Blog
Authority Issues and Addiction: What’s the Connection?
I haven’t always linked these two matters together, but as I’ve matured and examined my own heart, I see the connection in a way I wasn’t able to before. All glory goes to God in using HIS Word and HIS Spirit to open my eyes to see this accurately. Let’s start by understanding the terms biblically. The Bible is not silent on these issues. The big question is, will we hear it and submit to it? Authority issues are primarily…
Habits and Addiction
We are all habit-makers. A habit is defined as “a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.” Habits are repetitive actions, patterns, and practices and we are constantly making them. Habit-making is unavoidable. God made us to be habit-makers. Jay Adams says, “In considering the past, we have seen how lifestyles and patterns set by habit may become so much a part of one’s personality and behavior that he may confuse them with…
Addiction, Shame, and Regret
The Super Bowl and addiction have one big thing in common: Constant, high-def replays. At a typical NFL game, TV networks capture the action with 15-20 cameras around the stadium. But at the 2023 Super Bowl, Fox tucked 94 cameras into every corner of State Farm Stadium in Arizona. With all those lenses and replay technicians watching, there wasn’t a bobbled catch or toe out of bounds that escaped notice. When it comes to our addictions and past…
Addiction and Spiritual Disciplines
Are Spiritual Disciplines optional for the Christian? What comes to your mind when you think of spiritual disciplines? Buddhist practices? Maybe you think of having the “I can do it!” mentality? Or maybe you think of forcing yourself to do something that you absolutely hate? Do you see them as a crucial part of the Christian growth process? Or do you tend to shy away from them with the fear that you are trying to do things on your own…
Addiction and the Church
This is part 3 in a series of blog posts designed to be helpful to people who are struggling with some kind of addiction or habitual sin. The intent of these blog posts is to be really practical and point people who struggle to hope. Part 1 focused on repentance and part 2 focused on radical amputation. If you have not read those blogs I would encourage you to go back and read those as well. Part 3 is all…
Addiction and Radical Amputation
The last post on the blog was titled Addiction and Repentance-The Gospel Changes Everything. It was the first post in a series that is designed to address relevant topics for people who are struggling with life-dominating sin (addiction). Last month was on the gospel and repentance. This month is on radical amputation. In reality, this post could be an extension of the previous post on repentance because all true repentance includes radical amputation. Proverbs 28:13: Whoever conceals his transgressions will…
Addiction and Repentance-The Gospel Changes Everything
That title might sound cliché, but it’s the truth. Nothing radically changes things like the gospel of Jesus Christ does. We have seen this play out in the Bible with men and women that come to believe the gospel. We have seen this play out in the lives of those that have came to believe the gospel in the past. We see this playing out now with those that come to believe the gospel today. Past, present, and future genuine…
The Heart That Obeys God
Psalm 119:32 “I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart.” The heartbeat and hope of our ministry here at The Refuge is that every man who walks through these doors would be radically transformed by the Lord. That’s always our heartbeat and hope, but that’s not always what happens. This is a humbling reality for the staff and all those that serve in this ministry. We can’t make transformation take place in the lives…
Look and Live
In December of 2014, I was preparing to go on vacation with my wife Holly. Back then we only had one child, our daughter Emma, and we were going to leave her with my wife’s parents while we were gone. One of the things I was looking forward to while we were on vacation was reading several books. The week before we left I got my hands on a book called Look and Live by Matt Papa. Many people might…