Project 1:8 Podcast – Episode 004: Addiction

Host: Scott
Date: May 9, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Scott addresses the challenging topic of addiction from a biblical and spiritual perspective. The central theme is exploring whether the Bible offers resources and hope for overcoming harmful addictions, and how faith in Jesus and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit can play a transformative role. While Scott acknowledges the complex layers surrounding addiction—biological, cultural, and psychological—he narrows the focus to its spiritual dimension and what unique help the Christian faith offers. The episode is practical, compassionate, and rooted in Scripture, aiming to encourage those struggling with addiction and provide hope for change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Addiction Defined and Scope of Discussion

• Definition for the Episode: "Addictive behavior is an inability to stop doing or using something, especially something harmful." (03:05)
• Scott recognizes the multifaceted causes of addiction, including biology, culture, and societal factors, but emphasizes focusing on the spiritual resource available to believers.
• He points out that not all potentially addictive behaviors are seen equally across cultures (e.g., workaholism).

2. The Unique Spiritual Resource for Christians

• Key Question: Does someone who has believing loyalty in Jesus have access to something that can help them overcome destructive behaviors?
• Scott affirms: "I believe that they do have resources, for lack of a better term, that are available to them that somebody who is far from God just doesn't have." (06:40)

Scriptural Foundations:

• New Creation in Christ:
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17 – "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away and see the new has come." (08:12)
  • The "new thing" is God's Spirit living within believers.
• Presence of the Holy Spirit – John 14: "The counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I have told you." (09:05)
• Body as Temple of Holy Spirit:
  • 1 Corinthians: "Don't you know then that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, who you have from God. You are not your own. You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (10:17)

Present and Future Benefits:

• Not only is there future benefit (eternal life), but also present transformation—daily help and purification (1 John 3).
• Scott's Analogy: Metamorphosis, like a caterpillar turning to a butterfly, symbolizes the ongoing transformation in the life of a believer. (13:50)

3. Transformation: Biblical "Metamorphosis"

• Used Four Times in Scripture: Twice about Jesus's transfiguration and twice about believers' transformation.

  • 2 Corinthians 3:18 – "We ... are being transformed (metamorphosis) ... into the same image, from glory to glory. This is from the Lord. And who is the Spirit." (15:50)
  • Romans 12:1-2 – "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God." (17:40)

• Insight: The transformation is both a work of the Spirit (presently ongoing) and something we participate in by renewing our minds, a key aspect of overcoming addiction.

"God is in the process of freeing us from ... to change our destructive habits." (19:50)

• Galatians 5:1: "For freedom, Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery." (20:05)

4. Practical Thoughts on the Spiritual Component of Addiction

• Impossibility of Perfection:
  • Scott warns against both legalistic perfectionism and defeatist resignation.
  • "Our sin nature is not eradicated just because we trust and have believing loyalty in Jesus ... we're human. So let's not go there ... that is not the story of the Bible and it's not our human journey." (22:10)
• Healthy Balance:
  • Realistic view: Neither give in to defeat nor demand perfection. Seek surrender and partnership with God.
  • "To claim that we'll never be free from the thing that controls us is to diminish the power of God." (23:40)
• Prayer & Asking for God's Help:
  • Scott encourages bold prayer, recognizing God’s power to break addictions.
  • "We have the right as his children to ask him to do astonishing things within our life..." (24:10)
  • "But often times we just never ask Him." (24:43)
• Cycles of Shame vs. Reliance on God:
  • Western tendency is to "pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps," leading to unhelpful shame cycles.
  • "Our human failure will never change the way that he sees us, nor should we heap deeper levels of guilt on ourselves." (26:45)
• Growing vs. Dwelling in Brokenness:
  • "The Christian life is growing in our brokenness and it's not dwelling in it." (27:07)
• Example of Paul (Philippians 3):
  • Paul’s journey from "religious zealot" to humility and grace-filled striving.
  • "Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus." (29:10)

5. Community and Accountability

• Importance of Christian Community:
  • "Part of God's plan is that we support each other in this life." (31:30)
  • The original biblical audience lived in community—modern listeners often need to intentionally seek out help.
  • "It was natural to get advice from the family. It was natural to get advice from the community as you struggled through things ... and they were there to help." (32:11)

6. Encouragement and Available Resources

• Scott emphasizes that addiction is too big a topic to cover in one episode, and promises future interviews with experts and those with lived experience.

• Essence of help:

  • "According to the Scriptures, the greatest resource is Jesus himself. He loves you enough to respond to the prayers that you have." (34:10)

• Hebrews 4:14-16 (Scott's Favorite Passage):

  • "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the Throne of Grace with boldness so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (35:01)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On hope for victory over addiction:

  • "Can he give me victory where I've only known years and years of defeat? I hope you're going to take encouragement as we look at a couple of things today." (07:23)

• On our transformation:

  • "What it means to have God's spirit or God himself indwelling us ... there are daily benefits and present benefits to who we are as well." (10:50)

• On the balance between defeat and victory:

  • "A healthy mental balance is found somewhere between conceding to the control of sin and surrendering the strongholds to God and asking for his help." (22:30)

• On community:

  • "For the original audiences of the Bible, [community] was an unspoken reality ... they lived connected in communities that shared in burdens and celebrations." (32:03)

• On the sufficiency and empathy of Jesus:

  • "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin." (35:12)

Key Timestamps

• 00:00-03:56 — Episode Introduction and Intentions for Project 1:8
• 03:57-06:40 — Defining addiction and outlining the episode scope
• 06:41-10:17 — Spiritual resources for breaking addiction and scriptural foundations
• 10:18-13:50 — Present and future aspects of being 'in Christ'
• 13:51-21:20 — Biblical concept of transformation (metamorphosis) and implications for addiction
• 21:21-26:44 — The limits of perfectionism, cycles of shame, and the invitation to God's power
• 26:45-29:10 — Paul's example and practical approach to overcoming the past
• 31:30-32:45 — Christian community as support in struggles
• 34:10-36:10 — Power, presence, and empathy of Jesus as the ultimate resource
• 36:11-End — Encouragement, resources, and episode wrap-up

Tone & Approach

Scott maintains a compassionate, honest, and biblically grounded tone throughout, blending encouragement with realism and practical steps. He speaks directly to those who are struggling, avoiding both shame and simplistic solutions, and instead points consistently to hope, community, and the ongoing work of God's Spirit in the believer.

Conclusion

This episode offers listeners a biblical perspective on addiction that is hopeful without being naïve, and honest without being condemning. Listeners are reminded that while addiction is complex and difficult, spiritual resources—including prayer, community, and the indwelling Holy Spirit—are real and sufficient. Scott invites listeners to connect for additional help and underlines that no one has to face addiction alone.

"If you're really broken right now and you're understanding, like, where do I even begin to start? Let us be your starting point. Just connect with us and we will do the very best to love you and to pray along with you and to lock arms with you in this journey." (38:12)