Addictions (SI17)

Everyone of us is homesick. We’re all longing for our true Home in heaven with all the redeemed and the Lord Jesus Christ. Because we suffer with this homesickness, we try to fill the void with fleet-ing pleasures that become habitual and turn into addictions. The way out of addiction is to wait pa-tiently for the joys that are to come, and to live in the hope of the promises of God: Jesus has gone on before us as a forerunner guaranteeing our safe arrival and complete satisfaction and joy. 

During 25 years of ministry, we have seen many struggle with addiction. We have made many mistakes, we have seen people abandon the faith, but we have also seen God rescue souls. This session will focus on pastoral lessons learned and will also feature the testimonies of some who repented and were restored.

This workshop studies the Biblical concept of the Fear of the LORD. We will define the term, explore its centrality to discipleship counseling both for the counselor and counselee and discuss how to teach this as the core foundation of counseling.

While some people turn to drugs and alcohol to get high or to relieve stress, many turn to food which can be just as dangerous an idol as substance abuse. Other people are addicted to fitness to the extent that it becomes harmful to their lives and relationships. How can we overcome temptation to make an idol out of our food and our bodies?

In this session author Chris Moles will discuss the important factors involved in counseling controlling husbands.

This session provides a critique of Alcoholics Anonymous (& other self-help groups) and Celebrate Recovery. It seeks to identify how messages in these programs undermine the Word of God and op-pose the Gospel. 

To say that we are addicted to our screens is axiomatic. As I wrote and researched this talk, I was in front of a screen. In this presentation, I will discuss a brief history of technologies, how they were received historically, how they changed the world for good and ill, and how pervasive this one is in our lives. I will talk about reasons to unplug (and levels of “unplugged-ness”) and ways to accom-plish that, all in the light of the gospel. 

This workshop explores the dangers of mechanical counseling that oversimplifies by employing a one-size-fits-all approach to counseling. We will examine the necessity of applying the Word of God to the needs of the individual and his particular circumstances. 

Addressing temptation and practicing biblical repentance are two keys for counseling success in ministry to addicts. This workshop will aid counselors in creating specific biblical action plans for counselees to utilize when temptation arises or repentance is needed.

What does the Bible have to say about the use of medication to treat depression? What does the current medical literature say about the medical treatment of depression? This workshop will attempt to answer those questions from a medical and biblical counseling viewpoint.

Substance abuse is often a factor in situations of domestic violence. In this session author Chris Moles will help counselors learn to deal with situations like these.

Families of addicts often need help as much as the addicts themselves. This session gives biblical passages and practical help for counseling the families of addicts. It also discusses how idolatry im-pacts the family, how enabling hurts rather than helps, and what can be seen when an addict truly repents.