Dealing with Your Addictions - Series 16
Seeking wholeness instead of distraction
This series has been an invitation to move beyond labels and shame, toward a clearer understanding of addiction and the compassionate care that leads to lasting change.
We’ve covered topics like a biblical perspective on addiction; the ways addiction affects the brain and why it’s so difficult to stop; and specific addictions like alcohol, marijuana, sex and porn, food, shopping, gambling, workaholism, and a surprising addiction that everyone struggles with—control!
After listening to these episodes, you’ll better understand that addiction is not an unforgivable sin but can be a gift that reveals your heart’s desperate need for God’s love and healing.
Addiction: The 6 A’s You Need to Know
In this introductory episode of our new series, John and Lynn share openly about what addiction is, why it is such an easy trap to fall into, and how God wants to heal you and give you hope and a future.
They cover these key points:
What addiction is and why it affects everyone
An overview of our new addiction series
The 6 A’s of addiction – all the hows and whys
Takeaways to bring hope if you struggle with addiction
Why You Do What You Don’t Want to Do
Hosts Austin and Shay look through a biblical lens at the age-old struggle of why you do what you don’t want to do. It turns out that addiction is always a misguided quest for fulfillment apart from God, and promises salvation while delivering bondage.
You’ll hear their thoughts on:
A biblical perspective of addiction
The answer to the question, “Why do you do what you don’t want to do?”
The practical implications of a biblical view of addiction
Helpful ways to apply the Bible’s wisdom to your own life
What Fuels Your Addiction?
In this insightful episode, hosts Austin and John explore the 5 ‘rivers’ that fuel addiction. It turns out that a variety of different factors, some starting as early as infancy, can play a role in compulsive behaviors later in life.
As they share from their own experiences and counseling wisdom, you’ll learn about:
The 5 ‘rivers’ that fuel addiction
Helpful ways to map your personal ‘rivers’
The undercurrent of shame that contributes to addiction
Promises of Scripture that bring hope and freedom
Why Can’t I Just Stop My Addiction?
In this perceptive episode, Austin sits down with David Koch, a professional counselor, professor, and addictions expert to explore the realities of addiction—what it is, how it develops, the role that contributing factors play, and why recovery is such a complex journey.
David will give you a behind-the-scenes look at:
What’s going on in someone’s life before an addiction starts
The chemical ways that addiction affects the brain
How someone can recover from an addiction
Shattering myths about addiction
Do I Have a Drinking Problem?
Most people don’t wake up one day and decide to have a drinking problem. It’s usually a slow drift—one drink here, a few more there—and before you know it, alcohol might be playing a bigger role in your life than you intended.
But how can you know if it’s a problem?
Join John and Austin as they take an honest look at:
How drinking affects your brain and body
A biblical view of alcohol
Questions you can ask yourself about drinking
Paying attention without feeling shame
Alcohol-Free: Finding Health and Healing
In this heart-wrenching but ultimately hopeful episode, radio personality Aric Bremer shares his journey from loss and loneliness to recovery and connection.
Aric’s choice to stop drinking was driven by a commitment to his wife Angie, their kids, and his faith, along with a growing awareness of how much he had to lose if he didn’t make a change.
Listen in as Aric talks to John and Shay about sobriety, faith, and the hard-won wisdom of knowing when enough is enough. Although you may not be ready to go alcohol-free, you will be encouraged to consider: am I ready to be on a path of health and healing?
Growing Up in an Alcoholic Family
Can you grow up in an alcoholic home and still find hope? In this special episode, our own WYITW co-hosts (and married couple!) Lynn and Shay sit down to talk about Shay’s story of growing up with an alcoholic parent—and how faith and grace helped him find healing.
Listen in as Shay and Lynn share about:
The shame, fear, and anxiety that children of alcoholics experience
The lasting impact of alcoholism on adult children of alcoholics
The 5 dysfunctional rules of an alcoholic family
The unconditional and transformative love of God
Should Christians Use Marijuana?
