What if more Bible verses aren't the answer — and the unhealed shame underneath is?

Sarah Annie Schneider welcomes her first guest from outside her own community: Rev. David W. Pendergrass, Ph.D. — author, biblical specialist, and pastoral counselor who has spent more than 20 years sitting with people in grief, trauma, addiction, and broken marriages. David twice walked away from the faith intellectually during his studies, and that dark season now fuels his compassion for skeptics and for Christians who still feel like frauds.

What he sees over and over:

• We don't know what to do with distressing emotions — so we stuff, shop, drink, control, or perform.
• Almost everyone carries unresolved grief, usually from childhood.
• Shame whispers that you're flawed, unlovable, discardable. Addiction rides that cycle.
• "I'm a good person" usually means "I'm better than someone." Jesus is the standard, not Hitler.
• Church isn't a club for perfect people. A disciple denies his will, takes up a cross, and comes under Jesus' training (Mark 8:34).
• Your earthly father can warp how you see the Father — and more verses won't heal a wound that still needs grieving.
  

David walks through an honest path, not a magic one: acknowledge where you actually are. Grieve it. Let one safe, mature believer validate the pain without excusing the sin. Then ask the two questions underneath every compulsive habit — What am I trying to avoid? What am I afraid would happen if I stopped?

He also speaks to betrayal you didn't choose. The betrayed spouse is not to blame. Adultery is biblical grounds for divorce; reconciliation is possible only after real confession, repentance, and the long rebuild of trust — and even then it is grace, not a debt owed.

GUEST — Rev. David W. Pendergrass, Ph.D.
Author | Biblical Specialist | Pastoral Counselor
Website: https://www.DavidPendergrass.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.davidpendergrass
Start there for his books, counseling, and teaching — including the Mathetes discipleship workbook.

CONNECT WITH SARAH & THE ADDICTED TO GOD MOVEMENT
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Be a guest: email [email protected] with your story.

Until next time — choose the better addiction.

#AddictedToGod #Shame #ChristianCounseling #PastoralCounseling #FreedomInChrist #Healing #adultery #Betrayal #trauma #Christianpodcast #BiblicalTruth #Pastor #guestinterview

Pete grew up in church with godly parents—and still had no relationship with Jesus. After his dad died when he was 12, then his mom years later, anger, identity loss, and daily drinking filled the hole. He hid in plain sight as a husband, dad, and funeral director… until his little girl looked at him one morning and said, “Dad, you stink.”

That sentence became God’s invitation: Come home. It’s okay.

In this conversation, Pete shares:

- How grief, pride, and “I can fix me” became a daily addiction

- The first terrifying 12-step meeting—and what was still missing

- The Sunday he felt his heart physically move during an adult baptism

- The Tuesday morning he and his wife Kim gave their lives to Christ together

- Why recovery only made sense once Jesus became the Higher Power

- Practical first steps if you’re stuck: ask for help, step into the light, and start with “Please”

If you’re hiding, numb, or convinced you’re not worth saving—this episode is for you.

Want to talk with Pete? Email me at [email protected] and I’ll connect you.

Has Jesus transformed your story? I would love to hear it.

Connect with Sarah Annie Schneider

Website: https://addictedtogodpod.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannieschneider/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AddictedToGod

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahAnnieSchneider

Substack: https://substack.com/@sarahannieschneider

Email: [email protected]

Share this with someone who needs hope. Let’s choose the better addiction.

#AddictedToGod #ChristianPodcast #RecoveryInChrist #FreedomInChrist #ComeHome #Testimony #AddictionRecovery #FaithJourney #JesusSaves #TransferYourAddiction #ChristianLiving #HopeAndRedemption #BibleStudy #NewBeliever #RelationshipNotReligion #MensFaith #SobrietyInChrist #GodsGrace #VictoryOverTheDarkness

A pastor. A jail chaplain. A former atheist. Three men whose lives could not look more different on paper — and yet, as I sat with their stories from the last three episodes, I couldn't stop seeing the threads. The same God, doing the same kinds of things, in three completely different lives. That's not a coincidence. That's a pattern. And patterns are God's fingerprints.

