Today, guest speaker and director of Global Teen Challenge Jerry Nance joins us to talk about a hope we can take hold of that frees us from our worst addictions. Our God can overcome the strongest addiction and redeem the darkest past. For those in the grip of addiction, he offers them a way to heal and live fully again. He can fill the emptiness inside each one of our hearts, and his mercy is new every day.
Parents in the church can feel ashamed of having a prodigal child. They may have actually been condemned for their child’s suffering or wandering path. In this episode, Gary Wilkerson is joined by his wife, Kelly, and son, Evan, as they discuss how their family was ultimately able to draw closer to God as a result of Evan’s prodigal journey. While this time can be immensely painful for parents and families, God is always faithful. Gary, Kelly, and Evan talk about how God redeemed and healed their own relationships and lives through what seemed like a very dark period.
My name is Olive.
When I was 7 years old, my parents separated. My father left for South Africa, and he refused to allow me to visit him. It would be three years before he finally invited me to see him. I was excited and hopeful that this marked a turn for our family, but the trip turned into a nightmare.
As soon as someone mentions “addiction,” most people automatically think of drugs or alcohol. Those two substances, however, only represent a fraction of potential addictions that can entangle people.
Very little can be harder for a loving parent than seeing their child choose a self-destructive lifestyle.
For one mother and father in India, they watched in despair as their oldest son seemed to swerve deliberately away from the model they had set in their own household onto the path to indolence and addiction.