Why "Just Say No" Missed the Point with Jeff Arp

Jeff Arp serves as Vice President of US Operations and Training for Living Free. He gave his life to Jesus at four years old. He went through Bible college and seminary. He pastored for twenty years. And for most of that time, he looked at addiction the same way a lot of church people still do. If you have a problem, just stop. Just say no.Then he started working with Living Free, and the whole framework fell apart.In this conversation, Jeff talks about the paradigm shift that changed how he preaches, counsels, and does evangelism. He unpacks what he calls "the trap," the reality that most addiction is people trying to numb pain they never learned how to carry. Emotional pain. Relational pain. Physical and spiritual pain. And he points out something the church rarely names out loud: the things we reach for to numb out are not always drugs and alcohol. Sometimes it's food. Sometimes it's entertainment. Sometimes it's whatever keeps us from sitting with what actually hurts.Jeff also shares one of the hardest conversations he's had in ministry. A pastor once asked him, "Why would I want those people in my church?" His answer was short. Because Jesus would.We talk about the Living Free online academy, the Awareness Workshop, and why equipping family members to minister to their own loved ones might be one of the most overlooked opportunities the local church has right now.If you lead a church, love someone caught in addiction, or you're rethinking what recovery ministry could look like in your community, this one is for you.Full Show Notes: https://svtc.info/podcast/jeff-arp-living-free-trap-behind-addiction🎙️ Host: Justin Franich | Executive Director, Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge🌐 Full episodes + resources: https://svtc.info/podcast📖 Faith-based recovery guides: https://svtc.info🙏 Support this ministry: https://svtc.info/donate📞 Need help? Call us: 540-213-0571