So this week it's just you and me, pulling on five threads that run through Pastor Brian's, Christian Jensen's, and Chaplain David Myers' stories — and honestly, through mine too. These aren't just nice stories to admire. They're invitations. 

The five threads:

 1. Growing up in church is not the same as knowing God — proximity is not intimacy. (Matthew 15:8, John 17:3, Matthew 13:23)

2. The stripping was mercy — a recession, a bankruptcy, a fire, a hidden addiction - was an idol, and God was clearing the ground (Psalm 119:71, Romans 8:28).

3. Whatever you're hiding isn't meant for shame — it's meant for the light. (Ephesians 5:13-14, James 5:16).

4. Nobody gets free alone — God always sends people. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Proverbs 13:20)

5. Freedom is built one ordinary day at a time — nothing takes over your life unless you do it every day. (Mark 12:30, Psalm 1:3, John 15:5)

Leave this episode with a four-step starter plan for this week, borrowed straight from our guests — one Proverb a day, prayer with no script, one hidden thing into the light, and habit stacking.

📖 Mentioned in this episode: Andrea's blog on the four soils at addictedtogodpod.com, and the Live Free Podcast with Josh Howerton (the "map carriers" episode, Aug 24, 2026).

✨ Share this episode with someone who feels stuck or hopeless — you never know how God might use it to spark freedom in their life.

CONNECT WITH SARAH:

• Website: https://addictedtogodpod.com

• Instagram: @SarahAnnieSchneider — https://www.instagram.com/sarahannieschneider/

• YouTube: Sarah Annie Schneider | Addicted to God (subscribe!) — https://www.youtube.com/@AddictedToGod

• Facebook: SarahAnnieSchneider — https://www.facebook.com/SarahAnnieSchneider

• Substack: Sarah Annie Schneider — https://substack.com/@sarahannieschneider

Has Jesus genuinely transformed your life? I'd love to hear your story — email me at [email protected].

This is not the end of your story. It's the beginning of your rescue. Choose the better addiction.

 #AddictedToGod #ChristianPodcast #RelationshipNotReligion #BibleForBeginners #SpiritualDisciplines #DailyDevotional #FreedomInChrist #AddictionRecovery #HopeAfterAddiction #ChristianCommunity #FruitOfTheSpirit #GraceOfGod #NewMerciesEveryMorning #ChooseTheBetterAddiction #WithGodAllThingsArePossible

What if the most relational, unguarded, hope-filled place you've ever been… was jail?

Today I'm sitting down with my friend and "ministry boss" — Chaplain David Myers of Fox Valley Jail Ministry at the Outagamie County Jail, where I've mentored women for over a decade. David never went to seminary. He was an accounting major who ran businesses, hit every worldly marker of success - then watched it all get stripped away. In the wreckage, he started devouring Scripture for hours a day, praying with open hands, and feeling an unmistakable pull toward men in jail. Doors kept closing - until one unexpected conversation, one interview, and one supportive (if slightly stunned) wife later, God put him exactly where he belongs.

David surprisingly describes the jail as "like heaven." People are at the bottom. The guard is down. The soil is soft. Men who spent years performing toughness finally tell the truth, receive love, and become the hands and feet of Christ for each other.

If you've ever wondered whether God can use a messy past, a mid-life crash, or a jail cell — this episode is for you. It's also for the person sitting in their own private prison of addiction, regret, or "I'm not good enough." You are not alone. You are not too far gone. And His mercies really are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God" (Mark 10:27).

✨ Share this episode with someone who needs hope. Then visit my brand-new website, addictedtogodpod.com, and leave a review to help this message reach more people.

CONNECT WITH ME:

• Website: https://addictedtogodpod.com

• Instagram: @SarahAnnieSchneider — https://www.instagram.com/sarahannieschneider/

• YouTube: Sarah Annie Schneider | Addicted to God (subscribe!) — https://www.youtube.com/@AddictedToGod

• Facebook: SarahAnnieSchneider — https://www.facebook.com/SarahAnnieSchneider

• Substack: Sarah Annie Schneider — https://substack.com/@sarahannieschneider

Has Jesus genuinely transformed your life? I'd love to hear your story — email me at [email protected].

