Living Waters Fellowship
Christian Beliefs
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:8
Salvation Through Christ
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 NIV
We believe God reaches out to the repentant with accepting and pardoning love. We are, through faith,
forgiven our sin and restored to God’s favor. This righting of relationships by God through Christ calls forth
our faith and trust as we experience regeneration; we are made new creatures in Christ.
Through the grace of Jesus Christ, conversion marks a new beginning, yet, it is part of an ongoing
development of Christian Grace. We can expect to receive assurance of our present salvation as the Spirit
“bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
God’s Word
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
John 1:1-2 NIV
We share with other Christians the conviction that Scripture is the source and criterion for Christian beliefs.
Through Scripture, the living Christ meets us in the experience of redeeming grace.
We are convinced that the living Christ is manifest in the Scripture, and therefore, he is in our midst and
becomes the basis for our trust in the redemptive power of God.
We believe in the present and final triumph of God’s word in human affairs and gladly accept our commission
to manifest the life of the gospel in the world.
God’s Place In History
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, his power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Romans 1:20 NIV
We believe human history reveals God’s Spirit in the ongoing act of transforming human life. It is confidence
in the continued unfolding of God’s grace which sustains our faith and strengthens our commitment to carry out
God’s commandments and therefore, be vehicles and expressions of Christ’s love.
God’s Relationship To Man
For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.
Romans 3:23
We rebel against God; we hide from our Creator. Ignoring God’s commandments, we violate the image of God in
others and ourselves. We accept lies as truth and we exploit neighbor and nature.
We deserve God’s condemnation. Yet, God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation. God’s grace awakens in
us an earnest longing for deliverance from sin and death and moves us toward repentance and faith.
In life and death we belong to God.
Human Understanding
However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him, but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
I Corinthians 2:9-10
We accept the limitations of reason and understand that much of our understanding about life’s experience is seen through a dark glass but we trust in the progressive revelation of God’s plan for our own lives and for all of God’s creation.
Although we recognize that God’s revelation and our experiences of God’s grace continually surpass the scope of human language and reason, we also believe that a disciplined theology calls for the careful use of reason. By reason we read and interpret Scripture. By reason we determine whether our Christian witness is clear. By reason, we ask questions of faith and seek to understand God’s action and will.
The Relationship Of Faith And Good Works
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:22 NIV
We believe good works are the necessary fruits of faith and follow the Salvation experience.
We believe service to the world is ordained by God. Love of God is linked with love of our neighbor; God’s love is reflected to a hurting world through the Christian light and through the specific obedience of the believer to carry out God’s commandment to love our neighbor.
Our faith and obedience to Jesus is the basis for our social conscience. It is God’s love expressed through believers that is the basis for renewal in the life of the community.
The Presence Of Evil
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
Psalm 13:5 NIV
Certain dimensions of human experience test and strain our human and limited ability to fully understand. Often, our theology is tested when confronted with stark reality. The Christian will honestly address and confront issues which require serious theological reflection. Difficult questions about the nature of existence must be viewed in the light and presence of God’s immanent love. A new awareness of such experiences can inform our appreciation of the good news of the kingdom of God.
Ultimately, through it all, in the midst of our questioning hearts, we trust in God’s unwavering justice and trust in His eternal love as expressed in God’s persistent and unequivocal call for the return of his own.
God the Father
One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
— Ephesians 4:6 NIV
- We trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, preserver of all things.
- We trust in God, whom Jesus called Father.
- In love, God created the world and makes everyone equal in God’s image; male and female of every race and people to live as one community.
- We believe in the one true, Holy and living God, Eternal Spirit, who is Creator, Sovereign and Preserver of all things visible and invisible.
- We believe the one God reveals himself as the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, distinct but inseparable.
Jesus Christ
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
— John 3:16 NIV
Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffered the depths of human pain and gave his life for the sins of the world.
