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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. All right. 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, 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... 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.
She must have been... 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.
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. I said of the last season. That was season three. Do I know it was season three? No, but he doesn't know, so I'm just gonna say it.
We're season five. I know. It was like season three when we played that. We played that game in season three.
Okay, anyway. We have instances of our pastoral staff cheating. C-H-E-A-T-I-N. Cheating. Cheating. Johnny and I have...
Johnny... Master, we definitely don't have time for this today. Oh my gosh.
My blood pressure's 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 their hand.
Not even in front of a camera.
That's how angry they were about it. Are you involving me in that number? So what's the game? Yes, tell us the game. I don't know what to say because 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. You know what I mean, the last episode. I don't even remember what game we played.
Me and Amy against you and Elena. No, I'm not saying you cheated. I'm just saying we didn't stand a chance.
Oh, I watched... 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? Oh, the writing on the wall like you mentioned today. Is that scripture or is that just like a saying? That was in Sunday school. I wasn't even thinking about our game. You're welcome. I should have used that one.
Can we play a game? Yes, okay. So the game that we are playing today is called the Mandela Effect. Are you guys familiar with what 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. 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 left. Can you pass me my phone?
You say right, Pastor? I say right. So Pastor says right, O-O-T, and then Johnny, you said U-I-T? Yes. Okay, it is O-O-T. Yes! Not actually fruit. They can't say that they actually have fruit in their cereal.
Because it'd be false advertising. Yes, because it's not.
It's not. Okay. So I didn't know advertising companies actually cared about. Apparently.
Yeah, okay. Apparently, but reading the ingredients. Toucan. Toucan sand. Apparently.
No. Sorry. I'm not going to give that to you. No. All right, so Pastor's up. Someone right now is rewinding because they didn't get the pun, and they just got it. That's what just happened.
Hey, I'm like that, too. Okay, so you guys might have seen the books with the family of bears. Yes. I don't know. I'm about to say, I don't know if... The Goldilocks thing? No, not the Goldilocks. No, it's the Berenstain Bears.
Okay, so with the spelling, though, is it Berenstain or Berenstein? So I have, if you go back to that one, you have Berenstain or Berenstein. So do you already have your answer? You can look at the pictures if you want.
So A-I-N or E-I-N? Yeah. Yeah. Because I always thought it was one, and I was proven wrong after doing the research. I cannot remember. I mean, I used to have these. I'm going to guess. What's your guess?
I... What's your guess? I'm going to go with the Berenstain Bears. Stain?
All right. Since I don't know and I'm one ahead, I'm going to go with stain just in case we're both wrong. Stain or Stein? Stain. Stain.
Okay, it is stain. Yeah. See, this guy, you're cheating. No, I want... How? Hold on. How is that cheating? I'm not going to take a guess. I'm just going to be the same. So that way, we'll both lose. I'll guess first on this one.
I'll guess on this first one. He's working the system. I'll guess first on this one. Hey, it's all right, Pastor. Okay. What is that?
Febreze is our next one. Oh, I know this one. Is it two Es or one E? Febreze, but we have... Technically, it's four. Well, combined. Two Es, double E or single E? I'm going right.
Yeah, I think it's the two Es. Two Es? Yeah. You're wrong. That was wrong. It is one E. Okay. Well... Still two to one. Two to one? No, it's one to nothing.
Oh, wait. I'm sorry. Recounting. If we... How would that... No, you got one. ...be to your advantage? And then he got two. I'm keeping score. You're... It's one, two to one. I'm sorry. I thought 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. You remember? I see. Yes. Okay. So this one is one that I ended up adding. This wasn't on the original list because I screw this one up every single time I write it on our grocery list.
My husband has this one request. I would say, what do you want for a snack? And he'll give me Cheez-Its. Yeah. So which one is right? We have three options? You have three options for this. I got it.
And so now I should remember how to spell this correctly. I got it. Did you just swipe right to look ahead? No, I swiped the other way. Did you zoom? I'm going to say zoom in.
I think it's Cheez It all the way... To the right? So do I. So do I. Okay, that is correct. Yes!
Why do we keep doing this? Because I always do... My hand's down here. I got all this stuff in my way. I always add the Z to Cheez-It. Cheez-It Zzzz.
Cheez-It. Zzzz. I remember that from last year from the Cheez-It Bowl. It was a football game. I can't remember who played in the game, but I remember that.
That's an interesting way to be able to remember the... Instead of actually just having the box, you remember it from that sporting event. That's interesting. Okay, this next one. Flintstones, meet the Flintstones.