#AddictedToGod #ChristianPodcast #JailMinistry #PrisonMinistry #ChristianTestimony #RedemptionStory #HopeAfterAddiction #SurrenderToGod #FruitOfTheSpirit #FreedomInChrist #JesusSaves #NewMerciesEveryMorning #GraceNotLaw #ParentsOfProdigals #ChooseTheBetterAddiction

On paper, he had it all together: dean's list student, All-American national champion athlete, the "good guy" everyone admired. Underneath? An angry atheist who lost his dad at 15, buried his grief to be "the man of the house," and hid a binge eating disorder that no one knew about.

Christian Jensen — a husband, father, non-profit executive — shares his powerful testimony about how God used strong Christians to turn him from himself and his own logic toward healing — not only from childhood trauma and the defeat of a hidden eating disorder, but into a devoted addiction to God and His Word.

His story expanded my insight: strongholds don't check your gender. And the enemy does his best work in the shadows.

In this episode:

• How losing his father at 15 turned Christian into a self-described "good atheist" — serving, achieving, and performing while unresolved trauma built up underneath

• The hidden binge eating addiction he carried for years — and why so many men are silently suffering with what we assume is a "women's struggle"

• The coffee shop girl whose first-date question was "What do you think about God?" — and why she refused to date him because Scripture warns believers not to be "unequally yoked" (2 Corinthians 6:14)

• The December night he physically could NOT pray — until he pulled over, fell to his knees on a Highway off-ramp, and surrendered his life to Jesus

• Bill, the builder who rebuilt more than a burned-down house — and the worn little New Testament that planted a seed years before it bloomed

• Why confession is the doorway to healing: "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed" (James 5:16)

• Christian's low-barrier first steps if you're still hiding a struggle: open a Bible, find one trustworthy believer, and just start talking to God — no script required

Here's the truth: as much as you think you're hiding it, God already knows. And He is not waiting to punish you — He is waiting with open arms. "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God" (Mark 10:27).

CONNECT WITH SARAH:

• Website: https://addictedtogodpod.com

• Instagram: @SarahAnnieSchneider — https://www.instagram.com/sarahannieschneider/

• YouTube: Sarah Annie Schneider | Addicted to God (subscribe!) — https://www.youtube.com/@AddictedToGod

• Facebook: SarahAnnieSchneider — https://www.facebook.com/SarahAnnieSchneider

• Substack: Sarah Annie Schneider — https://substack.com/@sarahannieschneider

#AddictedToGod #ChristianPodcast #ChristianTestimony #AddictionRecovery #EatingDisorderRecovery #MensMentalHealth #FreedomInChrist #BreakingStrongholds #JesusSaves #FaithJourney #NewBeliever #BibleForBeginners #GraceOfGod #ConfessionAndHealing #WithGodAllThingsArePossible

I've dreamed of this episode since before Addicted to God even launched.

Today I'm joined by my senior pastor — Pastor Brian of Alliance Church in Appleton, Wisconsin — and friends, this conversation is full of biblical wisdom and insights.

Together we dig into the question at the very heart of this movement: What does the Bible actually say about addiction?

In this episode:

• Why addiction is really an ancient problem with a modern name — when anything in creation takes the place of the Creator, we hand over the dominion God gave us (Genesis 1:26-28) and we become like what we worship (Psalm 115:4-8)

• Why NO ONE is above addiction — our hearts are "idol factories," and the humblest, most mature believers know they'd be right where any addict is, if not for the daily grace of God

• Why willpower and guilt can't set you free — you don't need a better checklist, you need a Savior (Hebrews 12:2)

• How God's rejection is actually our protection — the story of God's kindness in closing doors

• How to build daily habits ("liturgies") that literally change what you love — because nothing takes over your life unless you do it every day

• The answer for anyone thinking "I'm too far gone for God to forgive me" — and why Jesus' blood "speaks a better word" (Hebrews 12:24)

• Which book of the Bible Pastor Brian would hand someone opening it for the very first time - and more!

