Embracing Brokenness

What does it actually mean to follow Jesus?

Richard Blackaby joins Steve Adams for a conversation that challenges one of the most common assumptions in modern Christianity: that believing in Jesus and following Jesus are automatically the same thing.

Richard argues that Jesus never simply invited Peter, Andrew, James, and John to agree with a set of beliefs. He told them:

“Follow me.”

That meant leaving the security of the fishing boat, surrendering their own agenda, and learning to recognize where Jesus was leading next.

In this conversation, Steve and Richard explore why churches can emphasize decisions more than discipleship, how we can unknowingly make people disciples of us instead of Jesus, how to recognize the leading of the Holy Spirit, and why discipleship is ultimately a relationship—not simply a program.

Richard also shares a deeply personal lesson from his father, Henry Blackaby. Whenever Richard came to him asking what decision he should make, Henry resisted simply giving him the answer. Instead, he taught his son to go to God, listen, discern, and follow Jesus for himself.

The conversation also turns toward one of the harder dimensions of discipleship: sometimes following Jesus means recognizing that a good assignment or season has ended and being willing to move wherever He leads next.

And Richard leaves us with a practical challenge for anyone wondering:

“Am I really following Jesus?”

Sometimes the first step is simply being willing to get out of the boat.

Learn more about Richard Blackaby

RichardBlackaby.com

https://richardblackaby.com/

Get Following Jesus: God’s Ancient Path to Spiritual Maturity

Lifeway:

https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/following-jesus-P005852910

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Following-Jesus-Ancient-Spiritual-Maturity/dp/B0GRFSBR3N

Learn more about Embracing Brokenness Ministries

https://embracingbrokenness.org/

Why does transformation sometimes seem so difficult even after we’ve chosen to follow Jesus?

In Part 2 of their Embracing the Way conversation, Steve and Colleen Adams move from identifying the problem of performance-based Christianity to exploring a pathway toward a different way of living.

They unpack the six movements at the heart of Embracing the Way: Remember, Clarify, Choose, Recover & Reprogram, Reclaim, and Walk. The journey begins by returning to Genesis and remembering what humanity was created for, understanding what was lost in the Fall, choosing allegiance to a different Kingdom, healing the distortions that shape us, reclaiming our God-given purpose, and ultimately learning to walk with Jesus in everyday life.  

Steve and Colleen also get personal about what this journey has changed in them. Colleen shares how surrender has increasingly meant waiting for God’s direction rather than charging ahead, while Steve talks about learning to begin his days in communion with God instead of allowing his agenda to lead.

They also reflect on what living this message together has done for their marriage and ministry—and end with a question worth sitting with:
What would your life look like if following Jesus stopped being something you were trying to succeed at and became a life you were actually learning to receive? 

Request a PDF of the Introduction to our book here: [email protected] 

Learn more about Embracing The Way at https://www.embracingtheway.com/

Why do so many sincere Christians still feel tired, anxious, disconnected, or as though something is missing from their faith?

In Part 1 of this special Embracing the Way conversation, Steve and Colleen Adams introduce the message behind their upcoming book, Embracing the Way: Discovering the Life You Were Made For in Union with Christ.

Drawing from their own stories, Steve and Colleen explore the difference between performance-based Christianity and a life of genuinely abiding in Christ. They discuss success, striving, identity, the competing kingdoms that shape our lives, and the realization that following Jesus was never intended to be merely about managing sin, believing the right things, or surviving until heaven.

It is an invitation to something deeper: knowing God rather than simply knowing about Him, recovering the life we were created for, and learning to walk with Jesus in His Kingdom now.

This episode also introduces the six movements that form the pathway of Embracing the Way: Remember, Clarify, Choose, Recover & Reprogram, Reclaim, and Walk.

Learn more about Embracing The Way at https://www.embracingtheway.com/

What if the addiction isn't really the deepest problem?

For Caitlin Hawk, drugs, alcohol, destructive relationships, and years of shame were symptoms of something much deeper: she didn't know who she was.

A gifted young athlete, Caitlin learned early to measure her worth through performance. When that foundation began to crumble, alcohol, drugs, relationships, and rebellion became ways to numb the pain. By nineteen, she was pregnant with twins, battling addiction and suicidal thoughts, and wondering whether her own life was worth fighting for.

Then, sitting drunk and high in a parking lot, Caitlin cried out to God for mercy.

What happened next changed everything.

In this deeply vulnerable conversation with Steve Adams, Caitlin shares how Jesus met her in brokenness, how Mercy Multiplied helped her begin replacing lies with biblical truth, and why learning her identity as a new creation in Christ became foundational to lasting freedom.