God raised Jesus from the dead, vindicated his sinless life, broke the power of sin and evil, and delivered us from death to life eternal.
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
— John 1:17 NIV
Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preached good news to the poor; released those held spiritually captive; taught by word and deed; blessed the children;
healed the sick; mended the brokenhearted; ate with outcasts; forgave sinners, and called all to repent and believe the Gospel.
- We believe in Jesus Christ, both God and man.
- He reveals the divine and human natures as perfectly and inseparably united.
- He is the eternal Word made flesh, the only begotten Son of the Father, born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- He lived, suffered and died on the cross. He was buried, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to be with the Father.
- He will come again.
- He is both Savior and Mediator who intercedes for us.
The Holy Spirit
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
— Romans 5:5 NIV
- We believe in the Holy Spirit who is one with the Father and the Son.
- We trust in God the Holy Spirit and believe in the manifestations of the Gifts of the Spirit.
- We believe the Fruit of the Spirit should be evident in our lives.
- The Holy Spirit leads men to find the truth in the gospel and leads them into Christian fellowship.
- He comforts and sustains the believer.
- He provides the power to carry out God’s plan for each life.
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
— I Corinthians 12:4-6 NIV
Gifts of the Spirit
- Wisdom
- Knowledge
- Faith
- Healing
- Miraculous powers
- Prophecy
- Distinguishing between spirits
- Speaking in different kinds of tongues
- Interpretation of tongues
Since we live by the Spirit let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying of each other.
— Galatians 5:25-26 NIV
Fruit of the Spirit
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
- Self-Control
Statement of Christian Faith
Eternal Awakenings believes that the Christian message is an age old message that brings hope, help and healing for a new day.
A few words from Jim Welch
I have over 43 years of experience in the field of Drug Addiction Treatment in the State of Texas.*
As Christians, we hold the firm belief that there is a BETTER way for our lives to impact those suffering from drug addiction.
Though we come from different traditions and have had different experiences, we firmly agree that God can and does provide healing and wholeness to those
experiencing the destructive power of drug addiction.
We share our firm Christian beliefs in
God the Father,
the redemptive power of
Jesus Christ,
and the power of the
Holy Spirit.
Eternal Awakening’s counselors are competent, caring, Christians. We lead those suffering from alcohol and drug addiction down their path to recovery with
Christian principles as reflected in the dynamic message of the Gospel and in the Christian Twelve Steps.
The Christian message tells of transformation
Transformation from hopelessness to hope, from chaos to order, from confusion to clarity, from despair to joy!
Call Today
*Please note that Eternal Awakenings Christian Drug Addiction Treatment Program is exclusively religious in nature and is not subject to licensure or regulation by the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
Resources
Quick jump list:
Schedule |
Alcoholism |
Heroin |
Cocaine |
Marijuana |
Meth |
Intervention |
Helpful Links
Christian Drug Rehab Program Schedule
Placeholder: Add your program schedule (daily/weekly). Keep it simple and readable.
Alcoholism
Alcohol misuse can impact health, relationships, judgment, and daily functioning. If you’re concerned
about your drinking (or someone else’s), getting help sooner is usually easier than “waiting until it’s worse.”
Please check out the
Christian Alcohol Rehab
page for more information on treatment options or call us now.
Read Brittney’s Alcohol Recovery Testimonial
Heroin Addiction
Heroin is a highly addictive drug that is processed from naturally occurring opium. It is most commonly used intravenously although it may also be smoked or snorted.
A total of 1.4% of all Americans have reported using heroin in their lifetime. Although this number may be small in comparison to other drugs, heroin use is on the rise in the United States.
When heroin is injected, users report feeling a surge of euphoria (“rush”) accompanied by dry mouth, a warm flushing of the skin, and a heaviness of the extremities. Following this initial euphoria, the user goes “on the nod,” an alternating wakeful and drowsy state. Mental functioning becomes clouded.
