weight" as Jay Younts teaches (Berger)
Find Jay Younts' teaching on YouTube, "Every Day Thoughts" and everydaytalk247.com.
25:14 Emphasizing the brokenness of this world (Shaw)
26:07 What else should we emphasize as Biblical counselors?
27:35 A Biblical look at sorrow, hopelessness, and guilt (Berger)
29:30 God can use these evil horrific circumstances in a redemptive way -- not that it is a good thing, but that the head of Satan is crushed (Shaw and Ham)
31:09 Maturity and understanding suffering (Shaw)
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (ESV) [1]
Dr. Mark E. Shaw, Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church, with Dr. Daniel Berger and Pastor Steve Ham. This series begins laying the groundwork for the advanced track of the conference. Dr. Mark E. Shaw, Director of Counseling, Grace Fellowship Church, Florence, KY; Founder of The Addiction Connection. Dr. Daniel Berger, Pastor of Faith Fellowship Church, Clarence, NY; Founder and director of Alethia International Ministries (AIM); and serves as Director of Faith Biblical Counseling Center. Pastor Steve Ham is the Pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Grace Fellowship Church Counseling and Discipleship Training 2021 pre-conference conversations. Find more here: www.graceky.org/CDT
"A Biblical Approach to Mental Illness" – This series lays the groundwork for the advanced track of the conference.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw, Director of Counseling, Grace Fellowship Church, Florence, KY; Founder of The Addiction Connection. Dr. Daniel Berger, Pastor of Faith Fellowship Church, Clarence, NY; Founder and Director of Alethia International Ministries (AIM); and serves as Director of Faith Biblical Counseling Center. Pastor Steve Ham is the Pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
This conversation focuses on laying the groundwork for the topic of the advanced track of the Counseling and Discipleship Training at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY. This bonus material is available in video format when you register for the CDT conference. You can find out more at graceky.org/CDT and register to attend in person (or even register for the online option.)
"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) ESV [1]
2:50 Has the idea of biblical human weakness been neglected somewhat in biblical counseling? (Berger)
4:19 Do "good people" become insane with the first use of a substance? And how did the second step attempt to further this construct? (Shaw)
6:13 What is the proper biblical lens for asking the question "what is normal?" (Berger)
7:20 What is the meaning of the word 'weakness' in the Greek New Testament? (Berger)
8:00 Ecclesiastes 9:3 "This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead." (ESV) [1]
8:19 A description of everything that is in a Genesis 3 world, and the fragility of humanity. (Ham)
10:00 "We underestimate the absolute devastation that it is morally, spiritually, in our lives under the sun without Christ." (Ham)
10:28 Ecclesiastes 9:4 "But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion." (ESV) [1]
11:30 What is our normal and what is our restored ultimate reality? (Berger)
12:10 "None of us like to stop throughout the day and say, I'm headed to death... Humanism teaches us to think we are strong. They are teaching little girls to have that mentality, "I'm a strong woman, I'm a strong girl." And then when life exposes that's not true they start thinking they're disordered." (Berger)
14:10 What are the Biblical counseling applications for the reality of fragility? (Shaw+ Berger)
16:45 Restore me to sanity or ...? (Is this insanity or is it depravity...) (Berger and Shaw)
17:10 The mind of Christ and taking thoughts captive as it applies to this truth for all sin and for all those who struggle with addiction
18:30 The spiritual reality of the only strength we can have... (Ham)
20:31 In repentance and rest there is strength... (Berger)
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one-half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Grace Fellowship Church Counseling and Discipleship Training Sept 16-18, 2021 pre-conference conversations. Find out more: graceky.org/CDT
Dr. Mark E. Shaw, Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church, discusses "A Biblical Approach to Mental Illness" with Dr. Daniel Berger and Pastor Steve Ham. This series begins laying the groundwork for the advanced track of the conference. Dr. Mark E. Shaw, Director of Counseling, Grace Fellowship Church, Florence, KY; Founder of The Addiction Connection. Dr. Daniel Berger, Pastor of Faith Fellowship Church, Clarence, NY; Founder and director of Alethia International Ministries (AIM); and serves as Director of Faith Biblical Counseling Center. Pastor Steve Ham is the Pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
2:25 Double-mindedness in the Christians who find what the church offers to be lacking and so they search elsewhere for answers (Berger)
5:15 The essential aspect of Data gathering and Reorientation of worldview in biblical counseling (Ham)
7:00 Connection between worldview and racism, and Darwinian teaching (Ham)
10:30 Racist, racism, and the belief in races instead of the human race implies a hierarchy (Berger)
12:10 Psychiatry is founded upon finding differences; creating healthy and unhealthy within their own worldview (Berger)
13:20 Benjamin Rush and the eugenic theory of darker skin color being a result of leprosy
14:45 Eugenics vs. genetics (Berger and Ham)
18:00 What is Pastor Ham's encouragement to pastors and biblical counselors regarding interacting with those with a lot of education who hold different world views?
20:10 What is Dr. Daniel Berger's encouragement to all Christians?
20:45 Why the Gospel must be front and center in all discussions of worldview (Ham)
Part 1 of the series of pre-conference conversations for the 2021 Grace Fellowship Church Counseling and Discipleship Training. These conversations lay the groundwork for the Advanced Track of the conference. Dr. Shaw discusses "A Biblical Approach to Mental Illness" with Dr. Daniel Berger and Pastor Steve Ham.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw, Director of Counseling, Grace Fellowship Church, Florence, KY; Founder of The Addiction Connection. Dr. Daniel Berger, Pastor of Faith Fellowship Church, Clarence, NY; Founder and Director of Alethia International Ministries (AIM); and serves as Director of Faith Biblical Counseling Center. Steve Ham is pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
3:05 Why is biblical creation vital to believe and why should biblical counselors be skilled in communicating it to counselees?
6:32 How does the devil attack and try to undermine anthropology, ontology, epistemology all in Genesis 3?
10:25 Psalm 73 and what biblical counselors must stand upon
12:29 A preview of the importance of worldview and phenomenology in layman's terms (Dr. Berger)
15:55 Sufficiency of Scripture in counseling (Pastor Ham)
23:15 What does science say? (Pastor Ham)
23:45 Biological causes and behavioral choices - how can we tell the difference? (Dr. Berger)
27:10 Defining terms - science, evidence, reality, repeatable, observable and provable (Pastor Ham)
30:40 Moving counselees from a different worldview and belief system toward a biblical worldview (Pastor Ham)
33:40 The hopelessness of the message sent to hurting people that they are only a product of your own chemicals
This is part 2 of a conversation about phenomenology and the history of the Mental Health field between Dr. Daniel Berger and Dr. Mark E. Shaw.
Find out more about Dr. Daniel Berger at www.drdanielberger.com
Find out more about GFC's Counseling and Discipleship Training: graceky.org/CDT
Dr. Berger is Pastor of Faith Fellowship Church in Clarence, NY, and Founder of Alethia International Ministries (AIM)
2:56 Satan's first denial of the truth of God's Word came in Genesis 3
6:52 Dr. Berger shares about his father's influence in his life, and his search for answers about psychological concepts and diagnoses
9:17 What is "DFD" according to Dr. Mark E. Shaw?
12:45 How is identity a key to both psychologists and biblical counselors?
15:35 Promoting the Word of God in the local church ministry of biblical counseling
16:55 Saving Abnormal, Dr. Daniel Berger's book that explains Kraepelinianism
21:40 Dr. Shaw's team sports vs individual sports comparison and hypothesis and applications to the Body of Christ
Phenomenology and History of the Mental Health Field - A conversation between Dr. Daniel Berger and Dr. Mark E. Shaw.
Find out more about Dr. Daniel Berger at drdanielberger.com
Find out more about GFC's Counseling and Discipleship Training Sept 16-18, 2021 graceky.org/CDT
Dr. Berger is Pastor of Faith Fellowship Church in Clarence, NY, and Founder of Alethia International Ministries (AIM)
3:50 Epistemology defined by Dr. Berger
5:45 Phenomenology defined by Dr. Berger
7:30 Biblical phenomenologists
8:02 History of the mental health field
21:10 Historical truth about Dr. Asperger and Dr. Alzheimer
25:50 Dr. Berger's book Saving Abnormal covers Kraepelin, eugenics, and how America was involved
Romans 3:23 says,
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (ESV) [1]
How do most addiction counselors explain addiction and "insanity"? Do "good people" become insane?
3:13 Mark quotes Step 1 and Step 2 from The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous [2] and the goal of restoration to sanity.
4:32 Recovery world's goal is restoration to sanity because they have accepted the message of "insanity."
6:20 Colloquial definition of insanity
6:40 Definition of insanity [3]
7:55 Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith changed the original supposed Christian roots of the Twelve Step Program
10:20 "came to believe..." from Step 2 [2]
11:13 Dr. Shaw quotes from the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,[4]
14:30 Is the problem insanity or is the problem sin? Is the solution any power greater than ourselves?
16:15 What is the remedy?
17:13 Ecclesiastes 9:3 "This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead." (ESV) [1]
18:40 What does the Holy Spirit accomplish in believers in Christ Jesus?
19:40 Why do words matter? Restoring to sanity or reconciling to God?
Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., is the Founder of The Addiction Connection, and leads a network of Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselorswith TAC.
Find addiction residential programs at
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
[2] From the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, which can be found at https://www.alcohol.org/alcoholics-anonymous/
[3] Google's English Dictionary provided by Oxford Languages. Definition found at https://www.google.com/search?q=insane&oq=insane&aqs=chrome..69i57j46i433j46j0i433j0i131i433j46i433j0i433l2j0i131i433j0i433.1288j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
[4] Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Thirty-eighth printing, June 1988, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services: New York, NY. Alcoholics Anonymous (R) is a registered trademark of A.A. World Services, Inc.
Psalm 51:17 says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." [1]
How to discern someone's readiness and willingness to participate in addiction ministry?
Dr. Mark E. Shaw and CJ McMurry discuss Psalm 51:17 in its own biblical context, and also apply these truths to wisely assessing someone's readiness to enter addiction programming -- whether that is residential or non-residential.
Mark is the President and Founder of The Addiction Connection, and also serves as the Director of Counseling at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY. Guest CJ McMurry is the Program Director at one of TAC's listed residential programs called The Refuge in Winterset, Iowa. He is also a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection. Learn more about The Refuge. Find more addiction residential programs at https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
How can program leaders assess someone's readiness (godly vs. worldly sorrow)
How did CJ see this in his own heart when he was looking for help for his own addictive struggles?
Right motivations vs. wrong motivations for seeking help.
Primary vs. Secondary reasons to seek help.
In what ways are people sometimes blinded to their own reasons that are motivating them?
Why are the people of the local Body of Christ vital in our growth as a Christian?
What is the importance of residential programs emphasizing that they are only meant to be temporary places of protection?
What makes Mark Shaw recommend The Refuge in Winteset, Iowa, as a program for residential help for addiction?
How can we be realistic in how we observe behavior and continue to serve those who are caught in addiction?
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands is a book by Paul David Tripp that CJ mentions as he explains how to be faithful in ministering to those with sin struggles.
Mark closes with John 9:35-41, which says, "Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains." (ESV) [1]
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw, Founder and President of The Addiction Connection, talks about a recent CDC article releasing overdose death statistics during Covid-19.
What is true biblical hope and how does that contrast with the world's false ideas about God?
Romans 15:13 says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (ESV) [1]
How does this affect our tendency to be anxious when news of dire circumstances comes our way in life?
What does abounding hope look like?
What did the CDC report [2] about overdose deaths in the twelve months ending in May 2020? Read the full CDC report that Dr. Shaw talks about on the podcast here. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p1218-overdose-deaths-covid-19.html
What drugs are people using in these overdoses?
What is The Addiction Connection doing to help people during this crisis of drug overdoses?
Find non-residential programming here. https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/non-residential-programs/
Find more addiction residential programs at https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
Find Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection at https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/people/
How can you be a part of the eternal solution?
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Overdose Deaths Accelerating During COVID-19." Page last reviewed December 18, 2020. US Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed June 22, 2021 at https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p1218-overdose-deaths-covid-19.html
The Addiction Connection's Founder, Dr. Mark E. Shaw, and Freedom Farm Ministries' Executive Director, Jim Quigley, preview and discuss the upcoming TAC Summit 2021. In addition to serving at Freedom Farm, Jim is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection and serves on TAC's Board.
Find more addiction residential programs at https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
Beginning Thursday Evening, Nov 4, 2021, The Addiction Connection Summit is the place to connect with like-minded Addictions Biblical Counselors. The Summit will continue through that Friday (11/5/2021) and Saturday (11/6/2021). Find out more info at: https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/summit2021/
Having "enthusiasm" in addiction ministry will be a theme for the time together at the Summit.
Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (ESV) [1]
What was Jim's first Summit experience like?
How are ministries in TAC's network highlighted at the Summit?
What are the small group rooms like at the Summit?
How many states in the US are represented at the Summit?
What is the correlations between losing enthusiasm for addiction ministry and losing our focus on God?
Who will be speaking and attending TAC Summit?
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
The Addiction Connection's Founder, Dr. Mark E. Shaw, and Freedom Farm Ministries' Executive Director, Jim Quigley, continue their in-studio discussion of terminology and stigma based upon the Drug Education Council, Inc.'s list of suggestions.
In addition to serving at Freedom Farm, Jim is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection and serves on TAC's Board.
Mark and Jim talk about the phrase, "resistant to treatment," which is said to have negative connotations.
1 Corinthians 2:13-14 "And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." (ESV) [1]
Jim speaks frankly about those who come to him wanting to leave the addictions program earlier than they originally committed to.
They also discuss the common observation of someone who cannot see their own sin and self-deception, which the world would call denial.
The presuppositions of the Drug Education Council's worldview must be discerned in order to understand the deceptions of these messages even as subtle as, "You can self-correct. You just need our help to self-correct."
Find more addiction residential programs: https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Jim Quigley continue the discussion on Drug Education terminology and the world's efforts to decrease stigmatizing those who struggle with addiction. Jim serves at Freedom Farm Ministries in Boone, North Carolina, and is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection while also serving on TAC's board. Find other CABC's and addiction ministries with a genuinely biblical approach on TAC's website at https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/addiction-help/
Proverbs 26:24-26 says, "Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; 25 when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; 26 though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly." [1]
Awareness of sin in the Christian walk
Are we much more sinful than we realize?
Peter as a biblical reminder for us to be aware of our sin and our need for Christ.
Are Christians self-loathing people?
What does manipulative really mean?
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Human Wisdom vs. Spirit Wisdom – 1 Corinthians 2:13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. [1]
Mark talks with Jim Quigley in-studio about common phrases in the addiction world, and the world's attempts to counter what they see as "stigma." Jim leads Freedom Farm Ministries in Boone, NC as a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection, serving on TAC's board.
Jim begins the discussion by teaching a biblical opposition to the world's view that biology is causative in their addiction. This world believes that each person is a "good person" who wants to self-correct if given the opportunity. But the Gospel says otherwise. Read TAC's blogpost for more on what Jesus has to say about addiction and alcoholism.
It has been estimated that over 80,000 people have died from overdoses since 2020.
The victim mentality is being taught in over 90% of the programs in the world.
Jim warns all listeners who are genuinely biblical in their approach to addiction to beware not to mischaracterize those who are trying to help in the secular system as not being compassionate or genuine in their desire to help people.
Our message is different because we point people to the transformational heart change done by Jesus Christ working by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Read the best debunking of the 12-step treatment industry done by a secularist: Dr. Lance Dodes on an NPR interview
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one-half of any book of the ESV Bible.
"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God." (Revelation 19:11-13) [1]
How has the Pandemic affected the census at Freedom Farm and other Residential Addiction Programs?
Today, Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Jim Quigley discuss current events. Jim is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection and serves on the Board of TAC.
Why has the number of admissions gone down significantly for residential programs lately?
