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Overcoming Your Addiction God’s Way
What PEOPLE are Saying About
Overcoming Your Addiction God’s Way
“Jim Berg unfolds the reality that when sin becomes highly habituated,
driven by idolatrous lusts and false refuges, the battle becomes a
destructive and sure entanglement, commonly known as an addiction.
Berg with many years of ministry experience and study, masterfully
addresses the problem of addictions with the hope of Christ and a
step-by-step biblical process of change to freedom and Christlikeness.
I highly recommend this book, largely about the Truth and hope
found in Jesus, that when truly embraced leads to freedom and change
(from the inside out) that lasts.”
“Jim Berg combines his deep understanding of personal, progressive
sanctification along with his case wisdom from years of personal
ministry in the counseling room to help those who struggle with
addiction. Whether you are the one with the addiction or the one
caring for an addicted person, this resource provides you a treasure
trove of valuable resources for the road ahead. Jim’s knowledge of the
Bible, his pastoral heart, genuine compassion, and gift of teaching
flow seamlessly together for your benefit. You will receive help and
hope from God’s Word. I’m grateful for this new resource and, even
more, the ministry of my dear friend.”
“For me to recommend Jim Berg’s Overcoming Your Addiction God’s
Way to you is not only easy, but urgent. I have known Jim for four
decades. I have found that by the time he has written on any topic of
progressive sanctification, he has not only studied it out thoroughly
through his lens of the robust sufficiency of Scripture, but he has also
worked the details through countless hours of real-world counseling
and tears. This book on addictions is the most recent installment. It
is theologically tight, and it brings to light the most pressing Bible
passages for both the counselor and counselee to own. I can promise
you that you hold in your hands a book that will proclaim Christ
to those struggling with addiction in a way that will admonish and
teach each one with wisdom in order to present each one complete
in Christ (Colossians 1:28). Enjoy the journey. Treasure the truth.”
“This book is a monumental work that reflects Dr. Berg’s deep passion
for helping addiction strugglers through a biblical framework. His
personal heart for others shines through, especially in his practical and
compassionate approach to addressing the root causes of addiction. As
someone who has been deeply impacted by Dr. Berg’s ministry, I can
confidently say that this book offers both hope and a solid, biblical
plan for anyone seeking freedom from addiction because it provides
a roadmap for lasting transformation through Christ.”
“A little over a year before this book’s publication I had the privilege
of becoming the first fulltime pastor to oversee the flagship Freedom
That Lasts chapter at Faith Baptist Church in Taylors, SC. It has been
an honor. I have seen Jim Berg’s loving heart toward “sufferers,” his
passion to share the life-changing power of the Scripture, and his
heart to break truth down into helpful, accurate, and systematic
ways. You will hear God’s Word faithfully taught and applied in this
compassionate book.”
“This tremendous resource provides a structured approach for equipping
of the saints for the work of “addiction” ministry within a local church.
You won’t miss an opportunity to give hope and to serve well this
brokenhearted people group if you implement the biblical principles
taught in this book!”
“Jim’s books have always been both extremely biblical and remarkably
practical. Some Christian addiction books seem to reference Scripture
only to prove a point. In Overcoming Your Addiction God’s Way Jim
unpacks Scripture passages and applies them in ways that most readers
can understand and practice. Jim knows that both the understanding
and practicing of Scripture are vital to a flourishing walk with Jesus,
resulting in freedom from all sorts of sin.
While this book will help anyone struggling with life-enslaving sin
to find freedom, it would be the perfect supplement for students who
attend a Freedom That Lasts meeting, as the concepts presented in the
book connect with the concepts in the Freedom That Lasts program.
Overcoming Your Addiction God’s Way would also make a great
resource for those who desire to help, mentor, or disciple those
struggling with life-enslaving sin. With resources like this, men and
women do not need an expensive education or an illicit past before
they can be instruments of hope and help in the hands of God. My
hope and prayer is that God will use this resource to bring men and
women to himself, setting them free from enslaving sin, as well as
equipping others to offer hope and help to millions struggling with
addiction.”
“In a world in which many of God’s image-bearers feel hopelessly
shackled by habitual sins, Jim Berg presents a scripturally based
sanctification plan. Berg reminds readers that the goal is not just
sobriety—rather, it is heart transformation. Careful exposition,
insightful illustrations, compelling stories, and application projects
fill this very readable book. The church will be well served by this
volume.”
“To experience true freedom from addiction you need God’s Word,
his Spirit, and his body (the church). That is why this book is such a
great resource for those struggling with unwanted habits as well as
those in the throes of a long-term addiction. Jim isn’t offering some
newly discovered system. And he’s not offering himself as some kind
of addiction expert (even though he is one). What Jim is offering on
just about every page of this book is Christ. And that’s why I’m so
excited to recommend it and begin using it with those around me
who are struggling.”
“I first became acquainted with Jim Berg’s writings when God used his
Quieting a Noisy Soul program to cure my insomnia. As a primary care
physician and biblical counselor, I see all sorts of people in bondage
to their addictions. So, I was delighted to read Jim’s latest book.
Overcoming Your Addiction God’s Way is not a twelve-step program to
achieve sobriety. It contains twenty rich chapters that will help those
with life-dominating sin habits to be reconciled to God. Jim rightly
asserts that the disease model of addiction is an incorrect secular
assumption. Every page is packed with the discipling principles that
we all need. His appendices are filled with homework, explanations
of human physiology, and tools for accountability. This will be an
excellent resource for believers who want to overcome their addiction
with the help of a wise spiritual mentor.”
About Jim Berg
Jim Berg’s biblical, practical, and accessible approach to spiritual growth and problem-solving can be traced back to his early days growing up in South Dakota. Jim spent countless hours side by side with his dad, tinkering on the family Volkswagens and working on the farm and in the garage. Jim credits this time working with his father and mother on the farm for his ability to break down and solve problems. Consequently, he draws many relatable anecdotes from his working-class childhood on the farm and his teen years in restaurant work to illustrate biblical truth in his books and sermons.
During college, God captured Jim’s heart and began to use his diverse experiences to minister to those around him. He taught weekend children’s clubs and held student leadership roles. During his senior year of college, Jim and his wife, Pat, held weekly Bible studies for married couples at nearby Clemson University. Together they directed their church’s Sunday school ministry to over a thousand children. Jim and Pat have traveled around the world speaking to believers on the topics of marriage, parenting, spiritual growth, leadership development, discipleship, and biblical counseling.
Jim holds a Master of Arts in Theology from BJU Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. He is a professor of biblical counseling at BJU Seminary. He has served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at Faith Baptist Church in Taylors, SC. Jim is also the founder of Freedom That Lasts, a ministry that exists to “equip churches to welcome, evangelize, and biblically counsel those who are hurting or addicted to grow in Christlike character and wisdom in living life.”
Jim is a commissioned addictions biblical counselor (CABC) with The Addiction Connection, is a certified biblical counselor with ACBC (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) and holds an addiction specialization with ACBC as well. He is also a council member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition.
Jim and his wife, Pat, have three adult daughters who are in full-time vocational ministry with their husbands. Jim and Pat have eleven grandchildren. Pat is a certified biblical counselor with ACBC—The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors and holds a marriage and family specialization with ACBC.