Steve and Caitlin also explore:

• Why destructive behaviors often point to deeper wounds
• Performance-based identity and the pressure to prove ourselves
• Shame, addiction, and the need to numb emotional pain
• What people in crisis really need from the Church
• Caitlin's unexpected pregnancy and decision to choose life
• The remarkable story of how a bed opened at Mercy Multiplied
• Replacing deeply rooted lies with God's truth
• Spiritual warfare and the battle over identity
• Why recovery is a process, not an instantaneous transformation
• The importance of discipleship and safe relationships
• Turning our pain into purpose
• Why sometimes we need to become comfortable with being uncomfortable

Caitlin is the author of Overcomer, Overcome: Finding Freedom from Addiction, Shame, and False Identity.

This isn't simply a story about overcoming addiction.

It's a story about discovering that what you've done is not who you are—and what God says about you gets the final word.

Connect with Caitlin: https://caitlinhawk.com/

Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Overcomer-Overcome-Finding-Addiction-Identity/dp/B0GJQQ4RF9/ref=monarch_sidesheet_title

00:00 Addiction, Shame & the Lies We Believe
01:16 Welcome & Caitlin Hawk
05:45 Fast Five
12:08 Who Am I?
16:09 Church, Religion & Missing Identity
20:29 Shame, Anger & Numbing the Pain
24:24 Spiritual Warfare & What Lies Beneath Behavior
26:56 Pregnant at 19 & Living in Bondage
29:31 What Women in Crisis Really Need
33:52 The Night Caitlin Cried Out for Mercy
36:50 A Miraculous Door Opens
37:26 Replacing Lies with Truth
44:41 Learning How to Live Free
49:09 Why Discipleship Matters
53:35 Turning Pain Into Purpose
57:20 Taking Territory
59:20 What Caitlin Would Tell Her 19-Year-Old Self
1:03:04 Hard Is Good
1:04:15 Closing Thoughts & Caitlin's Book

Chuck Mobley has spent much of his life leaping before he looked—jumping from airplanes and bridges, surviving near disasters, starting a business with little preparation, traveling the world, and repeatedly finding himself in situations that could have gone very differently.

But beneath the adventures is another story.

Chuck spent years chasing attention, affirmation, achievement, and the feeling that he was finally enough. He had known Jesus since childhood, yet his Christian journey was anything but neat. Looking back now, he sees something he often missed in the moment: the persistent grace and providence of God.

In this candid conversation, Chuck talks with Steve about growing up as the youngest of eight children, the need to be noticed, running to the Cayman Islands partly to escape his Christian identity, meeting the woman who would become his wife, failure and redemption, learning to surrender his need for approval, and developing a more intimate friendship with Jesus.

Chuck also explains why the phrase “But God…” became the real title and meaning of his story:

God intervened.

God redirected.

God protected.

God remained faithful.

And maybe the most encouraging truth of all: God did not erase Chuck’s personality. He began redeeming it.

If you have ever wondered whether your mistakes, wandering, brokenness, or years of trying to prove yourself have somehow disqualified you, Chuck’s story offers another possibility—God may have been pursuing you through more of your story than you realize.

Leap Before You Look, But God is available in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook, narrated by Chuck himself. Proceeds from the book help support mission work, including family-style homes for vulnerable children in Tanzania and Uganda.

Visit his site: https://www.chuckmobley.com/

Buy Chuck's book: https://a.co/d/09v9puAh

Chapters

00:00 — Trying to Be Enough

01:26 — Meet Chuck Mobley

08:02 — The Fast Five

14:45 — Why Chuck Became “The Crazy One”

25:24 — God’s Faithfulness Through a Messy Life

35:06 — Running From God to the Cayman Islands

39:18 — The Woman God Put in His Path

42:30 — The Lifelong Search for Approval

45:33 — Learning Intimacy With Jesus

48:28 — Looking Back at an Extraordinary Life

55:27 — Faith, Risk, and Taking the First Step

1:01:11 — Becoming Who God Created You to Be

1:03:59 — What “But God” Really Means

1:08:53 — Turning the Book Into Mission

What if the renewal of our communities does not begin with politics, programs or institutions—but with the transformation of the human heart?

In this episode of the Embracing Brokenness Podcast, Steve talks with Rob Loughery, author of Building Redemptive Community: What Christians Can Do to Make Community Great Again.

Rob has spent more than thirty years working at the intersection of business, real estate development, public service and community revitalization. But his deeper journey began when God showed him that restoring buildings and neighborhoods could never be separated from restoring people.

