Taking on Addiction (Special Guest Johnny Armand) | Season 5 Episode 1

Hey, seriously, this is season 5. It is season 5, right? Alright, it's season 5. Now, we've got a lot of topics coming up.

Plenty of them. Anna's got it lined out. We're gonna have a lot of special guests this season. And we're back to the table.

Hey, we had the table. We got rid of it. We came back to it. And now we come back to it.

I like it better. Yeah, it's great. It's like your go -to pillow. You get another one because you think it'll be more comfortable.

My husband. And it's not. You wake up with crinks in your neck that don't pop out. They just are sore. And you go back to old faithful.

You fold it in half. You scrunch it up. I mean, and you just... Beat it. And you just, and you snuggle up next to it.

You, like, in one corner of it. Wait till you get older. Then you start getting set in your ways. Really set in your ways.

You don't want to change anything. So you just hurt. So this table stayed. We didn't get rid of it.

It just stayed in that corner. In its back. And it missed us. This is a solid table. Old reliable. Yeah.

I like it better. But yeah, we spent a lot of time over the last few weeks coming up with new ideas for you guys.

Coming up with the set change. So we've really worked hard this season. Hope you guys really like it. I think they will.

Now whether or not they'll like me chewing my ice in the microphone. No, I don't like you chewing your ice in the mic. No, but if you guys have any questions, like we say at the end of every podcast, just make sure to leave them in the comments.

Share, like, subscribe, all the things. Yes. Do it. I'm not talking to you.

Thank you. Oh, I didn't know. Now, this first episode, now that I'm not covering my face anymore, this first episode is about addiction.

But before we get into that and the biblical text, we have a game to play, which is another way of saying I have a game to win.

By the way, go back to last season, we played three games. I won all three. It can't be disputed. Before you make a comment.

Except the spelling game. My teammate is back there, Amy Lewis. We won like eight to three. Okay, we didn't really stand a chance,

Alayna and I. I mean, you're a pastor, and that's your job to study scripture. Oh my goodness.

That's a valid point. I'm just being honest. Like, we were not doing great. Okay, first off, it was less about studying scripture and more about knowing the mind of Lowell.

It was the gospel according to Lowell. Again, that sounds a little... That's not us. Anyway, it was... Which was rigged.

Yeah, I used to do that. Every time I lost, I would say it was rigged. And then I turned nine, so I quit doing that. My mom sent me a text message because she watched the episode on laziness.

And she goes, by the way, Pastor Josiah is a sore loser and a cheater. Who said that?

My mom. It was the spelling game. It must have been during her surgery.

I mean, that's why she was sour about it. It was just like he is. And I said, well, I'm glad that other people see it just besides me.

Which game was that? The spelling game. When Alayna won. The spelling game? Oh, so you didn't win.

I didn't win that game. That's what I said, you didn't win. I didn't win that game. Oh, and then the other one. I'm not claiming I won that game. I won the 90s song.

I'm not saying that you... You said you won every game three times. I said of the last season. That was season three.

Do I know it was season three? Four, season four. No, but he doesn't know, so I'm just gonna say it. We're season five. I know. So that season was season four. It was like season three when we played that.

Anyway. We played that game in season three. Okay, anyway. We have instances of our pastoral staff cheating.

Cheating. C -H -E -A -T -I -N. Cheating. Cheating. Johnny and I...

Boston. We definitely don't have time for this today. We start on this.

Oh my gosh. My blood pressure is starting to rise. I'm sweating here. Look, I've made three people in this room actually mad from playing a game and them losing to me.

Three people. One of them just raised her hand. Not even in front of a camera. That's how angry they were about it. are you are you involving me in that number so what's the game yes tell us the game not to say cuz

I'm like I don't like I'm not mad mad you're just a cheater it's just facts yes did

I cheat last week we didn't meet last week but you know what I mean the last episode I don't even remember what game we played me and Amy again no

I'm not saying you cheated I'm just saying we didn't stand a chance oh I watched it was that the one with y 'all had to guess if that was scripture or not yeah or like pulled from scripture what was that the writing on the wall like you mentioned today like is that scriptures that just like I was in Sunday school

