YAHWEH and Jager Bombs - PART 2

So it's time for part II.

Disclaimer: I thought this would be an interesting blog topic because it is something not too spoken of in church circles. I am not for nor against the issue, just looking to gain a better insight being I am now a 21 year old church leader.

I figured it would only be appropriate to write this post immediately after going to an O.A.R. concert at Penn's Landing in Philly. Which coincidentally is the largest gathering of drunk college students I have ever seen. (Second maybe to a Penn State football home game) This post is going to be some of the evidence I have put together against drinking alcoholic beverages. Don't worry though, it will be followed up immediately by thoughts on the positives!

1) What the Bible says about drinking:

-The Bible speaks mostly of drunkenness, in verses such as Ephesians 5:18 it says, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."
Notes: This speaks of drunkenness as a problem, therefore noting that drinking is not bad, excessive drinking is however. The reason being is that it leads to sinful nature. If you've ever been drunk, you can most likely attest this being a true statement.

Proverbs 23:20 states, "Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat."
Notes: Once again this idea that TOO MUCH is the issue here. But then you have to ask the question... how much is too much?

2) Negative Personal Experiences.

As many of you know, and some of you do not, I also have an interesting and up close and personal experience with alcohol, and what negative effects it can really have. I am a proud son of an alcoholic mother who has been sober for over 3 years.

I can't however always say that I was a proud son. There was a day and time when alcohol and it's addictive qualities ravaged my household. It had some type of power that is almost impossible to explain to someone who hasn't seen it's damage. Or to explain to someone who hasn't seen it in someones eyes, or in their excuses, or in their sneaking around. Watching that happen in my own family was a nightmare. I stuck with my sister through a bulk of the problems, but when she shipped off to college it just added additional strain to our already damaged family. Watching your mother leave for months at a time to go to rehab is not something any adolescent should have to deal with. Luckily for my situation, on for those months she got to experience Christ for the first time. I am convinced she would have never been able to break the cycle had it not been for the redemptive power of the Spirit.

STATISTIC: Latest estimated number of alcoholics in the US hangs around 1 of every 50 people. Putting the number around 6 million, 76 thousand alcohol abusers. A force to be reckoned with...

Several months ago our church ran a series called "Switch Stories". The series was about people who have just had their life flipped upside down by God. My mom was one of the people to share her story... You can watch her story here: