Posts by donmiddleton

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”— 1 Corinthians 10:13 Few challenges facing today’s churches are as…

Pronounced “doo’-nam-is,” the Greek word Dunamis means miraculous power, might, or strength. It’s used more than 100 times in the New Testament, often describing the divine power of God working through Jesus Christ and His followers (see Acts 1:8). However, Dunamis carries a deeper meaning than just “power.” It represents potential power—energy waiting to be…

Recently, I had the privilege of speaking at the national conference for the Christian Medical Dental Association (CMDA) on how to support people going through 12-step recovery for addictions of all kinds. It was great to be at a conference where 1200 professionals could proudly bow their heads and give thanks to their savior, Christ…

The word ” addiction “ used to be whispered in hushed tones and with implied shame, but it has worked its way into our everyday vocabulary. It isn’t even always used as a bad thing anymore like when a person might say, “I’m so addicted to that new sushi restaurant!” We’ll discuss the why use…

Pictured above is Dr. Don Middleton with Dr. Mike Chubb, CEO of CMDA We’re excited to share a recent development as we continue to bring The Dunamis Initiative to churches and Christian organizations all over the world. I (Don) am incredibly honored and humbled to have been given the opportunity to serve as Chair of…

In a recent conversation with a friend, he posed a fundamental question in the realm of addiction medicine. Hailing from a religious tradition that staunchly prohibits alcohol, recreational substances, and gambling, he inquired, “Why do people try alcohol and drugs in the first place?” While the answers are undoubtedly multifaceted, they can be distilled into…

As children, we knew a song about an old woman who swallowed a fly. She then swallowed a spider to catch the fly, a bird to catch the spider, and so on until she swallowed a horse and died – of course. This nonsensical song is a reminder that sometimes we mistakenly get caught in…

I’m Don, and I Am… Sometimes I just can’t help myself. I love to stir the pot with a bit of mischief. I know, I know – it’s a character flaw that I am working on. Sort of. Okay, not really. I found in AA meetings that a way to ruffle feathers is to not…

We’re all creatures of habit, and regardless of the setting, we tend to gravitate towards the same seats. Although I didn’t know Carlos well, he always occupied the chair next to mine during our morning meetings. Hence, I couldn’t help but notice when he seemed to be experiencing back problems; he got up tenderly and…

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1 in 10 young adults has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, and 1 in 7 is addicted to alcohol or some other drug. In a recent Kaiser Foundation survey, two-thirds of American young people said they had someone in their family who suffered from addiction. These numbers…