Girls Gone Bible: "Alcohol Sucks" (October 10, 2025)

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode, hosted by Angela Halili and Arielle Reitsma, centers on the theme of sobriety and overcoming addiction—specifically alcohol, but also touching on drugs, smoking, and other vices. With raw honesty, the hosts dive into Angela's personal story of alcoholism, the spiritual dynamics behind addiction, and how true freedom and healing ultimately come from Jesus. Their aim is to encourage those struggling with addiction, debunk common misconceptions, and point to lasting transformation through faith rather than willpower or programs alone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening & Purpose of the Episode

• Angela shares having specifically prayed for this episode to go viral so that more people might hear a message about sobriety and encounter freedom (04:00).
• The hosts acknowledge how hard and vulnerable it is to discuss these topics, but stress how many are suffering in silence, even within the Christian community.

2. Angela’s Story: Addiction and Deliverance

Early Exposure and Escalation

• Angela began drinking at 15, not out of a love for partying but to escape from deep-seated pain and anxiety (18:00).
  • “It’s not even that I loved to party. What I loved was the ability alcohol gave me to escape my pain.” – Angela (18:45)
• Drinking escalated through her teens and into her early 20s as a coping mechanism for social anxiety and panic disorder.

Recognizing Addiction

• Angela describes rising tolerance and physical dependence to the point of experiencing withdrawal symptoms if she went short periods without drinking (21:00).
  • “It was absolutely terrifying to realize that I couldn’t even take a short trip to the grocery store without having a drink. The shackles were tight. I was in bondage, and the future did not look promising at this point.” – Angela (21:38)
• She explains the vicious shame cycle: drinking to numb pain leads to more shame, which leads back to drinking (22:30).
• She notes that past trauma and pain often underpin addiction. “People are in pain and they’re hurting so badly. And it feels so good to have a vice… but it doesn’t actually ever bring fulfillment or peace.” (23:40)

Hitting Rock Bottom

• After a toxic relationship and living in an unhealthy party environment, Angela realized she had lost control. Her dependence was less about the fun and more about desperately seeking relief (30:00).

Turning Point: Supernatural Deliverance

• Thanksgiving 2019: Angela is confronted by her then-boyfriend about her ongoing drinking. He gives her an ultimatum, and Angela is so defeated by her actions and caught in self-hatred, but “never drank again after that day” (38:15).
  • “It wasn’t a big moment. I simply stopped that night… It was empowerment. This is the Holy Spirit’s power at work in our life. I never made the decision to stop drinking.” – Angela (43:12)
• Although she endured difficult withdrawals, she testifies to supernatural intervention:
  • “Jesus stepped in and said, you can’t save yourself. You’re done. I’m saving you.” (41:44)
• Now nearly six years sober, she says: “I don’t even consider myself like a recovering alcoholic, because I was delivered from alcoholism, I was delivered from addiction.” (33:25)

3. Importance of Community and Environment

• Angela explains that she lost all her friends during early sobriety; she quit bottle service and cut off unhealthy environments (48:53).
• “Your friends in your environment are literally everything.” – Angela (48:59)
• She emphasizes need for new, supportive circles, even if it means intense isolation at first. Healing takes time and often requires separating from people/places that enable addiction.

4. Resources: Rehab, AA, and the Spiritual Root

• Arielle shares that addiction runs in her family and recognizes the place of treatment programs: “I mean, rehab saved my dad. AA truly saved my dad. It gave him community. It showed him the Bible.” (58:11)
• Ari shares a powerful letter from Angelica, a woman who found freedom from addiction after discovering Christ. Angelica underscores that while support groups help, the deepest root is spiritual:
  • “Addiction at its root is so deeply, spiritually connected to the deceptions and the lies that we believe about ourselves, about this life, and about God.” (59:10)
  • “True freedom then comes only when we surrender that mindset and truly accept who God truly is.” (60:33)
• Hosts clarify the nuance in AA’s “higher power” teaching:
  • “Your true freedom will never come from a higher power... You either put your faith in Jesus, or you’re believing a lie.” – Angela (61:34)

