Do you still remember the story Mark told us last week about the conversation the devil had with a man? –The devil appeared to a man, and told him that he has to choose to do one of 3 sins. The devil said either (1) Kill his servant (2) Hit his wife, or (3) Drink wine. –What did we say was the least harmful? –We agreed that drinking wine would be the most “harmless”, and isn't as bad as the other 2. –We agreed that any of the choices is wrong and here is why.

The man ended up choosing the wine… He drank the wine, and got drunk. When the man’s wife saw him, she asked him what he was doing. He got mad and started to hit her. The servant saw what was happening and tried to stop him, but the man killed the servant.

But the man chose the most “harmless” sin. What just went wrong? The truth is that no matter what… if you follow the devil, nothing good can happen. Even a “harmless” sin can turn into a dangerous one.

So what is the deal with ALCOHOL?

"Hey, who wants a drink?" "Oh come on, just one drink won't hurt you. It's fun." "It's cool. Everybody drinks, right?"

Wrong Drinking alcohol is dangerous for kids and teens as well as adults, too. Alcohol is a drug, and you can get addicted to it. It is the drug most used by teens. Many kids but not everybody have their first drink at an early age, as young as 10 or 11 or even younger. It's easy for the youth to get the wrong message about alcohol. In TV commercials, drinking looks like a lot of fun. You might see people drinking and watching sports together or having a big party.

Alcohol is actually a depressant. That means it's a drug that slows down or depresses the brain.depressantbrain Like many drugs, alcohol changes a person's ability to think, speak, and see things as they really are. This can lead to making bad decisions. A person might lose his or her balance and have trouble walking properly. The person might feel relaxed and happy and later start crying for no good reason or get in an argument. Even one beer can slow the person’s reactions and confuse his/her thinking. That is why it is dangerous for people to drive when they have had a drink. Alcohol is the leading cause of death because of injuries for people under the age of 21 like car accidents, falling or drowning.

So when people drink, they might do or say things they don't mean. They might hurt themselves or other people. Also drinking might cause the person to throw up and wake up the next day feeling awful - that's called a hangover. Drinking too much alcohol can lead to alcohol poisoning, which can kill a person. Over time, someone who abuses alcohol can do serious damage to his or her body. The liver, which removes poisons from the blood, is especially at risk. Alcohol can cause liver cirrhosis so the liver can’t do its job and the person eventually dies

The short-term effects of drinking include: distorted vision, hearing, speech, and coordination altered perceptions and emotions impaired judgment and loss of self control, which can lead to accidents, drowning, and other risky behavior bad breath Make you feel sick or dizzy hangovers

The long-term effects include: cirrhosis and cancer of the liver loss of appetite serious vitamin deficiencies stomach ulcers heart and central nervous system damage memory loss Alcohol is associated with academic failure

Myths about Drinking Drinking is good for your health You might have heard that a glass of red wine a day is good for your heart. As a physician who strongly believes in Primary Prevention I never advise my patients to drink wine for heart protection. Rather I advice them to take an aspirin a day or eat some nuts. I will get the same benefits without the risk of impaired judgment or bad actions that the patient may regret and has to live with for the rest of his/her life.

Drinking is not a sin God clearly states what will happen to drunkards in the end. “ Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards … will inherit the kingdom of God” 1Cor 6:10 “ Envy, murders, drunkenness,… and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” gal 5:21

The Bible only refers to wine In the old testament the Lord clearly clarifies between wine and intoxicating drinks: “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout you generations” Lev10:9

It can be tempting to try alcohol. It's normal to be curious about new things, especially if it seems like everyone is doing it. But everyone is NOT drinking alcohol. Don't believe it if someone says you're immature for not drinking. You're actually more mature (which means grown up) because you're being strong and smart.

You do not have to give in to peer pressure. For a lot of people alcohol is an important aspect of their social activities. People might even think that you are weird if you do not drink with them. Saint Peter says “For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles.. When we walked in …., drunkenness,.., drinking parties… In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you” 1Peter 4:3-4

If you are concerned that your friends will not like you if you do not drink with them then they are not your friends to begin with. Stand up for what you believe in and who you are.