Users who do not inject the drug may not experience the initial rush, but other effects are the same. With regular heroin use, tolerance develops. This means the abuser must use more heroin to achieve the same intensity of effect.
Eventually, chemical changes in the brain can lead to addiction. Heroin addiction can be particularly dangerous. Because the purity of the street drug can vary tremendously, a user can never truly know how much actual pure heroin he or she is putting into their body. This variation often leads to overdose and death. Overdose of heroin results from excessive depression of the central nervous system. Often, respiratory function will decrease to the point that a person may not be taking in enough oxygen to survive.
In 1999 heroin usage accounted for 51% accidental deaths from drugs. Aside from the danger of acute overdose, the long-term effects of heroin can be devastating as well. Because many people inject the drug, the risk of contracting diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C increases greatly. Poor nutrition often accompanies chronic use as well.
Chronic use of heroin leads to physical dependence, a state in which the body has adapted to the presence of the drug. If a dependent user reduces or stops use of the drug abruptly, they may experience severe symptoms of withdrawal.
These symptoms, which can begin as early as a few hours after the last drug administration, include:
- Restlessness
- Muscle and bone pain
- Insomnia
- Diarrhea and vomiting
- Cold flashes with goose bumps (“cold turkey”)
- Kicking movements (“kicking the habit”)
Users also experience severe craving for the drug during withdrawal, precipitating continued abuse and/or relapse. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose and typically subside after about a week; however, some individuals may show persistent withdrawal symptoms for months.
Although heroin withdrawal is considered less dangerous than alcohol or barbiturate withdrawal, sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health is occasionally fatal.
Detox is the first step for anyone who desires to get off heroin. If the drug has been used for a long period of time, we usually recommend a medical detox prior to treatment. Modern heroin detox is usually accomplished by a drug called Buprenorphine (found in Subutex and Suboxone). The use of this drug has made detox much more comfortable than it has been in the past and has even contributed to the success rate of long term sobriety.
Because heroin is such a powerful drug, most users will need some kind of help getting off of it.
Cravings associated with heroin use can be extremely intense. Often times, an addict will need long term treatment in a drug rehab environment to keep from using. There is often a period of physical and emotional discomfort experienced during the first months of sobriety.
Although medication can help, true healing of the body, soul and spirit often occurs over the course of treatment.
Eternal Awakenings offers a Christ centered, biblically based, comprehensive solution to heroin addiction. Our addiction doctors are specially trained to work with heroin addicts and are all Suboxone licensed.
The detox programs that we work with all have extensive experience with heroin withdrawal. Our licensed chemical dependency counselors have worked in the recovery field for over 20 years and have extensive experience with heroin addiction.
All of our staff are believers in Jesus Christ and carry their Christian beliefs into the facility.
Please check out our home page for more information on treatment options or call us now.
Read more about Susan’s recovery from Heroin
Cocaine Addiction
Placeholder: Add cocaine addiction info + treatment options overview + contact CTA.
Marijuana Addiction and Treatment
Marijuana is the most commonly abused drug in the United States. More than 33% of people have reported using it. Although it is not considered one of the hard drugs of abuse, it is addictive and debilitating.
Marijuana is a green, brown or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It is most commonly smoked in a pipe or rolled up into a cigarette called a joint. It can also be ingested orally by making tea or baking food (brownies) with it.
The short-term effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch); difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate, anxiety and panic attacks.
Marijuana also affects memory, judgment, and perception. Learning and attention skills are impaired among people who use it heavily.
Although not known for being physically addictive, marijuana can be psychologically addictive. People who abuse marijuana often feel like they are able to cope with life better while under the influence of the drug.
Chronic users often have an inability to experience emotions, a loss of interest in all areas of life, and damage to relationships.
Treatment for marijuana addiction often begins with learning how to cope with life on life’s terms. At Eternal Awakenings, we address the psychological, social and spiritual components of marijuana addiction. Our licensed chemical dependency counselors have worked in the recovery field for over 20 years and have extensive experience with marijuana addiction.