They're a part of this family.
Modern age family, isn't it?
A modern stone age family. Modern stone age family.
From the town of Bedrock. They're a page right out of history. Next time, meet the family down the street.
Wow, pass to keep going, man. Through the end of something.
When you're with the Flintstones. Have a yabba dabba doo time. A yabba doo time. They'll have a gay old time. Roma!
That's impressive. Thanks. Okay, so is it the Flintstones or Flintstones? Flintstones. Pictures. Flintstones. Flintstones. Flintstones. Oh, sharks. Flintstones. I've got it. Because I got this one wrong.
It's the Flintstones. Flintstones without the T. I agree. What do you say? Flintstones. Flintstones. Ah! I'm still only up by one. Okay, so this one does not have a picture.
I'm terrible at this game, obviously. I'm telling you.
I can't remember any of that. I was listening to another podcast and they did this. 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.
So it's like what you think it might be is wrong. Yeah. Or like, you know, vice versa. I just need to start going with what I think it's not. Here we go. I'm ready. Let's go. That's probably why you should win.
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 splainin 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.
Lucy, you've got some splainin to do.
I'm going to 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. I'm not good at accents. English as a second language accent. You might be better at that.
I'm going to, I don't know what, I'm going to go with, with that, that he actually did say it.
He actually did say it. I'm going to 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 the next one. That's like Sherlock Holmes never actually said elementary. My neighbor Watson elementary. Yeah. My dear Watson. No, he didn't say that. Okay. Really? Not any of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ones.
Okay. So, well, since you said Sherlock Holmes, it's actually not one of them, but this might, uh, you know, be something you would like. It's actually a, um, a star Wars quote. Did you watch, do you watch star Wars?
Okay.
So Luke, I'm your father. I know this one. I know it too. Okay. What is it? He says, he says, he says, uh, no, 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. 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 going to 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 does Pikachu have black on his tail or no black on his tail? Oh, bro. My son actually has a stuffed animal.
Can I phone a friend?
I don't know. I'm going to say, I'm going to say no. No black on the tail. Johnny, people just check their phone to make sure their Internet is still that low.
I'm going to say the black on the tail. I'm going to say no. Okay, no black on the tail. So the last one and it's no picture. I know he's so upset.
He's like, I failed. That's okay. I'm just glad to be on the show. Yeah, man. Nice. False humility. All right. What's the last one? Forrest Gump.
Any fans in here? Okay. 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, or 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 going to get. Let's see. Life is like a box of chocolates. You just never know what you're going to get. So that's not right. So it's life.
Do you already know? I think so. But now you got me questioning everything. Well, I know. I had to do some searching. I think my faith is secure because I was starting to question a lot of stuff now, man.
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 of what you just said or the end part of it?
I can't tell you that. Life is like a tray of chocolates. You just never know what you're going to get.
His mama always said, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get. I don't know if I'm misquoting it. We're both wrong. Okay.
Life was like a box of chocolates. Oh, stop playing. Come on. That's petty. I know.
It's pretty obscure. But. But we didn't say the right word. We don't. I mean, for someone who's such a stickler, it's either black or white. You know, you got to understand and appreciate that. Right.
So, Pastor. Yes. Congratulations. 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 scripture when y 'all did last week. What are you talking about? I'm about to say. You know, is that scripture? Is that.
Oh, OK. The game that Lowell came up with. That was totally.
I thought it was great. Anyway. All right. So, look. Look. Biased. Oh, we're still doing good. All right. So, here's what we're going to do. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to 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 going to. I'm going to let Johnny talk for a little bit. Now, guys, Johnny is a good friend of all of ours, really. And he's been, he and his wife have been members here for, I'm just going to guess, 10 years.
About a decade. We're going to talk about addiction. We're going to talk about some biblical standards that deal with addiction. But before we do, Johnny is going to give a little testimony about that 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 going to shut up. We have taught each other in the church that a testimony is when you tell about your conversion.
About 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 asks 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 to where God moved in your life and there 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 what the definition of struggle actually is with addiction in the past, brother.
Well, first, thank you all for having me. Oh, you're welcome. Thank you for coming on. We're glad to have you.
I love the setup and all of you all work so hard to do this. It really is great. It's really just lol. We just show up. We love the producer. 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. And on the weekends, he would drink beer. I was probably 11 or 12 when I had my first drink.
And I've known addiction for the next 30 years. I'm 46. It didn't really... How can I 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 of y 'all know about Louisiana. It started with alcohol. Then it developed into drugs. 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 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. It's scripture based.