5. Biblical Insight & Warning

• Highlighting Ephesians 5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
• Proverbs 23 and Genesis 9 (Noah’s story) are read as clear biblical warnings about the destructive aftermath of drunkenness (55:25, 63:59).
• The hosts distinguish: “Alcohol is not a sin. Being drunk is a sin... However, looking to anything other than Jesus for comfort is a sin.” – Angela (62:04)

6. How to Walk Out Freedom

• The process isn’t always instant; healing can be gradual and requires ongoing surrender.
• Angela advises removing yourself from triggers and unhealthy influences: “You can lovingly say, ‘I love you, but this doesn’t work for me.’ ...You have to get out of situations that aren’t good for you. It’s life or death.” (53:02)
• “Environments and people are everything for healing. You can’t do it alone.” – Angela & Arielle (63:06)

7. Encouragement and Invitation

• Angela and Arielle repeatedly remind listeners that no one is too far gone. “Even Noah, who was so obedient, so faithful—he fell.” – Arielle (66:19)
• If you fall back into addiction, “just get back up. You can get sober again, you can lay it down again.” – Angela (67:56)
• Sobriety is not only about abstaining, but also about laying every dependence at the feet of Jesus:
  • “If you’re craving anything other than Jesus, you’re worshiping that thing and it’s idolatry and it will lead you to death.” – Angela (67:53)
• They end with a prayer for supernatural breakthrough and invite listeners to accept Christ for true freedom (71:30–74:00).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It feels so good to have a vice... until it turns on you. This is how the devil works, not just with substance abuse but any sin in our lives. It’s always good in the beginning, shiny, appealing, seductive. But then Satan leads you to your destruction by the very thing that used to feel so good.” – Angela (19:18)
• “Jesus is, and forever will be, stronger than whatever is in your life. He’s already put it under His feet.” – Angela (45:56)
• “You don’t know how many people you help. Like, you don’t know how many people you free... you don’t know what you’re doing for those people.” – Arielle (46:38)
• “Addiction at its root is so deeply, spiritually connected to the deceptions and lies that we believe about ourselves, about this life, and about God.” – Angelica, as read by Arielle (59:24)
• “Alcohol is not a sin. Being drunk is a sin... However, looking to anything other than Jesus for comfort is a sin.” – Angela (62:04)
• “You have authority, and it will not have a hold over you anymore after today.” – Angela (46:10)
• “If you are dealing with addiction, you need to be surrounded. You need these people to hold you up and carry you through. That’s why people have sponsors.” – Arielle (63:53)
• “If you did give in again, just... get sober again, just lay it down again, just submit it to Jesus once again. You can get sober again, you can lay it down again.” – Angela (67:56)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:00: Angela prays for the episode to go viral for the sake of the sobriety message
• 18:00–22:00: Angela describes her earliest drinking experiences and the development of her addiction
• 30:00–34:00: The “dark brick house”—Angela’s low point and realization of bondage
• 38:15–43:12: Thanksgiving confrontation and the moment of deliverance from alcohol
• 48:53–53:02: Post-deliverance: How Angela’s life changed, the importance of environment, and isolation vs. community
• 55:04–62:04: Arielle’s experience with addiction in her family, AA, and the necessity of a Christ-centered approach to overcoming addiction
• 62:04–67:56: Alcohol and sin; the line between moderation and idolatry; responses to relapse; biblical warnings (Noah, Proverbs)
• 71:30–74:00: Prayer for listeners seeking freedom and an invitation to know Jesus

Final Takeaways

• Sobriety is possible even from deep addiction—Angela's story testifies to the transformative and freeing power of Jesus over every bondage.
• Addiction is often rooted in pain and spiritual wounds, not simply “bad choices.”
• Secular supports (like AA or rehab) are valuable, but true and lasting freedom comes when surrendering all to Christ.
• Community and environment play a pivotal role in both falling into and breaking free from addiction.
• Listeners are invited to make a clear decision, seek supportive community, and place their dependence completely on Jesus.

If You’re Struggling...

The hosts encourage you: You’re not alone, you’re not too far gone, and help is possible starting today. Their stories, both personal and from community, echo the truth: “Go be free. May the Lord bless you and keep you... We love you so much.” (75:59)

Resource Links Mentioned

• Girls Gone Bible Devotional
• Angela and Arielle’s Instagram: @angelahalili @ariellereitsma