Is it because people have been sobering and exhibiting less addictive behaviors?
You'll hear an anecdote about a trend Jim is currently seeing in choices made by addicts.
He also discusses the unintended consequences of giving people access to quick money in the form of government support. Jim referee to 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. [1]
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
"9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:9-21)
Taking off the mask – and I’m not talking about cloth or surgical masks during the start of the pandemic in 2020.
The addicted person often wears a “mask”.
How do we reach people with compassion and love when they wear a “mask”?
We reach them with God's word, dispelling lies and deceit in the Gospel, giving them the freedom to live in the light.
“Be dead to flattery, and dead to flattening.”
Pride is simply thinking too much of oneself. And it goes both ways - thinking too highly of oneself, or thinking too lowly of oneself.
Taking the mask off means living life genuinely, not hiding behind the problems and struggles and sin.
You can be REAL when you realize the REAL Gospel.
How do we combat anxiety in our own lives and fruitfully instruct a counselee? What does God's Word have to say?
Find addiction resources through The Addiction Connection at www.theaddictionconnection.org
In this podcast, Dr. Shaw talks about 2 upcoming events (Bothel, WA event has since been canceled).
Florence, KY - 5th Annual TAC Leadership Summit
Nov. 4-6, 2021
Grace Fellowship Church
www.theaddictionconnection.org/summit2021
We hope to see you there!
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Three guests join Dr. Mark E. Shaw in the studio for this special podcast. Oliver Underwood, Kirby Johnson, and Bethany Roseberry are all CABC (Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors) with The Addiction Connection, which means that they utilize a genuinely biblical approach to addiction and are committed to offering The Hope of the Gospel for the Heart of Addiction.
To find other CABC's in your area visit our map at www.theaddictionconnection.org/people
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (ESV) [1]
Mark poses the question to the podcast guests: "How does your identity impact your daily life?"
1:20 Kirby opens the discussion
2:18 Oliver gives his input
3:25 Bethany adds her answer.
What about social media and the fueling of discontentment? And how can we check our thinking?
7:00 What about the person who says, "I'm an alcoholic."
12:45 Oliver reads 1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (ESV) 14:10 Kirby comments on using a world label identity as a "crutch."
15:30 What does it mean to be at rest as a Christian?
Mark discusses Exodus 34:6-7 and what mercy is like.
Bethany - How the community of the body of Christ compares with the community or unity that alcoholics believe they have.
Kirby - One of the best ways to glorify God.
Mark - From vessels of wrath to vessels useful for God's Kingdom
Oliver - How self-exaltation can manifest as an alcoholic identity or as one becomes puffed up by his or her days of sobriety.
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." (Ephesians 4:11-15 ESV) [1]
Dr. Shaw announces the launch of the newest addictions biblical counseling specialization training. Now available!
ACBC: www.biblicalcounseling.com
www.theAddictionConnection.org/acbc is the website for accessing info on the training for the ACBC addictions specialization.
Supported by Grace Counseling Center, which is an ACBC certified training center. The Addiction Connection is the producer and host of the content.
The Addiction Connection is committed to equipping the saints for the work of ministry, and the launch of this new addictions counseling specialization training is one more resource to help the church offer help and hope to those struggling with addictions of sin.
Begin The Addiction Connection's relational commissioning process for anyone: www.TheAddictionConnection.org/Commissioning
[1] “Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one-half of any book of the ESV Bible.”
“Following the Science” and some newsworthy international updates from The Addiction Connection with Dr. Mark E. Shaw.
But first, recommended reading!
The Biblical Counseling Coalition’s article was written by ACBC counselor and family practice physician, Dr. Charles Hodges, on April 2, 2021, “The Importance of Science in Biblical Counseling.”
Quoting Dr. Hodges’ article, Mark explains the harms of drinking alcohol and using marijuana. “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit…” (Ephesians 5:18 ESV) [1]
The Biblical Counseling Coalition promotes biblical counseling around the world.
“The BCC exists to strengthen churches, para-church organizations, and educational institutions by promoting excellence and unity in biblical counseling as a means to accomplish compassionate outreach and effective discipleship.”
Dr. Shaw goes into detail about how The Addiction Connection continues to make an international impact in recent weeks. SMTI - Strengthening Ministries Training Institute is a ministry in South Africa being led by Sybrand DeSwardt. Dr. Mark Shaw shares what that experience was like. He also had the opportunity to teach addictions biblical counseling via online interaction to a group of nearly 50 in Brazil.
Book translation work has been completed for "Paul the Counselor", as it is now being printed in Arabic. several of the Hope and Help booklets, and How Not to Raise an Addict are among the newly translated Arabic works. Dr. Shaw’s resources on addiction have been now translated into Portuguese, Romanian, Albanian, Korean, and Arabic.
[1] “Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.”
Harm Reduction is back in the news again in West Virginia.
"For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:11-13 ESV) [1]
2:15 What is the difference between human wisdom words and spirit wisdom words?
4:00 What is the goal of what communities are calling “harm reduction” and needle exchange programs?
4:30 What is going on in West Virginia with this issue?
6:10 Terminology is important: harm reduction or harm production?
7:28 What about the term kleptomania?
9:20 Where is this labelling of behavior leading our society to?
16:30 So what legislation did West Virginia decide to enact in April 2021?
19:25 Who is Dr. Mark Shaw’s audience when he brings up this issue?
20:40 What two languages does Dr. Shaw speak?
[1] “Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.”
Proverbs 26:4 "Answer not a fool according to his folly lest you be like him yourself." [1]
"Concept Creep: Psychology's Expanding Concepts of Harm and Pathology"
This article was released on Feb. 12, 2016, through the online publication Psychological Inquiry. "Concept Creep" is the secular phrase used by psychologists to describe the broadened terminology, now inclusive to more behaviors than prior. Addiction, abuse, bullying, trauma, mental disorder, prejudice, and tanning; this sort of psychology describes and categorizes behavior in a way that shifts terminology. Many view this as a good occurrence, proud to proclaim this advance.
Is this missing the deeper understanding of God and mankind as revealed in the Bible? Our goal as believers is to glorify Him and live for Him.
Haslam acknowledges "the risk of pathologizing everyday experience and encouraging a sense of virtuous but impotent victimhood." [2] Dr. Shaw explains why the expansion of these terms is not positive, but tends to be misguided labeling. "If the addictive process is internal, it makes little sense to restrict the concept of addiction to dependence on substances." [Haslam, page 9] [3]
Biblical counselors call these "habitual" – addictive behaviors learned in this habitual response in thoughts, words, and actions. We can help people put off bad habits, put on new godly habits – the great hope and help of biblical counseling.
These psychologists use the concept of compulsion and are observing that behavioral addictions and substance addictions both involve "recurrent failure to resist urges to engage in a particular activity that is harmful to the person, generally with a subjective experience of compulsion and powerlessness." [Haslam, page 8] [4] The shifting sand of psychology and addiction will continue to expand and label any and all behavior. Biblical terms or secular psychological constructs? Terms like bipolar, ADHD, Generalized anxiety disorder, clinical depression, addiction issues or substance use disorder...
...fear, worry, sadness, drunkenness, idolatry, idolatrous heart desires, and those things that are explicitly in the Bible. Will we embrace biblical truth to pierce the heart's motivation?
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
[2] Nick Haslam (2016) Concept Creep: Psychology's Expanding Concepts of Harm and Pathology, Psychological Inquiry, 27:1, 1-17.
[3] Ibid. p.9.
[4] Ibid. p.8.
Read the full article online at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295247201_Concept_Creep_Psychology's_Expanding_Concepts_of_Harm_and_Pathology
Today on the Addiction Connection Podcast, Dr. Mark E. Shaw dives into an excerpt of his daily devotional book, Cross-Talking: A Daily Gospel for Transforming Addicts, published by Focus Publishing, in Bemidji, MN.
2:45 What happens in a self-help meeting when you start telling the Good News of the Gospel that Jesus Christ is the only way to God the Father?
3:43 An excerpt from Day 27 of the devotional called "The Lord Examines the Heart" with Hebrews 4:12-13
5:10 What are the four elements of God's Word according to 2 Timothy 3:16 and Ephesians 4:22-24?
8:15 How do you get filled with the Holy Spirit in obedience to Ephesians 5:18?
9:40 How and why do we assess our own hearts?
11:45 What is the heart level relationship with God really like?
14:10 How does God's Word help us grow more like Christ?
18:45 Dr. Shaw previews an ACBC video series.
Galatians 6:1-2
"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
9:40-18:50 - What does being in a spiritual battle really mean for a Christ-follower? "I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete." (2 Cor 10:1-6)
19:00 - A call to be gentle to all who are a part of The Addiction Connection
19:30 - Noutheteo - is a confrontational loving way that can be done in gentleness, meekness, and passion all at the same time. Listen, Love, Label Lies, Lead, Launch. How is counseling different than Preaching to crowds from the pulpit?
21:30 Angry at the lies of this world vs. Anger at people. The disease model is hurting more people than it's helping. (Dr. Mark Shaw agrees with Dr. Lance Dodes)
23:30 Local church community context is way more than showing up on Sunday and going home.
Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED is a small care group study that can be used (all digital video and downloadable content) to launch an addictions outreach in your ministry today.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw, the Founder of The Addiction Connection, and the author of The Heart of Addiction: A Biblical Perspective, Relapse: Biblical Prevention Strategies, and Divine Intervention: Hope and Help for Families of Addicts. These resources are available at Focus Publishing, Bemidji, MN. www.focuspublishing.com
What are the benefits and flaws of the harm reduction exchange centers?
Is the focus upon reducing harm ironically enabling the continuation of addiction? What does the gospel's compassion have to say?
What did Paul tell the Corinthians about their lives and sin choices?
I Corinthians 6:9-11 "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (ESV)
Tim Brown of His Steps Ministries and Dr. Mark E. Shaw highlight these questions and share a former addict's review of harm reduction methods. This conversation is around a recent article on Harm Reduction found in The Enquirer at Cincinnati.com
Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection and serves on the Board with TAC.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw is the author of over 20 publications on biblical counseling and addiction and has a curriculum for local churches and ministries to utilize for a genuinely biblical approach to help people who are struggling with addictions of all kinds. Find out more at www.theaddictionconnection.org
“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.”
"It wasn't until God changed my life that I really understood what true godly sorrow was... what the apostle Paul writes about... that causes us to truly repent..." -Tim Brown
Mark and Tim discuss the recent news of Bruce Springsteen's charges from a November 2020 incident in a national park, and the recent video call court date appearance in which Springsteen appeared. Asbury Park Press’ headline seems most fair: Bruce Springsteen has drunk driving charges dropped, pleads guilty to alcohol consumption. Mark Shaw wrote a summary of the news reports of the incident and how it was reported here.
Romans 2:4-5 "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed."
3:45 Do consequences alone lead people to repentance?
The three initial charges: Driving recklessly, Driving under the influence, drinking in a national park where it had been outlawed
6:45 What were the Field sobriety test results?
9:30 What are some signs of lack of repentance?
11:40 What is true godly sorrow?
12:45 What kind of repentance?
13:10 The Fundamentals of Addiction Biblical Counseling training course on which Tim Brown teaches a workshop on godly sorrow and repentance
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/fundamentals-training/
15:15 How is the government the authority over a Christian, and is it good?
17:09 What about harsh or unfair authority? 1 Peter 2:18
18:05 The various news reports and how they report the story... learning how to discern
21:00 What happened to the term "spirits?"
26:00 Justice and fairness
26:40 What about the Springsteen Jeep commercial which was supposed to air during the Super Bowl?
Tim Brown serves on The Addiction Connection's Board and is ACBC certified. He is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor (CABC) with The Addiction Connection as well. Tim founded His Steps Ministries in Woodstock, Georgia. His Steps mission reads:
"His Steps Ministries is a Christian training and counseling program that reaches out to those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We believe that substance abuse is due to an incorrect relationship with God, and hope is only offered through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ."
Mark and Tim had the privilege to serve together on a missions trip to Egypt a few years ago with Overseas Instruction in Counseling. OIC's mission reads - "Our mission is to support and build up the Christian church around the world through the training of biblical counseling trainers in every part of the globe, including by sharing testimonies of God’s grace."
"You find that in a local church fellowship because it's based upon the absolute Word of God which we can always trust... no one person is absolutely trustworthy..." -Dr. Shaw
Proverbs 23:19-21
"Hear, my son, and be wise,
and direct your heart in the way.
20Be not among drunkards
or among gluttonous eaters of meat,
21for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
and slumber will clothe them with rags." (ESV)
1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived; bad company ruins good morals." (ESV)
. are communities chosen to be around?
3:30 How strong is the power of belief in determining our choices and desires?
4:40 How powerful is a community in shaping our belief system?
5:40 What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?
7:00 - 10:40 What about following your heart?
10:52 The importance of understanding community involvement, from twelve-step groups and more positive ones.
The growing network of churches and counselors and programs who are truly teaching the Bible and live out what it means to be a part of the family of God: www.theaddictionconnection.org
Misty McMurry has been married to CJ for 12 years and serves as the Manager of The Cellar, a coffee house in Winterset, Iowa. CJ and Misty McMurry both serve The Refuge in Winterset, Iowa, and serve The Addiction Connection as Regional Directors. CJ Mcmurry is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection and serves on TAC’s Board of Directors. He is the Program Director of The Refuge, a residential program listed on The Addiction Connection that serves men struggling with addiction.
How is this Psalm impactful to Misty's life?
What roles do CJ and Misty serve in their local church (Redeemer) in Winterset, Iowa?
What are some insights as a married couple in an addictions residential ministry?
What is the relationship between Redeemer Church, The Refuge, and The Cellar?
20:30... How are families being impacted while you serve men struggling with addictions?
27:10 What is The Cellar?
What are CJ and Misty's plans for Valentine's Day?
Psalm 23:1-6 (ESV)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever. (ESV)*
Find more addiction residential programs at https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
Dr. Mark E. Shaw is the Founder of The Addiction Connection, and author of The Heart of Addiction and Divine Intervention: Hope and Help for Families of Addicts. Dr. Shaw had this conversation with CJ and Misty beginning with Psalm 23.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
Men's Residential Addiction Programs, Freedom Farm and Renovatus, are listed on The Addiction Connection's website because they both offer the hope of the Gospel for the heart of addiction.
Jim Quigley is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection and serves on TAC's Board of Directors, all while leading as the Executive Director of Freedom Farm Ministries in Boone, North Carolina.
Pete Higgs of Renovatus launched a residential program with a CSA as an integral part of the ministry in Jefferson City, Tennessee.
Jim and Pete join Dr. Mark Shaw to discuss blessings and hard work of offering residential hope and help for men struggling with addictive issues.
10:14 What is the origin of the word Renovatus and how did the ministry start?
14:55 How did Renovatus get started farming?
15:30 The journey from a goal of restoration to transformation as the goal of ministering to men.
17:10 Jim speaks to the hard work of ministering biblically to men who are struggling with addictions. The pace is slow with few resources.
19:05 Jim's introduction to nouthetic counseling model and his journey in the biblical counseling movement
21:45 What is it like on the front lines of genuinely biblical addictions ministry and how is it shepherding souls?
23:25 At Renovatus, in Jefferson City, Tennessee, the vision is "Empowering people to be free from drug and alcohol addiction and restoring them to Christ-centered living."
25:05 Pete talks about how much he learned about himself while his own two sons were with Jim at Freedom Farm Ministries in Boone, North Carolina.
Wondering about the farming ministry and what grows on the farm at Renovatus? The 2021 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is currently taking orders.
See what they have grown at this link https://www.renovatusrc.org/csa
35 mins... How the TAC website was used by God to connect people from a local church near the Renovatus ministry to Pete and how neither of them knew of each other before.
39 mins... 45 mins Pete talks about the glorious and beautiful testimony of a particular man who has been redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ from alcohol and has had a lot of relationships "renovated" and restored.
