The Church as a Community of Social Liberation: A Christian Response to Addiction, part 3 By Kevin A. Wilson, PhD The first article in this series introduced the transtheoretical model, which posits six stages through which people pass when they are trying to change. It also found that social liberation, a process that helps people…
A Theology of Addiction: Christian Response to Addiction, part 2 by Kevin A. Wilson, PhD The first article in this series, “Stages of Change,”explored the transtheoretical model, which posits six stages through which people go when they change. At any given time, only about 20 percent of people who are seeking to change are at…
Stages of Change: A Christian Response to Addiction, part 1 By Kevin A. Wilson, PhD When people think of helping those with addictions, the usual goal is to get the person to achieve and maintain sobriety. For most people with addictions, this means receiving professional treatment. It is therefore natural to try to help people…
Supporting Long-Lasting Recovery Once again, it is a blessing for us to share with you about God in recovery. One aspect of recovery that people often overlook is the importance of developing a solid support network. While in treatment, patients begin to realize that they are not alone in their addiction. When they lay aside…
Delivering Us from Evil As Christian parents, you do everything to instill the Christian faith and values in your children. You raise them in church, take them to Sunday school, teach them to pray and read the Bible with them. You hope that they live their lives the right way and don’t have to struggle…
Strong Foundation of God Our society values strength, independence and success. When we rush through our day-to-day life, juggling careers, relationships and finances, we tend to lose sight of what is truly important. You might be a strong, self-reliant person but without God, you have nothing. For the former professional wrestler Larry Pfohl, the life…
What is Forgiveness? A concept that people often struggle with in counseling is the idea of self-forgiveness. Patients often ask, “How can I forgive myself for all the evil things I have done?” “Who am I to be forgiven?” So many Christians who battle with addiction struggle with believing that they are not worth the…
God’s Love Shines Through When life challenges have become too much to bear, you feel depressed and overwhelmed. Sometimes the depression is so deep, you find different ways to escape the sadness and pain. However, you might embark on a darker path of alcohol and drugs. The further you go down this path, the more…
Rapping the Word of God There are people who know early on what they are meant to do and others who figure it out later in life. Christian rapper Thi’sl, born Travis Tyler, lived a sinful life, doing and selling drugs on the tough streets of St. Louis. However, his mission became clear in a…
Came to Believe You have faced the reality that you can’t control your alcohol and drug use. This might seem like a hopeless situation because you have gotten used to living a stressful and sinful life alone. Relying on something or someone to get back on track might seem difficult, especially if you have walked…
