



A Poison Disguised as a Remedy: Ericka Andersen on Christian Drinking Culture and How It Harms Women
“Alcohol is a poison disguised as a remedy.” That’s the wisdom Ericka Andersen brings to this conversation—wisdom that developed after years of a quiet struggle that slowly took ahold of her and wouldn't let go. Like many evangelicals nowadays, she assumed drinking was neutral, normal, and largely…

High-Functioning Anxiety and the Hidden Cost of Numbing Pain: Ericka Graham on OCD, Scrupulosity, and What Addictions Really Cost Us
“When I numbed anxiety and uncertainty, I also numbed beauty and joy.” That moment of clarity from Ericka Graham came after years of abusing prescription drugs, when God met her in a beautiful way involving a bumble bee and a flower. The point? Substances numb the bad, sure, but they also numb the…

Special Needs Parenting and the Hidden Alcohol Struggle of a Christian Mom: Carol McCracken's Honest Story
“If you think you have an issue, you probably do.” That sentence from Carol McCracken gets to the heart of this week's episode. Carol didn’t fit the picture she had in her mind of what an alcoholic looked like. She was a Christian. A Bible study teacher. A ministry leader. A good mom. And for year…

The One Question You're Not Asking Yourself: Nicole Zasowski on Learning to Hope Again
“We can think and act our way to a new feeling. We cannot feel our way to a new way of thinking and acting.” That line from therapist and author Nicole Zasowski cuts to the heart of anxiety, addiction, and the stories we tell ourselves when life feels uncertain. Nicole is the author of What If It’…

The Christian Leader with Secret Struggles: How Brandon Ricks Went from Burnout to Healing by Naming His Pain (Episode 31)
“I don’t want to be 60 years old having the same issues I had when I was 25.” What an honest and important statement from this week's guest, Brandon Ricks. Because the truth is, too many of us have just resigned ourselves to always being the way we are now. The fight for something different is har…

What Trauma Really Is and Why Your Origin Story Matters with Therapist Adam Young (Episode 30)
“Trauma does not reside in the bad event. Trauma is what becomes embedded in your body in the wake of a bad event when there’s no one there to comfort you.” What if you've been viewing trauma all wrong? And what if you don't think you've experienced trauma but you actually have? My guest this week…

The People-Pleasing Pastor Who Had an Affair: Tim Sexton's Story of Redemption (Episode 29)
“We all just have different medicines that we reach for.” That’s how Tim Sexton describes the real story behind the affair that blew up his life. Even though at one point that affair led to his downfall as a pastor, today it's not something he hides from. Instead, he's leaning into it in hopes to …

Can Christians Keep on Sinning? 'Bible Nerd' Faith Womack Reveals Why Hypocrisy Is Your Greatest Testimony (Episode 28)
“Our hypocrisy is our testimony. That’s God’s glory on display.” That truth from Faith Womack is exactly what those of us with messy sanctification stories not only need to hear, but embrace and embody. We all fall short. We all stumble. And yet, God uses our weakness—not our polished moments—to r…

From a World Series to a Prison Cell: The Addiction and Redemption Story of Brandon Puffer (Episode 27)
“I was tormented. Literally tormented. I'd look in the mirror and go, ‘What are you doing? That’s not you.’” Brandon Puffer had everything, or so it seemed. He was a Major League pitcher with a World Series ring and was even being groomed to be a big league coach. But beneath the success were so m…

How to Heal the Brokenness Inside: Counselor Chuck DeGroat on Trauma, Disconnection, and Coming 'Home' to the Most Flourishing Life Possible (Episode 26)
“Sin’s power is disconnection.” That's one of the essential ideas that runs through what therapist and author Chuck DeGroat talks about in this episode. A longtime pastor and counselor, Chuck isn't just commenting on burnout and addiction from afar—he's actually lived it. In fact, he opens up abou…