47 mins... Connecting the fellow workers in biblical addictions ministry to one another, Connecting the hope of the Gospel to the heart of addiction, Connecting addiction counseling to the local church, Connecting resources to those who need them... Connecting people who need residential and non-residential programs to those who offer them.
Galatians 6:1-5
"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load." (NIV)
Pastor Steve Covington of Through the Gate Women's Residential Program joins Dr. Mark E. Shaw on The Addiction Connection's first Podcast of the year. Steve is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection.
3:20 How did Through the Gate begin their women's program?
6:23 How did Mark Shaw and Steve meet?
8:50 - 14:30 How are the church and the residential program interconnected?
15:00 Who does Through the Gate serve? Does Through the Gate serve women out of prison, or women who are headed to prison, or on probation? What about the homeless?
17:20 What curriculum does Through the Gate use for the women in the residential program? How much does it cost? How long is the program?
20:10 - 23:20 How do you serve women who are co-dependent? How do you serve women with shame? What kind of teaching do the women receive?
25:30 "This is intense discipleship for 8 months. There's no distraction from a job.. that's kinda the approach we've done and we've stuck with." - Pastor Steve Covington
27:50 "I remember early on, one of my goals was that one day "Through the Gate" would be run by graduates of Through the Gate... from my Development Director to the House Manager, to the office manager, to the staff we have in the cleaning business that we run (that supplies income to our program) – it's all run by now graduates of our program. I love that. It's not required to be here but it's just beautiful to see women who Christ has changed their heart... now discipling the next group that comes through!"
28:45 Where are some of the other graduates now?
29:20 Steve talks about his wife Janet's role.
32:40 Steve talks about why you should be involved with The Addiction Connection.
34:40 "That's why TAC (The Addiction Connection) exists -- is to mobilize the church... The reason I came up with like the "Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED" curriculum was to give churches a curriculum that they could use for addictions that would be consistent with the message that they preach on Sunday morning... you know, consistent with the Gospel and the Word of God." -Dr. Shaw
2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (ESV)
Are you looking for other recommended programs with a genuinely biblical approach to helping those who struggle with addictions? Visit TAC's website here. https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
The Addiction Connection Founder and President, Dr. Mark E. Shaw, D.Min., gives a call to action on this special New Year's Eve FINAL podcast of 2020.
Introduction: Salvation, sanctification, put off, put on dynamic in addiction. What is the importance of community in addiction? Grace Fellowship Church is a great example of one local church that helps those who struggle with addiction to plug into the community.
4:00 What do social injustice and lockdowns have to do with addictive issues?
5:30 Proverbs 31:1-9
7:00 What do verses 6-7 refer to?
8:55 Mark's biblically-based call to leadership, especially in the addictions field, and applications of verses 4-5 about drinking "wine and strong drink" (applying this to beer, wine, champagne, so-called "spirits," alcohol in all its forms)
16:40 How was the message of the Messiah first shared by a human? What is the sanctifying restriction?
Luke 1:12-17
23:55 A wicked, tragic end (in an earthly point of view) to a mighty and powerful life takes place during a drunken fest in the Bible.
25:15 What is the opportunity before the Body of Christ in this time of fear, unrest, and issues of the heart motives?
27:45 One family's alcohol-free idea to flip the New Year's Eve holiday.
Author and addictions biblical counselor Dr. Shaw, D.Min., devotes this entire episode to discussing the pros and cons of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT).
2:40 The tragic 2018 statistics about addiction overdoses and deaths.
3:30 Proverbs 23:19-21
5:15 Comparing the addiction epidemic deaths to overdose to the Vietnam Conflict numbers
6:00 Methadone and Suboxone
10:21 What are some of the positives of methadone maintenance programs?
19:00 Committed to sobriety - how can we tell?
21:45 How is behavior modified for addicts?
23:45 What is Dr. Mark E. Shaw's opinion of MAT - medication-assisted treatment?
What does Proverbs 23:29-21 say in the context of medication-assisted treatment?
His Glorious Return
Shirley Crowder, author at Through the Lens of Scripture, and Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection, joins the podcast for another episode in the Advent series. Shirley Crowder was born in a mission guest house under the shade of a mango tree in Nigeria, West Africa, where her parents served as missionaries. She is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities that include biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. Shirley also currently serves as Vice-President of The Addiction Connection. Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Shirley discuss their new Advent book: Advent Meditations for Addicts, just released in 2020. Find it on Amazon here.
Christ Has Come
Shirley Crowder, author at Through the Lens of Scripture, and Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection, joins the podcast for another episode in the Advent series. Shirley Crowder was born in a mission guest house under the shade of a mango tree in Nigeria, West Africa, where her parents served as missionaries. She is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities that include biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. Shirley also currently serves as Vice-President of The Addiction Connection. Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Shirley discuss their new Advent book: Advent Meditations for Addicts, just released in 2020. Find it on Amazon here.
God's Boundless Love
Shirley Crowder, author at Through the Lens of Scripture, and Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection joins the podcast for another episode in the Advent series. Shirley Crowder was born in a mission guest house under the shade of a mango tree in Nigeria, West Africa, where her parents served as missionaries. She is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities that include biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. Shirley also currently serves as Vice-President of The Addiction Connection. Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Shirley discuss their new Advent book: Advent Meditations for Addicts, released in 2020. Find it on Amazon here.
Jim Quigley joins author, biblical counselor, and The Addiction Connection Founder and President, Dr. Mark E. Shaw, D.Min. in the studio today to discuss the physical components of addiction from a biblical counseling point of view. Jim is the Executive Director of Freedom Farm Ministries in Boone, NC, and serves as a board member of The Addiction Connection. He is also a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection.
Proverbs 25:28 "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls."
Jim shares his experience after an oral surgery.
9:15 What the secular approach teaches about Biological components and spiritual aspects.
10:30 Proverbs 25:28 discussion applied to the trap in the physical part of addiction
12:40 How biblical counselors have the potential to deny (or underplay) the physical components. Don't miss out on the opportunity to be compassionate about the physical components of going through a withdrawal.
14:45 What is the general length of time for people to feel clear headed after a long time addiction?
17:55 Medication Assisted Treatment is the number one therapy and is a completely physical treatment (methadone, suboxone)
Find other like-minded ministries on TheAddictionConnection.org!
Joy Of The Lord
Shirley Crowder, author at Through the Lens of Scripture, and Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection, joins the podcast for another episode in the Advent series. Shirley also currently serves as Vice-President of The Addiction Connection. Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Shirley discuss their new Advent book: Advent Meditations for Addicts, released in 2020. Find it on Amazon here.
CJ McMurry is back on the podcast on location in the studio because he is in town for The 4th Annual TAC (The Addiction Connection) Summit. CJ is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection and also serves on the Board of The Addiction Connection, while he also is Program Director for The Refuge Winterset Iowa. Find more biblical programs at The Addiction Connection website here.
3:15 Thoughts on the news that Oregon voters elected to decriminalize all drugs. Measure 110 in Oregon regarding possession of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and more drugs says that drug possession will not be punishable with jail time.
1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor."
6:20 - CJ gives the background teaching of this chapter of this letter to the Corinthians from Paul.
9:30 - What about the harm for the Homeless population?
11:00 - What should biblical counselors think about this news?
11:46 - What are the two choices this law gives those who are caught with small amounts of street drugs?
13:00 - Sales and distribution of drugs and the law
13:25 - CJ McMurry's personal experience and his thoughts on incarceration for drug usage and dealing.
16:05 - How do we as blood bought believers in Christ respond to this legalization?
17:25 - "A Landmark declaration to stop criminalizing drug use..." said Cassandra Frederick, Drug Policy Alliance Executive Director.
Find genuinely biblical addictions programs for men and for women at The Addiction Connection website here. https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/non-residential-programs/
Peace of God
Shirley Crowder, author at Through the Lens of Scripture, and Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection, joins the podcast for another episode in the Advent series. Shirley Crowder was born in a mission guest house under the shade of a mango tree in Nigeria, West Africa, where her parents served as missionaries. She is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities that include biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. Shirley also currently serves as Vice-President of The Addiction Connection. Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Shirley discuss their new Advent book: Advent Meditations for Addicts, just released in 2020. Find it on Amazon here.
Confidence that the Sovereign God is in control. You can walk through whatever is going on around you, knowing that God is with you.
God is a mighty warrior who brings peace. He Himself is peace according to Ephesians 2.
Each chapter has a day that focuses on a hymn and another one that focuses on a Christmas carol and then tells a little about the writer.
The blood of Christ and the violence of the cross tore down the hostility between God Himself and mankind which reconciled us to God in Christ Jesus. Eph 2:13-18.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw wraps up the series on the myths of addiction as noted in Dr. Lance M. Dodes' book: The Heart of Addiction: A New Approach to Understanding and Managing Alcoholism and Other Addictive Behaviors (Harper Collins 2002)
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Colossians 2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."
A biblical recap of the myths from the pages of Dr. Dodes' book. the purpose of examining these myths is to take them a little bit further by thinking through biblical constructs and the truths of God's Word as the rationale for why these truths are true and why we at TAC agree with Dr. Dodes that these are myths.
3:40 Myth 1 If the drug is not the problem.... what is?
Myth 2 What is rock bottom? That's very subjective, so what is the solution? And blame the person encouraging them to go lower?
6:28 Myth 3 Self-destructive-- so what does that look like in addiction? People believe the lie that the thing they are doing (drug or behavior) is actually helping them accomplish something. Do they hate themselves? Do they love themselves?
7:40 Myth 4 What is meant by surrender?
Learning to manage their self-will is what Dr. Dodes says is actually true. Christians call releasing control surrendering to Christ. Not managing your life in a better way. Not turning to yourself. It's asking the Holy Spirit to live within you and ask to transform you day by day.
9:33 Myth 5 Should you count your days of sobriety? Dr. Dodes says it's crazy to think that someone who has a "slip" as he calls it after 90 days is actually making progress. Biblically, we are trying to help the person struggling to see the heart motive for how and why you are counting days.
10:41 Myth 6
God's word is the message and we are the messengers.
2 Cor 1:3ff Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
12:15 Myth 7 Mark quotes from Dr. Dodes book regarding the research!
The Bible characterizes this as a sin issue. Not a supersized brain chemistry problem. Simply not true. It's a desire problem in the heart of man that God can change!
13:51 Myth 8
Where is the hope?
15:00 Myth 9 In an addictive choice of pleasure, how much planning goes on?
15:28 Myth 10
16:49 Previous podcasts on these myths of addiction
*All of the myths discussed in the podcast are from The Heart of Addiction: A New Approach to Understanding and Managing Alcoholism and Other Addictive Behaviors, by Dr. Lance M. Dodes (Harper Collins, 2002).
TAC has a digital audio course that is very affordable. Email us at info@theaddictionconnection.org so that you can get a coupon for getting these lessons in detail taught to you as an audio course. Find out more at www.theaddictionconnection.org
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/self-help-philosophies-a-biblical-evaluation/
Ben Funkhouser, Executive Director of The Refuge in Winterset, Iowa, and he is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection. Ben and Mark finish the series discussing the myths of addiction as noted in Dr. Lance Dodes book The Heart of Addiction: A New Approach to Understanding and Managing Alcoholism and Other Addictive Behaviors (Harper Collins, 2002)
How do we agree with Dr. Dodes' myths?
Are people with addictions impulsive?
Romans 14:11-12 "for it is written,
**“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”**
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God."
How do habits really help us?
Responsibility before God is the truth that transforms someone from feeling helpless as if there's nothing I can do to change this, so I just have to deal with it. That's hopeless. What seems compulsive is really God's creative power in how He created us to develop habits.
6:45 - The world's lack of hope in their description of the problem of addiction
Jay Adams (Godliness Through Discipline) taught on the ways habits affect and help our lives as a gift from God. Replacement is a key concept. And he also described the four characteristics of habits as automatic, unconscious, skillful, and comfortable.
11:35 - Ephesians 4:20-24
13:00 - Episodes of addictive choices have a lot of planning and effort involved even if the actions seem to happen quickly and easily. It's a planned lifestyle and the path becomes so "well-worn" that it's easy to go there.
14:50 - Matthew 5 calls us to be radical -- to cut off the paths of sin so we can replace these addictive habits.
16:12 - A biblical Proverb says, "The way of a transgressor is hard." It does lead to destruction in our lives here, and then eternal destruction without Christ. (Proverbs 13:15)
18:30 - Ben describes the rationale for the seven-month men's program for addiction at The Refuge. The length of their program allows the residents there ample time to learn new biblical habits of living in a way that it becomes the new pattern of life.
Find hope and help for addiction at www.theaddictionconnection.org
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/addiction-help/
Find resources for help from a genuinely biblical perspective at https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/published-resources/
Find Ben Funkhouser at refugewinterset.com
Hope in God
Shirley Crowder, author at Through the Lens of Scripture, and Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection joins the podcast for another episode in the Advent series. Shirley Crowder was born in a mission guest house under the shade of a mango tree in Nigeria, West Africa, where her parents served as missionaries. She is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities that include biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. Shirley also currently serves as Vice-President of The Addiction Connection. Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Shirley discuss their new Advent book: Advent Meditations for Addicts, just released in 2020. Find it on Amazon here.
How are Old Testament Prophecy and New Testament fulfillment?
3:17 - How would the prophecy that God gave to His people have given hope to Old Testament believers?
5:55 - The New Testament fulfillment is the next section of the weekly meditations.
10:05 - The God of hope
10:20 - Psalm 34:18 tells us that if we are crushed in spirit we can have the nearness of God and hope in Him.
11:45 - There is hope for the addicted. You can be forgiven through Jesus Christ and celebrate this Advent season with us!
12:56 - Remember Hope
14:19 - The chapters end with a hymn of response on Day 5.
16:18 - Trust – remember who God is to help us see that we really can trust Him.
Pastor Andy Bittle from Iowa is today's guest. He's the counseling pastor at Living Waters Fellowship in DesMoines. Find him at LWFDesmoines.com
Mark introduces Andy and then they discuss the 8th and 10th myths of addiction as noted in Dr. Lance M. Dodes' book The Heart of Addiction: A New Approach to Understanding and Managing Alcoholism and Other Addictive Behaviors (Harper Collins, 2002)
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
Myth #8 says, "People with addictions have an addictive personality." We agree and we add the following to make it biblical.
We are sinners at our core: our mind, our will, our flesh -- all areas of our lives -- have all been affected by sin. It's not something outside us exerting its influence on us. - Pastor Andy Bittle
Not "self-nurture" as the world's counsel says, but turn ourselves toward Jesus.
Myth #10 says, "Denial is a failure to recognize reality." We agree, and we add the Christian rationale and wisdom to view it through a biblical framework.
God works in the lives of individuals ALL THE TIME. So the idea that denial is part of the "disease" of addiction is not true.
"Physically speaking, dependency is a true concept. But the idea that I don't have any power to choose anything else is not true." - Mark Shaw
Ezekiel 36:26 "a new heart and a new spirit" is what God promises to us. The Bible offers hope!
The Addiction Connection created a course entitled The Bible vs Self-Help Philosophies (audio course) available online at www.theaddictionconnection.org
https://theaddictionconnection.thinkific.com/courses/the-bible-vs-self-help-philosophies
Shirley Crowder, author at Through the Lens of Scripture, and Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection joins the podcast for an Advent series. Shirley Crowder was born in a mission guest house under the shade of a mango tree in Nigeria, West Africa, where her parents served as missionaries. She is passionate about disciple-making, which is conducted in and through a myriad of ministry opportunities that include biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, writing, and music. Shirley also currently serves as Vice-President of The Addiction Connection. Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Shirley discuss their new Advent book: Advent Meditations for Addicts, released in 2020. Find it on Amazon here.
3:30 - What is Advent?
