Every one of us is a potential addict. In a pressure-filled world, the prospect of instant escape can be exhilarating. No matter the object-drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, or sex, just to name a few-addictions lure us. They extend the promise of pleasure. In the end, they deliver emptiness, death, and destruction. What began as an escape from the hassles of life becomes a form of bondage. Addiction is a voluntary slavery. Change doesn't come easily. But change is possible!
Crossroads was designed as a group study for those struggling with addiction. These ten steps, presented in author Ed Welch's trademark direct, no-nonsense style, provide a biblical framework for change. Welch is a wise and loving partner who walks beside readers on their journey to freedom. Along the way, they will learn to recognize the patterns of addiction, to choose wisdom over foolish desires, and to cling to the hope they have in Jesus, who sets captives free. The path away from addiction has been laid by a God who is full of surprises, who faithfully pursues those enslaved even though they have deliberately avoided him.
AUTHOR
Edward T. Welch, MDiv, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He earned a PhD in counseling (neuropsychology) from the University of Utah and has a Master of Divinity degree from Biblical Theological Seminary. Ed has been counseling for over thirty years and has written extensively on the topics of depression, fear, and addictions. His biblical counseling books include Shame Interrupted; When People Are Big and God Is Small; Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave; Depression: Looking Up from the Stubborn Darkness; Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Addiction; Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest; When I Am Afraid: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety; Side by Side: Walking with Others in Wisdom and Love; and A Small Book about a Big Problem: Meditations on Anger, Patience, and Peace.
"At the heart, addiction is a spiritual problem. It demands a spiritual solution. No stranger to this topic, Ed Welch gently confronts struggling addicts with God's truth, both about their self-deception and the surprising grace of Jesus, who makes all things new. This study is truly centered on the person of Christ."
Tim Clinton, EdD, President, American Association of Christian Counselors
"Dr. Edward Welch has pioneered the movement in biblical counseling from behavior modification into a heart centered on worshiping the one and true living God. Dr. Welch accomplishes this shift by revealing the glory of God in his redemptive work and taking it out of the hands of self-sufficiency. With Crossroads, Dr. Welch has found a way to morph the addict's story into the Story of God by not letting the addict identify himself with his current sin of addiction, and by calling the addict to repentance and dependence on Christ."
James Noriega, Shepherding Pastor Specializing in Addiction, Mars Hill Church, Seattle, WA
I plan to use this in a small men's group. It hits the mark as a Bible based study for those struggling with difficult sinful habits. The style is like talking to a counselor as it steps thru deep personal issues. I recommend the facilitator guide as well as the Banquet in the Grave book.