Since 2015, Pastor Robby Gallaty has served as senior pastor for Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He began drinking at the age of 16 and struggled with alcohol and drug abuse before following Christ. Especially with such a dynamic story, Gallaty doesn’t shy away from finding biblical truth within tough topics.
“As someone who previously struggled with alcohol and drug addiction prior to salvation, I think we have an obligation as church leaders to speak openly about hard topics to help our people navigate present-day issues they are facing,” Gallaty told ChurchLeaders. “If we don’t disciple our people in biblical truth, the world will.”
Gallaty collected questions from church attendees to begin his “That’s a Great Question” sermon series. And answers to questions like “What If Someone Never Hears the Gospel?” and “Is the Bible Trustworthy” became full sermons.
More than 300 questions have been received—many about wine, alcohol, and drinking. Gallaty told ChurchLeaders, “I felt like it was an important question being asked today that many aren’t addressing.”
Someone submitted the specific question, “Is it right or wrong to drink alcohol?” Gallaty shared that while it was a good question, a better question to ask is, “Is it wise for a Christian to drink alcohol?”
After Struggling With His Own Alcohol Addiction, Robby Gallaty Finds Biblical Truth
Humbly, Robby Gallaty shared part of his own personal story with alcohol. Before he was a pastor, he struggled for years with alcoholism and drug abuse. He started drinking as a teenager and grew up with the family saying, “Let the good times roll.” Gallaty added, “It seemed like the good times always rolled better with alcohol.”
Days before delivering this sermon, Gallaty celebrated 20 years of sobriety. “I haven’t drunk a sip of alcohol in 20 years now,” the preacher celebrated. “I want to just say that my giving up alcohol was based on my own personal experience.”
The pastor was clear that he had no specific agenda to convince those in the service to adopt his practices. “I want to figure out what God’s Word says about alcohol,” Gallaty said. “I want to let you come to your own conviction.”
Gallaty mentioned that people can often make assumptions about someone’s spirituality based on whether or not that person consumes alcohol. If people drink, they can be perceived as more liberal in their spirituality. On the other hand, if people do not drink, they can be seen as “legalistic” in their spiritual journeys.
“It’s important for us to figure out what the Bible actually says about drinking,” the preacher surmised.
What Does the Bible Say About Alcohol?
Gallaty was quick to focus the answer on biblical truth. “As with any topic, we must allow scripture to shape our theology rather than preference, tradition, TikTok, or Facebook,” Gallaty told ChurchLeaders.
Drinking Is Not a Sin
Throughout the Bible, people consume wine. In the Old Testament, on “the Shabbat or the Sabbath every Friday, they drink wine at the festivals,” Gallaty said. As part of the culture, wine was served at feasts and wedding celebrations. In fact, in the New Testament, Jesus began his ministry by turning water into wine at a wedding.
