by Mark Shaw | Jan 15, 2021 | Addiction, Addiction Treatment, Uncategorized
By Mark Shaw The newly hired head football coach at the University of Texas is Steve Sarkisian who was fired in 2015 from the University of Southern California for his excessive drinking of alcohol on the job. He sued the university for $30 million dollars but lost...
by Mark Shaw | Jan 8, 2021 | Uncategorized
81,230 drug overdose deaths in one year (from June 2019-May 2020) is a big number and the largest number of its category in the history of the United States. 2 major contributors to this number: Fentanyl use from a drug standpoint Recklessness and hopelessness in the...
by Mark Shaw | Jan 5, 2021 | TAC Blog
by Mark Shaw Death has been a subject that could no longer be ignored in 2020. With the coronavirus (COVID-19) infecting and contributing to the deaths of over 300,000 people reportedly in the USA alone in 2020, Americans were confronted with a reality they could no...
by Mark Shaw | Dec 31, 2020 | Ministry News
At this time last year, who would have imagined that we would experience a year like 2020? COVID-19, racial discord, an often-vitriolic election race, and so much more. The good and comforting news? God is Sovereign and at work in and through everything that happens,...
by Mark Shaw | Nov 18, 2020 | Uncategorized
Reposted with permission from Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC). Originally published March 26, 2018. By: Mark Shaw An incredible number of 64,000 accidental overdose deaths occurred in 2016 in the United States of America. To put that number of souls in...
by Shirley Crowder | Oct 26, 2020 | TAC Blog
The Addiction Connection has released Advent: Meditations for Addicts, available in print and ebook. Dr. Mark E. Shaw and ShirIey Crowder pray the Lord will be pleased to use Advent: Meditations for Addicts, a meditative journey through Advent, to help you keep your...
by Mark Shaw | Oct 12, 2020 | Current Events, Life Lessons, TAC Blog
“Now, I’m going to use a scary word to describe your situation but I think we got to it early: melanoma.” My doctor spoke these words to me this past July. The reason I had gone to the dermatologist that day was to have him look at a sore on the back of my lower leg...
by Shirley Crowder | Oct 8, 2020 | Addiction, Announcements, Ministry News
We are excited to reveal the cover of Advent: Meditations for Addicts. This will be the first book published by The Addiction Connection. The Lord has been gracious to allow us to minister alongside each other for many years, so this project is special in that it is...
by Mark Shaw | Sep 11, 2020 | Uncategorized
September is National Recovery Month according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For 31 years, Recovery Month has been shining a national spotlight on the...
by Mark Shaw | Aug 29, 2020 | TAC Blog
So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31 For years Mark has been asked by countless people, “When are you going to do a group study for addiction that is consistent with the Bible?” He would always answer, “I’m...
by Mark Shaw | Jul 7, 2020 | TAC Blog
For several years in a row, Pittsburgh Steelers NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s offseason news stories were quite troubling. Negative reports included two accusations of sexual assault, a motorcycle wreck, and involvement in some controversial situations. Ben...
by Mark Shaw | Jun 5, 2020 | TAC Blog
Written by Pastor Wes Pinkley Every Tuesday night in Fort Wayne Indiana you will find a community impacted by The Lighthouse. Founded by director Brandon Bower, this transitional living program seeks to help men recover from addiction and engage in meaningful life,...
by Mark Shaw | May 1, 2020 | TAC Blog
We are in the middle of a pandemic that has created a ripple effect in many ways. Our normal routines have been shattered. Non-essential places are closed. We can’t meet with friends in-person. Group gatherings have been banned. In addition, professional sporting...
by Mark Shaw | Apr 20, 2020 | TAC Blog
In my lifetime, I cannot recall living in a time as unique as the one in which we are living right now. I’ve never experienced a pandemic, and the “stay at home” mandate is unprecedented for me. I am out of sorts, not in a routine, don’t have a dedicated space to work...
by Mark Shaw | Apr 17, 2020 | TAC Blog
Steve Barnett’s Testimony of Transformation For our 20th TAC Podcast, we have a special edition featuring Steve Barnett’s testimony of transformation. Steve shares a powerful picture of how disciple-making in an addict’s life is the catalyst for how Jesus Christ...
by Mark Shaw | Apr 10, 2020 | TAC Blog
In case you have not heard about it yet, I want to introduce you to a genuinely biblical addiction residential program for men called Redemption House. John Leonard is the Founder and CEO of this 5 year old program in beautiful Minnesota. John is an educated,...
by Mark Shaw | Apr 6, 2020 | TAC Blog
A solid understanding of biblical repentance and forgiveness is essential to the Gospel. All biblical counselors, and more specifically addiction biblical counselors, should have a good grasp of these foundational concepts and be able to teach them to others. I...
by Mark Shaw | Apr 3, 2020 | TAC Blog
COVID-19 has disrupted the world’s systems and that includes the addiction and recovery world. I’ve been thinking about both the positive and negative consequences. THE BAD Many people who are diagnosed in the world’s system with substance use disorder (SUD) are more...
by Mark Shaw | Mar 31, 2020 | Articles
Harvard professor and author Gene Heyman. Ph.D. had this to say about a community’s response to addiction, “We typically do not advocate incarceration and medical care for the same activities” (2009). Consider this: When caught, a thief goes immediately to jail....
by Mark Shaw | Mar 25, 2020 | Disciple-Making, TAC Blog
Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven… When we launched Truth in Love Ministries in 2007, the world was a messy place. Not much has changed in 2020. Some might argue the world is even messier! We’ve not had a...
by Mark Shaw | Jan 18, 2021 | Uncategorized
By Mark Shaw As I was reflecting upon my reading of the Bible in the book of Mark, I thought about how this principle applies to us today. Let’s examine Mark 7:1-13, which says, Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from...