6:00 - How can we direct our thoughts toward advent and what it means? -- What can block you from experiencing Christ in your life?
8:45 - How is the book organized and how do readers begin the reading sections?
10:05 - What do the candles represent, specifically?
14:30 - How are the daily meditations (Day 1 - Day 5) organized in each chapter/week?
16:28 - Why does each chapter start with the Old Testament prophecy and the Biblical fulfillment?
Lou Samaritano and Mark continue the series discussing Dr. Lance Dodes' myths of addiction that he writes about in his book The Heart of Addiction: A New Approach to Understanding and Managing Alcoholism and Other Addictive Behaviors... (Harper Collins, 2002).
Find Lou at abiblicalcounselor.com where he counsels in Sayville, Long Island, NY close to all the major thoroughfares there. He also counsels online via video conferencing software.
Myth #6 You should be treated by someone who also has an addiction.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 says "...so that we may be able to comfort those..."
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort." (ESV)
Explaining the difference between being a sinner, being affected by sin, and sin having dominion over me.
All Scripture is useful... so that the man of God can be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17)
It really is the Spirit of God and the Word of God. Anyone can help an addict.
Testimonies of what has happened to us are important but not what transforms the heart. God transforms hearts.
God's great and precious promises are given to us. It's His power, His word, His enabling us to escape the corruption of our own hearts.
Sex addiction, hatred, anger, it doesn't matter what it is, the core of the heart needs to be justified and sanctified.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
The Bible gives us hope that we CAN be set free. It happens from the Lord who is the Spirit, not my testimony as a counselor, that changes hearts. We have the ability to point them to the One who can set them free.
Myth #7 "Addiction is basically a problem of brain chemistry." Dr. Dodes calls out this myth and we agree.
Mark went to a training about 25 years ago where he began to witness the transitioning of the terminology and yet maintained the same exact treatment philosophies.
The way we were brought up does have an effect on us but it is not binding on us. We still have a choice.
Sins have been taken out of the "sin" category and put into the "sickness" category. Lou mentions David Tyler and Kurt Grady's book, Deceptive Diagnosis: When Sin is Called Sickness (2006, Focus)
There is hope. If you are set free by Jesus Christ, you are not an alcoholic, you are a child of God.
"As you minimize sin, then being saved is not that big of a deal. I just had this chemical problem in my brain, but other than that I was a pretty good person." - Lou Samaritano
Three crosses are in The Addiction Connection logo, and that is purposeful -- Mark explains.
Jim Quigley joins Dr. Mark Shaw to discuss the myths of addiction in Dr. Lance Dodes' book, "The Heart of Addiction". Mark and Jim debunk the myths of addiction from a biblical perspective, taking it a step further.
Proverbs 3:5-8
What is meant by the world when they use the term, "Surrender?" vs. what Christianity says about our inability to surrender.
8:20 - False humility apart from Christ and what repentance really means
9:47 - What the secular system thinks about will power and a higher power
11:43 - The illusion that the self-help system has helped millions of people but Dr. Dodes says otherwise, and so do we.
13:30-14:30 Jim summarizes what the world self-help system promotes
17:28 - 19:58 Surrender vs Submission and being transformed by God's power from God's Holy Spirit and God's Word
20:23 - Dying to self and still failing to acknowledge the source of the power
22:35 - Myth #5 You should count your days of sobriety.
24:00 - Does the chip system do more harm than good? Going back to zero every time you mess up
26:30 - 30:25 - Pursuing sobriety for the glory of God and knowing the bedrock truth that you are in Christ and don't need a reset
31:00 - Acknowledging God as you make and achieve goals of sobriety
31:45 - Vine and branches idea from Jim Quigley - fruit that remains coming from repentance
35:25 - Salvation cannot be lost because God gave it in the first place
In this podcast series, we're looking into Lance Dodes' 10 Myths of Addiction. We're joined by CJ McMurry a TAC Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor from The Refuge, a residential program for men in Winterset, Iowa as we discuss Myth #3. Find more people who help and the programs they run at www.theaddictionconnection.org
2:23 - 2 TImothy 3:2-5
3:00 - Myth #3 "If you have an addiction, you are self-destructive". The description of our problem from God's point of view; apart from Christ this is our bent
5:40 - Jeremiah 2:13 tells us about our two evils - forsaken the fountain of living waters and hewn out broken cisterns that hold no water. We always want to seek our own way rather than submit to the Lord's plan
7:30 - Addictive choices do lead to destruction but the reality is that your motivation is that you love what you THINK it does for you
8:26 - "Having an addiction" vs. desires within me
11:32 - The Biblical approach says 'lovers of self' which is feeding the flesh and self-loving (not self-destructive) according to 2 Timothy
13:40 - Augustine of Hippo said, "My heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee"
16:15 - What about self-esteem? Matthew 22:37-40 tells us that Jesus knows we don't have a problem loving ourselves. We just need to love others as much as we already love ourselves.
18:45 - Book we recommend by Nicolas Ellen, entitled, Self-Esteem, Self-Image, Self-love: How to Trade the Trinity of Self Worship for the Triangle of Self-evaluation
20:37 - Having an addiction. vs. Having a sinful heart problem
22:50 - Quote from Puritan, Thomas Watson: "Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet."
24:40 - Jeremiah 2:13 Turning our back on God and looking for other ways to fill our hearts will only sicken, poison, and destroy us.
25:27 - What's going on at the mens' residential program of The Refuge in Winterset, Iowa, Snd Saylorville GCR (Gospel-Centered Recovery)
Find more resources we recommend at www.theaddictionconnection.org/published-resources
10 Myths of Addiction Series on TAC Podcast
Pastor Wes Pinkley joins us as we discuss Myths #1 and #2 of Lance Dodes' book "The Heart of Addiction" - but we examine these myths (which we agree with) but take them further by looking at the myths through a biblical perspective. Applications are made to pleasurable food items, marital sexual, relations, temptations of video gaming, pornography, heroin, opioids, surgical anesthesia.
3:50 - Lance Dodes' view of Myths of Addiction
4:45 - Myth #1 "You are addicted to things that are addictive".
7:30 - Summary of Dodes' entire book
17:15 - Myth #2 "You have to hit bottom before you can get well"
26:00 - Using Biblical words
34:56 - Discussion of the unclean and clean commands in the Bible and your faith causing another brother to stumble based on Romans 14:13ff
37:30 - Building our house upon the Rock, the truths of Scripture, and applications to marriage
41:40 The joy of abiding in Christ and being saved by grace.
44:30 Encouragement for obtaining The Addiction Connection Commissioning process. Find out more at www.theaddictionconnection.org/commissioning/
Guest in the studio, Kirby Johnson, joins Mark Shaw on today’s podcast! In episode #56, Kirby tells us a little bit of his story. But in this episode, Kirby expounds even more about how God has worked through his life.
Kirby was an addict and now is a redeemed follower of Jesus. The Lord used a biblical residential program in Washington as the main area of growth in his life—not just allowing him to “recover” but to be transformed from the inside out. Today, he is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with TAC. He also serves in a variety of ways in his church, in small groups for those caught in addiction, and counsels others regularly. Counseling is his biggest passion – he desires to share with others the same hope that he has found in Christ!
Kirby’s life verse is 2 Corinthians 5:21 which says: For our sake he made him be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
A regular on The Addiction Connection Podcast, our friend Jim Quigley joins us from Freedom Farm Ministries in Boone, NC to talk about a book that he requires the men at his addiction residential program to read. In fact, we think it’s a book that everyone should read. The fictional novel, Bo’s Café, by John Lynch, Bill Thrall, and Bruce McNicol explores our need for mentoring, discipline, and relationships with those around us.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw's dad, Ronny Shaw, joins today’s podcast. If you’ve ever contacted The Addiction Connection by phone, you’ve most likely spoken with Ronny. As an evangelist, his life verse is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
0:57 Ronny’s favorite Bible verse
1:25 Life story
4:45 Saved at 25
11:15 Counseling stories (& juicy ones about Mark)
15:45 TAC is a family-run ministry
16:45 We who are saved are one family in Christ. Want to join the family? Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today.
Gal 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
1:30 What is real hope?
3:00 Temporal hope vs eternal hope
4:40 Power of hope in the union with Christ
7:00 If you’re in Jesus, you already HAVE this
7:30 Identity
8:20 The work of hope in transformation
13:30 Addicted to Jesus instead of selfish desires
14:00 Reconciliation
15:45 Practical ways to resist temptation. Submit to God. See Him as more glorious. Then, you can resist temptation.
22:15 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you”
Dr. Cindy Jones, a CABC with The Addiction Connection, serves with Healing Hearts Ministry and joins us on today’s podcast. Healing Hearts is the umbrella from which various ministries flow, such as women's conferences bible studies, speaking engagements, and more. Their flagship ministry outreach is Free Indeed Restoration Ministry for men, women, and teens. It's a recovery ministry of sorts, but ultimately their focus is upon helping others be transformed and set free by the power of God.
In this podcast episode series, we discuss celebrities who struggled with addiction.
2:28 Philippians 1:6 says “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
2:45 Whitney Houston’s faith
4:30 Idols of the heart
7:00 Hopelessness in the thick of the addiction
8:00 Acronym for H.O.P.E. (Hold On, Pain Ends)
8:30 God’s Word sets us free
9:20 The word “process” isn’t a word we like to hear.
10:00 Is “recovery” in the Bible?
12:00 Crying out to God for help and laying down our pride
15:00 Certainty of hope
17:30 What would you say to someone who is looking for love in all the wrong places?
18:30 Loneliness
20:50 Connect with Cindy at www.healinghearts4jesus.org. Starting back up soon, you can also find more about Free Indeed Restoration Ministry.
Shirley Crowder, Vice President of The Addiction Connection, joins us on the podcast for a very special announcement! The Addiction Connection is excited to publish Advent: Meditations for Addicts by Shirley Crowder and Mark E. Shaw. Learn more about this resource and behind-the-scenes of how and why we created this resource especially for transforming addicts, but also for any Christ-follower.
5:30 About the book
8:30 What the candles represent
10:30 Start reading 5 weeks before Christmas
13:18 Shirley’s last advent season with her mom
17:35 Our prayer for those who read this book
18:27 Available on Amazon Kindle and in print
19:00 What this book helps us focus on during the Christmas season
22:30 Adjectives to describe God’s love
28:09 The first of many books that will be published by TAC
30:10 Grab your copy today!
Jim Quigley, a CABC with The Addiction Connection and Executive Director of Freedom Farm Ministries, joins us as we discuss celebrity musicians' struggles with addiction.
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
6:45 – Music becoming our identity. Musicians speaking into our lives.
7:31 Discussion of various bands. James 1:14 - But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
20:00 Living for Christ
23:00 “The Gospel itself doesn’t change but it continues to bring new life to people” -Jim Quigley
Louis Samaritano, a CABC with The Addiction Connection, joins us on this special podcast series discussing celebrities who struggled with addiction.
Louis discusses Micky Mantle, who was a professional baseball player for the New York Yankees.
2:00 Hebrews 2:14 "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery."
8:23 What were Micky’s addictive behaviors?
11:00 Redemption - Bobby shares the Gospel with Micky.
15:35 Sow the seed. Don’t give up. Share the Gospel. Reach out with compassion and love.
16:20 Nothing on earth can fill the void we have. Only Jesus can.
17:30 Lou’s website is www.abiblicalcounselor.com, be sure to check it out.
Mark addresses the hopelessness of the lyrics of this song "Glorious Sons – S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun)".
Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (ESV)
6:00 Where is the hope in this world of suffering?
7:00 What does biblical counseling offer those saying they are contemplating suicide?
10:04 What is the Hope that the Gospel offers?
Proverbs 15:13 "A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but by sorrow of heart, the spirit is crushed."
Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 "Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors, there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. 2 And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. 3 But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun."
16:45 What does the orange, three-cross LOGO of The Addiction Connection really mean?
18:27 Resources available to those who feel hopeless
www.theaddictionconnection.org
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/ or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (ESV)
Dr. Shaw quotes from Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers a book by Dane C. Ortlund.
What is the meaning of the "Rest and Rejuvenation" theme at the TAC Summit?
What resources will be at the TAC Summit?
What is the Prayer Room at the TAC Summit?
What if you need some counsel, help, or encouragement at the TAC Summit?
The 2020 TAC Summit took place November 12-14.
Psalm 133:1-3
"Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore." (ESV)
8:15 Mark asks CJ what makes the 2020 annual TAC Addiction Connection Summit different from many other conferences.
11:00 Mark mentions Terry McCutcheon with Hope for Glasgow, a resource on the TAC network's non-residential programs page.
13:50 How are the Summit breakout discussion groups divided?
17:50 Mark and CJ talk about the speakers coming to the 2020 TAC Summit Brad Bigney, Howard Eyrich, Bill Hines, and Jim Berg
24:39 Will the spouses of those in addiction ministry feel connected at The Summit?
CJ McMurry is the Program Director on staff at The Refuge in Winterset, Iowa, and he is a CABC, Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection. The Refuge is one of the Residential Addictions Ministries listed on The Addiction Connection's website with a genuinely biblical approach to caring for those with what the world calls the "diseases" or "illnesses" of "Substance Use Disorders" and "Alcohol Use Disorders."
Dr. Mark E. Shaw discusses the "Florida Shuffle."
Proverbs 22:1-2
"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor meet together; Lord is the Maker of them all."
1:22 What is the recent news about Florida's drug treatment situation for those diagnosed with Substance Use Disorder?
5:01 What does the ACA (Affordable Care Act) have to do with current trends in treatment for those labeled with Substance Use Disorder?
6:00 What about relapse?
8:40 What are the priorities of the providers of addictions biblical counseling listed on The Addiction Connection website?
10:52 How can you find out about best practices in biblical addictions ministries? (Come to our annual Summit event!)
What is the Partnership Between the Holy Spirit and the Word of God? Find encouragement for addictions biblical counselor from the Word of God today.
1 Corinthians 2:6-16
4:18 ACBC has started an Addictions Specialization. Find out more here.
6:30 Who is the only ONE who can comprehend the thoughts of God? (verses 11-12)
7:30 How can we understand what God wants us to understand?
7:55 How do the words we use make a difference?
8:59 Is God's Help equal to self-help?
9:20 What are Spiritual words?
10:15 Philippians 2:12-13 "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
(ESV)
So what is God's good pleasure?
12:17 Hebrews 4:12-13 "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
13:49 How and why does God pierce you?
15:06 What happens when your weapon that you are using is NOT the sword of the Spirit?
1:56 October 5-6, 2020 is the annual ACBC conference (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) where Mark will give a workshop on this topic. "The Practical Outworking of the Holy Spirit in Addiction Counseling"
3:10 God's Spirit indwells a believer. John 14:16-17
5:10 What does it mean to "quench" the Holy Spirit?
5:27 Galatians 5:16-26
7:47 Key Doctrines of the Bible from John MacArthur's study bible
11:00 How God's Holy Spirit is here alive and doing the work through you
Dr. Mark E. Shaw continues the series during National Recovery Month, which he has renamed National Transformation Month for Christians.
Luke 6:45
"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (ESV)
1:01 Is the word addiction actually in the Bible?
1:11 Benjamin Rush
2:18 Sin, drunkenness, idolatry, witchcraft, "pharmakia"
2:43 The Center on Addiction answers the question, "What is an Addiction?"
5:02 A complex chronic medical fatal disease that eliminates the entire Body of Christ?
11:48 People with addiction or people who get stuck in their enslaving desires?
13:05 How you define the problem will determine how you deal with it
13:44 Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): what does the addiction world think of this treatment for those with addiction? Suboxone, methadone, etc
15:29 What do believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have that the world doesn't have?
16:27 What is the Biblical definition of addiction? Ephesians 5:18 and Luke 6:45
17:40 What does Jesus mean by "good person" in Luke 6:45?