Friends, if you've ever felt like your struggle disqualifies you from God's love, this episode was made for you. Jesus said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible" (Mark 10:27).

Resource Recommendations:

• You Are What You Love — James K.A. Smith: https://a.co/d/01mqqn8T

• Building New Habit Loops — James Joffrey: https://a.co/d/02NFG2oD

CONNECT WITH SARAH:

• Instagram: @SarahAnnieSchneider — https://www.instagram.com/sarahannieschneider/

• YouTube: Sarah Annie Schneider | Addicted to God (subscribe!) — https://www.youtube.com/@AddictedToGod

• Facebook: SarahAnnieSchneider — https://www.facebook.com/SarahAnnieSchneider

• Substack: Sarah Annie Schneider — https://substack.com/@sarahannieschneider

• Guest stories / questions: www.addictedtogodpod.com

Support this podcast: buymeacoffee.com/addictedtogodpod

Has Jesus genuinely transformed your life? Have you experienced what it means to fully transfer your addiction to Him? I'd love to hear your story — Complete this guest intake form: https://www.addictedtogodpod.com/guests/intake/

A lot of people say “I’ve always been a Christian” or “I grew up in church,” yet have never actually met the Jesus of the Bible. They’ve met a cultural, moral, or performance-based version that leaves them exhausted and empty.

In this episode, I open up about my own 32 years on that broad road — trying harder, looking better, and hoping God (and everyone else) would finally be impressed. Then I dig into what the Bible actually says biblical Christianity is… and what it is not.

We’ll look at:

• The difference between knowing about God and knowing God (John 17:3)
• Why cultural Christianity, self-help religion, and performance-based faith all fall short
• Five clear marks of the real thing
• Why the gospel is good news for people who have failed, not a club for people who have it together
  

If you’ve ever felt like Christianity didn’t work for you, or if you’re still on the spiritual hamster wheel, this episode is for you.

Listen, share, and let’s get addicted to God together.

Connect with me:
Instagram: @SarahAnnieSchneider
YouTube: Sarah Annie Schneider | Addicted to God
Facebook: SarahAnnieSchneider
Substack: Sarah Annie Schneider
Email for guest stories or questions: [email protected]

#AddictedToGod #ChristianPodcast #RelationshipNotReligion #FaithOverReligion #BibleForBeginners #JesusSaves #ChristianLiving #FaithJourney #NewBeliever #KnowJesus #ChristianWomen #BibleStudy #GodsWord #FreedomInChrist #WithGodAllThingsArePossible

Have you ever opened the Bible or sat in church and felt like the words were speaking a completely different language? Words like sin, grace, mercy, justification, atonement, propitiation, sanctification, glorification, and redemption can feel intimidating—or leave you thinking you’re the only one who doesn’t “get it.”

You’re not.

In this episode of The Addicted to God Podcast, Sarah Annie Schneider breaks down these powerful (and often confusing) “churchy” words in everyday language with clear pictures and practical examples. Drawing from her own journey and years mentoring women in jail, she shows how these truths aren’t barriers—they’re love letters from a God who saw us in our mess, refused to leave us there, paid the full price to bring us home, and is still reshaping us from the inside out.

You’ll walk away understanding:

• Why sin doesn’t define you
• The beautiful difference between grace and mercy
• What justification means
• Why sanctification is a daily journey, not overnight perfection
• The hope of glorification and the power of redemption
  

Resource recommendation: Got Questions? Visit gotquestions.org anytime you have a Bible question. They offer clear, Scripture-based answers with cross-references—most questions have already been asked and answered thoroughly.

This episode is for anyone who wants a deeper relationship with God but doesn’t know where to start, feels stuck, or has ever felt left out by religious language. Let’s trade the confusion for clarity and the lesser addictions for the one that truly satisfies.

Connect with Sarah Annie Schneider:
YouTube: youtube.com/@AddictedToGod (full episodes + daily “Pondering on the Path with My Pup” Shorts)
Instagram: @sarahannieschneider
Facebook: Sarah Annie Schneider
Substack: substack.com/@sarahannieschneider
Email (guest stories welcome): [email protected]

Share this with someone who needs hope or feels stuck. You’re not defined by your past—choose the better addiction.

