“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.

“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.

“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.

“Shame is first and foremost not a thing that begins with me thinking a certain thing about myself. It begins first as a thing that I feel literally in my body.”

That’s how Dr. Curt Thompson reframed shame in our incredible conversation—and I think he'll probably do the same for you, too. Curt is a psychiatrist, author, and speaker who has shaped the conversation around shame, vulnerability, and the stories we tell ourselves. In this episode, we talk about why addicts often feel trapped in cycles of shame, how vulnerability heals what hiding cannot, and why our deepest longings can only be met when we’re seen, soothed, safe, and secure.

This conversation weaves together neuroscience, theology, psychology, and pastoral wisdom. Curt unpacks why shame isolates, how addicts can actually become addicted to shame itself, and why bearing our wounds may be the most powerful witness of all.

If you've struggled with shame related to who you are, who you were, or what you've done, please listen to this episode. You won't regret it.

We explore:

—Why shame starts in the body, not the mind
—The connection between shame and addiction
—Why we sometimes become addicted to shame itself
—How storytelling helps us make sense of pain
—The difference between godly grief and toxic shame
—Why vulnerability is central to healing
—The role of wounds in the Gospel and why Jesus models them
—The four core needs: seen, soothed, safe, secure
—How vulnerability allows others to feel known and loved
—Why the Christian story reframes shame into redemption

Website: curtthompsonmd.com

Podcast: The Being Known Podcast

Books: The Soul of Shame, The Soul of Desire, Anatomy of the Soul

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.

“High performers can hold it together—but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy.”

That’s how Julie Holly describes the tension she lived in for years. On the outside, she was a successful entrepreneur, coach, and podcaster. But on the inside, alcohol was becoming her go-to solution for stress, escape, and the ache of not belonging. And like many high-performers, her success masked the weight that alcohol was starting to become round her neck.

But a doctor’s curiosity and an honest comment from one of her children gave her the reality check she had been running from.

In this conversation, Julie opens up about how drinking became tied to belonging, how craft cocktails became a nightly ritual that both connected and slowly destroyed, and how a doctor’s gentle curiosity helped her finally face the truth.

In addition, she explains the quiet midnight wrestling matches she had with God, how mining her story of origin revealed abandonment wounds, and the courage it takes to name alcohol for what it really is.

This isn’t a rock-bottom story. It’s about a high achiever learning that freedom comes not from holding it all together, but from finally letting go.

We explore:

—Why high-functioning people struggle to admit alcohol is a problem
—How Julie’s drive for belonging fueled her drinking
—The danger of comparison and the “at least I’m not that bad” trap
—Why story work and exploring our past is essential for healing
—How God patiently pursues us through small moments and people
—The role of ego and elitism in justifying drinking
—Why midnight wrestling with God reveals deeper unrest
—The moment a doctor’s curiosity, not condemnation, opened her eyes
—How money spent on alcohol can be repurposed into kingdom work
—The freedom of realizing you belong because you belong to the Father

Instagram: @thejulieholly

Julie's newsletter: Read it 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.

“If I’m numbing the lows, I’m numbing the highs. And then I’m just in this nothingness.”

Here's the thing about alcohol: So many of us use it to numb the lows, but alcohol isn't a precision numbing agent. What does that mean? That while it can be useful to deal with the valleys, it also keeps you from enjoying the peaks.

That’s exactly how Sarah Zanotti describes the trap alcohol created in her life. Sarah is an actress, filmmaker, songwriter, and content creator you’ve probably seen in sketches with John Crist. But beneath the laughs is a story of drunk driving, OCD, eating disorders, and a desperate search for control that nearly cost her everything.

In this conversation, Sarah gets brutally honest about the night she drove drunk with her niece, why that wasn’t even her rock bottom, and the voice of God that told her: “The person you want to be can’t take alcohol with her.” She talks about why grace became more addicting than alcohol, how creativity was reborn in recovery, and what it means to live in peace instead of constant performance.

