Resource List

Hello Everyone. We are starting up a radical discipleship program with an emphasis on recovering addicts and I am going to build a curriculum starting around a booklist that will help confront hard strongholds as well as inspire. I am reaching out to this forum because I know there are some like minded people hanging out here.

My first need is for a book that deals well with the need to totally surrender to God. I have Absolute Surrender by Murray here, but I'm looking for some alternatives.

Hi Brother,

By "totally surrender" do you mean be "sold out", "radical", etc.?

As far as recovering addicts go, I would think (in my limited knowledge of these matters) that they would need to replace that old affection with a new, godly affection for Christ. Or, as Thomas Chalmers put it, it is the "expulsive power of a new affection".

So, I would strive to help them understand the depravity of sin, yet the extreme riches of the gospel. Perhaps something like C.H. Spurgeon's "All of Grace" would be helpful? I highly recommend it.

If you push them for "absolute surrender" without a thorough understanding of the gospel. They will most likely fail miserably, or eventually burn out years down the road in despair from trying to save themselves by their own works. I speak from personal experience here.

With care in Christ,
Taylor

Thanks. I do mean being radical, etc.. I'm looking for a resource brainstorm here more than a prescription on how to fix an addict. As an additional note, I'm not a Calvinist, and wouldn't really be offering them a Calvinist solution.

You wouldn't be offering them a Calvinist solution - you would be offering the gospel. Convince them to be as moral as you like, without the gospel, they will be cast into everlasting destruction.

I know you are asking for a resource brainstorm, which is why I suggested the Spurgeon book.

Yes, that's right, I intend to offer them a false gospel of works. Anyone have any recommendations for that?

willriddle wrote:
Yes, that's right, [b]I intend to offer them a false gospel of works.[/b] Anyone have any recommendations for that?

Huh?

PreachParsly,

I think that wilriddle was referring to what was seemingly implied in the response that was given to him, not that he intends to do that.

TaylorOtwell, you need to step back from what you are writing and earnestly seek God for grace to continue to post.

EDIT Taylor, I want to add something for clarification here, your posts have an aroma of obnoxiousness.

willriddle wrote:
Yes, that's right, I intend to offer them a false gospel of works. Anyone have any recommendations for that?

Is this supposed to be funny?

:-(

ChrisJD wrote:
PreachParsly,

I think that wilriddle was referring to what was seemingly implied in the response that was given to him, not that he intends to do that.

TaylorOtwell, you need to step back from what you are writing and earnestly seek God for grace to continue to post.

EDIT Taylor, I want to add something for clarification here, your posts have an aroma of obnoxiousness.

Just for the record...

I took Taylor's advice to be good, true, and sincere.

**edit**

I was an alcoholic drug user for over ten years, if that matters.

Thanks. That is what I was getting at. I was simply trying to say that I am not a Calvinist and would be looking for non-Calvinist resources. I was not asking to be branded a teacher of a false gospel. But that gets away from my original purpose for the post... anyone else have ideas or an idea of a better place to ask the question?

tjservant,

Good advice should be given at the right time and in an appropriate way.

EDIT to suggest that this man intends to preach works and good morals to addicts having known nothing about him is a [b]stench[/b].

ChrisJD wrote:
tjservant,

Good advice should be given at the right time and in an appropriate way.

I believe it was.

to suggest that this man intends to preach works and good morals to addicts having known nothing about him is a stench.

Sorry, but I did not take it that way. This is often the problem with "e" communication. You have your opinion...I have mine. Not trying to make more out of this, just noting that I did not take it like some of you did.

tjservant,

I believe it was

Even after [b]the man that came here seeking help[/b] was put off by the response.

Unbelievable.

This is often the problem with "e" communication

Maybe the problem is more with our unbridled liberty to give our stinking opinions.

Brothers, I think enough is enough. If I have offended any unnecessarily, I ask for your forgiveness.

I think the IF is unescessary. You definitely have.

Hello willriddle,

Please help me understand why you even used Calvinist/non-Calvinist? I do not actually know what that is, I am a Christian and follow the Word as given in the Bible.

It sounds odd for someone who is going to be dealing with such broken, troubled people to be 'winging it' by asking for references from a forum that you have not even posted to before. What kind of plaque will you be hanging on the wall of your office, WebSurferGuru.com?

Are you a practicing Christian or do you only know from hearing/reading the book?

Ministering to an addict who is attempting to recover is not something you can learn from browsing forums. I hope there is much more to your experience and training that you have neglected to mention.

If you are doing this just to test your theory you can very well be sending people to their death and to Hell. Please reassure me this is not how it is.