It's evangelical based. How old were you when you went there? This was in 2005, so I was...
Isn't that crazy that 2005 was 18 years ago? 27, 28, somewhere in there?
Yes. Almost 30. It was great. It was very hard. Very structured. You worked and you studied the Bible. At the end of that, it was almost like a two year seminary for a theological degree. Was that in Louisiana?
No. First I came to Memphis, which is how I even ended up in Memphis. Talking about Providence. Then they sent me to Cape Girardeau, which was a much bigger program. Where's Girardeau? Missouri. Cape Girardeau.
A little bit north. I spent a year and a half there. Then came back to the Teen Challenge in Memphis. Started working there and then got a job. Then met my wife. Long story short, addiction stayed with me.
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. I was raised Catholic. I went to church and I knew the Lord from a very young age. Like I've always said, there's a difference between knowing Him and walking with Him. 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 we've talked about. You said that you had struggled with the addiction still?
Yes. Oh, yes. Alcohol. Went back to rehab right after Sue and I got married in 2013. After that, I still drank. It continued until last year. Last May or June was the last time I had a drink. That's 14 months, dude.
That's awesome. Thank you. The only reason I'm even here is because of the Lord. 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.
When I did, it changed. I prayed to hate alcohol. I'll never take a drink again. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but I'm not. It has caused too much pain and suffering in my life and other people.
I've got a friend back home who is a terrible alcoholic. He just got divorced from his wife. His daughters are afraid of him. They're like 10 years old. That's terrible. He's drinking himself to death.
It's heartbreaking, man. That could be me. The thing about addiction... I wanted to show you all this illustration. An illustration? I do have an illustration. I'm using blocks because although addicts are smart, sometimes we need a little visual aid, like your dad said.
Addicts are super smart. That's true. An addict will find a way to get what he wants. For sure. It has to do with rewiring of the brain, neuroplasticity. It's a lot of stuff. Let's say this is you. This is you experiencing with drugs and alcohol.
It's fun. It's okay. You're just trying it out. There's no problem. You can put it down and walk away. The more you do it, you start experiencing problems. You might get fired from a job. You might lose a relationship.
It starts to become negative. But there's still hope. 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, it might be okay today.
But it's only a matter of time before I'm drinking vodka for breakfast again.
Even if you waited 10 years, it's still with you.
You step off back to the pain and suffering.
That's a good visual way. It's true, man. Here, it's fine.
Here, it's causing problems. But there's still hope to back away. But once you're here, 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 very effective, like scripture says. And without it, I wouldn't be here right now. There's no doubt. Can I ask you,.
Whenever you did relapse, just like any time in the past, what was your thought process when you relapsed? If you went through a difficult time, or you're just like, screw it, I just really want to drink.
Yeah, what was the motivating factor?
Yeah, I guess just like any time. I know that you had a loss some time ago, and that was really difficult for that.
Actually, I didn't drink then. I was taking pain pills. And Xanax, whatever, to numb the pain. But I didn't drink. After that, after falling, if the wind blew, if the sun was shining, if it was raining, I'm an alcoholic, and I will want to drink.
This is another thing 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. Because it got to the point where 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 like that. It really does.
But I used to keep change, like scrounge change, and have an idea, okay, when these tumblers fall into place, if this scenario is right, if my wife's not there, and I can get away, then I would do it.
And I had a plan. And it took absolutely destroying that room, blowing it up. There is never going to be a time where I can do it again, and it's going to 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 ships.
And basically said, boys, there's no going back home. We either are going to win, or we're going to die. Because like you said, I've never been addicted in that sense. But I have talked to many people that could.
And the things that they will do, the people they will lie to. Yeah, it doesn't matter. They will do anything that they can. I've seen people practice speeches for their mother. They practice the speech on the way there in order to get the money.
Yes, and you've got to 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'll rewire your brain.
Our brains have something called neuroplasticity. I studied that. I was an addict and I was a fierce. And like Pastor Jeff said, I would do anything to get it. And really 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. There are 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, your brain is amazing. And it will fix itself. But the first thing I had to do, I had to surrender. And I believe I was saved from a young age.
The Lord knew me, of course, before 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. No, I'm going to keep that. 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. It would be so nice to have a good cold beer. Yes, of course. Everybody thinks, no.
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. In the church, we have done a horrible job with this.
We've been told you should never hate. The Bible tells us to hate. It just tells us what to hate. And how to hate. It's like the scripture talks about a woman 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.
Isn't that crazy? It's incredible. And your wife has done that naturally a couple of times. You've experienced that.
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 it.
I want to hate it. I'll tell y 'all a story real quick. 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 everything, but I have a lot of respect for him. Anyway, he was in a revival in another city, and a mother came up to him and said, Brother, 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 the guy greeted him. He said, Hey, man, do you mind if I pray 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 that he throws up, that he gets dreadfully sick anytime he smells alcohol, that he cannot be in the presence of it 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 him and said, Hey, brother, would you go back and talk to my son again? He's not an addict anymore, by the way, but he doesn't come to church.
The pastor went to the house, and he said, Brother, you're not drinking anymore. He goes, no, 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 away from the presence of the Lord for it?
He goes, I'm not telling you. So, it's funny. And at the same time, that's how deep people can be entrenched in sin. And it doesn't have to be something that's chemically addicting.
No, but listen, 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, 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 a disease or that it's hereditary or genetic or whatever. In fact, I want you to realize.
What our society is doing. Let's take things the Bible calls sin. Gluttony. We make that a disease that someone can't control. Addiction, a disease you can't control. Wait for it. Homosexuality, transgenderism, pedophilia.
It's a disease, something you can't control. That has never clicked until you just said that. We do it for everything. I know, and it's like it makes sense, but you phrasing it that way, life changing.
Y 'all rewind and listen to that again. It all came down and everything comes down to a choice. And the more you choose it,.
The more you're going to get hurt. That's exactly right. What did God tell Cain? If you do right, you'll be rewarded, but if you do wrong, sin is crouching at your door. It's desires for you, but you must rule over it.
Go ahead and ask your question to Johnny. I was going to ask, we just talked about people say it's a disease and that it's genetic and things like that. Alcoholism does run in my family like previous people and I always just saw drinking.
This was when I was 18 and wasn't able to drink yet legally. I always saw that I'm just like, I'm not drinking at all, but then people say, well, Jesus drank and whatever. There are sometimes when I occasionally, I love to have a margarita every once in a while with a Mexican dish or if I'm at a wedding and they have an open bar, I'm like, I don't want to have to pay for a glass of wine,.
However, I've been nursing the last year and I haven't had anything. 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 and they're not like, oh, she's a Christian, why is she drinking type thing.
Would you recommend somebody or what would you be, I know you're not like a psychologist or anything, but just like your personal opinion based on your life since you had alcoholism in your family.
My father was an alcoholic, but I don't believe, I mean, I made those choices to do that. Just like you are going to make the choice to be a good mother 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? Especially with the way that the world is, it's like indulge, like treat yourself and 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 of hell. I mean, that just is. Well, there have been a couple of times 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 110 pounds, like five, four. I'm a very small person, so it doesn't really take a lot. Right. But there was 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 experienced 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 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. 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. No matter what, I know I'm not gonna drink. Everyone who knows this word knows that's not crazy talk. That's just how it is. You know, I know that I'm gonna be alright no matter what.
And if he takes me home,.
He takes me home. But knowing this, knowing scripture, having accountability, having some guys that say, hey man, where are you? What are you doing? You know. What is that, what you, you made like pins, yeah, where are you at?
You made the little bracelets and like pins or whatever. Well, and I think too, like you said, because you can legitimately struggle, you know, what is that, fighting, actively fighting against something, struggling.
You know, we all say like, oh, I know I struggle with this and it's like you're not actively fighting against it. Most overused word in the Christian world. Are you really struggling though? You're not opposing this, you're going with that.
To make forceful or violent effort to break free, that's the word struggle. And you know, the Arabic word for struggle is jihad. And I only say that to show that, that is, 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 the 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 and rules of the earth. 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. And 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 wouldn't get a drink again and I would say no and then I would do it again and then I would lie about it and I, it was, yes.
And I, I was, it was just, 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.
Right. Yes. And by God, I am nowhere near where I need to be. I, 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 at this church.
There's no doubt. I love them. I don't know. I can argue. Yes, we can. That's debatable. At least, at least the female groups. I think we have, but without that, yeah, if you, yeah, it is very, very hard without scripture, without a firm foundation of a church family that loves you, that's going to be there for you and call you out and, and pick you back up after you fall again.
Right. Uh, 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. A hundred percent. Um, 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'll watch y 'all grow up and I'm so proud of y 'all. I know I wasn't married. I don't. Yeah, I wasn't married 10 years ago. We weren't married. I wasn't.