In today’s society, marijuana use is legalized and normalized…but is it wise? Listen in as John, Shay, and Austin talk straightforwardly about:
The physical and psychological effects of THC and CBD
What the Bible has to say about sober-mindedness and self-control
The difference between medical use and recreational use
Questions you can ask yourself about intentionality and relational effects
How Did I Get Addicted to Porn?
This is a battle that the enemy of your soul loves to keep in the dark, but we’d like to bring it out into the light. Listen in as John and Austin unpack the the truth about porn addiction:
Why this topic is so important and can’t be ignored
The accessibility and depravity of online sexual content
5 reasons that you may find yourself addicted to porn
2 takeaways as you begin to seek healing
Bonus Episode: The Connection Between Abuse and Porn Addiction
What if your current struggle is about the wounds of being used, silenced, or shamed long ago? In this compassionate bonus episode of our porn mini-series, John and Austin discusses the ways that abuse can create a distorted view of your identity, which impacts your choices, feelings, and behavior around sex and sexuality.
How Do I Break Free from Porn?
You may have approached this issue in the past with shame, unrealistic expectations, or quick fixes that don’t last. Instead, we invite you start a process of healing that involves your heart, mind, and relationship with God.
You’ll hear about:
5 things that don’t help you break free from porn
4 core beliefs behind every porn addiction
5 habits that begin the process of breaking your addiction
When Someone You Love Is Addicted
In this enlightening episode, Lynn and special guest Yvonne Bernard share the raw truth about addiction and codependency that many Christians are not able to say out loud. The ‘crazy cycle’ is real in a home or a marriage where there is addiction. And loving someone who is addicted takes grace and wisdom that can only come from God.
Bonus: Download our FREE ‘Boundaries’ Guide to learn practical, biblical steps for healthier relationships: 5 Steps to Setting Healthy Boundaries
Are You Addicted to Your Phone?
You probably don’t mean to live glued to your phone, but the truth is, you may fall asleep to a glowing screen and wake up each morning by scrolling.
Listen in as Austin and special guest Luke Simon share about:
How today’s nonstop content reshapes your attention and emotions
What makes teens especially vulnerable to screen addiction
Why detoxing from your phone creates space for real growth
Practical guidance for limiting kids’ screen time and helping them cultivate real-life relationships
Disordered Eating: Hungry for Love
In this compassionate episode, Lynn sits down with counselor Kelsey Crandall to talk about the key ideas behind disordered eating:
The ways that food issues are tied to emotional, relational, and spiritual pain
Why disordered eating can look ‘normal’ from the outside
How shame and silence may keep you stuck
The 5 C’s that explain why ‘food is more than food’
Therapeutic, faith-based interventions that pave the way for healing
Chasing Fulfillment: Gambling, Shopping, and Workaholism
In this thought-provoking episode of our ongoing series, John and Shay tackle behaviors like gambling, shopping, and workaholism and how they can evolve into powerful addictions that mirror the neurological patterns of substance abuse.
You’ll hear about:
How everyday habits can become life-altering compulsions
Why dopamine is at the center of every addiction story
What Scripture says about being mastered by anything other than Jesus
Examining root causes to find true freedom and healing
Chronic Pain & Addiction: Is There Hope?
In this compassionate episode, Shay sits down with Dr. David Hockman, a doctor and former orthopedic surgeon in Columbia, MO, to discuss what long-term pain looks like from the inside, and how it intersects with addiction, hope, and the daily walk of trusting God.
Shay and David cover these important topics:
What chronic pain is and how it affects you
How substances used to relieve chronic pain can be addictive
Practical ways to manage chronic pain
Hope for you in the midst of your chronic pain
The Last Addiction
Did you know that underneath every addiction is the addiction to control? In this wrap-up episode of our series, John sits down with Sharon Hersh, LPC, to talk about why we are addicted to control and how we can break free of our compulsions.
You’ll hear about:
The pitfalls of using control as a coping mechanism
How shame thrives in secrecy
Why recovery is based on honesty
3 daily practices that lead to freedom from addiction