Americans drink about 400 million cups of coffee every day. We say we like the taste, the smell, but truth is it’s the caffeine that keeps us firing up the coffee pot or stopping by the coffee shop every morning. We think we’re drinking it for the energy boost, but caffeine doesn’t give you energy. Adenosine is a chemical your body releases to tell your brain you are tired. Caffeine blocks the receptors by mimicking adenosine so the real adenosine can’t get through, fooling your body into thinking it’s not tired. Your body reacts by creating more receptors, so it takes more caffeine to get the same “I’m not tired” effect. It only takes a week for you to become a Java Junkie, a caffeine addict. Hand tremors, loss of coordination, insomnia, heart palpitations. Caffeine spikes put a strain on your liver, heart, pancreas and nervous system. Too much caffeine can make a mess of your life. If you try to quit cold turkey, the side effects are miserable: headaches, fatigue, muscle pain, nausea. It takes at least two weeks to step back down to the normal range of receptors. The fact is caffeine is a dangerous mind-altering substance. Now that you know this, how many of you are going to stop drinking coffee? Probably none of you. Do you want to know why? Because education alone doesn’t cause us to change our behavior. Educating kids about sex doesn’t steer them away from sexual immorality. Belief is what guides our thoughts which is what dictates are behavior. Educating people about right and wrong, good and bad doesn’t change anything, unless we are taught to believe in a loving God who wants what is best for our lives. Wanting to please God gives us the motivation to apply what we have been taught resulting in a changed life. Jesus Christ has changed more lives than anything or anybody in all of human history. Think about that the next time you are enjoying that cup of coffee.