I wouldn't even think about our game you should have should use that one we play a game yes okay so the game that we are playing today is called the

Mandela effect are you guys familiar with the Mandela effect is yes okay well for our listeners who are not

I'll go ahead and give you a little definition so the Mandela effect is defined as an instance where you remember something that does not match historical records warps your mind okay and so some of these are pictures so you have to tell me which one is right this is fruit loops all right how fruit is spelled is it

F R O O T or fruit F R U I T tell me which one's correct either left or right

I think right it's it's left can you pass me my phone you say right pastor

I say right so pastor says right OOT and then Johnny you said you

I T yes okay it is OOT yes not actually fruit they can't say that they actually you know have fruit in there because it be false advertising it's not so I didn't know advertising companies actually cared about okay so yeah okay apparently but no she can't read ingredients to cannot appear apparently no sorry

I'm not gonna get that to you no all right so past is up someone right now is rewinding cuz they didn't get the pun and they just got it what just happened hey

I'm like that too okay so you guys might have seen the books with the family of bears

I don't know I'm about to say I don't know if the Goldilocks thing okay so with the spelling though is it

Berenstain or Berenstain so I have if you go back to that one you have

Berenstain or Berenstain so do you already have your answer you can look at the pictures if you want so a

I n or e ion yeah cuz I always thought it was one and I was proven wrong after doing the research

I cannot remember I mean I used to have what's your guess I what's your guess

I'm gonna go with the Berenstain bears stain all right since I don't know and I'm one ahead

I'm gonna go a stain just in case we're both wrong stain or Stein stain stain okay it is stain yeah yeah see this guy you're cheating

I'm not gonna

I'm not gonna take a guess I'm just gonna be the same so that I'll guess first on this one I'll guess I'll guess first on this one hey it's all right pasta okay

Febreze is our next one I know this one is it two e's or one e Febreze but we have a technically it's four well combined two e's double e or single e

I'm going right yeah I think it's the two e's two e's yeah you're wrong that was it is one e okay well still two to one two to one no it's one it's one to nothing oh wait

I'm sorry if we how would that no you got one whether we keep in score you're it's okay

I'm sorry I thought that that we're only we're giving you points for the ones that you get right we both got

Berenstain because he copied your answer yes okay so this one is one that I ended up adding and this wasn't on like the original list because I screw this one up every single time

I write it on a grocery list my husband has this one request like you know I would say what do you want for a snack and he'll give me cheese it's yeah so which one is right we have three options you have three options for this and so now

I should remember how to spell this correctly okay did you just swipe right toes ahead no

I swiped the other way back it did you zoom I'm gonna say Julian zoom in what is it all the way to the right just so do

I that is correct yeah my hands down here

I got the Z to cheese it I remember that from last year from the the cheese it bowl it was walking

I can't remember who played in the game but I remember that's an interesting way to be able to remember the instead of like actually just having the box you remember it from that's interesting okay this next one

Flint stones made the Flintstones okay is it this family modern age family from stone age family they're a page right out of history next time meet the family down the street

Wow and of something could you know when you're with the

Flintstones time

Wow that's impressive thanks okay so is it the

Flintstones or Flintstones pictures Flintstones Flintstones Flintstones I've got it because I got this one wrong it's the

Flintstones without the T agree what do you say Flintstones Flintstones I'm still only up by one okay so this one does not have a picture

I'm telling you what I actually I was listening to another podcast and they did this or no

I'm sorry it wasn't a podcast it was something else but they did this game and I got I think every single one wrong well it's like what you think it might be is wrong yeah or like you know start going with what

I think it's not okay so everyone knows I love Lucy yeah so her husband

Ricky yeah you know he has certain lines in the show and so a lot of people think in the show or in the show they say

Lucy you have some explaining to do you know like everyone's heard him say that is that correct is that in the show or not the fact that you would ask that makes me doubt it did he really

Lucy you've got some splainin to do I'm gonna say no or else you wouldn't have brought it up do you know what he says instead

Lucy because everyone swears that they have heard

Ricky say Lucy you've had some splainin to do Lucy excuse my accent

I'm not very you're not very good at the English as a second language accent

I'm gonna

I don't know what I'm gonna go with with that that he actually did say he actually did somebody go

