In our walk following Jesus, we have enemies. But our enemy is not only Satan and demons. We have another enemy that is even closer. If you want to know the other big enemy standing in the way of what God wants to do in your life…take your finger and touch your chest. It's you. It's our flesh.

We all have an inclination to buck against authority and rebel against God. We see it rooted in Adam and Eve's disobedience. It manifests itself as selfish desires, inclinations toward evil, and an inability to perfectly follow God's will. We're locked in an internal struggle between doing what we want and doing what is right, requiring spiritual rebirth through Christ for transformation. For the Godly man, it's an internal struggle between doing what we want and what is right, requiring spiritual rebirth through Christ for transformation.

Our guest this week, Matt Robison has a powerful story from the trenches, fighting the battle of drug and alcohol addiction. Matt shares how choices and circumstances led him to the bottom, and how by trusting in God and the Holy Spirit for each step—even after relapses—he has retaken ground in both his own life and that of his family.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Opening:

Where are you winning this week?

Discussion:

Matt talks about the difference of recovery being between abstinence and healing. Why is it so important to distinguish between the two?

Matt talks about doing good things out of a faulty performance mindset. What's the danger in doing good things out of a performance mindset?

Read 2 Corinthians 12:6-10. What sticks out to you about how God responds to Paul's weakness?

Matt touches on the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of healing addiction. Why is it so important to address all three instead of just one?

Matt mentions a common belief especially amongst men: "I have to perform to be valuable." When have you felt this way? Where does that belief come from?

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. It's really hard when your heart is broke, your mind is sick, and your soul is covered with shame." What part of you feels most broken right now, and how is that affecting your relationship with God?

"Jesus is more interested in the wounds behind the sin than he is in the behaviors." We often focus on stopping sinful behaviors while ignoring the deeper wounds underneath. What would it look like to bring those wounds from the past to Jesus, instead of just trying harder to change?

What's a habit in your life that keeps you from God's best? What's a sin that the enemy is using to blanket you in shame with? What is your next step of obedience?

Resources

AA…AA's are everywhere. We have AA's that meet at three of our campuses—NIC, LEX & GEO. Please reach out and we'll help you get connected to them if you're interested.
There's also a Christian Recovery Program at a lot of churches all over our city, all over the country called Celebrate Recovery. That's a great Christian program that's making a huge impact.
We also have a long list of guys that are in our church that have battled alcohol addiction and they're sober and would be honored to walk beside you, share their story and help you in any way that they can.
Book by John Ortberg, called Steps (A guide to transforming your life when willpower isn't enough).
If you're interested in another podcast on addiction, I had one of the men in our church named Mike Mueller on. Locker Room episode, Southland Men: Mike Mueller (The View From Rock Bottom)—March 28th, 2025.

Wrap Up

If this podcast has encouraged you—we'd love to hear from you.
If you're wrestling with Christianity, interested in getting baptized or need help figuring out your next step, want to get in touch with Matt Robison…shoot us an email at lockerroom@southland.church.
As always…if this podcast has encouraged you—share it with a friend. You never know how an episode like this can help those in your life that you care about.
Thanks for listening. Get after it! We'll catch you next time on Locker Room.

Big Words: Battle, with Matt Robison