Is There A Contradiction Between Struggle with Addiction and Faith in God? | A.R. Bernard

About this sermon

Is there there a contradiction between struggle with addiction and faith in God? You can go through life and wrestle with things in this world of brokenness and woundedness and opposition to the holiness and righteousness of God, and still all you have to hold on to, to maintain your sanity, is your faith and trust in God, in spite of what you're going through. We lost our son, Jared on October 2nd, 2021, he fought with addiction, struggled with alcoholism. Right up to the day that he died, still addicted to alcohol, though it was destroying him physically, but to the very last breath, while the empty bottles piled up in a bag in his home, he was listening to gospel music, he was praying, he was listening to sermons, and we try to make sense of that. There is no contradiction if you're struggling with something, and yet you're a believer. My son, Jared, opened my eyes to a text that I thought I understood for the longest time when the Apostle Paul said, "I fought a good fight, and it is a fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil." And it's a fight that sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but the rest of the text says, "But I kept the faith." He wrestled. He struggled. He lost that battle, but he didn't lose his faith in Jesus. 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ...this very word and the power that it has to liberate you, to free you, to give you a sense of meaning and purpose, and also to be your lifeline, to keep you when you have nothing left to hold on to but that word, and that's it. It is a living word, not a dead word. And why? Because he's a living God, not a dead God. We all know family, friends and even oursleves that stuggle with mental health, alone in silence and in secret. Sometimes we need to talk to talk to someone who is trained, to help us to see what we can’t see, in order to walk into the calling that God has put into our lives. If you, a loved one, family or someone you know is struggling with Mental Health, Depression, Anxiety, or thoughts of Suicide, help is available. NYC RESIDENTS visit: www.LetsTriumphTogether.com or call: (646) 774-6459 FOR HELP OUTSIDE OF NYC visit: www.CCCinfo.org or call: Christian Cultural Center Pastoral Care 718-306-1013 Welcome to our Worship Experience How can we pray for you? Prayer Request: https://bit.ly/3bgzdZo Morning Prayer Line (M-F, 6am-6:30am/EST & F, 10pm-11pm) Call: (425) 436-6277 Access Code: 565636 - Ways to DONATE Online: https://bit.ly/3dNcVPX Text: Text “CCCINFO” to 77977 Phone: (833) 269-2652 Mail-in: Mail to: Christian Cultural Center - Po Box 1008 Smithtown, New York 11787 GIVE ONLINE Christian Cultural Center depends on the generosity of our members, friends and partners in ministry to maintain our beautiful campuses and facilities. Weekly, thousands receive hope, encouragement and growth in their faith. Especially important are the many lives that are shown the love and compassion of Christ through our missionary efforts at home and abroad. - Connect with CCC: CCC Brooklyn on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Gc1U9U CCC Long Island on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2KVKRwx CCC Brooklyn on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2jRLHhm CCC Long Island on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2rE1MLM CCC Brooklyn on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2KVVNde - Find Christian Cultural Center at https://bit.ly/33IirQh Find A.R. Bernard at https://bit.ly/33U6Uxz Find Jamaal Bernard at: https://bit.ly/39iEkqC

Topics

• Faith
• Strength in Hard Times
• Overcoming Obstacles