18:15 Mark Shaw's redefining of the world's definition of addiction as of 2020
19:56 Physical enslaving component of addiction
20:37 Worship disorder or substance use disorder? Isaiah 44:9-20
22:40 What about sin? Is this hard and cruel to say it this way?
25:10 How will you take this message of truth to the world around you?
Discussion with Lou Samaritano, who holds a Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Counseling, Certification with ACBC, and also holds the credential of Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor (CABC) with The Addiction Connection. Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Dr. Samaritano discuss ministry to hurting souls, especially those who struggle with sins associated with addiction (aka "Substance Use Disorder" or "Alcohol Use Disorder").
Opening: Galatians 2:20
3:40 Why do we need other people in applying scripture to our lives?
6:00 Lou's website is abiblicalcounselor.com where his ministry offers "loving help for hurting people through God's truth" in Sayville and the Long Island, New York area.
7:30 Speaking the truth in love and hearing it for ourselves (as biblical counselors) at the same time
8:08-17:20 Lou's personal spiritual journey
17:30 The Addiction Connection's goal of promoting and highlighting other like-minded ministries who offer genuinely biblical help to hurting souls struggling with addiction, (a.k.a. substance use disorders, alcohol use disorders, opioid use disorders.)
19:55 September: National Recovery Month vs National Transformation Month
21:38 Seeking for satisfaction, comfort, & happiness. How the Lord came to give us life more abundantly. How everyone is a worshipper according to Romans 1, and 1 John 5:21.
22:43 What was TAC's commissioning process like for Lou?
24:04 The Addiction Connection's 4th Annual Summit 2020 with the theme of "Rest and Rejuvenaton" is in November. Find out more at theaddictionconnection.org
26:03 The secular world has led the way in addiction lately, but we have a message beyond sobriety, and it's about transformation.
A discussion between Biblical Counselor for Grace Fellowship Church, and Law Enforcement Officer Mike Petri and Dr. Mark E. Shaw of The Addiction Connection. The relationship between law enforcement and addiction (aka Alcohol Use Disorders and Substance Use Disorders) issues is the topic of their discussion. Learn about Mike's role as a Police Chaplain as well.
Introduction: Reading of Romans 13
2:22 Unwillingness to come under authority - spiritual and earthly
3:39 Law enforcement interacting with someone under the influence and the idea of sobering centers and jail
5:07 Frustration level of veteran officers and the different thinking of new officers
6:48 What is "for your good" regarding law enforcement in your life?
8:05 Similarities to biblical counseling and God's patience with us and our sin and our need for grace, mercy, and justice
8:56 How can we pray for our local law enforcement officers?
13:57 How we fulfill our role, our identity, and what we do for employment interact.
15:21 Mike's role as a Police Chaplain not just for the civilians but also for the police officers
17:57 What does Romans 13 say about perfect authority?
18:53 How can we as citizens interact with police officers?
19:52 Romans 13:5 "for the sake of conscience"
20:39 What is the hope of the Gospel for the heart of addiction?
Podcast 64
Biblical Counselor and Law Enforcement Officer Mike Petri and Dr. Mark E. Shaw of The Addiction Connection discuss addiction during National Recovery Month (or National Transformation Month for Christians) September 2020.
Opening with Romans 12:2
1:32 Truth and renewing the mind and sharing perspective and hope with others
3:05 Philippians 4:8 and feeding yourself God's truth on a daily basis.
4:20 What does the Christian have that the unbeliever cannot access?
5:07 Mark and Mike discuss a specific transformation story that Mike witnessed
7:52 Radical Amputation (Matthew 5) discussion. What about the overdose epidemic for those struggling with addiction aka (Substance Use Disorder) (Alcohol Use Disorder)?
10:00 What about unwilling, unrepentant persons?
10:36 How to fulfill the command for Disciple-making among men in your community
12:59 How to disagree in love after building relational trust
National Recovery Month (September 2020) has arrived again. People who struggle with "addiction" or "Substance Use Disorder" or "Alcohol Use Disorder" get nothing more than pity and stigmatization from the world system that assigns them an illness. Dr. Mark E. Shaw explains how God wants more and can grant true freedom in Christ.
[1:00] Recovery is a good word- to reclaim your old self.
[1:49] What the Bible says (2 Cor 3:12ff) about true freedom
[3:09] Why is transformation better than recovery?
[3:41] How can I be transformed?
[5:56] How the world's view of addicts is short-sighted.
[7:34] National Recovery Month - be a better version of yourself.
[7:53] National Transformation Month - be transformed from a caterpillar to a butterfly.
[8:39] Why pity for addicts isn't desirable.
[9:46] Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED - a new disciple-making program for those who struggle with addiction
[10:43] What is true freedom?
Dr. Mark E. Shaw and Dean Greenwood discuss the nature of the love of God and how to love people through biblical counseling.
2:00 Love is a gift God gives.
2 Corinthians 13 is an exclamation point to Paul's writing on spiritual gifts.
3:01 God the Father identifies Himself as love.
3:40 The key to proclaiming the Gospel. Our actions can be even more powerful than our words can express.
4:25 How does Dean serve the people of the local church at Grace Fellowship Church?
5:55 Letting the Holy Spirit use us.
7:30 Love increases the counselee's receptiveness to the correction offered by a biblical counselor.
8:20 Running to an addictive pursuit is a common way people react after being hurt in some way.
8:56 How addicts are hurting and how to help people deal with their hurt.
10:25 Teaching counselees about addiction. God gives us everything we need for life and godliness The way out of temptation.
11:40 The thorn in the flesh and an admission of weakness.
13:34 A Nicotine addiction.
16:20 Addiction as idolatry. Do we worship God or go get our peace, strength, encouragement from a drug?
17:55 How to help people who are failing to see God's grace and love in their own lives.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw describes the content of the booklet he authored, Understanding Temptation: The War Within Your Heart available at Focus Publishing here.
1:13 --This teaching is NOT just aimed at addiction counseling sessions, but any counseling because it covers the three basic ways we are ALL tempted to sin found in 1 John 2:15-17
"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." (NASB)
2:12 These three temptations are all also found in Gen 3:6, Matt 4, Luke 4
2:36 How are you tempted?
3:00-3:23 With a recent relapse of someone... what were you believing about God? What were you doubting about God? Why wasn't God enough?
4:07 Addiction is an unbelief issue, doubting God and believing only in themselves.
4:20 We really think we're good, and we really think we're "god." That's our sinful nature.
5:01 The word "lust" simply means a "strong desire."
5:19 Temptation to do anything you want to do without limits. To have what we want without limits. To be whatever we want to be without limits. Receiving praise from other people.
7:08 People who struggle with this pride of life tend to be people-pleasers, they really want people to see them in the best possible way.
8:01 All three temptations are in all of our hearts. Anyone can benefit from this teaching.
8:35 Special Offer: Now through Sept 25, we are offering this booklet to you if you send in a donation to The Addiction Connection of any amout while supplies last. (Continental U.S.A only)
9:20 If you'd like quantity discounts, Focus Publishing www.focuspublishing.com 1-800-91-FOCUS in Bemidji, Minnesota will currently give bulk discounts when you order this resource.
10:15 Diagnose your own heart first using this teaching and then use this booklet to help other people. Connected to Christ, you can pursue pleasure within his boundaries and His limits.
11:25 All three temptations /desires are redeemed when you glorify God with them, through and in connection with Jesus Christ.
1st Corinthians 10:31 says "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do all to the glory of God."
Dr. Shaw announces the completion of his " Magnum Opus." A video and digital program for addiction, entitled Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED. He begins by giving glory to God and thanking the team of people from TAC and the location and leadership of Grace Fellowship Church.
A curriculum consists of 12 units using the acronym
Be TRANSFORMED.
The first lesson is identity and teaches man's way and God's way. Who are you? Who's your creator? Addiction-- what is it? Why is this important? The stages of transformation. You can't transform your own heart. This program is useless if the Holy Spirit doesn't transform the heart.
And the glory will be to God no matter who uses this program.
T is for truth in love. Ephesians 4 15-16 says, "Rather, speaking the truth and love we are to grow up in every way to he who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped when each part is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."
The importance of biblical truth and we can't all pick our own truth. God's truth is the truth we need to embrace. John 1:14 Jesus was 100% Grace and 100% truth.
R is for repentance. Addiction requires repentance because it's viewed as our desires being sinful ones that miss the mark. Turn away from sin to Jesus Christ.
There are be transformed truths at the end of each unit. A is for assurance of pardon. The bad news is that the heart desires are sinful but the good news is you can be forgiven! How does God forgive you? How does God forgive other people? How to be like Christ? How do you forgive? Granting forgiveness to others. Ephesians 2:8-10.
"For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing, not a result of works so, no one may boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
Unit 5 N is for the newness of life. Continuing to grow daily and needing repentance in our lives and all the resources God has given us.
Unit 6 is s for sanctification. The work of the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of those doing the program (the participants.)
unit 7 is f fruit-producing. This is about godliness talking about pride and humility and Temptation.
Unit 8 ... is O...others-focused.
Unit 9 is R for responsibility.
M is for maturity. Which is cultivating a heart of gratitude. E is for exemplifying Christ being humble being submissive. D is for disciple-making, be a disciple and be a disciple-maker and being purposeful to help other people.
This program is an expansion launching out from the resources Understanding Temptation: The War Within Your Heart. Relapse: Biblical Prevention Strategies workbook. The Heart of Addiction. Cross-Talking: A Daily Gospel for Transforming Addicts.
Find the Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED program to purchase it at www.theaddictionconnection.org
This program gives you 66 lessons over a little over a year if you take four or five breaks with the pace of 1 lesson per week.
If you are an addict, you don't have to do it alone. Grab a friend or find a couple of people to go through it with. They don't have to be addicts.
Join our annual event, The Addiction Connection Summit: www.theaddictionconnection.org
Is addiction an issue of unbelief? "If you use drugs you must be an unbeliever.."
Unbelief blocks the experience of a vibrant relationship with God.
What are the distractions from the message of hope?
People are looking to the addiction of choice to fix what ails them.
Trusting ourselves. That's the heart of unbelief.
Prov 3:5 tells us to NOT trust ourselves.
Even when the circumstances are hard.
Be not wise in your own eyes. We lean on our own understanding and in those moments doubt God.
Not falling away totally because of the perseverance of the saints which I believe in.
But overdosing and dying from a sinful choice based on unbelief and doubt can lead to the death of the body. But because of their faith in Jesus, their return to their sin didn't nullify their salvation. There are people I know in heaven right now even though they overdosed and died.
The bigger message is more than clean and sober. It's about making Jesus Lord and Savior so they don't go back to the old ways of their flesh.
Unbelief is a key problem in the heart of the addicted.
Operating as if they are "god," they trust in their own solutions.
With all the fear inside the height of pandemic times, there are people who were and are still trusting in God – going into the hospitals and other essential service work for their employment. Their boldness exudes a trust in God.
We need exhortation and community every day. So I don't just need church on Sunday. I need to be talking to Christians every day.
90 meetings in 90 days. That's actually awesome instruction from the self-help movement.
I wish it were 90 church meetings 90 one on one meetings
We need someone every day!
It can be lonely and you can be deceived by your own sin in your own heart and become hardened in your heart.
Find somebody to exhort you.
That's the number one danger of isolating and living in your own world during this time..
We can become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Unbelief...doubting God and trusting self as if you are a king or "god."
You need somebody outside of you to point that out.
We have three different types at Grace Fellowship Church: care groups, community groups, and large group worship.
God loves you and wants good for you.
He knows that you are weak.
I want my kids to know that they are weak. You need Christ.
Don't try to do it in your own strength.
Don't think you've gotta be superman and do this without help.
"Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:12-13 (ESV, from biblegateway.com)
Ketamine infusion protocol clinics are now an exploding fad even though these clinics are not FDA approved for this purpose of what they are calling psychiatric care and therapy for depression or suicidal ideation. This drug is legally approved for sedation for surgeries etc but not for this purpose. Discovered in 1926 and utilized more in the 60s as an anesthetic, Ketamine was used to tranquilize horses as well. Ketamine infusion protocols for people at outpatient clinics are what is alarming.
It's an "Off-Label" use of ketamine for suicidal ideations and for other situations in people who are finding that the medicines they have tried are not working for their depression.
People pay upwards of $300 to sit in a comfortable chair, and get an IV started to receive the anesthesia drug ketamine infused into their veins over a period of about 25 minutes and then go home. This is the therapeutic intervention that is being tried now for depression.
The sad thing is that people are reporting that they have out-of-body experiences, feel at peace, and feel a connectedness to others during their time there. The motivation to help people with depression is something to be commended but I'm concerned that this is not the answer, Dr. Shaw explains.
I think we need to quit looking for answers from drugs.
Dr. Shaw mentions Jonathan Isaac, the Orlando Magic basketball player who recently shared the Gospel very well and very accurately in a news conference.
We have the hope of the Gospel. Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross for our sins. Those who place their trust in him for salvation are saved eternally. Dr. Shaw says he's saddened by the increasing search for hope from drugs.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw talks about the group of individuals and ministries that comprise The Addiction Connection. Reading 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, Mark explains the theme for the previous Addiction Connection Summits (TAC's annual gathering every fall). Verses 9-12 paint a broad picture that Dr. Shaw applies to those who are helping the addicted and their families. CABC (Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors) are sacrificing, working hard, serving in their local churches and their own ministries. They are persevering saints. Verse 13 talks about the Word of God being at work inside a believer's heart. Mark mentions the Selfie Dad movie, which is about an average marginal Christian who was not really doing much in his walk with Christ. The Word of God was exalted as something to be feasting upon... reading, studying, memorizing, and focusing upon the Bible.
When the Holy Spirit does this work in your heart, people become dear to you – not problems you have to fix or cases that you have to counsel. Loving those who are living for themselves is a powerful message that is only perfectly done by God. God is the picture of loving the unlovely hearts. The counselors we have on our TAC website emulate God in this way. We say they are amazing people and we mean it. Because we have people on our TAC website who have adopted children even one who was left at their ministry by someone who they had helped. These people are helping the addicted and their families in ways that are mind-blowing.
We have residential programs. We have non-residential programs that meet weekly. Several counselors that are listed are genuine, faithful to God as they honor God and serve the hurting addicted and their loved ones. The common thread is that you will find people who are trained and ready to share not only the Gospel but those who are ready to lay down their very lives for the addicted.
"I couldn't be more honored to be a part of this group." -Dr. Shaw
The Gospel Coalition featured Dr. Mark Shaw on its Q&A podcast on July 29, 2020.
Special guest Kirby Johnson joins Mark Shaw on today’s podcast! Kirby was an addict and now is a redeemed follower of Jesus. The Lord did amazing things in his life, using a biblical residential program in Washington as the main area of growth in his life — not only recovering, but also being transformed from the inside out.
Today, he is working toward becoming a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor through TAC's relational disciple-making process. He also serves in a variety of ways in his church, in small groups for those caught in addiction, and counsels others regularly. Counseling is his biggest passion – he desires to share with others the same hope that he has found in Christ!
Kirby’s life verse is 2 Cor 5:21 which says: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Connecting The Hope Of The Gospel With The Heart Of Addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
Dr. Mark E. Shaw talks with Tim Brown, founder of His Steps Ministries. Tim also serves on the TAC Board of Directors and is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor. As a counselor, teacher, and disciple-maker, Tim is a faithful servant of Jesus Christ who has a heart for those struggling with addiction.
In this podcast, Mark and Tim begin the discussion by reading Psalm 91 and posing the question: in whom do you find your shelter and refuge?
You might think the answer is easy: Jesus, of course! But do we always make him our refuge? Do we daily seek to make Him our #1? Tim talks about how our flesh oftentimes gets in the way of making Christ the center of our lives. It's amazing: a thousand times we fail Him, yet He remains faithful to us. What love!