Rob shares how a phrase he heard more than twenty years ago—“redemptive community”—captured his heart and eventually became both a calling and a way of life. He also opens up about growing up as a pastor’s kid, mistaking salvation for a spiritual “get-out-of-jail-free card,” and discovering that Jesus wanted to heal and transform the heart he had spent years protecting through performance and success.

Together, Steve and Rob explore:

• Why transformed communities require transformed hearts

• What the Church may be getting wrong about discipleship

• Why Christians must do more than attend, give and leave the work to others

• How our gifts, passions and stories reveal our unique Kingdom assignments

• What Nehemiah teaches us about prayer, courage and rebuilding

• How ordinary believers can participate in God’s work of redeeming all things

God is already at work restoring people and places. The question is not whether He will accomplish His purposes. The question is whether we will recognize and embrace the role He has invited us to play.

CONNECT WITH ROB LOUGHERY

Learn more about Rob’s work and Building Redemptive Community:

Building Redemptive Community:

https://www.buildingredemptivecommunity.com/

Nehemiah Development Company:

https://www.nehemiahdevco.com/

The book is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

00:00 Guarding the Heart

01:05 What Transforms a Community?

03:05 Fast Five

05:35 Rob’s Story and Calling

11:54 The Birth of Redemptive Community

16:21 Physical, Relational and Spiritual Renewal

19:33 More Than a Ticket to Heaven

23:05 Losing the Life He Was Trying to Save

26:28 What It Means to Guard Your Heart

29:25 It Is Never Too Late

32:12 What Is Wrong with Discipleship?

34:58 Has the Church Outsourced Its Mission?

40:58 Giving Is Not Enough

45:22 Pay Attention to Your Heart

47:29 Nehemiah’s Roadmap

51:56 What Can You Help Redeem?

53:12 If Jesus Gave You One Square Mile

57:25 Redemptive Community Starts Within

59:33 Find Your Role in God’s Story

01:01:30 Where to Find Rob’s Book

Anxiety is not always our identity. Sometimes it is a signal pointing toward something deeper.

Gabriel Andreson joins Steve Adams for an honest conversation about panic attacks, hidden pressure, trauma, performance-based identity, control, therapy, and healing.

Gabe shares how his first panic attack at 30,000 feet became the beginning of a much deeper journey. Along the way, he discovered that lasting peace is not found by controlling every circumstance, but by learning to live with greater trust, presence, honesty, and steadiness in Christ.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why anxiety may be revealing deeper wounds
• How control and performance can intensify fear
• The role of therapy, medication, exercise, and community
• A practical way to identify lies and receive God’s truth
• Why stillness, Scripture, and journaling can help restore peace
• What it means to believe that God genuinely likes you

Gabe is the author of UnAnxious: A Practical Guide to Calm Your Mind and Reclaim Your Peace in an Anxiety-Filled World.

Learn more at:
https://gabeandreson.com/

Visit Embracing Brokenness Ministries:
https://embracingbrokenness.orgBuy Unanxious on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0eiAttcO

CHAPTERS

00:00 God Doesn’t Just Love You—He Likes You

00:57 Anxiety May Be Pointing to Something Deeper

02:45 Welcome, Gabriel Andreson

04:20 Faith, Family, Business, and Marketplace Ministry

11:41 A Panic Attack at 30,000 Feet

16:00 When Anxiety Returned After Writing the Book

18:29 Anxiety as a Signal—and What May Be Beneath It

24:27 Turning Personal Pain Into Help for Others

26:23 Performance, a Father’s Approval, and Our View of God

29:28 Therapy and the Safety That Unlocked Healing

31:54 “God Talks”: Identifying Lies and Receiving Truth

35:15 “Isn’t It Great to Be Reminded Who You’re Not?”

39:03 Leadership, Burnout, Delegation, and Control

42:26 God Loves You—and He Actually Likes You

44:35 Silence, Scripture, Journaling, and Honest Venting

47:59 The First Step Out of Survival Mode

49:18 Where to Find Gabe and UnAnxious

50:24 Closing

What happens when the dream you've chased your entire life suddenly disappears?David Pollack knows.From becoming a three-time All-American at Georgia to playing in the NFL, working on ESPN's College GameDay, suffering a career-ending neck injury, losing his broadcasting job, and walking alongside his wife during her battle with brain cancer, David has learned that our identity cannot rest in what we do—it must rest in who God says we are.In this honest conversation, David shares what resilience really looks like, why broken seasons often become God's greatest classrooms, how daily disciplines shape lasting character, and why legacy isn't what you leave behind—it's what you leave in others.If you've ever struggled with disappointment, unexpected change, fear, or wondering what's next, this conversation will encourage you to trust that God is still writing your story.📖 Get Every Day Countshttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FG6Z4N9L?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_N5F0PNTF15C59X1KNQCK&bestFormat=trueConnect with David:https://davidpollack.com/See Ball Get Ball Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPollackCFBFamily Goals Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/family-goals-with-david-pollack-and-pastor-j/id1585214791Subscribe for more conversations that help you embrace your brokenness and discover the life you were made for.

