Imagine a weapon insidiously engineered, crafted with evil precision and calculated for maximum collateral damage. That’s heroin. And it is programmed to steal, kill, and destroy.
Sound familiar? That’s because steal, kill, destroy is the gleeful, hateful mantra of our archenemy, the mastermind of the soul-scorching, life-shattering H-bomb. At Life Challenge, we fight the raging battle with heroin addiction and its destructive, deceptive fallout every day. And now heroin has reared its ugly, pernicious head and struck another heartbreaking blow right here in our house.
One of our residents, Tim, had been doing well in the program. Here are his own words, after completing the first half of his residency: “Since being in Life Challenge, I have been blessed with the knowledge that my core issue is not drugs but sin, which includes pride, lust, unforgiveness and dishonesty. God has emptied all that out by cleansing me of my sin and filling me with his Spirit and the love of Jesus Christ.” Tim was going into his final quarter when he went on a weekend pass to take care of some family business. But the draw of his past heroin addiction proved too much and, tragically, he died of an overdose while at home. Died in the arms of a shocked and helpless friend, died before his dear family could whisper just one more I-love-you. Tim’s decision to return to the heartless, hopeless arms of the drug heroin may be difficult to comprehend. But as Pastor Jeff Bonzelaar (LC Executive Director) shared at Tim’s funeral service:
We all have our ‘drugs,’ our addictions, things we rely on for comfort and strength and peace of mind. We may not struggle with heroin, but it could be a thousand other things that we turn to for solace. Our addictions may not be as obvious, as public, as Tim’s. They may not be as life-altering. Our addictions might be more socially acceptable, less outwardly destructive. But they all lead to death eventually. Tim was, in a way, fortunate. His addiction brought devastation to so many, and the result was that he came to his senses. He was brought to an awareness of his need, his problem, and that led him to Christ. So many others go to their grave unawares of their great need. They don’t see that they have a problem—at least not any serious problem. And such blindness keeps them from Christ.
Please pray for consolation and peace for Tim’s wife and two young sons. His wife Sandra has allowed us to share the circumstances of his death in the hope that his story can help save lives.
We are comforted by the knowledge of the saving grace of God. We are confident that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. We are determined to redouble our efforts to rescue those bound by addiction! First and foremost to help people find new life in Jesus Christ. And then to serve, teach, guide, love them to a restored mind, body and spirit and a hope-filled, addiction-free future.
We have a clarion call to arms from our Commander-in-Chief! The call to be servant-warriors for the Lord, the One whose battle cry and banner is this:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to proclaim
good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom
for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners!” Isaiah 61:1
Will you answer the call to arms and join us in this battle for their lives?
GIVE!
As a faith-based program, Life Challenge receives no federal or state support in any form. We rely solely on the generous gifts of individual donors, churches, charities and businesses. The cost of the one-year program per resident is about $12,000, however we require only a nominal induction fee of $700. We want hope, healing and help through Jesus Christ to be accessible and affordable for anyone who needs it.
Click here to give
SPONSOR A LIFE!
For only $35 a month, you can Sponsor-A-Life for one of our current residents. As a sponsor you receive a photo and personal testimony. You may also write to your resident and will receive periodic updates on their progress. It is a powerful, personal way to help!
Click here to sponsor a life
CELEBRATE WITH US AT GALA!
Join us for our biggest celebration+fundraiser of the year on Thursday, April 28! Our keynote speaker is Gary Wilkerson, president of World Challenge and son of Teen Challenge founder David Wilkerson.
Click here to get tickets or tables of 10
Click here to put an ad in the program or become a premium sponsor
PRAY!
We need your prayers as we serve on the frontlines of this battle: pray for provision, protection, wisdom and strength as we demonstrate the love of Christ to the men and women seeking help at LCM.
TELL SOMEONE STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION
Getting help is simple: call 844.355.LIFE or go online to LCM.LIFE
(Read Sandra’s beautiful words honoring her husband Tim in the poem Tribute to Love)
