Brandon Dunning

My addiction story is one in which God’s grace could be found anywhere, but I wasn’t looking. I grew up with a fantastic set of parents and never wanted for anything. I was ignorant to the ways of the Lord and only relied on my own talent, devotion, and hard-work. I was completely caught up in pride.   

As I graduated high school and transitioned to college, I was exposed to the world in a new way where the ways of the world were everywhere. I was exposed to things in college that caught my eye and made me think I had found some things that would fill this gaping hole inside.  Over the next painful few years I tried to fill that hole with drugs, relationships, and money to satisfy me. I ended up in a place where none of those things gave me satisfaction or purpose in my life. I hit rock bottom after I was arrested and realized that I couldn’t continue in the same way for much longer.  

My Mom told me of this place called Breaking Bonds in Jonesboro, my hometown, but I was hesitant to give it a chance. I decided that it couldn’t hurt so I went to a service. At my first Breaking Bonds service, I felt something inside of me that wanted more. I felt God calling my name and that my life didn’t have to be so hard anymore. I was accepted into Breaking Bonds and God started to transform my life immediately. Everything I was carrying around for so long could be dropped at Jesus’ feet and suddenly, I was a new creation. While in Breaking Bonds, I found my purpose in life and had nothing to do with anything in this world. I had this God-sized hole in my heart that I was trying to fill with the things of this world but was never satisfied. God has a put a new calling on my life and I owe the opportunity to foster that relationship to Breaking Bonds. They gave me a safe place to learn about and meet God in a new way.  

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 

2 Cor. 5:17