Toolbox - Addiction

Prayer

Lord, I submit this time to You. May Your will be done in these next few moments as we discuss addiction. Help us to have a better grasp on the deception that has taken root in our city. Lord please speak to us this afternoon.

My Story

I was someone that struggled with addiction for about 7 years straight. I was abused a child & had gone through the foster system for several years. When I found my natural family, I was introduced to drugs & I went all out until I had come to the point of suicide. I was introduced to Teen Challenge and after my 3rd attempt was finally able to complete. While I was there, I discovered my life verse.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

This verse really changed the trajectory of my life. Even though my adopted family raised me in church, I was under the delusion that I had to clean myself up to come to church. That thought was a deception & that is what I would like to talk about a bit here today.

The Principle

John 2:13–17 ESV

13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

I am convinced the principle Jesus was teaching through His actions here was that He came to remove all barriers that prevented the people from coming to their God. I am only using this as a principle, there are no accusations here, please understand this.

We as a church in this society need to figure out ways that allow us to make inroads to individuals that struggle with addiction. First let me give you a working definition.

Addiction Defined

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) Addiction

ad•dic•tion \ə-ˈdik-shən, a-\ noun

1599

1: the quality or state of being addicted 〈addiction to reading〉

2: compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal broadly: persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful

My personal definition of addiction is: Any action that causes one to change one’s schedule or manipulate someone else so that they can satisfy a particular action or craving, especially if it is self-destructive.

Initial Results

Shame

Fear

Label/Stigma

Anger at the loss of self-will

Confusion at why “no one understands”

Causes

From my personal conversations, speaking specifically about heroin, almost every story I hear starts out with:

About 6 years ago, I was in a car accident

I had a sports injury in high school/college

I had my wisdom teeth pulled & I was given a prescription

When the prescription runs out, the individual goes to the street to find a replacement, which could run anywhere from $60-$80 per pill. Then the money runs out, and they are offered something that is $10/pop & lasts longer, and is a better high…heroin. I’ve heard this story over & over.

Statistics:

Drug Addiction Statistics (Pew)

2016 Fatal Drug Overdoses (National) 

63.6K National OD's

19,172 in Urban counties (up 25%)

36,424 in Suburban counties (up 22%)

8,036 in Rural Counties (up 9%) Pew Research (http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/05/30/as-fatal-overdoses-rise-many-americans-see-drug-addiction-as-a-major-problem-in-their-community/)

2018 Prescription Stats (Talbott)

US makes up 5% of world population, 80% of world’s prescription opioid drugs

Prescription opioid drugs contribute to 40% of all US opioid OD’s

2016 more than 46/day OD deaths from prescription opioids

Heroin is typically the next step

75% of new heroin users abused prescription opioids

Abuse of opioid painkillers is declining among high schoolers, because they have become harder to get Signs of abuse (Talbott)

Keeping drug on hand all the time

Engaging in dangerous behavior while using

Participating in illegal behavior to acquire the drug

Changes in physical behavior, specifically personal hygiene 

Doctor Shopping

Stealing prescriptions from family members (& friends) https://talbottcampus.com/prescription-drug-abuse-statistics/ OH Mortality Data (CDC - OH)

2016 OD Deaths; 4,329 - 39.1% of all OH Deaths

2016 OD Deaths: 63,632 - 19.8% of all US Deaths

2017 OH OD Deaths 46.3/100K 5,111 OD Deaths 

2017 up 782 OD deaths 18% increaseCDC.gov These numbers are only the deaths that cannot be explained away or can’t fall into another statistic (hypothermia, car accident, etc)

This is just one form of addiction, there are many, many more. Alcohol, food, gambling, stealing, pornography, FB…you get the idea. Addiction is messy, it’s sticky, it’s ugly, but we can’t shy away from it. (example of Steve-O & chewing tobacco). Addiction, also comes with a lot of baggage, there’s going to be mental illness involved with a lot of individuals. Sometimes the mental illness leads to addiction, and sometimes it is the other way around. There is a need for grace and patience when walking with someone through recovery.

What Can We Do?