Lucy do you have some explaining to do it was actually he was actually filmed saying explain that if you can or Lucy splain so he was never recorded saying

Lucy you've got some splainin to do I might be ruining my next one that's like Sherlock Holmes never actually said elementary my never

Watson okay so well since you said

Sherlock Holmes it's actually not one of them but this might you know be something you would like it's actually a

Star Wars quote did you want do you watch Star Wars okay Luke I'm your father

I know this one I know it too okay what is it he he says he says he says

I know I am your father search your feelings and you'll know it to be true no no join me together we can rule the dark side as father and son rule again

I will never join you oh wow okay that can't be true that's impossible that's impossible your feelings that's impossible the way he says impossible that's impossible well you guys each get a point that is correct

I always thought it was like smushed up against the thing so monopoly we've all played it we've all hated it so which one of these two images is him he has either a monocle or no monocle so you see the what is he the

Monopoly man I guess you can call him does he have a monocle or no monocle so here's the problem I am leaning towards he doesn't because I think when

I see the top hat I'm thinking of the peanut dude mr. peanut guy the planners peanut guy yeah but I thought that's a good so I think the peanut guy has a monocle and this guy doesn't that's mine that's my guess

I'm gonna say he doesn't I say he does you say he does he doesn't have a monocle pastor did you ever watch

Pokemon growing up no so just pick it you have black on his tail or no black on his tail oh my son actually has can

I call my grandson can I phone a friend I'm gonna say

I'm gonna say no no black on the tail I'm gonna say to black on the tail

I'm gonna say no okay no black on the tail so the last one and it's no picture okay

I'm just glad to be on the show yeah nice false humility all right what's the last one

Forrest Gump any fans in here yes okay so Forrest Gump might have been one of Tom Hanks most memorable roles and one of the most misremembered lines it seems that the majority of the film buffs remember the majority of film buffs remember

Forrest Gump saying that his mama always said life is like a box of chocolates what does he really say you just never know what you're gonna get let's see life is like a box of chocolates you just never know what you're gonna get so that's not right so it's life you already know hmm

I think so but now you got me questioning everything well I know I had to do some searching

I think I my faith is secure because I was starting to question a lot of stuff now that's why they call it the

Mandela effect life is the word life in it life is like a box of chocolates so that sentence is misquoted the beginning what you just said or the end part of it

I can't tell you that life is like a tray of chocolate you just never know what you're gonna get this mama always said life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you're gonna get

I don't know if we're both wrong okay go life was like oh stop playing come on that's that's petty

I know it's pretty obscure but but we didn't say the right word we don't

I mean such a stickler it's either black or white you know you got to understand and appreciate that right so pastor yes thank you so much you are a champion a gentleman and a scholar thank you so much thank you so much see that look at that so the next time he loses he has to shake everyone else's hand

I think we should have some more questions and answer period you know like the the scripture when y 'all did last week we don't know you know the is that scripture is that was totally it was great anyway all right so look look bye perfect oh we're still doing good all right so here's what we're gonna do here's what we're gonna do we're gonna we're gonna talk about some addiction for at least about 30 minutes or so so here's what

I'd like to do and don't let me misspeak Anna I'm gonna I'm gonna let

Johnny talk for a little bit my guys Johnny's a good friend of all of ours really and he's been he and his wife have been members here for I'm just gonna guess 10 years we're gonna talk about addiction we're gonna talk about some biblical standards that deal with addiction but before we do

Johnny's gonna give a little testimony about that and and what the Lord has done in his life with that not just in the past no no but also where he's brought him to now because remember guys two quick things and I'm gonna shut up we have each other in the church that a testimony is when you tell about your conversion but when you got saved well a testimony actually is to speak a word to give a witness to what

God has or is doing in your life right now when someone asked for your testimony that can be about what

God is doing in your life like five minutes ago in fact if you can only look to 20 years in the past where God moving your life and has been no movement since then

Jesus would have some strong words for that you would be the analogy of the dead fig tree that needs to be cut off so the

Holy Spirit is far more powerful than that to where there's an ever -growing presence at any rate

Johnny if you would share with us some of your struggles in the past and maybe in that with the definition of struggle actually is yeah with with with addiction the past brother well first thank y 'all for having me

I love the setup and all y 'all work so hard to do this it's really it's great it's really just most everybody knows

I grew up in Louisiana and was raised by two loving parents my father what would you be considered a functioning alcoholic he would come home in the evening and have drinks he would and on the weekends he would drink beer

I I was probably 11 or 12 when I had my first drink and I've known addiction for the next 30 years 30

I'm 46 it didn't really describe this my parents were great they loved me they took care of me but my father drinking was just a way of life where I'm from I don't know if a lot

I don't know about Louisiana and it started with alcohol then it developed into drugs and from pain pills to heroin and full -blown addiction shooting up all of it that was from like 2000 to 2005 something like that it was it was terrible

I caused pain and suffering to everyone that cared about me I only cared about getting more and more

I went to a program called teen challenge and it's scripture based it's evangelical based how old were you when you went there this was in 2005 so I was crazy years ago 27 28 somewhere in there yes yes almost almost 30 and it was great it was very hard very structured you worked and you studied the

Bible and at the end of that I'd like it was almost like a two years seminary for a theological degree was that in Louisiana no this was first I came to Memphis which is how

I even ended up in Memphis talking about Providence then they sent me to Cape Gerardo which was a much bigger program where's

Gerardo Missouri yeah it's on it's on the Missouri River a little bit north and I spent a year and a half there then came back to the teen challenge in Memphis and started working there and then got a job and then met my wife long story short addiction stayed with me like even after I got out

I still drank still ate pills again were you converted at that time now this is you can just say no

I just didn't know if you had already been converted at that point no time okay I I was raised Catholic and so I went to church and I knew the

Lord from a very young age but like I've always said there's a difference between knowing him and walking with him and I spent the next 30 years

I don't even know how long in rebellion I knew him but I wasn't obedient just like you know we've talked about so you said that you had struggled with the addiction still yes oh yes and alcohol went back to rehab right after Sue and I got married in 2013 yeah after that I still drink it it continued until last year last last

May or June it was the last time I had a drink and listen yes yes thank you the only way that I've even the only reason

I'm even here is because of the Lord I like I said I've loved him and knew him but never truly surrendered to him my will and never truly let him be

Lord of my life and when I did it changed I I prayed to hate alcohol

I'll never take a drink again I don't know what happens what's gonna happen tomorrow what but I'm not it is it has caused too much pain and suffering in my life and and other people

I've got a friend back home who is a terrible alcoholic he's just got divorced from his wife his daughters are afraid of him there's they're like 10 years old you know seven and ten and he's drinking himself to death yeah and it's heartbreaking man and that could be me

I like the thing about addiction and I wanted to I wanted to show you all this illustration

I do have an illustration and I'm using blocks because although addicts are smart sometimes we need a little visual aid like your dad's that's true an addict will find a way to get what he wants and it it has to do with rewiring of the brain neuroplasticity it's it's a lot of stuff but so this is let's say this is you and this is you experience meaning with drugs and alcohol it's fun it's okay it's just you're just trying it out there's no problem you can put it down and walk away well the more you do it you you start experiencing or you start experiencing problems like you might miss it you know get fired from a job you might lose a relationship something happened it starts to to become negative but there's still hope there's not you're not fully addicted yet you can walk away if you so choose but once you cross over into addiction that's it you're addicted for the rest of your life now you can be sober you can be on the green one and not using but if you step off you will always be back to addiction whatever happens

I know if I walk out that door and take a drink I might it might be okay today but it's only a matter of time before I'm drinking vodka for breakfast again right even if you waited 10 years it's still with you you step off back to the pain and suffering it's that's a good no that's a good visual way and it's true man you know here it's fine you can take it leave it here it's causing problems but there's still hope to back away but once you're here and and don't get me wrong a lot of people feel that they're here they know somebody that's here there's still hope there's tremendous hope the power of prayer is is very effective like scripture says and without it

I wouldn't be here right now can I ask you so whenever you did relapse just like anytime in the past what was like your thought process when you relapse like if you went through a difficult time or you're just like you know it screw it like I just really want to drink or like yeah like what was a motivating factor yeah

