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Avoiding Evil. 1 Thess. 5:21-22 “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” . Costs of Substance Abuse: Alcohol abuse (1988) $184.6 billion Drug abuse (1995) $109.8 billion Tobacco abuse (2002) $155 billion
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Avoiding Evil • 1 Thess. 5:21-22 • “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.”
Costs of Substance Abuse: • Alcohol abuse (1988) $184.6 billion • Drug abuse (1995) $109.8 billion • Tobacco abuse (2002) $155 billion • These figures do not include the cost of the substances themselves nor the attendant costs that accompany them (law enforcement, etc.).
Substance abuse costs more than just money. • There are also physical, emotional, spiritual, and social costs as well.
I. The dangers of substance abuse • Dangers to oneself • Addiction • Health Problems • Death or injury • Academic problems • Relationship to Christ • Relationship with others
Dangers to others • Assault • Sexual abuse • Unsafe sex • Crime • Drunk driving • Birth defects • Meth lab toxic fumes and explosions • Second-hand smoke
II. The alternative to substance abuse • Test everything • The Scripture test—evaluate everything in light of Scripture. • Example of the Bereans • “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).
2. The personal test • The physical test—will this harm me physically? • The emotional test—will this lead toemotional dependence? • The social test—will this damage myrelationship with other people? • The spiritual test—will this damagemy relationship with Christ?
B. Hold on to the good. • C. Avoid every kind of evil.