Kind regards,
white stone

I am assuming that you are gathering resources to actually go out and help people caught in these addiction.
We also need to understand that only God can create a sense of need in a persons heart. God's word and the ministering of the Holy Spirit can bring about this. So let all your efforts be soaked in prayerfull dependance on the Lord Jesus to intervene.
Jesus came to save sinners, the scum of the society, so much so that He Himself was called various names, like glutton, sinner, beelzebub.
He said He has come to save the sick. It is is this Jesus that we need to introduce to the people.
It is not enough to tell about this Jesus, but we need to know this Jesus personally and bring people to HIM, like Andrew brought Peter and Phillip Nathaneal. Then Jesus will take care of the rest. I am just encouraging you, my brethren the importance of this personal relationship.
Just as a baby who know the father but not in the same degree and intimacy as a grown up son, so we need to grow in this relationship.
Then it becomes so easy to intoduce Jesus to others.
Having said that, maybe focus on those gospel instances where Jesus actally reached out and touched and healed the 'scum' of society. And let God evoke a desire in the heart of the listener to reach out and touch our Lord.

I would also suggest to share the testimony of those who were freed from such captivity. We are told to be witness to God's work in us. I guess there are quite a lot of such testimony here in this website.
Also popular ones like the story of Nicky Cruz
Also I came across this story of Willie Mullan
http://www.preachtheword.com/sermon/williemullan.shtml
also the story of a boy who became a 'bum' a thief and a vagabond - John Welsh
An Irish brother who was drunkard - William P Nicholson
A slave trader - John Newton - who wrote Amazing Grace.
It is like saying, "let me tell you the story fo this man, who made a mess of his life. and now let me tell you how Jesus came in and changed it all. What Jesus has done for him, He can do for you, if you want Him to."

let all your efforts backed by prayer, be to introduce Jesus - friend of sinners. Who came to forgive and save us from our sinful life.

note: it is good to have the subject as accurate as possible so that in future it will be easier for people who search for suggestions.

Thank you. This is the first response that makes a serious attempt to address my original question. I was simply trying to tap the collective group knowledge to improve upon some of what our team is already aware of, specifically one book! Somehow it has been interpreted that because I'm looking to improve upon the resources that I am personally aware of that we're not qualified, etc. In reality asking questions is the best way to learn more and improve.

I do believe I may have asked the question of the wrong group of people.

willriddle,

Yes, that's right, I intend to offer them a false gospel of works. Anyone have any recommendations for that?

Thanks. That is what I was getting at. I was simply trying to say that I am not a Calvinist and would be looking for non-Calvinist resources. I was not asking to be branded a teacher of a false gospel. But that gets away from my original purpose for the post... anyone else have ideas or an idea of a better place to ask the question?

Thank you. This is the first response that makes a serious attempt to address my original question. I was simply trying to tap the collective group knowledge to improve upon some of what our team is already aware of, specifically one book! Somehow it has been interpreted that because I'm looking to improve upon the resources that I am personally aware of that we're not qualified, etc. In reality asking questions is the best way to learn more and improve.

I do believe I may have asked the question of the wrong group of people.

You are off on the wrong foot here. Making inferences and insinuating, making snide comments will get you nowhere. If it is collective knowledge you are after it ought not to surprise you that it may differ from whatever preconceptions you might have or hold to. That is neither here nor there.

For the record you have the right group of people, many who have been through the throes of various addictions. But if you insist upon making accusations of those you have so little conversation with and continue with this high-minded approach then you are indeed asking the wrong group of people.

To all, as it applies, this is highly unnecessary to be creating strife and tossing barbs at each other - These constructs gone to seed and constantly creating strife. Hold to your proscriptions if you must but away with your titles of certificate, it has been the ruin of this forum for far too long. The best we can do is a matter of a few weeks before the whole relic of controversy must start all over again?

This site continues to hold both in tension - get over it - choke it down - grow up - humble yourselves - suffer some 'wrongs' - loosen the restraints on your fallen minds and learn to ponder and converse without drawing off insinuations of motivations from things that are not explicitly stated.

This site continues to hold both in tension - get over it - choke it down - grow up - humble yourselves - suffer some 'wrongs' - loosen the restraints on your fallen minds and learn to ponder and converse without drawing off insinuations of motivations from things that are not explicitly stated.

Thank you Brother Mike, Point taken. Head bowed,
white stone

You wouldn't be offering them a Calvinist solution - you would be offering the gospel. Convince them to be as moral as you like, without the gospel, they will be cast into everlasting destruction.

This is not advice. It is a loaded statement implying that the person that asked for help here, as he put it, might be guilty of preaching a false gospel.

Based upon what?

The person came here as a guest asking for help.

I believe he was treated rudely, no less so than if he were to have walked into a house and been slapped in the face.

James, the Apostle, said this:

"Who [i]is[/i] a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom."

He said that the wisdom that generates strife and envy is from the earth, and devils.

He said the wisdom that comes from God, is among other things, peaceable, and [b]easy[/b] to be entreated.

I'm looking for a resource brainstorm here more than a prescription on how to fix an addict.

willriddle, if you are still reading this, I was thinking about this today and I thought about the testimonies of Jackie Pullinger that are on this website.

Going on memory, she went to a place in Hong Kong and has ministered to many drug addicts, prostitutes, and gang members there.

The testimonies are [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=117]here[/url]