I guess just like anytime I know that you had a loss like some time ago and that was really difficult actually for that I didn't drink then

I was I was taking pain pills and Xanax whatever to numb the pain but I didn't drink which is no after that after falling it if the wind blew if the

Sun was shining if it was raining there was I I'm an alcoholic and I will want to drink and I used to this is another thing about about addicts you keep a little room in the back of your mind and in that room it's okay you think

I can do it again and it'll be fine it's not and so you can choose to cultivate that thought and leave it back there and I used to do that like I would keep because it got to the moment my wife didn't trust me at all and that's a terrible thing and if she's looking

I'm so sorry it takes years to rebuild trust it really does but I used to keep change like scrounge change and and have an idea okay when these when this these tumblers fall into place if this scenario is right if my wife's not there and I can get away and then

I would do it and I had a plan and it took destroying it took absolutely destroying that room blowing it up there's no there is never gonna be a time where I can do it again and it's gonna be right that's insanity you know the old story about this story's been retold a bunch of times but when the armies of a certain nation would sail to fight battle on an island or another nation the captain burned the ship oh yeah and said basically saying boys there's no going back home we we either are going to win or we're going to die is that it takes that I mean because like you said

I I've never been addicted in that sense but I have talked to many people that could and you know the things that they will do yes the people they will lie to and I mean it doesn't matter they will do anything that they

I've seen people practice speeches for their mother oh they know they practice the speech on the way there in order to get the money yeah yes and you gotta understand something when you become addicted that drug or that alcohol fires off the dopamine receptors in your brain and that pleasure -seeking part of your brain it it'll rewire your brain our brains have something called neuroplasticity which

I studied I was an addict and I was a fierce and like Pastor Jeff said

I could do I would do anything to get it and think of and like really you know manipulative and terrible ways to do it but once your brain is thinking like that you have got to separate that's why you rehab they have you know places where you can separate and learn to gain pleasure by other things and then your brain can rewire itself again so there is hope if somebody is in the clutches of addiction there your brain is amazing and it will re it'll fix itself but the first thing

I had to do I had to surrender and I mean I was already aside

I'm I believe I was saved from a young age I mean the Lord knew me of course before the the foundation of the world but I ran and I spent my life in rebellion but it wasn't until I truly surrendered and gave it to him and not took it back because we can give something here

Lord take it and then no keep that right but when

I truly gave him and prayed to hate it so now like watching LSU last night or cooking on the grill or after cutting grass so nice to have a good cold beer yes of course everybody thinks no

I think of puking and being sick in the bathroom and my wife looking at me with such shame and just disgust yeah that's what

I think about yeah no you know it's almost a reverse thing

I hope everyone just heard what Johnny said praying to hate it yeah in the church we had done a horrible job with us we've been told you should never hate the

Bible tells us to and it just tells us what to hate yeah it's like the scripture talks about how a woman after after delivering a baby once it's over and she's holding the baby she's forgetting about the pain and looking at the baby it's incredible wild well and your wife has done that naturally a couple of times

I mean yeah experience that real I mean if not who would ever have another child right but it's almost the opposite it's like Lord I want to remember the punishment and the consequences of sin more than any pleasure

I received from I want to hate it I'll tell y 'all a story real quick there's a there's a minister an evangelist here in Memphis who

I respect a lot I have not got his permission to tell this story so I'll leave him nameless for now but I respect this man a lot we don't agree on like everything but I have a lot of respect for him well anyway he um there was he was in a revival in another city and a mother came up to him and said brother will you um will you come talk to my son he's not been inside a church in 20 -something years he is addicted and he will not leave the room he will not leave the house he hasn't seen the

Sun in a year you know he's that kind of addicted the pastor went to his house and walked in and guy greeted him he said hey man you might have prayed for you and the guy's like sure he goes all right and the pastor laid his hand on him and said

God I pray right now that anytime alcohol touches his tongue that he becomes so sick so sick that he throws up that he gets dreadfully sick anytime he smells alcohol that he cannot be in the presence of without being laid up in his bed in misery years later he went back to the city this is a true story and the mother came to said hey brother would you go back and talk to my son again he's not an addict anymore by the way but he still won't come to church the pastor went to the house and he said brother you're not drinking anymore he goes nah