Thought is what affects how we feel, and then drives our actions. Reactions to circumstances in our lives amount to one of two things: worry or worship. We must focus on the root of our actions: our thoughts.
What are you thinking about others? What do you think about God? What are your thoughts about situations around you? Your answers to these questions will dictate how you respond to everything in life.
Fill your mind with God’s Word, and He will change the way you feel and act.
It's a crazy time. In a world of chaos, a pandemic, racism, violence, and increasing sin — we as Christians can rest assured that God is with us and He is in control.
Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 46:10 be still and know that I am God
God allows suffering in our lives to bring us ultimately closer to Him and to serve Him better in this life, as we eagerly await the life eternal.
Get Involved! We encourage you to get involved in ministry to the addicted, receive training, as the addicted need the church to point them to Jesus. Find out how to get equipped here.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise - Prov. 20:1.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw opens with this verse in today's podcast. He discusses how the desire for any kind of selfish pleasure-seeking leads to despair, unhappiness, and unwise living.
As Christians, we are not to partner with evil and darkness. Instead, we are to walk as children of light.
Eph 5:18-19 says, And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Dr. Shaw speaks about being a life that is led by the Holy Spirit brings glory to God, blessing those around you, and how to be that person!
Star football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Christian, Ben Roethlisberger is very open about his addictive past: both to alcohol and pornography. In a quote via ESPN, Ben states that "it's not always easy. People don't realize all the time that we athletes, we're human. We sin like everybody else. I am no different. We make mistakes. We get addicted to things. We sin. We're human. I think sometimes we get to be put on this pedestal where we can't make mistakes. I've fallen as short as anybody. I've been addicted to alcohol. I've been addicted to pornography, which makes me then not the best husband, not the best father, not the best Christian I can be" (USA Today).
Dr. Mark Shaw agrees that addiction is not a disease, but a sin issue of the heart, which the Bible calls idolatry. God has been faithful in Ben's life. Let's continue to pray for Ben as he seeks to honor God in every aspect of his life – including football.
In the US, as we celebrate the July 4th signing of the Declaration of Independence, we should also remember our need for complete dependence upon God. Why? Because as followers of Christ, we cannot forget that we need God - every day, every hour, every minute. Proverbs 3:5-8 states, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." Fearing the Lord includes dependence upon Him. An addict's decisions at times are independent of God, pursuing idols of the heart. We need to help addicts understand the fear of the Lord - turning AWAY from sin TO Christ. In doing so, the addict can find hope and healing.
Additionally, too often we, as independent-minded Americans (and humans!), tend to pursue our own ways while neglecting to spend time with God and being plugged into the Body of Christ. Hebrews 10:23-25 tells us, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Jim leads Freedom Farm Ministries in Boone, NC, and is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor (CABC) who also serves as a board member with The Addiction Connection. Dr. Shaw and Jim's discussion opens with Proverbs 14:12 — “There is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way to death.”
Jim informs listeners that the publication of The Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin in 1861 dramatically affected the Protestant church. It rocked the Christian church because it challenged large portions of the Bible by something that “sounds” really good. Soul care actually began to then be torn from and separated from local churches and became something Christians were scared about because of “science.”
Dr. Daniel Berger (drdanielberger.com) has written about the history of this decline of pastors coming alongside people to help them with their problems in his many books.
It just sounds right that I have a chemical imbalance, mental illness, and I have a disease, but it’s so destructive to lives and people getting set free.
Proverbs 13:20 is the next verse they discuss.
“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (ESV)
Sounds much like changing the people, places, and things.
This one is referring to people. The example used is someone going into bars in order to save all your buddies from the bars.
Proverbs 27:5-6 “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”
Rebuke does not mean you have to be mean. Truth can be given in a loving and gracious way. Sharing truth in an ugly way is bad but also not sharing truth because you are afraid of offending them is wrong as well.
“Wound and friend are in the same sentence. If you are wounding someone, [first] make sure they know that you are their friend.” -Quigley.
Gentleness is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Be encouraged to say the hard thing out of love. Have the boldness to speak. This proverb helps to speak to both the sender and the receiver.
All the proverbs are chocked full of truth. So wise to utilize the book in counseling.
Find the ministry where Jim serves as Executive Director at www.Freedomfarmmistries.org
Dr. Mark E. Shaw announces the video series available through The Addiction Connection entitled "Family Help for Addiction: A Care Group Study". This study is catered to the family member who has a son or daughter, a husband or wife, or any loved one in the family who struggles with addiction. We typically focus on helping the addict seek treatment. The Addiction Connection website has a map: https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/people/
It will help you find people and programs; this network is expanding every day. We have over 50 commissioned addictions biblical counselors and also several programs that serve the addicted with a genuinely biblical approach: https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/residential-programs/
But, sometimes we forget about those who have been affected the most—the friends and family of the addicted person. Mostly the addict won’t come to the church for help. Dealing with the withdrawal and the physical part of the struggle causes them to seek elsewhere, and rightly so many times. But the church is uniquely stationed to offer help and hope for the family members and friends of the addicted. After working on their own heart work—which is hard work—they can help their loved one.
The study is based on the book Divine Intervention: Hope and Help for Families of Addicts, and the small booklet, Understanding Temptation: The War Within Your Heart. Both are available at www.focuspublishing.com
Mark describes how the Family Help for Addiction Care Group Study consists of 12 video lessons plus handouts that have Discussion Questions at the end, based on 2 Timothy 3:16. The discussion times are designed for small breakout groups so that each individual can talk about these things which are so painful in their lives. We want them to address these things, their own motives, their own hurt.
Mark says that this is a tension between truth and grace. How do I interact with a loved one, watching them make self-destructive decisions? The loved one is on a pathway that is debauchery, which is on the path of destruction/death, unable to yet see the hope and help available.
We’ve provided 12 video lessons, (online access only) 12 handouts, and 12 powerpoints in case you want to teach them yourself. We encourage you to take this material and use it the best way you can in your local church or ministry. There is a leader’s guide to help you as well as a video to introduce how to implement the Care Group Study. You could use it as a weekly study, a retreat, a home group study, or however you deem best.
We believe this Care Group Study addresses something that is not being well addressed by the church world by and large.
At the end of the day has a heart and a will, and has to make a choice to follow Christ or not on his or her own. Lots of success with this material has been seen even though it’s hard-hitting at times. The goal is to prick the heart to see that family members cannot change their loved one’s heart but they can grow and change. God is still on the throne. You can receive the care you need from the Body of Christ in your suffering. Register to receive this brand new video course on www.theaddictionconnection.org
"I was walking into church with a chip on my shoulder... I kept thinking about how these people do not understand me... " -CJ McMurry
"Addicts feel like... they have a special problem. If you are saying to yourself you cannot help someone because you don't have experience, you are not believing truths of scripture." -Jim Quigley
"If you use worldly language, there will be worldly solutions. We want to point people to Christ." -Dr. Mark E. Shaw
The three men discuss 1 Cor. 2, teaching experience versus teaching scripture, why the root problem of addictions are not unique, and what radical transformation looks like in an addict's life and in the church.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw welcomes special guest Oliver Underwood, who is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor (CABC) and serves as an Advisory Team Member with The Addiction Connection.
Mark opens by reading Isaiah 6:5-8. Oliver shares a little about himself and how he started reading Proverbs regularly.
He refers to Matthew 24:12: “the love of many will grow cold” and Hebrews 2:1 “lest we drift away.” In Revelation 2, the church at Ephesus is said to have “left your first love” (or you have left the love that you had at first). These warnings are to churches who are drifting into apathy, complacency, quitting, and growing cold. Oliver calls all of God’s people to wake up, to link arm in arm, and to truly be the hands and feet of Christ and be a light in a dark world. To put the light on a lampstand so all can see.
1) We need to be careful and quit farming people who struggle with addictions out to secular treatment centers.
2) Logistics and building structures should not be the emphasis that they are. Focus on those things can blind us to the real work of the Body of Christ.
Oliver challenges us: "Let’s get back to brokenness to when we were blind and our eyes were opened when we were lost and now we went from hopelessness to hope in Christ."
Mark exhorts us: "How often we try to cover our humanity and show ourselves as people who never make mistakes and as superheroes. We don’t want others to see us as weak, needy, dependent, or flawed. The brokenness (the humanity that we try to cover up) is something that drives the addicted heart. Just one more. It’s never enough."
The heart of Isaiah is in response to being in the presence of the Most Holy God.
1) All the details of what Isaiah is in awe of the presence of the Most Holy God. We as the church must be in awe of who God is. We must be captured by the Creator who made us. It should be something that captures our thoughts throughout the day…. Whether we’re looking at our bank accounts or our friendships, we should stay in awe at how God is relating to us. It’s an awe and a reverent heart toward who He really is.
2) We compare ourselves to each other instead of comparing ourselves to God. Jesus came for those “who are sick.” He came to the heavy laden who need rest. We are to be honest with ourselves that we need Jesus – that apart from Him we can do nothing.
Speaking to any unbelievers out there, Oliver explains:
“[Jesus is] not waiting for you to pick yourself up by your bootstraps… He will make you who he wants you to be.”
In the 4th step of the Twelve Steps… moral inventory can only be done by looking at God’s holiness. The right conclusion is: “I’m dead meat!” That’s Isaiah’s response: “woe is me… I deserve to die. I’m doomed. I’m lost. I‘ve seen God!” And Isaiah gets to a place of despair. That is what leads us to say, “God will you save me?” Not the fake me, not the polished me, but here I am, broken as we look to Jesus to be our hope. Here I am – send me.
Getting people equipped to do ministry even though they don’t have seminary degrees is one of the main heartbeats of The Addiction Connection.
We invite you to get involved.
Get equipped today to help addicts! Check out our Fundamentals of Addiction Biblical Counseling Training.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw welcomes special guest Pastor Steve Ham of Hyde Park Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Pastor Ham discusses the implications and applications of Ecclesiastes to everyday life. His church can be found at hpbaptist.org
Steve says the wisdom of Ecclesiastes is not a comfortable wisdom but it can help us in teaching counselees to formulate a biblical worldview as opposed to the philosophies, the psychologies, and the psychiatries of this world.
Rather than being “solutions” oriented in counseling, studying Ecclesiastes can help us see the realities of living life under the sun, why people often feel hopeless, and why we need to look beyond the sun. People are crying out that ‘Philosophies of man are not working for me, please give me the revelations from beyond the sun.’ God’s revelation is what we need! The book of Ecclesiastes pushes us to search for the answers in the rest of the Scriptures.
Depression, pain, suffering, and even addiction can all be addressed using chapter 2 of Ecclesiastes for example.
He was given all wisdom under the sun.
In verse 18 we find, “In much wisdom is much vexation,” and “he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”
“So the more we try to assess this world from under the sun, the more our sorrow just increases, the more the pain gets, and the more we see how really dissatisfying it is and doesn’t really solve our problems and just increases sorrow. Haven’t we seen that in spiraling depression? And people as a result of that –the more I want to numb my mind because I see no hope in it.” – Pastor Steve Ham
We see the list of things that he tried 'under the sun'.
Laughter
Wine (substances)
Buildings and gardens,
Possessions,
Sex
And yet it was not satisfying.
This applies to addiction but it’s about self, idolatry, and pleasure all being just a breath.
"Don’t pursue wisdom under the sun to simply solve your problems of this world. It’s all about hope – where are we placing our hope." -Dr. Shaw
"The hope, the wisdom, the help is in looking beyond the hope of this world to Jesus who says I am the way, the truth, and the life." -Steve Ham
Dr. Mark E. Shaw: “We work so hard to cover our humanity and pretend we’ve got it all together, conceal our transgressions, to look like we’re perfect, to look like we’ve arrived, that we’re the answer and we’re the hope. And counselors do this just as much as anybody. But really we’ve got to confess that we’re broken… I’m turning away from my own sin and turning to God.”
Reading from Genesis chapter 3, Dr. Shaw teaches about Adam and Eve’s attempt to cover their sin. Instead of running to God Adam and Eve saw Him differently than before. They sewed fig leaves together to make loincloths. The Bible says that the man and his wife hid from the presence of God. Then the Lord God calls to the man. Even in their explanations of what happened to God, they are blame-shifting… both of them shifting the focus but the keywords are the last three words – “and I ate.” So they did take responsibility for what they had done.
The Rich Young Ruler from Mark chapter 10 – Do we forsake what we love, and what we have done …? Or do we try to hide it? Jesus is asking him ‘make yourself dependent on Me.’ And the man is disheartened which means he wanted to quit. He turns and walks away from the Messiah. Why is that? The Bible gives us insight: he had great possessions. This is one way how we fruitlessly try to hide our humanity. In forgiveness is our chance to change and glorifying God. How are you trying to cover your humanity?
An example is given social media; in an attempt to try and promote oneself as the ‘little g’ god it is yet another one of our attempts to cover our humanity.
In the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear that there is universal loss. People are hurting, becoming more aware of their frailties. Are people clinging too closely to the things of this life? We don’t need to believe the lie that "it has to get better". Circumstances could actually get worse. This is how to find satisfaction and my contentment in one place. And that’s in Jesus Christ.
Dr. Shaw introduces Brandon Bower from The Lighthouse, which is a men's transitional housing program whose leadership believes in the hope of the Gospel for the heart of addiction. The Lighthouse is different from a detox center in that it is a transitional program. In addition to employment, four (4) weekly activities are required in the program:
1) Biblical manhood which is teaching them what it is like to be a godly man. teaching them a biblical perspective on issues surrounding an individual's manhood, relationships, drugs, sex, parenting, etc.
2) Life Skills Group – on lots of topics like anger management, self-worth vs self-esteem.
3) Mentorship Program – where local community churchmen are giving back to the guys by meeting with them once a week and checking in with texts or calls.
4) Church on Sunday.
Brandon briefly describes his upbringing as a Pastor’s kid, being outwardly compliant, and the lifestyle that he pursued in his adult life. He describes an encounter with a police officer, then to the judge, then to a counselor.
He became determined to be a biblical counselor because he wanted to get rich. (Brandon explains that his counselor loved Jesus and drove a Mercedes). But Brandon never wanted to work with addicts or be a pastor.
Brandon gives the background of The Lighthouse's six-year history with 2 houses, 16 beds, and says that since January 2020 they’ve turned away 97 people who were seeking help. So their board has approved the purchase of a new building that will serve an additional 12 people.
“We’re looking for the next person who wants change. If someone wants change desperately, we’re the place for them. There’s a lot of places around – even here in Ft. Wayne—who will give you a bed to get out of jail. That’s not who we are. We’re about helping people change.” -Brandon Bower
Find The Lighthouse and other Christ-centered ministries: TheAddictionConnection.org
The ministry is in the midst of a Capital Campaign with $300,000 needed to finish paying off the new building and renovate it. Find The Lighthouse: biblicalliferecoverycenter.com
In this episode, Wes Pinkley and Dr. Shaw discuss what an ambassador for Christ looks like.
Special Guest: Pastor Wes Pinkley, from Dublin, GA, pastor at Poplar Springs North Baptist Church. He’s a Pastor who counsels biblically through soul care. His church’s website is www.psnbc.org and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poplarspringsnorth/
Wes is also a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection.
Connecting The Hope Of The Gospel With The Heart Of Addiction: https://www.theaddictionconnection.org
Dr. Mark E. Shaw speaks with special guest Justin Lakemacher on the program. Justin is a Christ-follower, and biblical counselor, who serves as the Program Director of The Redemption House(redemtionhouse.net). He also is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection.
Justin describes four benefits of helping addicts think through an eternal mindset to help them live better one day at a time now.
"The Bible simultaneously calls us to live off of our daily bread (Matthew 6:11, 'give us our daily bread') but at the same time, it calls us to set our hope on the grace that will be brought to us at the return of Christ," Justin says.
