By Dr. Mark E. Shaw
A Little TAC History
Ten years ago, The Addiction Connection officially launched with 12 national leaders in the biblical approach to addiction who met together in Cleveland, Ohio. After more than a year of praying and planning, the ministry began its focus on addiction biblical counseling provided to families and those struggling with addiction issues.
Now, with a collection of part-time and volunteer staff, the Network of TAC continues to grow with 91 CABC’s (Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors) serving the Lord in their respective ministries around the world. We are amazed at what God has done in this ministry and yet we are only getting started.
Resources for You!
With weekly podcasts released on Mondays, digital training courses on addiction, and blogs released regularly, we continue to produce accessible biblical content to help not only the addicted but especially the counselors of the addicted and their families. Why the focus on the counselors? Because God says to make disciples who will make more disciples… and we are equipping the saints for the enormous ministry opportunities to those in addiction struggles (Ephesians 4:11-15). We have plans to produce much more content in the months ahead.
Coming Publications
TAC has a new book to be released very soon. Easter: Meditations for Addicts is a daily devotional designed to be read several weeks before Resurrection Sunday to prepare your heart for the best holiday of the year. On Easter Sunday followers of Christ get to publicly acknowledge and celebrate the power of God in raising Jesus from death to life!
Look for booklets to be published through Focus Publishing later this year on a variety of addiction topics, too. We proclaim God as the One and Only True God for the addicted and their families. These written publications help to get that word out because it gets the Word of God out to others in a teaching format. We want to reach every person.
Who We Are and What We Do
Let me remind you of one of the key tenets of TAC from Acts 4:12-14:
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. ESV [1] (emphasis mine)
There is only One True God for the addicted and that is Jesus Christ, God made flesh. Verse 12 reminds that Jesus is the solution for the sins of addictive pursuits for pleasure (and often running from pain!)
Then verse 13 is a simple reminder of TAC’s call to be bold. We are an organization in which God uses whom the world calls the “uneducated” and “common” man to reach the “uneducated” and “common” man. Members of TAC’s network know that the power and glory goes to God and not any of us, and He delights to use ordinary and even so-called “foolish” people for His own glory.
The Glory of God
And finally in verse 14, we are reminded that the changed lives of TAC stand to demonstrate the power and glory of God to a world that turns to empty helps. Secular treatment and rehabilitation programs that use medicalized terms and concepts to treat addiction, substance use disorders, opioid use disorders in a behavioral way are missing out on the key remedy. Sobriety is a good goal, but secondary to the primary goal of God—His Spirit changing the heart of mankind for His own glory. God seeks to give salvation to His children and that goal is bigger than sobriety alone in this life. God’s goal has an eternal perspective.
Since you might be new to TAC, I wanted you to know these key principles of our ministry. We are for the everyday man and woman and want to equip each one to glorify the Lord.
It has been a great 10 years and we are celebrating it all year long in 2022. Join us in celebrating what God has done, is doing, and will do through TAC!
Need Help?
The Addiction Connection offers hope and healing to those struggling with addiction. Start your search for biblical programs.
Consider contacting one of our Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors who are available to help you.
Residential Programs we recommend.
Non-Residential Programs we recommend.
Do you want to start a Biblical outreach to those in addiction? Check out this disciple-making curriculum we created just for you entitled Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED.
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.