I can't every time I touch it I get sick so he goes what sin is so near and dear to your heart that you would risk eternity in hell yeah away from the presence of Lord for it he goes

I'm not telling you it's funny and at the same time that's how deep people can be entrenched in and in sin and it doesn't have to be something that's chemically addicting no but it has to do with our brain

I mean when we fire off those dopamine receptors and you feel that feeling some people it doesn't matter if you you know some people say they were born with this they say it's a disease that is the one thing that you hear is that it is the disease or that it's like hereditary or genetic or whatever in fact

I want you to realize what are what are our society is doing let's take things the

Bible calls sin gluttony we make that a disease that someone can't control addiction as easy you can't control wait for it homosexuality transgenderism right pedophilia it's a disease it's something you can't control that is never clicked until you just said that and we do it we do it

I know and it's like it makes sense we do everything you phrasing it that way it we do it for everything changing y 'all down and everything comes down to a choice and the more you choose it the more you become a slave to it that's what that's exactly right what did

God tell Cain if you do right you'll be rewarded but if you do wrong you've been is crouching at your door it's desires for you but you must rule over it go ahead and ask your question to Johnny though I was going to ask you know we just talked about like people say it's like a disease and that it's like genetic and things like that so alcoholism does run in my family like you know like previous people who have since passed on and multiple people like both sides of our family and so I like always just saw drinking like this was when

I was like 18 and like wasn't able to drink yet like legally I always saw that I'm just like I'm not drinking at all but then like you know people say like well

Jesus drank and like whatever and so there are some times when I occasionally like I love to have a margarita every once in a while with like Mexican dish or like if I'm at a wedding and they have like an open bar

I'm like I don't want to have to pay for a glass of wine so this is nice I can just have a free glass of wine but I limit myself however like I've been nursing the last year and I haven't had like anything and so because of my family history

I tend not to plus I'm a Christian and I want to uphold a certain standard and make sure that when people see me at a wedding or whatever then they're not like oh she's a

Christian why is she drinking type thing so would you recommend somebody who had a family history of alcoholism to partake in it at all or just to limit it like what would you be

I know you're not like a psychologist or anything but just like your personal opinion based on your your life since you had alcoholism in your family well

I can my father was an alcoholic right but I don't believe

I mean I made those choices to do that just like you are gonna make the choice to be a good mother and a good and a good wife so for someone like you who has a firm foundation in Scripture and knows that do we do all things in moderation

I don't consider it an issue now for someone that is not based within Scripture that I would say why risk it you know especially with the way that the world is it's like indulge like treat yourself and you know all the things whatever makes you feel good if it makes you feel good then it can't be bad that is a lie from the pit

I mean that just is well there have been a couple of time and there's been one time in particular like I've never been drunk but I got to the point like if I would have had and I'm I don't know if y 'all can see me

I'm like a hundred and ten pounds like five four I'm a very small person so it doesn't really take a lot right but there is a point where like I'd had a little too much and I'm just like I never want to get to that point again and I haven't

I can tell you this I have experimented and experienced just about every drug and alcohol imaginable and there is no higher that I've ever felt than when

I was clean and sober praising God there is everything that we experience on this earth is man -made but when it comes to sin when it comes to alcohol and drugs that is mimicking that is

I believe an enemy a tool of the enemy that is mimicking how we're supposed to feel with the

Lord how we're supposed to have that connection that high that that relationship I believe that that's what happens when people get lured away and if we don't have if I don't have this another thing the only another reason that I'm sober is because of this because of his word because every day we fight we use this this is the greatest tool we have to fight this is what

Jesus used to fight the enemy in the desert yeah and knowing it and this is people might think

I'm crazy but the more we know this it puts a force field around you it really does like whatever happens to me today

I'm gonna be fine I no matter what I know I'm not gonna drink everyone who knows this word knows that's not crazy talk that's that's just how it is right you know

I know that I'm gonna be alright no matter what and if he takes me home he takes me home but no one's no inscription having accountability having some guys that say hey man where are you what are you doing you know what is that what you yeah where you at bracelets and like pins or whatever well and I think too like you said cuz you can legitimately struggle you know what is that fighting actively fighting again something is struggling you know we all say like oh