#AddictedToGod #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #GraceAndMercy #Justification #Sanctification #Redemption #Propitiation #Atonement #Glorification #WhatIsSin #ChristianLiving #FaithJourney #Jesus #BibleWords #GotQuestions #NewBeliever #AddictionRecovery #HopeInChrist #FallInLoveWithJesus #SarahAnnieSchneider

In Episode 21 I said the ultimate goal of reading the Bible is to become like Jesus. If you’re new to faith (or still figuring it all out), that can sound confusing. Become like who? A guy who walked on water and only shows up at Christmas and Easter?

This episode answers that question head-on.

I walk through 10 real, powerful traits of Jesus that show why people dropped everything to follow Him—and why broken, addicted, messed-up people like me can’t walk away once they truly see Him:

1. Fierce, unconditional love
2. Gut-level compassion
3. Forgiveness that costs everything
4. Emotional honesty and presence
5. Joy and radical generosity
6. Patient persistence that never quits
7. Servant leadership
8. Courageous truth-telling
9. Radical inclusion (He sees the ones nobody else sees)
10. The truest friendship you’ll ever know

This isn’t religion. It’s a Person. And once you meet the real Jesus in Scripture, the craving shifts. What used to satisfy doesn’t satisfy anymore.

Challenge this week: Open one of the Gospels (John is a great place to start) and pray, “Jesus, show me who You really are.”

Connect with me:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannieschneider/
▶️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@AddictedToGod
👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahannieschneider
📝 Substack: https://substack.com/@sarahannieschneider
📧 Email (guest stories welcome): [email protected]

#AddictedToGod #WhoIsJesus #JesusTraits #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #Sanctification #FallInLoveWithJesus #FreedomInChrist #ChristianWomen #FaithJourney #GospelTruth #JesusIsEnough #TransferYourAddiction #ChristianLiving #HopeAndRedemption

Join Sarah Annie Schneider on The Addicted to God Podcast for a heartfelt conversation with Joyel VandenBoogart, founder and owner of the KNOWN Women’s Conference.

In this vulnerable episode, Joyel shares her journey from living a double life as a “good church kid” to fully surrendering to Jesus at camp, navigating a bipolar diagnosis, and learning daily surrender. Together, Sarah and Joyel discuss mental health, addiction, shame, community, and how God delights in us (Zephaniah 3:17) even in our mess. They explore practical tools like journaling, gratitude, worship, walking in the Word, and linking arms with others to break isolation.

Joyel highlights the heart of KNOWN: connecting women, growing community, and strengthening faith through authentic conversations, round tables, and real testimonies. The conference partners with local anti-human trafficking organizations to bring in women from tough situations, reminding us there’s no “us and them”—only multiplication in Christ.

Partner Organizations:

• HER Alliance – heralliance.org
• Damascus Road Project – damascusroadproject.org
• 5-Stones – 5-stones.org
• The Exodus Road (Exodus Project) – theexodusroad.com
• Redeem and Restore
  

Upcoming KNOWN Events:

• KNOWN Women’s Conference – October 16–17, 2026 at Green Bay Community Church, WI (in-person + virtual options; hometowns hybrid events across the US and beyond). Register and learn more at knownconference.com.
• Bingo Night Fundraiser – August 17 (Chick-fil-A dinner + prizes)
• Worship Night – August 21 with Dana Kane at Apple Creek Gospel

Contact Joyel: [email protected]

Follow Sarah Annie Schneider

• Instagram, YouTube, Facebook: @SarahAnnieSchneider
• YouTube: AddictedToGod
• Podcast / Substack: Search “Addicted to God”
• Email for guest stories: [email protected]

Follow KNOWN: @knownconference on Instagram & Facebook

#AddictedToGod #KnownConference #WomenOfFaith #BibleStudy #MentalHealthAndFaith #BreakTheShame #ChristianPodcast #CommunityInChrist #DelightInGod #FaithOverFear #RecoveryJourney #KnowJesus

This episode is a powerful reminder: You are not alone, your story matters, and God is using every struggle to draw you closer to Him. Share it with someone who needs hope today!