I know what we can’t do, we can’t ignore it. Chances are, you are currently ministering to people in your congregations that are struggling with one form of addiction or another. At the very least, we need to be bringing it up in our sermons. Personally, when I talk with individuals one on one I make them aware that addiction is a very relevant topic in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, it just had another synonym: idolatry.

Almost every church I speak at, I ask this question: “How many people here, are related to or know someone that is struggling with addiction?” Every time, probably 80% of the congregation raises their hands. The reality is, that the other 20% are just being fooled. Addiction is all around us, so not talking about it is not an option. We can’t be like little kids & close our eyes to it, thinking, if I don’t see it, it doesn’t exist.

One of the best inroads that we can make into this community is through the families that are impacted by addiction. Many family members sit in silence, because of shame. Many are thinking, I didn’t raise my child to be like this, but they are still watching their loved ones self-destruct. If we can come alongside these families and minister to them, we will have made an inroad to someone that is struggling. The reality is that every now and again someone that struggles with addiction will reach out for help, we need to have resources in the family members hands to have a ready answer.

The next thing we can do, is raise up passionate leaders in our local house that want to engage the community. These are discipleship groups. Equip your saints to be effective. There are people in your church that want to be engaged. Here’s another thing, I don’t mean to step on anyone’s toe…too hard, but we as a church, universally speaking, need to be working together. If your church does not have the capacity to run an addiction recovery group, partner with another church in your area that does. Recommend the group to those that come to you for help. We need to be kingdom minded here, not territorial. Here is the heart of God:

Isaiah 55 ESV

1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. 6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 12 “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Be aware of the groups that are out there. AA, NA, HA, Celebrate Recovery, Completely Free, & Overcomers. I know that AA, NA, & HA are not necessarily “Christian”, however, I do have a friend that made this statement to me which really made me reconsider the 12 steps. He said, I found God at an AA meeting, I met Jesus at a Methodist Church, and I was introduced to the Holy Spirit at Assemblies of God church. I really believe that we need to follow the example of Jesus in this, He met people where they were at. He didn’t distill the truth, but He met them where they were at. One of the best resources that I can recommend is the Life Recovery Bible and because I do almost everything digitally these days, it was the best $12 I invested into my ministry through an app on my iPad.

There is also long-term residential, short-term residential, & IOP (Intense Out-Patient) care available. It is really a good idea for individuals to get out of their neighborhood for the best chances of success. The minimal, in my personal opinion, is about 65 days, because it takes 63 days for someone to create a long-term memory. (expound on this)

There is also another group that focuses on helping families PAL (Parents of Addicted Loved Ones) that is a resource to equip families. There are two in the area (Maumee & Temperance).

Expectations

Dealing with individuals that struggle with addiction is hard, hard work. In the 3 & 1/2 years that I have been doing this full time, I have met over 30 people that I personally tried to help, that have lost their lives. Some are in prison, some are in jail. I don’t say this to discourage you, but this is a tough crowd. Recovery, is kind of like the stock market, there will be relapses, that is part of the struggle. This past December was my 21st anniversary of graduating from TC, but I still get tempted. (story of joint at homeless shelter).

The other thing with the small groups, not everyone will be as committed as the leader. Sometimes it will be the leader alone with Jesus. But the leader has to be consistent. There is a spiritual principle tied to Heb. 12:11

Hebrews 12:11 ESV

11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

If your church consistently sows into those that struggle with addiction, you will see results, I promise.

There are a couple of movies that I highly recommend, if you want to see real effects of addiction.

Beautiful Boy (2018) R

The Glass Castle (2017) PG-13

Resources

Closing Prayer

Lord, we come to you on behalf of this region. Toledo needs You in such a desperate way, and God, we ask that Your Spirit would be poured out in a mighty way here in Toledo. God our city is being plagued by a spirit of deception that we recognize as something that You alone have power over. God in Your Name, we declare freedom for this city. Please help us understand this deception of addiction. God help us to be Your hands & feet that act according to Your will. God help us to speak the life & freedom to this region that You have already declared. God may we have Your passion for those that need You most.