00:00 Why David Pollack's Story Matters

03:28 Welcome & Fast Five

10:36 The One Thing Most People Don't Know About David

16:28 The Broken Neck That Changed Everything

22:27 Building Resilience Through Adversity

28:14 Start Where You Are

30:45 Why So Many People Feel Stuck

35:45 Daily Habits That Change Your Life

40:48 Reading Scripture for Transformation

43:21 Walking Through Lindsey's Brain Cancer

47:11 Marriage, Parenting & Legacy

50:23 What Legacy Really Means

52:29 How to Make Every Day Count

55:02 Where to Connect with David

56:46 Closing

Many believers know they're saved but still struggle to experience the peace, joy, and freedom Jesus promised.

In this episode, Steve Adams sits down with bestselling author Gary Thomas to discuss The Life You Were Reborn to Live. Together they unpack the subtle spiritual lies that keep Christians trapped in fear, striving, isolation, entitlement, and performance-driven faith.

If you've ever sensed there must be more to following Jesus than simply "getting to heaven," this conversation offers a compelling invitation to rediscover the life you were truly reborn to live.

Get Gary's new book: https://a.co/d/03OmXHwg

Learn more about Gary Thomas: https://garythomas.com

Connect with Embracing Brokenness Ministries: https://embracingbrokenness.org

CHAPTERS

00:00 Why the Church Still Gives Gary Thomas Hope (Cold Open)

01:12 Introduction & Meet Gary Thomas

02:20 Why Gary Wrote The Life You Were Reborn to Live

08:45 The Spiritual Lies That Keep Christians Stuck

13:05 Consumer Christianity vs. Following Jesus

19:10 The Church Isn't Here to Serve You

27:35 Why Isolation Is So Spiritually Dangerous

33:45 Entitlement vs. Astonishment

40:15 The Life You Were Reborn to Live

45:05 Final Encouragement & Where to Find Gary Thomas

What if addiction isn't the real problem?

In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Steve Adams sits down with author, speaker, and storyteller Jon Seidl to discuss his new book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic. Jon shares his journey through anxiety, trauma, addiction, recovery, and ultimately deeper intimacy with Christ.

Together they explore why addiction often begins long before substance abuse, how unresolved wounds shape our behaviors, the danger of hidden struggles in the Church, and why true freedom comes not from behavior modification but from healing the deeper places of the heart.

Whether your struggle is alcohol, work, pornography, approval, control, comfort, food, success, or something else entirely, this conversation is for you.

As Jon says:

"We're all addicted to something."

Topics include:

• Trauma and addiction

• The role of shame in keeping people stuck

• Why Christians often hide their struggles

• Radical vulnerability and authentic community

• Identity in Christ

• Abiding in Jesus as the path to freedom

• The concept of "messy sanctification"

• Finding healing beneath the habit

Guest:

Jon Seidl: Author of Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic

Learn more:

https://www.jonseidl.com/confessions-of-a-christian-alcoholic-book

https://www.veritasrecovery.org/

For more resources from Embracing Brokenness Ministries:

https://embracingbrokenness.org/

Chapter Markers

00:00 Introduction: We're All Addicted to Something

01:23 Meet Jon Seidl

05:50 From Journalist to Storyteller

09:30 Finding Rest and Mental Health

13:40 Success Didn't Fix the Problem

16:00 When Alcohol Became an Escape

19:00 The Slow Fade into Addiction

23:00 The Miami Trip That Changed Everything

27:00 "Get to the Root of Why You're Drinking"

29:00 Childhood Trauma and Hidden Wounds

32:00 Letting Jesus Into Every Part of Your Story

35:00 Why Jon Wrote This Book

37:15 Four Steps Toward Freedom

37:30 Abiding in Christ

40:15 Finding Your True Identity

43:00 Radical Vulnerability

47:00 The Power of Obedience

50:00 Escapism, Sobriety and Freedom

52:00 Embracing Messy Sanctification

56:00 The Healing Power of Community

58:00 Veritas Recovery and Next Steps

1:01:00 Final Encouragement