I struggle with this and it's like you're not actually you're not opposing you're going with to make forceful or violent effort to break struggle you know the

Arabic word for struggle is jihad and I only say that to show that that kind of commitment that when you say you're struggling with sin that when the

Bible uses that word it says have you resisted have you struggled to a point of shedding blood that's the type of struggle we're supposed to have against our sin our battle our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the principalities rules well and going just really quick and then we can get into some scripture you know like I was saying

Johnny the when you actually struggle and I think the difference that like I mean we have several addicts within this church body who are like recovering addicts or you know who have done very well for themselves but it wasn't because they did it on their own it was because they had a church family that surrounded them they had an accountability group of some kind or pastoral counseling like whatever and so did you find that it was easier this last time to go into recovery

I don't know like the correct term like go into recovery from the addiction versus previous times when you didn't have the church family absolutely and I think also it was different and easier this time because of because of my relationship with the

Lord I think I just I couldn't do it anymore

I couldn't I couldn't be it really destroys my wife like I like I would

I would tell her I wasn't gonna drink again and I would say no and then I would do it again and then I would lie about it and I just it was yes and I I was it was just it

I was disgusted with myself I was ashamed and I was all of those feelings but all that aside

I in progressive sanctification it's a byproduct you want to be more like him yes and by God I am nowhere near where I need to be

I still fail I still struggle with sin every day but I want to be more like him and I want that and that having that mindset and then having pastor pastor

Josiah has has met with me every week every other week for the last I don't know 14 months longer than that and helping me see where I need to improve and and my group

I have an accountability group and it's it's the best one of this church there's no doubt I love them I can argue well yes we can that's debate at least

I'm at least the female groups I think we have but without that yeah if you it yeah it is very very hard without scripture without a firm foundation of a church family that loves you that's gonna be there for you call you out and and pick you back up after you fall again right yeah it's it's super hard to do it alone and if anybody out there is listening if you're struggling with addiction come here come talk to us trust me you're not alone and it will be better 100 % excellent thank you thank you for sharing your story

I learned things today about you that I did not know previously and I've known you for the last 10 years

I watched y 'all grow up and I'm so proud of y 'all really I know I wasn't married

I don't yeah I wasn't married 10 years ago no we weren't married I wasn't so look here's what we're gonna do

I want to just point out a couple texts in the Bible and then we're gonna call it a day but before we do brother

Johnny just said he spoke about accountability and people check it up on him say hey where you at man you know the scripture says on one's own people fall yes but in the council of many there is wisdom yes you know that's it excuse me that's the idea of the church exactly that's the idea of the church

I mean the arrogance you open the

New Testament and you find any solo Christian who walks alone who is not part of a local congregation who's not speaking with other believers you find that person you tell me how they're doing you find that person right but I just want to read a couple notes that Paul wrote to church at Corinth and this first one

I'm gonna go through it kind of quick but I want you to pay attention because this is some very strong language and I would imagine this is probably gonna shock some of you so pay attention to God's Word here this is first Corinthians chapter 6 starting in verse 9 or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God don't be deceived neither the sexually immoral nor adulterers nor adulterers nor men who practice homosexuality nor thieves nor greedy nor drunkards nor revilers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God and if the verse if the passage ended there

I would venture say that every person beginning with me to every person that hears my voice would have just been nailed in the forehead yep

I mean let me read that list again we're talking about people that listen will not inherit the kingdom of God excuse me thank you sexually immoral idolaters adulterers men who practice homosexuality thieves greedy drunkards revilers swindlers and such were some of you in church please notice it does not say such are some were such were some of you but you were washed you were sanctified and you were justified in the name of Lord Jesus Christ and by the

Spirit of our God the difference between first John speaks about this at length walking and sin and struggling with sin the argument is not that those who are in the kingdom of God those who are regenerated those who are sanctified those have been washed do not struggle against sin in fact the

Bible commands us to do that right even to the point of blood the point is that is no longer their identity where they are walking as first John says wallowing right they are not identified with these things this is why when we have people almost introduce themselves with one of these sins

I am a Christian that blank well my identity should be new in Jesus and though I struggle with X Y &

