• Topic > Life Struggles > Addiction >

    From Mess to Message

    Darryl was a baseball legend who nearly destroyed his life with drugs. But Jesus set him free, and he’s been clean for years. Today he helps others struggling with addiction and points them to faith. Looking back, he affirms that God turned his mess into a message.

    Nothing is too hard for God. When Jesus came ashore near a cemetery after a stormy night on the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, a man possessed by darkness immediately approached Him. Jesus spoke to the demons inside him, drove them away, and set him free.

    When Jesus left, the man begged to go…

    The Life of Peace

    In Perth, Australia, there’s a place called Shalom House where men struggling with addictions go to find help. At Shalom House, they’ll meet caring staff members who introduce them to God’s shalom (Hebrew for peace). Lives crushed under the weight of addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and other destructive behaviors are being transformed by the love of God.

    My Netflix Had No Chill

    A young woman comes home after a long day. She sets her things down, throws her hair up, and changes into comfy clothes in record time. Breathing a deep sigh of relief, she grabs her laptop and flips it open.

    My Struggle With Alcohol: The Spirit That Never Satisfies

    I used to drink a lot. Once, I had one too many that I stumbled about the streets and passed out outside a shopping mall in the wee hours. Some kind strangers woke me up and asked if I needed to be sent to the hospital.

    How did Paul break free from the cycle of sin

    Addiction puts people behind bars, both literally and figuratively. And we can become enslaved to a variety of things like drugs, gossip, TV, shopping, or a critical spirit! Today on “Discover the Word,” we discuss with our guest Karen Swanson the apostle Paul’s dilemma—one he expressed so honestly—“for what I want to do, I don’t do . . . but what I hate, I do!” How did Paul break free from that cycle of sin? And how can we? Tune in today to “Discover the Word”!

    Struggling With Addiction

    Eric was struggling with an addiction, and he knew it. His friends and family members encouraged him to stop. He agreed that it would be best for his health and relationships, but he felt helpless. When others told him how they had quit their bad habits, he replied, “I’m happy for you, but I can’t seem to stop! I wish I had never been tempted in the first place. I want God to take the desire away right now.”

    The implications of placing anything above our love for the Lord

    If you were to make a list of the things you love most, what items would be at the top of the list? We’re talking about what we treasure.

    A Poor Substitute

    What happens when a person abandons his faith in God? Cases differ, to be sure, but most faith-renouncers confess to sensing a void inside. They have an emptiness that must be filled. Inevitably, they turn to a God-substitute.

    Almost anything can serve as a God-substitute—sports, art, sex, music, work, gambling, drugs, alcohol, TV—even another person.