New Wine Testimony: Marc Wenger

My mentor is Bryan Reif. After 29 years of struggling with drinking, God has brought me back to the foot of the cross. My six years of drinking started after high school, continued into college, and followed me into the family buiness world. It was a life of anger, fist fighting, trouble with the law and poor business decisions. I was living to please myself and others. I knew that living this kind of lifestyle was wrong because my parents had taught me better. My mom would wait up every night for me to come home, ask if I was drinking, and tell me how wrong it was. After a 5-day drinking binge, I found myself in the car heading to an in-patient treatment center for a 30-day program. After getting home, I married and started a family. I stayed sober by white knuckling it for 12 years for all the wrong reasons; a young family, bills to pay, and a reputation in a small town to uphold. I was taught never to take the first drink, that I had a disease and was an alcoholic. I gave in and guess what? I was drinking again. This time around my wife and children were affected. I had no idea the hurt I was causing them. I was blinded with pleasing myself (the flesh). My wife pleaded with me to stop drinking. I know it was time to turn my life over to the Lord. I became a born-again Christian and was able to stay sober for 3 more years. After another 5 years of alcohol abuse, I received my second DUI, had a troubled family life, bad business-related issues due to drinking, and knew I was falling away from God. April 1, 2005 was the end to a new beginning. Jesus has given me a second chance. His love and mercy are amazing. His death on the cross was for our sins which died with Him. He is forgiving and wants an intimate relationship with us. I live daily for God, to serve Him with a broken and contrite heart. I am feasting daily on His word though prayer, reading, Bible study, accountability partners, witnessing, listening to tapes and going to church. The difference between now and the first time is knowing that Jesus will set me free from sinful desires. We must grow daily in the word and learn to serve and love Him, through faith, not by works. Setting Captives Free, based on God's word, has helped change my life. I have been living free from habitual sin by drinking from the living waters of Jesus Christ for 6 months now. The changes in my relationship at home and work have been indescribable.