Z and should be open about that that's not who I am if that identifies me with who

I am is it when someone hears Josiah Shipley if they think of that first I probably have some soul -searching to do yes and it says in verse 12

Paul is quoting some of the people at Corinth or they told him all people are all things are lawful for for me and he's not mocking but he's showing because yeah all things are lawful for me but not all things are helpful right all things are lawful but I will not be dominated by anything oh guys

I don't care if it's coffee a phone or heroin we are not to be dominated by anything and just one more this is 2nd

Corinthians chapter 10 before you read that please go ahead just say something it talks about sexually more nor idolatrous yeah when

I was in the midst of addiction that was my God yeah alcohol or the drugs

I I worshipped I did whatever I could to get that I fought and clawed for that for where your treasure is there will be your heart also and it that's one of the things that floored me man

I thought I was loving him and what and I wasn't yeah that's another thing that if you really think about it what you're doing is worshipping something else that's idolatry and our

God is a jealous guy yeah cuz what is worship is giving your deepest love and affection yes and adoration yes where are your deepest love and affections 2nd

Corinthians chapter 10 I've just got to read this oh and one more note idolatry can be in something that is not in itself inherently evil yes and especially those of us who are parents who make idols of our children who make our entire lives revolve around them everything we do you know make idols out of everything you know

God doesn't typically favor idols very high you don't want to put people in that position at any rate last one and we're gonna call this good this is 2nd

Corinthians chapter 10 notice he's still writing to the same church they needed a little more encouragement I think

I like this one verse 4 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 verse 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds verse 5 we destroy arguments if you're a

Christian you say well they can have their opinion I can have mine let me read that again we destroy arguments in every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of our

God and take every thought captive to obey Christ being ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete let me read that again verse 5 we destroy arguments in every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of our

God by taking every thought captive to obey Jesus now listen every thought captive I feel every thought captive that is a very difficult verse to obey clear and sober minded much less yeah when you're when you're zonked out you know

I think that's when we need to take more seriously taking every thought captive the

Bible teaches us that we are in control of of what we think yes and more specifically what we dwell on we are to take those thoughts captive to obey

Jesus that's the goal you know that's absolutely right

I one of the things I had to come to grips with and it's one of the it's in the

Alcoholics Anonymous the serenity prayer God give me the things I cannot change the courage change and the wisdom no difference well that last part the wisdom to know the difference

I oh I've just recently figured this out about a year and a half ago almost

I have control over exactly three things what I think about what

I say and what I do and that's it so whatever else comes at me externally

I have to remember I have no control over that watching someone you love go down the same path this yeah heartbreaking and I have to remember that I can't let that affect my walk and it's a hard lesson to learn yeah it is 100 % very good

Johnny my man appreciate you and thank you for coming on time y 'all this is as bad as you thought it would be yeah

I was like talking you forgot the cameras are you busting out telling people he was nervous I was always so nervous before I started

I'm relating to him y 'all like the table I like the table I love the table I'm glad the air -conditioner finally came

I loved I loved having Johnny on if you guys can drop some comments down below let us know how you liked it how you liked having the guests on I loved them

I'd like I said I learned something new about me y 'all let us know if you have any other questions in the comments that you want us to answer yeah because you know we love getting y 'all's questions and actually answering them pastors wife actually submitted a couple of questions that I have on the schedule for the season so I'm excited about those but yeah are we still doing the same sign off because we didn't do the same intro yeah

I'll come up with a new intro do you like deuces if you want me well that's a sign off yeah I know this is you like this or do you want a different one

I don't care we can do deuces do you know our sign off no deuces that's it peace yeah just until next time go with God be safe from evil via condos

I mean so look man this is why we need help going in so instead of mocking it look he's right though I mean we could say clearly left

I'm deaf he's to my right yeah he's straight ahead is that upstage or down backstage we have exactly one minute to sign off do you got a better idea

I love y 'all man thank y 'all so much I mean like something to say every week yes via condos

I don't know what that means go with God all right hey everybody love you guys we're gonna sign off just by making this as awkward as possible love you all like share subscribe do your thing thank you

Johnny for doing your thing but until next time Johnny again here we go no don't cut it here we go ready all right until next time deuces good