So look, here's what we're going to do. I want to just point out a couple texts in the Bible. Uh, and then we're going to call it a day. But before we do, um, Brother Johnny just said, he spoke about accountability and people check it up on him saying, Hey, where are you at, man?
You know, the scripture says, on one's own, people fall. Yes. But in the counsel of many, there is wisdom. Yes. Uh, you know, that's the, excuse me, that's the idea of the church. Exactly, man. Um, 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. Open the New Testament. You find that person, right? Um, but I just want to read a couple, uh, notes that Paul wrote to a church at Corinth. And, uh, this first one, I'm going to 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 going to shock some of you. So pay attention to God's word here. This is 1 Corinthians chapter 6, starting in verse 9. And if the verse, if the passage ended there, I would venture to say that every person, beginning with me, to every person that hears my voice, would have just been nailed in the forehead.
I mean, let me read that list again. We're talking about people that, listen, will not inherit the kingdom of God. Um, excuse me. Thank you. Uh, sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who practice homosexuality, thieves, greedy, drunkards, revilers, swindlers.
Uh, and such were some of you. In church, please notice it does not say such are some of you. Such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God.
The difference between, 1 John speaks about this at length, walking in 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 who have been washed, do not struggle against sin.
In fact, the Bible commands us to do that. Right. Uh, even to the point of blood. The point is that is no longer their identity where they are walking, as 1 John says, wallowing in it. They are not identified with these things.
This is why when we have people almost introduce themselves with one of these sins, you know, I am a Christian that blank. Well, my identity should be new in Jesus. And though I struggle with X, Y, and Z and should be open about that, that's not who I am.
If that identifies me with who I am, is 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 where they told him, all people, all things are lawful for me.
And he's not mocking, but he's showing. He goes, 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. Ooh, 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 2 Corinthians chapter 10. Pastor, before you read that, I wanted to say something. It talks about sexually more nor idolatrous. When I was in the midst of addiction, that was my God.
Yes. The alcohol or the drugs, I worshiped. 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 that's one of the things that floored me, man.
I thought I was loving him, and I wasn't. Yeah. And that's another thing that, if you really think about it, what you're doing is worshiping something else. That's idolatry. Yes. And our God is a jealous God.
Because what is worship is giving your deepest love and affections to God. And adoration. Yes. So where are your deepest love and affections? 2 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 highly. No, sir. You don't want to put people in that position. At any rate, last one, and we're going to call this good. This is 2 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. 2 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 and 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 and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of our God by taking every thought captive to obey Jesus. Now listen. Every thought captive. I fail.
Every thought captive. That is a very difficult verse to obey clear and sober minded. Much less... Right. Drunk and high. Yeah, when you're zonked out. You know, I think that's one we need to take more seriously.
Taking every thought captive. The Bible teaches us that we are in control of what we think. Yes. And more specifically, what we dwell on. Absolutely. And we ought 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 trinity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Well, that last part, the wisdom to know the difference. 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 is 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 and talking to us about that. Thank y 'all, man.
This has been fun. See, it wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. Yeah, it was like talking... You forgot the camera was recording. Are you busting him out telling people he was nervous? I was a little 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 in. Yeah, right at the end.
No, but 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. Like I said, I learned something new about Johnny.
We'll bring him back on. I'm glad to come back. But yeah, 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.
Pastor's 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 want to come up with a new intro.
Do you like deuces or do you want a new one? Well, that's a sign-off. Yeah, I know. Do you like deuces or do you want a different one? I don't care. We can do deuces. Do you know our sign-off? No. It's real tough.
Deuces? Deuces. That's it. Peace. Yeah. Until next time. Go with God. Be safe from evil. Vaya con Dios. Wow, he's putting us to shame. We need some help. Come out with it. Good luck with your life, man.
Let us know how it works out. Break a leg. So look, man, this is why we need help going. So instead of mocking it, look. He's right, though. I mean, we could say something encouraging. No, he is very clearly left.
You are right. He's to my right. Yeah. He's straight. He's straight ahead. My right. Oh, my. Goodness gracious. Is that upstage or backstage?
We have exactly one minute to sign off. Do you got a better idea? Nah. I love y 'all, man. Thank y 'all so much. Not that. Johnny, I mean. Like something to say every week? Yes. Vaya con Dios. I don't know what that means.
It's Spanish. Go with God. Simple. All right. How about... All right. Hey, everybody. Love you guys. We're going to 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. Deuces. Johnny. Again. Again. Here we go. No, don't cut it. Here we go. Ready? All right. Until next time. Deuces. That was good.
I like it.