"[It's] looking to the future without the lens of the Gospel … they’re not looking far enough ahead... because in heaven – the main joy about heaven is that we're going to be with God. We’re going to see Him face to face. What does that really mean? When we are fully united with God there will be no sin in heaven! In the new heavens and the new earth…there won’t be any detox, there won’t be any Narcan needed. No one’s going to overdose in the middle of the street... so, there will be no more tears…Every tear cried in addiction --the sin and the suffering that comes with addiction --will be wiped away." -Justin Lakemacher
Titus 2:11-13 says: "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." (ESV)
A Critique of the Twelve Steps: Step 11
Special Guest: Fred Bucci from Mayfield Heights, OH. Fred and his wife Lauri worship and serve at Cornerstone Community Church – you can find them at cornerstonemayfield.org
Fred and Lauri are both Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors with The Addiction Connection.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw continues the podcast series by asking Fred about Step 11 of The Twelve Steps. Those can be found at https://aa.org/pages/en_US/read-the-big-book-and-twelve-steps-and-twelve-traditions
Their discussion centers around how the Bible speaks into the lives of God’s people who have been addicted and are addicted. Many people use this self-help movement to stay sober, but the problem is when the self-help movement sets itself up as a spiritual solution that often falls short.
Step 11 sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
"If you don’t know Jesus then you can’t have conscious contact with God." -Bucci
1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”(ESV)
Special Guest: Daphne Duncan, a Christ-follower, wife, mother of three children, and Biblical Counselor at Summit Life Church in Southwest Florida and they can be contacted at summitlife.com
Dr. Mark E. Shaw continues the series by asking Daphne about Step 7 of The Twelve Steps. Those can be found at https://aa.org/pages/en_US/read-the-big-book-and-twelve-steps-and-twelve-traditions
Their discussion centers around how the Bible speaks into the lives of God’s people who have been addicted and are addicted, and how the Twelve Steps sometimes contradict what God says in His Word.
Many people use this self-help movement to stay sober, but the problem is when the self-help movement sets itself up as a spiritual solution that often falls short in exalting the One True God of Scripture. The doctrine of sin is foundational when understanding addictions. Here in this step, we are labeling the sin as “character defects” or “shortcomings.” Addiction can look complicated and messy but at its root is a worship disorder when our worship is placed on self rather than rightly on our Creator the God of the Bible.
Is this missing out on the liberty and the joy that can happen when coupled with the announcement of this antidote?
Daphne is also a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection.
Connecting the hope of the gospel with the heart of addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
Special Guest: Pastor Wes Pinkley, from Dublin, GA, pastor at Poplar Springs North Baptist Church. He’s a Pastor who counsels biblically through soul care. His church’s website is www.psnbc.org and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poplarspringsnorth/
Wes is also a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw continues the series by asking Wes about Step 6 of The Twelve Steps. Those can be found at https://aa.org/pages/en_US/read-the-big-book-and-twelve-steps-and-twelve-traditions
Their discussion centers around how the Bible speaks into the lives of God’s people who have been addicted and are addicted, and how the Twelve Steps sometimes contradict what God says in His Word.
Many people use this self-help movement to stay sober, but the problem is when the self-help movement sets itself up as a spiritual solution that often goes awry from the Bible and Christianity.
Step 6 says
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Wes says, "The addict is a soul searching for satisfaction. Aside from Christ, they will never find it. Who says it is a defect and who says it’s not? I would go back to the authority of Scripture and ask them to look at what God says. His power is made perfect in our weakness and Jesus died to set us free, I invite them to taste and see that the Lord is good." -Wes Pinkley
Special Guest: CJ McMurry, serves as Program Director at The Refuge in Winterset, Iowa, a ministry that serves those struggling with addiction. CJ is also a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw asks CJ about Step 5 of The Twelve Steps. Their discussion centers around how the Bible speaks into the lives of God’s people who have been addicted and are addicted, and how the Twelve Steps sometimes contradict what God says in His Word.
Step 5: “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” https://aa.org/pages/en_US/read-the-big-book-and-twelve-steps-and-twelve-traditions
As a 15-year-old, CJ was first exposed to the Twelve Steps when he personally attended. He also was well involved with the program as an adult.
"On the surface, this one looks super solid but as you look closer and dig in a little bit deeper there are some problems. Admission is okay but confession is so much better." -CJ McMurry
1 John 1:5-10: This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (ESV)
A response is given to page 83 of As Bill Sees It: The AA Way of Life. Collected Writings of A.A.’s Co-Founder: https://www.aa.org/assets/en_US/aa-literature/b-5-as-bill-sees-it
McMurry says, "I actually disagree with this statement that the 5th step of AA deflates our egos if we have a god of our understanding. If we have created a god that we can understand and fits our way of doing things, how does that really deflate our ego? Who sets the standards on what is wrong? We must call the problem what it is. It’s sin."
Dr. Mark E. Shaw speaks with Jim Quigley, a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection, about Step 4. Their discussion centers around how the Bible speaks into the lives of God’s people who have been addicted and are addicted, and how the Twelve Steps sometimes contradict what God says in His Word. A Christ-follower who now serves as the Executive Director of Freedom Farm Ministries in Boone, NC: www.freedomfarmministries.org
Many people use this self-help movement to stay sober, but the problem is when the self-help movement sets itself up as a spiritual solution that often goes awry from the Bible and Christianity.
The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous is a book of ideas and various contributors who wrote stories: https://aa.org/pages/en_US/read-the-big-book-and-twelve-steps-and-twelve-traditions
Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
"I was a poster child for A.A. … I picked up a white chip and I stayed clean and sober for six years, and, for at least a third of that I was very actively involved in A.A.. Now, that six years was followed up by a 5-year very, very dark relapse, and a lot of that was because of this trying to integrate AA philosophy in with Christianity and the inability to do that, and finally one of them won and praise God! God’s truth won out of all of that in my own heart and mind and I was transformed." -Quigley
Special Guest: Larry Ganschow, a Christ-follower who now serves Reigning Grace Counseling Center as the Addictions Services Director. www.rgcconline.org He also is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw asks Larry about Step 3. Their discussion centers around how the Bible speaks into the lives of God’s people who have been addicted and are addicted, and how the Twelve Steps sometimes contradict what God says in His Word.
Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
https://aa.org/pages/en_US/read-the-big-book-and-twelve-steps-and-twelve-traditions
Larry details the results of his addictions. God answered His cry out to Him, after childhood drinking, his use and selling of marijuana and cocaine which led to his arrest – even a S.W.A.T. team and a shotgun up against his head. After his stay in the Halfway House, he had an epiphany in which he wept and gnashed his teeth and decided that he would spend the rest of his life living sober and trying to help others get sober – and that was August of 1985. He’s been doing it ever since.
Larry’s thoughts about Step 3 – which he calls his favorite step to stay sober.
Special Guest: Bethany Roseberry, a Christ-follower who spent 5 years in weekly A.A. meetings. She is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor and serves on the advisory board of The Addiction Connection.
“Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” -AA
"We want to offer people suffering from addiction something far greater than restoration. We want to offer them reconciliation and transformation because in Christ we can be new creations." -Bethany Roseberry
Special Guest: Ben Funkhouser, Executive Director of The Refuge, Winterset, Iowa
He is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection.
Connecting the hope of the gospel to the heart of addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
Dr. Mark E. Shaw, Founder of The Addiction Connection, opens this series of conversations around the 12 Steps. A cordial consideration of other views with dialogue with other people is so rare these days. But this is what Dr. Shaw wants to do. The vast majority of the treatment programs in the US and around the world subscribe to the 12-step “theology”. 7% dissent.
"Because I have one listener whose opinion matter… the Almighty God. I have to do things that please Him. 2 Cor 5:9 tells me, We make it our aim to please Him."
Connecting the hope of the gospel to the heart of addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
Dr. Mark E. Shaw's focus in part 3 of The Prodigal series is the older brother's role and how the characters in the parable relate to addiction within the family.
Podcast #26 is the focus on the younger brother.
The father is the focus of podcast #27.
The older brother's role is the focus of podcast #28
The Addiction Connection's coming soon video series of Family Help for Addiction: A Care Group Study is where you can find Dr. Shaw's more thorough teaching on this Luke 15 passage.Find out more about how to obtain the study and all the supplemental materials as soon as it is released at www.theaddictionconnection.org. Obtain the book Divine Intervention: Hope and Help for Families of Addicts at www.focuspublishing.com or by calling 1800-913-6287.
Focusing on verses 25-32, Mark teaches about the significance of the older son's anger and refusal to celebrate the repentance of the younger son.
The audiences to whom Jesus was teaching this parable were the Pharisees and the Scribes.
The older brother has a mindset of thinking his younger brother is undeserving of this celebration and he's right. We are all undeserving of grace and celebration when we repent but that's what God gives us.
The older brother is angry and refuses to go to the party. Even when the father comes out to plead with him to come into the party, the older son answers with resentment. We aren't to be like this -- condemning people in their sin. We welcome them in their repentance and we welcome them back to the Father.
Mark speaks compassionate wisdom to siblings or family members of those struggling with an addiction.
Other members of the family feel ignored, mistreated, and often want to condemn the repentance of the addict when he returns. It's a common reaction. It is not right though. His anger and disdain are a result of his focus on himself.
The lesson is to all of us that when a repentant person comes to know Christ we need to celebrate that. Kanye West's repentance was recently in the news. We are thankful that he is professing to be a Christian now and that he is writing God-fearing lyrics and songs. It is a reason to celebrate whenever someone says that they are now following Christ. All new converts need to be disciplined and grow in grace and knowledge as they study scripture and receive teaching.
The older son in the parable Jesus told missed the point. He missed an opportunity to celebrate and rejoice with his father and his brother. We don't want to be like that. Look to Christ and look to heaven with gratitude when someone repents and turns to Christ in faith. There's nothing better than to see someone who is lost be found.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw's focus in part 2 of The Prodigal series is the father's role and how the characters in the parable relate to addiction within the family.
Podcast #26 is the focus on the younger brother.
The father is the focus of podcast #27.
The older brother's role is the focus of podcast #28.
The Addiction Connection's coming soon video series of Family Help for Addiction: A Care Group Study is where you can find Dr. Shaw's more thorough teaching on this Luke 15 passage.Find out more about how to obtain the study and all the supplemental materials as soon as it is released at www.theaddictionconnection.org. Obtain the book Divine Intervention: Hope and Help for Families of Addicts at www.focuspublishing.com or by calling 1800-913-6287.
Mark teaches how the father in this prodigal son parable of Luke 15 does so many shameful things--the ultimate of which is forgiving and establishing the position of his rebellious son.
This would have been unheard of in the Jewish culture of Biblical times-- both the shame the son exhibited and brought upon the family, and the shame that the father exhibited in forgiving him. The parable tells us that the father was looking for him when he returned, was ready to run to him, and did in fact run to him (another act of shame) to embrace him and kiss him. And the celebration begins.
The teaching of the Gospel message of God's justice being appeased through the sacrifice of His only begotten son Jesus Christ is what Jesus is teaching here.
God loves you!
He wants to radically restore you to a position of sonship.
He wants to adopt you into his family and to give you His robe of righteousness.
He desires to give you His authority so that you can represent him as an ambassador of Jesus Christ, and to lead other people to Him so they don't have to die and go to Hell.
You can be saved. You can be made righteous in Christ by grace, through faith and this is not your own faith --it is a gift of God, not a result of works so no one can boast.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw's focus in part 1 of The Prodigal series is the younger brother's role and how the characters in the parable relate to addiction within the family.
Podcast #26 is the focus on the younger brother.
The father is the focus of podcast #27.
The older brother is the focus of podcast #28
The Addiction Connection's coming soon video series of Family Help for Addiction: A Care Group Study is where you can find Dr. Shaw's more thorough teaching on this Luke 15 passage.Find out how to obtain the study and all the supplemental materials as soon as it is released at www.theaddictionconnection.org. Obtain the book Divine Intervention: Hope and Help for Families of Addicts at www.focuspublishing.com or by calling 1800-913-6287.
Mark shows how the son in Luke 15:11-32 goes from the disrespect of his father in the demand of his inheritance all the way to the lowest place of desperation.
Once the son in Luke 15 makes a plan to get up, arise, go to his father, he plans out what he will say.
"Father I have a sin problem" is how he words it, not I have a disease of addiction.
"I've sinned against heaven and before you," is the exact quote from the Bible.
Note his posture of brokenness and unworthiness and wretchedness. The glorious truth of the Gospel is that anyone can come to the heavenly Father and ask for forgiveness through Jesus Christ. You can't earn it. You don't deserve it, but the Father freely gives it to you.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw introduces The Addiction Connection's new video series for families of addicts. With twelve (12) video lessons, supplemental materials including participant guides, a leader's guide, discussion group questions, assigned readings, and homework, Family Help for Addiction: A Care Group Study assists churches and addiction ministries to have an outreach care group study that compassionately cares for the families of those struggling with an addiction of any kind.
What it means to walk by faith from Hebrews 11, the "hall of faith chapter" when you have an addicted loved one is compassionately explained by Mark.
The choice to "drive out a scoffer" from Proverbs 22:10 must be covered with tons of prayer, and tons of counsel from Christians who offer biblical counseling care. (Find a list of commissioned addictions biblical counselors here at www.theaddictionconnection.org.)
Family members don't want to be enablers or be seen as obstacles, but these are the two extremes of how an addict views their loved ones.
Ephesians 5 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eph+5%3A5-11&version=ESV
teaches us how to walk in the light with an addicted loved one, and not be an accomplice to their sin but be pleasing to the Lord. It also is the same chapter that tells us what to put on instead of drunkenness, and be filled with the Spirit.
Family Help for Addiction: A Care Group Study is an opportunity for churches and addiction ministries to use this material to help family members deal with the heartbreak of the addict in their family. Whether it's a husband, a wife, a parent of an adult child, a child, all the different relationships of family members, it's affecting the entire family. This group study all in one program will help them to see their circumstances in a different light. God can take that pain and use it in His way to accomplish His plans for His glory and our good.
Go to www.theaddictionconnection.org for more information on the release date of Family Help for Addiction: A Care Group Study and how to obtain the video series and supplemental material.
Both books mentioned, Divine Intervention: Hope and Help for Families of Addicts and Understanding Temptation: The War Within Your Heart are two resources available at Focus Publishing www.focuspublishing.com or by calling 1-800-91-FOCUS (1-800-913-6287)
"Any of these [addictions] are just tools that an idolator uses to carve out the tool of 'self'... the human heart can find any tool it wants to find addictive tendencies." Dr. Mark E. Shaw says. "You can gamble on the weather... Sports aren't the problem. Gambling's not the problem. It's the human heart's desires." This is the biblical approach to understanding addiction and finding hope – "to get grounded in the truth of God's word... and use these brilliant gifts to benefit others for the glory of God."
Dr. Mark E. Shaw introduces listeners to his long-time friend, Tim Brown, from His Steps Ministries in Georgia. He is active in his leadership roles as teacher/trainer for The Addiction Connection and serves as an elder at Faith Community Church in Woodstock, Georgia. I Samuel 12:24 is Tim's life verse and he clearly remembers the first time he read that verse which caused great rejoicing in his heart. "Out of the darkness of addiction and into the light," is the ministry theme of His Steps. Tim shares the story of his son's drug use being uncovered and how he and his wife went to their local church. Seeking help for their son's addiction problem, they trusted the referral their local church gave them, but sadly there was nothing Christian about the program. After spending $1000 per day out of their own pockets for their son's so-called "treatment," all they received from their son's caseworker upon his dismissal was that the crux of his problem was all rooted in the way they had raised him. So it was "all their fault" he was an addict.
Thankfully, being enrolled in a biblical counseling training class with Lou Priolo, a biblical counselor, Tim's thinking on the identity of the sinner being totally transformed became clear by the teaching of the past tense word, "were," in I Corinthians 6:9-11. And Tim's view on addiction was changed forever. He subsequently picked up the phone to call the founder of the modern biblical counseling movement, and author of the book Competent to Counsel, Jay Adams, to ask for a good biblical referral for people struggling with addictions. Listen to the podcast to find out what happened next and hear the rest of Tim's story.
