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Those suffering from addiction deserve enormous compassion. This week, Jerry Nance, board member of Global Teen Challenge, joins the Truth and Grace podcast to talk about how spiritual discipleship, mental illness, counseling and God's love converge with addiction.

Key Points from the Podcast

• Drug addiction sometimes starts as casual or social use that spirals into an uncontrollable habit.

• The number one reason people end of using drugs is to escape the pain of abuse, whether it be physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.

• Some turn to drugs for relief from the stress of divorce, separation, and family dysfunction.

• Addiction can often lead people to do uncharacteristically hurtful things to friends and family, like stealing, so that they can support their habit.

• Part of healing from addiction often involves dealing with anger and unforgiveness from the abuse they have experienced.

• Jerry Nance shares powerful testimonies of people who have been rescued and redeemed from the dark depths of addiction.

• There is no one so far gone in addiction that they can’t be delivered and healed by Jesus Christ. He will cleanse them, removing all guilt and shame.

Resources Mentioned in the Podcast

• Global Teen Challenge

• The Cross and the Switchblade

• World Challenge Prayer Line

About Jerry Nance

Dr. Jerry Nance is known for his passion—a passion to see Teen Challenge extend its reach around the world to help thousands of more people find freedom from addiction. He is the chairman of the board for Global Teen Challenge.

Dr. Nance is a servant leader at heart, having begun a career in ministry as an associate pastor and senior pastor of a local church and later, Crusade Associate for Teen Challenge founder, David Wilkerson. His education uniquely qualifies him for addiction outreach and recovery. He holds a B.S. in Religious Studies from Southwestern University, a Master's Degree in Counseling from Barry University, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy in Leadership, Education with a specialization in Counseling from Barry University.

Beyond his leadership expertise, Dr. Nance is valued by friends, clients, and colleagues for something more than can be learned in a classroom - his compassion. He cares deeply for people who struggle with life-controlling addiction and is always ready and eager to develop the resources and programs necessary to facilitate their full recovery. From 1991-2017, he served as the Executive Director of Teen Challenge of Florida, leading the organization to an expansion of 21 centers across six states: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Missouri. He has extended residential services to over 1,200 men and women, boys and girls. Today, it is his privilege to serve Global Teen Challenge, assisting international leadership in 125 nations and working with them to put hope within reach of every addict.

Dr. Nance and his wife, Libby, reside in Georgia and are the proud parents of three grown children and grandparents of nine grandchildren.

About John Bailey

Pastor John Bailey serves as the Chief Operating Officer at World Challenge. John came to know Christ in jail after some difficult struggles as a young man, and God has done a powerful work of transformation since! Spending 13 years in Next Gen ministry, he excelled in discipleship and helping young leaders discover giftings to serve God. John was called next to serve as a missionary and pastor in Western Europe. John and his family then returned to plant the Springs Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Today, the church is a thriving body of believers excelling in outreach and missions. John has now brought his giftings and vision to World Challenge, accelerating the spread of the gospel in America and around the World.

About Mark Renfroe

Mark married his college sweetheart, Amy, with whom he has four adult children—one girl and three boys. The Renfroes have been involved in field missions work for 30 years. They served in the Arab community of San Francisco for four years before becoming foreign missionaries in 1995. Mark was asked to serve as the Area Director for Assemblies of God World Missions in 2007. As part of his role, he led missionaries and interfaced with national church leaders in the 18 countries of the Arab World. In 2017, Mark created Reaching Africa’s Muslims, an initiative to mobilize, equip, and deploy indigenous African missionaries to reach Muslims on the continent. Mark has graduate degrees in Intercultural Studies and Executive Leadership. He currently serves as the Chief Missions Officer for World Challenge in Colorado Springs.