We explore:

—Sarah’s creative journey from Berklee to Nashville to filmmaking
—How OCD, religious scrupulosity, and eating disorders shaped her story
—Driving drunk with her niece in the backseat and why that wasn’t rock bottom
—Why addiction often grows out of perfectionism and control
—How alcohol felt like instant relief but robbed her of real peace
—The moment she realized, “the person I want to be can’t take alcohol with her”
—Learning to sit with uncomfortable emotions instead of running from them
—How sobriety rebirthed her creativity and music career
—What her relationship with God looks like now—less careful, more honest
—Why the biggest lie is believing we’re separate from God

Instagram: @sarahzanotti

Film: The Unraveling (available on Amazon)

Music: Sobering

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.

“Forgiveness is not the goal of salvation. Fellowship with God is the goal of salvation.”

Think about that for a second. I had to. That’s how Kyle Worley reframes the Gospel in his new book, Home with God. And at first glance, it may seem...odd. Because so many of us think salvation is mainly about getting our sins forgiven so we can go to heaven. But Kyle rightly blows that up. Instead, he explains that forgiveness is just the doorway. The real point of salvation is life with God, not just in the future but here and now.

In other words, life is about abiding with Christ. And as I've come to find out, that is crucial to recovering from any addiction.

In this conversation, Kyle—pastor, theologian, and author—helps us rethink salvation, grace, and identity. We talk about why forgiveness isn’t the finish line, why grace feels so disruptive, and how union with Christ resets the “broken compass” of our desires. If you’ve ever wondered what it really means to be saved, or felt like you were stuck chasing performance, this episode will reframe the story: salvation is about coming home.

Again and again and again.

We explore:

—Why salvation is about fellowship, not just forgiveness
—How identity in Christ reshapes recovery and freedom
—The difference between behavior change and true transformation
—Why grace feels disruptive and hard to receive
—How Kyle counsels addicts through union with Christ
—The “broken compass” of desire and how Christ reorients it
—Faith as agreement, affection, and allegiance
—How attention and desire shape the people we become
—Why repentance is more than reflection
—The Heidelberg Catechism and the comfort of not belonging to yourself

Books: Home with God and Formed for Fellowship

Website: kyleworley.net

Newsletter: Sacred Slang

Instagram: @kyleworley

Podcast: Knowing Faith

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.

“There’s a part of you that drinks and a part of you that doesn’t—and that doesn’t make you crazy. That makes you human.”

What happens when your faith says one thing and your actions say another? And what do you do when the coping mechanisms that once helped you survive start controlling you? That’s where today’s conversation lives—right in the messy space where faith and psychology meet, and it answers the question, "Why do I do the things I don't want to do?"

Dr. Alison Cook is a Christian therapist and the author of two incredible books that were monumental in my own addiction recovery: Boundaries for Your Soul and I Shouldn’t Feel This Way.

In this episode of "Confessions," Alison talks about how parts of ourselves can be both hurting and helping, how to hold compassion without coddling, cognitive dissonance, and why curiosity—not shame—is what truly leads to transformation. We also explore spiritual bypassing, the New Testament idea of sozo (salvation/healing), and how Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps us make sense of the parts of us that manage, protect, and sometimes reach for the “firehose” when pain flares up.

If you’ve ever been disgusted by your own actions, but are ready to stop beating yourself up, you'll want to listen.

We explore:

—Why Christians often experience cognitive dissonance but don’t know how to name it
—What Internal Family Systems (IFS) is and how it helps you understand yourself
—How to tell the difference between healthy coping and numbing
—The concept of “firefighters,” “managers,” and “exiles” inside your internal system
—Why spiritual bypassing is so common in the church
—How trauma gets buried and drives our behavior
—What Scripture really means by “salvation” (sozo)
—The link between addiction and unprocessed pain
—Why medication can be a gift of common grace
—How Jacob’s limp and new name point to a holy, healed identity

Books: Boundaries for Your Soul and I Shouldn't Feel This Way

Website: dralisoncook.com

Instagram: @dralisoncook

Podcast: The Best of You

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.