Please check out our home page for more information on treatment options or call us now.
Read Rodrigo’s recovery from Marijuana
Methamphetamine Addiction
Methamphetamine (Crystal Meth, Speed)
Methamphetamine is a very addictive stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. A pure form of the drug, known as crystal meth, has recently surged in popularity in the United States. Most of the methamphetamine abused in this country comes from foreign or domestic superlabs, although it can also be made in small, illegal laboratories, where its production endangers the people in the labs, neighbors, and the environment. In fact, law enforcement reports that meth lab seizures have increased almost 600% since 1995.
Methamphetamine is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol and is taken orally, intranasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking.
Taking even small amounts of methamphetamine can result in increased wakefulness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, increased respiration, rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and hyperthermia.
Long-term methamphetamine abuse has many negative consequences, including extreme weight loss, severe dental problems, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances, and violent behavior. Chronic methamphetamine abusers can also display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and delusions (for example, the sensation of insects creeping under the skin).
The euphoria high produced when using methamphetamine usually lasts 6 to 12 hours. It is not uncommon for a meth user to continue to use the drug for many days with little to no sleep at all. The crash experienced when a meth user stops using the drug can be extremely severe.
The effects are often so miserable that users will do just about anything to get more of their drug and not have to experience it. Methamphetamine is an extremely powerful drug that in essence hijacks the reward center of the brain.
Like cocaine, more than 3 out of 4 people that try methamphetamine will need some kind of help getting off of it. Cravings for the drug can be overwhelming and can easily overwhelm a person who has no plan in place. Methamphetamine is perhaps the most damaging drug to the brain. Brain chemistry in a meth addict can take 2 full years to return to a near normal level and in some cases may be permanently altered.
There is also an alarming relationship between methamphetamine use and criminal activity. Legal consequences aside, meth addicts often have severe social, financial, emotional and often physical problems. Methamphetamine addiction is often so severe that it damages every area of the user’s life.
Eternal Awakenings offers a Christ centered, biblically based, comprehensive solution to methamphetamine addiction. Because of the toxic nature of the drug, many users will require some form of medication while their brain repairs itself.
Our addiction doctors are specially trained to work with meth addicts and can address any co-occurring mental health problems that may be present. Our licensed chemical dependency counselors have worked in the recovery field for over 20 years and have extensive experience with methamphetamine addiction.
Please check out our home page for more information on treatment options or call us now.
Read April’s recovery from Methamphetamines
A Guide To Intervention
Give your Family Member, Friend or Associate the Help they Need
Intervention is designed for chemically dependent people who do not want help, or for chemically dependent people who believe that they do not have a problem.
The concept of an intervention comes from Dr. Vern Johnson, an Episcopal priest who was a recovered alcoholic. Through research and experience, Vern Johnson came to believe that it was not necessary for an addicted person to “hit rock bottom” before getting help. Dr. Johnson believed there was a better way than the loss of everything to “hit bottom.” Instead, Dr. Johnson believed a bottom is “created” by the family, friends, associates or employer as they follow a prescribed format to help their chemically dependent person seek help through treatment.
Working together in unison, as a group, to a point at which they can effectively and constructively confront the dependent person, intervention interrupts the progression of the disease of alcoholism before it completely destroys the alcoholic’s life.
This approach, created in the early sixties, continues as a successful and widely used method to this day. Jim Welch, Co-founder and CEO of Eternal Awakenings Christian rehab, has conducted many successful interventions over the last thirty-three years.
A well designed and executed intervention can be extremely effective in getting your family member, friend or associate the help they need, and possibly save the life of the ones you care about. Please seek an Intervention Professional in your area to assist in providing the support and guide needed to execute a proper and well thought out intervention.
Request “A Guide To Intervention” (PDF)
Helpful Links
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