Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic with Jon Seidl cover art

Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic with Jon Seidl

Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic with Jon Seidl

By: Jon Seidl
Listen for free

About this listen

Jon Seidl is the bestselling Christian author who became an alcoholic, not the other way around. It's usually the other way around. Or is it? "Confessions of a Christian alcoholic" (based on the book by the same title) is all about real stories, radical vulnerability, and remarkable comebacks of people who have struggled with alcoholism and addictions of all sorts. The show features interviews with fellow addicts and alcoholics as well as professionals in the fields of trauma, faith, and addiction recovery. Because let's be honest, we're all addicted to something. "Confessions" is a place for the desperate, the downtrodden, the destitute, and especially, the drunk. But it's also a place of hope and healing. Jon found sobriety after decades of struggling, but more importantly than finding sobriety, he found Jesus. In every episode, he gets radically vulnerable as he explores what it looks like to be on this journey of messy sanctification. Visit christianalcoholic.com for more resources.

Christianity Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Spirituality
Episodes
  • How Freedom From Any Addiction Can Start Today: John Elmore's Journey From Nearly Ending It All to Lasting Transformation (Episode 24)
    Oct 22 2025

    “Getting sober without salvation is like giving a painkiller to a cancer patient.”

    That’s how John Elmore describes the difference between behavior modification and true transformation. He'd know. He was on the verge of ending it all with a shotgun when he finally realized his problem went deeper than just the alcohol. In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, John shares how he spent nearly two decades in the grip of alcoholism—trying everything to fix himself except surrendering to Jesus.

    From age 13 to 30, alcohol was John's solution, not his problem. But when everything fell apart, he encountered the only thing that could actually save him: the Gospel. Today, as the teaching pastor at Harris Creek Baptist Church in Waco, TX, and the author of Freedom Starts Today, John helps others discover the same freedom that changed his life.

    In this episode, we talk about what it means to go from death to life, why sobriety without Jesus will never be enough, and how real recovery happens when grace becomes the motivation instead of guilt.

    This is about coming to the end of yourself and realizing there's not just something better, but someone better.

    We explore:

    — Why “getting sober” isn’t the same as being saved
    — How sin’s power is greater than willpower
    — Why alcohol wasn’t the problem—it was the “solution”
    — What happens when you aim for Jesus instead of behavior management
    — The spiritual warfare behind addiction and shame
    — Why every idol eventually destroys what it promises
    — How to find freedom one day at a time through repentance
    — John’s ACT framework: Ask, Commit, Talk
    — What daily dependence on Christ looks like after recovery
    — Why transformation is only possible through the gospel

    Follow John Elmore on Instagram.

    Book: Freedom Starts Today

    Follow Jon: @jonseidl

    Order Jon's new book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic.

    Watch this episode and get daily motivation: www.theveritasdaily.com

    Support the Show: https://www.jonseidl.com/

    Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins
  • How Hannah Brencher Overcame Her Phone Addiction, and How You Can Too (Episode 23)
    Oct 15 2025

    “I didn’t know how to sit still with myself. I didn’t want to be alone with myself.”

    That’s what Hannah Brencher realized when she was finally able to admit she was an addict. But she wasn't addicted to any substance. Instead, she suffered from an addiction much more common, much more acceptable: her phone. And so many of us share that addiction.

    Hannah, one of my favorite writers and the author of The Unplugged Hours, opens up about what it took to finally put her phone down, how grief and boredom became her greatest teachers, and why building an inner life is the work we can’t outsource to our screens. We also dive into what happens when distraction becomes dependence, when we build our identity on productivity, and when silence feels like the scariest place in the world.

    This is a conversation about learning to pay attention again, about how to listen to the still, small voice that says enough is enough, and especially about understanding how to be present. If your addiction is to technology, especially to your phone, this episode is important.

    We explore:

    — How phone addiction mirrors other forms of addiction
    — Why we can’t heal if we won’t be still
    — The illusion of productivity and why our worth isn’t in our output
    — How the phone amplifies anxiety, loneliness, and shame
    — The spiritual discipline of paying attention
    — How boredom becomes the birthplace of creativity
    — What it means to build an “inner life” instead of curating an online one
    — Why grace, not guilt, has to lead this journey
    — The difference between honesty and vulnerability
    — What “enough is enough” sounds like in everyday life

    Follow Hannah: @hannahbrencher

    Book: The Unplugged Hours

    Hannah's website: hannahbrenchercreative.com

    Get Hannah's emails here.

    Free "unplugged hours" tracker.

    Follow Jon: @jonseidl

    Order the new book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic: www.christianalcoholic.com.

    Watch this episode and get daily motivation: www.theveritasdaily.com

    Support the Show: https://www.jonseidl.com/

    Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 6 mins
  • When Rock Bottom Isn’t Rock Bottom: How Stephanie Ziebell Went from Party Girl to Working Mom with a Wine Problem (Episode 22)
    Oct 8 2025

    “Once I started drinking, I didn’t want to stop until something made me.”

    That’s how Stephanie Ziebell describes the grip alcohol had on her life. Stephanie got sober in Wisconsin—the capital of drinking culture. The place where not having alcohol at your wedding is like not having a bride. But as she shares, even in the middle of a state built on beer, Jesus met her in the mess and gave her freedom she couldn’t find through willpower alone.

    In this episode, Stephanie opens up about her journey from college party girl to high-powered attorney, from “just wine” to 3 a.m. panic attacks and text messages to her boss that said, “I’m an alcoholic and I need help.” She talks about trying to hold everything together—career, marriage, motherhood—while secretly unraveling, and how God used a boss’s compassion, a pastor’s prayer, and Celebrate Recovery to bring her home.

    This is a story for anyone who’s tried to dress up sin as "self care," negotiate with themselves over their drinking, or white-knuckle their way through life. And especially those who hit rock bottom, only to find it kept going deeper.

    We explore:

    —Why Wisconsin’s drinking culture is unlike anywhere else
    —How “sophisticated wine drinking” became the new disguise for addiction
    —What it’s like to hit multiple rock bottoms before real change
    —Why 3 a.m. panic attacks can become divine wake-up calls
    —The difference between knowing and admitting you have a problem
    —How shame keeps us stuck and grace sets us free
    —What it looks like when a boss and a pastor respond with compassion, not condemnation
    —How Celebrate Recovery and Scripture changed Stephanie’s mindset
    —Why grace—not guilt—is the most powerful motivator for healing
    —What life looks like now on the other side of surrender

    Follow Stephanie: @radiantinbattle

    Get Stephanie's sobriety guides here.

    Follow Jon: @jonseidl

    Order the new book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic: www.christianalcoholic.com.

    Watch this episode and get daily motivation: www.theveritasdaily.com

    Support the Show: https://www.jonseidl.com/

    Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 11 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.