What if the first year after quitting isn’t about grit, but grace? We sit down with Matt to unpack the overlooked stretch between an altar moment and a polished testimony, and what actually turns survival into freedom. His story exposes the trap of white-knuckle sobriety, the pride that creeps in at six months clean, and the lie that God holds His nose when you slip. Then comes the pivot: Jesus didn’t only die for our sins; He lives as our righteousness right now. That truth moved from head to heart and ended the relapse-probation spiral.

Together we trace how identity shifts from slave to son when Scripture becomes an on-ramp to a Person rather than an end in itself. Matt explains how stillness, slow reading, and honest prayer transformed discipline into delight. He contrasts the “public touch” of a meeting with the “private kiss” of daily intimacy, showing why hype fades but presence sustains. Along the way we address opioid bondage, imputed righteousness, and the myth of “once an addict, always an addict,” grounding each insight in concrete practices and anchors like Psalm 139 and Isaiah 41:10.

We also speak directly to listeners battling mental illness after quitting substances. Matt offers a compassionate framework for soul wounds and the Savior who fills the holes we try to stuff with habits. Expect practical encouragement—short scriptures savored, quick repentance without self-condemnation, and a steady return to the One who says, come to me. If you’re tired of self-help, this conversation invites self-abandonment and the kind of sonship that steadies tomorrow before it arrives.

If this resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with the line that hit you hardest. Your story is still being written—let grace hold the pen.

Welcome to Rebuilding Life After Addiction. I’m Justin Franich — I’ve led recovery programs, pastored churches, and walked hundreds of men into real transformation. This podcast gives you the tools, truth, and straight talk to rebuild your life through Jesus. Let’s jump in.

Support the mission → https://giving.svtc.info/page/RebuildingHope

Share this episode and leave a review to help more families find hope.

Watch & subscribe on YouTube — https://youtube.com/@justinfranich

A single moment can open a door you never meant to walk through. For one of us, it started at age seven with a neighbor’s video and grew into years of replayed images, false hope, and a mind trained to spiral. The story we share isn’t neat or sanitized; it’s a ground-level tour of addiction’s mechanics and the way faith, fasting, and Scripture can turn the tide. We dig into the spiritual side of lust, the brain’s craving for novelty, and why “it’s not hurting anyone” blinds us to the end we can’t see at the start.

As the conversation unfolds, we unpack the shift from unbelief to authority—how internalizing truth changes the inner script, and how cutting off subtle triggers creates room for renewal. You’ll hear about the night a taunt of “you’ll never be free” met a bold, Scripture-shaped reply, and how that moment cemented lasting change. We trace a practical path for young men navigating a hypersexual culture: guard the eyes, starve the loops, and build a diet of God’s Word that makes taking thoughts captive a reflex rather than a scramble. Along the way, we explore the fallout of lust on intimacy and marriage, and we cast a richer vision: gentle, exclusive, secure love that grows when we honor God’s design.

We also talk identity and abiding. When worth is anchored in Christ instead of performance, shame loosens its grip, and daily time with God shifts what the heart craves. Testimonies matter, too; hearing credible stories of freedom raises the ceiling of hope for all of us. If you’re tired of white-knuckling, this conversation offers a different way forward—discipline that feels like lifeline, community that fuels courage, and a renewed mind that redirects destiny. If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with one step you’re taking this week. Your story could be the testimony someone else needs.

Welcome to Rebuilding Life After Addiction. I’m Justin Franich — I’ve led recovery programs, pastored churches, and walked hundreds of men into real transformation. This podcast gives you the tools, truth, and straight talk to rebuild your life through Jesus. Let’s jump in.

Support the mission → https://giving.svtc.info/page/RebuildingHope

Share this episode and leave a review to help more families find hope.

Watch & subscribe on YouTube — https://youtube.com/@justinfranich

Ever notice how “peace” feels great until life gets loud? We go straight at the counterfeit calm that fades with circumstances and unpack the kind of peace that guards your heart and mind when the storm won’t quit. Drawing from Philippians 4, we walk through the surprising order—rejoice, refuse anxiety, pray with gratitude—and why thanking God before the answer reframes your outlook in recovery and beyond.

We get honest about early sobriety: slow progress, old labels that still sting, and the tug to numb instead of pray. You’ll hear how we learned to trade self-seeking, short-term relief for a deeper peace that restores identity in Jesus. We talk about subtraction before addition—laying down shame, past names, and chaotic environments so grace has room to work. We revisit the disciples’ storm to show that obedience can invite waves, and still, Jesus is in the boat. James 1 helps us see trials as formation, not failure, shaping patience and wholeness. Around the holidays, we remember peace announced in the middle of darkness, proof that true peace steps into mess and brings light.

If you’re rebuilding life after addiction, this conversation offers practical steps: Scripture meditation that plants “I am” truths, boundaries that invite old friends into your new rhythms (not the other way around), and habits that evict chaos from your schedule and screen. We share how to guard your heart and mind, choose relationships that protect your future, and develop gratitude that outlasts outcomes. Peace isn’t passive. It’s a daily alignment with God’s presence and promises, the steady assurance that he can calm you before he calms the wind.

If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs hope, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Your support helps more people find freedom and the peace that lasts.

Welcome to Rebuilding Life After Addiction. I’m Justin Franich — I’ve led recovery programs, pastored churches, and walked hundreds of men into real transformation. This podcast gives you the tools, truth, and straight talk to rebuild your life through Jesus. Let’s jump in.

Support the mission → https://giving.svtc.info/page/RebuildingHope

Share this episode and leave a review to help more families find hope.

Watch & subscribe on YouTube — https://youtube.com/@justinfranich