Tim and his wife Kit live in Woodstock, GA.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw introduces listeners to Dr. William (Bill) Hines, author, instructor, and President of Covenant Ministries is the President of Covenant Ministries, Inc., biblical counseling and education ministry in Ft. Worth, Texas. Dr. Hines currently serves The Addiction Connection as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
He shares the personal story behind his book Leaving Yesterday Behind: A Victim No More. Dr. Hines then teaches that each person's sin is his own according to Ezekiel 18, and the end of sin is death. Leaving Yesterday Behind is structured by answering the questions: What is the Problem? What is the Promise of Scripture? What is the Process that we are given in Scripture? What is the Purpose of Life? – with the call to the Great Commandment.
The Good News is that we are sinners; we don't have a disease of addiction to alcohol, pornography, or our daily sinful problems, but the reason that is good news is that Jesus died for that and He gives us a way to overcome.
Dr. Hines also co-wrote the book, Curing the Heart, with Dr. Howard Eyrich – a description of why counseling from the Scriptures is the solid foundation that will not ever change because God never changes. The word "admonish" has a three-fold meaning: to warn, to stimulate, and to encourage, and Dr. Hines explains this structure of counsel to those he trains in biblical counseling. The Bible speaks to the heart of addiction, and Dr. Hines is eager to see The Addiction Connection be utilized as a vehicle to get more and more churches across the country doing more biblical counseling (as opposed to referring out to costly, secular programs with high recidivism). He desires to see churches using the sufficient Word of God to help all kinds of people with all kinds of problems, including addiction.
Follow Dr. Hines @billhines12 on Twitter.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw introduces listeners to his longtime friend and brother in Christ, Yogi Taylor, from Mississippi.
Acts 20:24 is Yogi's life verse and he expounds on dying to self and living a life that is Christ-centered. Yogi speaks about disciple-making strategies with addicted men that are more than just sharing and teaching bible verses, but relationally-driven training and coaching that occurs gradually through life on life situations. Prayer is a key component of disciple-making as well -- not just praying for them but modeling prayer by praying with them. He likes to find out what the men he disciples enjoy doing, what they are gifted in doing, and helps them to see God's plan in it all.
Yogi has been married to his wife Kelli for nearly 18 years and they have four children.
Connecting the hope of the gospel to the heart of addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
Dr. Mark E. Shaw introduces Steve Barnett, who gives his testimony of what the Lord Jesus did in his life. A powerful picture of how Jesus Christ offers the eternal "Hope of the Gospel for the Heart of Addiction." Steve currently serves as an elder at Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, Kentucky (GFC), a church he actually helped to start.
If you'd like to hear more sessions from GFC's Counseling and Discipleship Training conference archives, visit this site – you don't want to miss this testimony (around 35 minutes) of the transformational power of God in the heart of the addicted, which was given to the attendees at the 2019 Counseling and Discipleship Training at GFC. Find out more about 2020 Counseling and Discipleship Training. The audience who heard this testimony live consists of people who are eager to learn about "how to help real people with real problems by using their Bible." (quote from Pastor Brad Bigney (GFC's passion for biblical counseling here).
Life in high school in the 1960s for Steve consisted of his use of amphetamines, weed, drinking alcohol, LSD, barbiturates, cocaine, Percocet, Demerol, opioids, selling drugs, and selling to those who would sell drugs to others. He covers some of the very vivid visual memories of the first four months of his time in the Kentucky State Penitentiary as an 18-year-old, his subsequent time when he was transferred to a minimum-security institution, and his subsequent meeting of a guidance counselor there, who asked him, "Do you have a Bible?" and then, "Read the red," as God began to soften his heart. A preacher visited the prison one day and Steve received God's forgiveness in Christ. He then began aggressively pursuing Jesus through the devouring of God's Word daily while still in prison.
Four points Mr. Barnett makes to this audience of biblical counselors:
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If you have a choice in who you will be assigned to counsel, be sure to think, pray, and be sensitive to God's Spirit in how He is leading your desires on whom to counsel. AND, if someone is in charge of assigning you the people whom you will counsel, then TRUST that God is IN that process.
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Listen carefully. Ask questions of those whom you counsel and listen intently and ask more questions... to try to discern what's been going on in that person's life.
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Steer those whom you counsel toward God's Word. Use God's Word.
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Pray, pray, pray like crazy. Pray as your life depends upon it – because it does.
Listen to the entire testimony on the TAC Podcast here.
To find Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors all over the country visit The Addiction Connection.
https://www.graceky.org/sermons/series/cdt/
Dr. Mark E. Shaw interviews Pastor Gregory Kirk, Executive Director of the New Life Discipleship Program at the United Gospel Rescue Mission in Poplar Bluff, MO, which is one of The Addiction Connection's recommended residential addiction programs.
The COVID-19 virus is especially challenging to rescue missions like this one. Pastor Greg shares what is being done to continue to creatively serve the people of Poplar Bluff at this time. Psalm 1 is the basis of the discipleship program and the theme is, "Jesus Saves!" and the focus is for men to "Be intentional," a directive derived from Ephesians 4:17. Pastor Greg's many skills allow him to wear many hats at the Rescue Mission. He describes the structure of the program that serves so many homeless who are struggling with addiction. Pastor Greg closes by sharing how he stays positive in such a tough ministry and what keeps him going is knowing the stories of redemption from some of those whom he has served over the years.
Connecting the hope of the gospel to the heart of addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
Dr. Mark E. Shaw interviews Justin Lakemacher, Program Director of Redemption House in Minnetrista, Minnesota which is found on The Addiction Connection's list of residential programs with a genuinely biblical approach. He serves on The Addiction Connection's Advisory Board.
Justin discusses the ministry's slogan, "worshipping our way out of addiction." He explains that because every heart needs a radical transformation, immersion in the Gospel and teaching of the Biblical narrative and its practical application to life is the focus of the curriculum and teaching at Redemption House. Cultivating a new affection for God (with new desires that follow) is the goal that replaces the worship disorder of finding comfort and relief in things other than God.
Justin's life verse is Romans 8:1, and he tells his redemption story through it. He explains his role at The Redemption House, the phase structure of the program itself, the integration of the residents into a local church, and the transition back home.
Justin agrees that there are personal challenges to consider when working in residential addiction ministry so he must remain intentional to ensure he has relationships within his local church who care for him personally, and that he take breaks to make sure he has times of refreshing.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw interviews CJ McMurry, who is the Founder of The Refuge in Winterset, Iowa, one of the recommended programs highlighted on TAC's residential program page. CJ is one of the many key leaders and a member of the Board of Directors of The Addiction Connection as well as a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor.
CJ shares what he loves about 1 Timothy 1:15-17 and what his passion for addiction ministry looks like now at his local church, Redeemer Church. Not only does Redeemer offer addicts a residential program, but they also gather for weekly GCR (Gospel-Centered Recovery) meetings in which Dr. Shaw's The Heart of Addiction and other quality publications for addiction ministry from a biblical perspective are being used. Find more programming outreach all over the country on this resource page at TAC.
Dr. Shaw and CJ discuss how essential it is to tether all addiction outreach to the local church.
CJ answers the questions: "What makes addiction ministry so hard?" and "Who is qualified to counsel an addict?"
Dr. Mark E. Shaw interviews his sister in Christ, Miss Shirley Crowder, an M.K. and author from www.throughthelensofscripture.com. She is a Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor with The Addiction Connection and one of TAC's earliest leaders on the team. Mark and Shirley share a discussion on the truth and grace dynamic in disciple-making relationships and co-counseling. They also talk about the leadership and mission of The Addiction Connection, and the truth that addiction is not a disease but a life-dominating heart desire problem. Emphasis is made on Christ's offering of redemption, forgiveness, and a new identity, and the Holy Spirit's leading and sanctifying power for all Christ-followers.
The following published resources are available from Miss Crowder:
Hope for New Beginnings
Glimpses of God: a winter devotional for women
Study Guide on Prayer—A Companion to Prayer, It’s Not About You
Glimpses of Prayer: A Devotional
Prayer Warrior Confessions
Glimpses of the Savior: 50 Meditations for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year
Paul the Counselor: Counseling and Disciple-making Modeled by the Apostle
Dr. Mark E. Shaw introduces us to a brand new resource by Dr. Jim Berg called, "Help! I'm Addicted" available from Shepherd Press.
Dr. Jim Berg is a CABC (Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselor) with The Addiction Connection. He is the Executive Director of Freedom That Lasts (R) and hosts Friday night addiction recovery discipleship meetings that are reaching around 100 persons every week.
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Shaw reviews and highlights the key elements of Help! I'm Addicted:
What is ASAMs definition of addiction? (American Society of Addiction and Medicine)
How does Romans 5:8 apply to addictive struggles?
What did Christ's death accomplish for me?
In what ways does addiction feel like a disease vs. a "desire disorder"?
How has our "image-bearer" nature been vandalized?
What do Jeremiah 2:13, Genesis 3, John 8:44, and 2 Peter 1:5-10 have to say to the struggling addict?
In what ways do we choose to believe lies as opposed to accepting God's truth and making changes?
What is Dr. Berg's "Roadmap to Freedom?"
Dr. Mark E Shaw was recently interviewed by Carissa Koh of WORLD magazine on March 11th, 2020 in an article entitled "A Sobering Task".
Sobering Centers are starting to pop up in cities around America as an alternative to jail or ER visits for those being found publicly intoxicated. Dr. Shaw expounds upon this fascinating and fairly new attempt to intervene in an addict's life by discussing:
How do sobering centers work?
Is this a viable solution to the problem of addiction and public intoxication?
What are the benefits for law enforcement personnel?
How are ER personnel helped?
What are the costs of sobering centers and who pays for these services?
How are addicts receiving follow-up help? What about "repeat offenders"?
How does Romans 15:13 apply to this scenario?
What is the "Hope of the Gospel for the Heart of Addiction"?
Hosted by Dr. Mark E. Shaw, author of "Cross Talking: A Daily Gospel for Transforming Addicts".
When he uses the 45 daily devotional lessons, fascinating small group discussions develop. Each devotional starts with a scripture, tells a short snippet of a story, gives a "point to ponder," gives a short lesson, and then ends with a prayer. Dr. Shaw then explains the true double meaning behind the title of the book. He teaches Romans 12:2 as the goal of addiction counseling, not just a "better self." Salvation and Sanctification -- changing the heart -- are both important to God. The danger of calling sin a disease points people away from the forgiveness of all sins, even those of drunkenness and those of idolatry. Using the example of the use of the words recovery and transformation, Dr. Shaw teaches that God has something so much better for us -- such higher goals and purposes for us as His children -- which is the best way to live. The words from 2 Corinthians 3:18 tell us that we "are being transformed from one degree of glory to the other..." Recovered is fine, but being born again, transformed, and brand new is the promise that God gives us.
Connecting the hope of the gospel to the heart of addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
Dr. Mark E. Shaw continues his conversation with Ben Funkhouser, the Director of The Refuge in Winterset, Iowa (www.refugewinterset.com) that is "Taking the Light of the Gospel into the Darkness of Addiction." The Refuge is one of the few ministries to appear twice on TAC's Resources listings - both on the Residential and the non-Residential programs - because they are reaching out and providing care with a genuinely biblical approach to addictions. Ben reviews the admissions process, the context of the program intricately woven into the fabric of their local church (Redeemer Church), the biblical counseling they offer, employment of the men at Rose Acres, and the church volunteering time for everything from fundraisers to mentoring. Mark and Ben close the conversation by discussing the implications of Philillpians 3:8-11 on addiction ministry and the Christian walk in general.
Connecting the hope of the gospel with the heart of addiction: the addictionconnection.org
Dr. Mark E. Shaw introduces listeners to Ben Funhouser, the Director of The Refuge (www.refugewinterset.com) -- a brand new men's residential program for those struggling with addiction in Winterset, Iowa. Ben gives a brief history and mission of the ministry, mentioning CJ McMurry, the founder of The Refuge, and Jason Gurwell, the pastor of Redeemer Church (who started Gospel-Centered Recovery, or GCR). Sharing how Isaiah 4:6 communicates the heartbeat of the ministry of The Refuge, Ben illustrates how The Refuge helps men get away from the storm of the things that have taken over their lives and to find refuge in Jesus Christ and in the Gospel.
The Refuge is one of the few ministries that appears twice on TAC's Resources list - both as a Residential listing and a non-Residential listing at www.theaddictionconnection.org because of the comprehensive care they give to those struggling with addiction.
Using the call of Abram in Genesis 12 and the journey of Abraham in Genesis 20, Dr. Mark E. Shaw teaches that sometimes our lies, deception, and withholding of truth are clues that lead to what it is we might be afraid of. The heart struggles within a believer may still motivate the decisions of an unbeliever. Dr. Shaw encourages transparency in struggles as the best way to overcome a heart of addiction. "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom," so fear and trust God, over the lies we believe. Rather than living for self, glorify God and find the joy of the transformation process.
Connecting the hope of the gospel with the heart of addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/
Understanding the war of temptation in ourselves is understanding what cuts right through the heart of addiction. In today's podcast, Dr. Mark E. Shaw, the author of the book "The Heart of Addiction", highlights core elements of the approach – contrasting status quo models and how they can fail. He talks about the "secret sauce" and the impact of verses 1 John 2:16-17 and Galatians 5:16. Learn more about The Addiction Connection through our website with weekly personal messages from our leadership, ways you can get involved with our ministry, and exclusive deals for online courses and curriculum.
Dr. Mark E. Shaw introduces us to Pastor Adam Williams, Pastor of Family and Care at Mountain View Community Church in Frederick, Maryland. Pastor Williams discusses addiction, his ministry experiences, and shares some biblical imagery surrounding a favorite hobby he enjoys with his family.
Connecting the hope of the gospel with the heart of addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
Dr. Mark E. Shaw reads and teaches Proverbs 23:19-21 in light of our world's addiction crisis today. He elaborates on the intentional meaning behind T.A.C., The Addiction Connection, in each of the words of the name.
Connecting the hope of the gospel with the heart of addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
Bethany Roseberry shares with Dr. Mark E. Shaw the personal transforming power of Jesus, the importance of small groups for continuing in our battle against sin, and the opportunity in the local church to step into someone's mess.
Connecting the Hope of the Gospel with the Heart of Addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
Dr. Mark E. Shaw defines the problem and solution for addiction through The Addiction Connection's Unity Statement. Dr. Shaw brings scriptural encouragement for the battle to the heart of addiction.
Get involved: theaddictionconnection.org
Guest Tom Steffen shares the transformation from addiction, a new life through the personal impact of Galatians 2:20 in today's podcast hosted Dr. Mark E. Shaw.
Connecting the hope of the gospel with the heart of addiction: theaddictionconnection.org
In the 3rd episode of The Addiction Connection Podcast, Dr. Mark E. Shaw talks more in-depth about the mission and functions of The Addiction Connection.
Get involved: theaddictionconnection.org
In this Ministry Showcase, Jim Quigley shares the transformation of his life and the subsequent calling to ministry with Dr. Mark E. Shaw. "I couldn't imagine doing anything else," Quigley says. Freedom Farm is located atop the scenic overlooks of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Boone, North Carolina.
The growing outreach of Freedom Farm Ministries can be found on their website: https://www.freedomfarmministries.org/
Welcome to The Addiction Connection Podcast! Hope and help for the addicted is here! Substance abuse and addictions stemming from heart issues continue to lead too many to hardships, overdoses, and beyond. Dr. Shaw introduces The Addiction Connection’s mission to see the community of believers in the Body of Christ as an extension of love from God to the addicted.
Connecting the hope of the gospel with the heart of addiction: theaddictionconnection.org