The authority you'll sense in John comes not from a best-selling book or successful podcast, but from a deep inner strength born of hard-fought victory over adversity. His journey began with a difficult childhood, where abuse and the loss of his father weighed heavily. As life unfolded, John fought battles with addiction, trauma and devastating losses, reaching a crushing low point that threatened to take everything. But a story of hope and resilience emerges as his recovery survives even the tr...
Aug 01, 2023•53 min
In this episode, Evan and Missy share their inspiring story of how they found redemption and healing through Evan’s struggle with multiple addictions. Through Evan’s struggle with addiction, and the work he and Missy have done to recover, they were able to develop personal relationships with Jesus Christ, and their relationship has been able to heal. If this episode resonates with you, or if you know someone who needs a reminder of God’s open arms, please share the link to this episode with them...
Jul 13, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Eric speaks straight from the heart as he shares his journey of overcoming abuse, steep shame, lack of motivation, and low self-esteem to find recovery. This was not a short journey. Eric was first introduced to several recovery resources many years ago and he was even encouraged by his parents and girlfriend but nothing stuck until he found his own motivation. As a newlywed, Eric has been open with his wife about his struggles and has found his favorite recovery resources. Enjoy listening as he...
Jun 20, 2023•58 min
Madi was 13 when she first encountered pornography. As a young Christian woman, she struggled to find resources online to help young women overcome addiction as most resources were for women who discovered their husband’s addiction and for men struggling with addiction. Feeling isolated and alone living a dual life, she finally got up the nerve to disclose what was going on to her father and local church leader. Madi reminds us that we are seen. That God loves us. That the battle is real, and we...
May 09, 2023•48 min
Brady and Aubrey share their story of redemption and healing from Brady’s struggle with pornography addiction. For years Brady felt he had to “out work” his addiction. Once Brady realized that God loved him individually, his recovery began. Brady and Aubrey share how his struggle with pornography addiction helped them both develop personal relationships with Jesus Christ, which has healed their relationship. If this episode resonates with you, or if you know someone who needs a reminder of God’s...
Apr 17, 2023•58 min
Devin and Joslyn radiate with a powerful light, but their journey has been a challenge. Prior to their marriage, Devin opened up to Joslyn about his struggles with pornography. Joslyn worked for an addiction recovery program and knew the potential risks but saw Devin 'on his recovery game'. They married and things went well - for a while. Join us as we witness the transformative power of God in their lives.
Apr 04, 2023•56 min
Another great episode with a couple in recovery. When Chandler and Jade met each other, Chandler walked Jade through his journey of how he has struggled and what he is doing to overcome addiction. Jade spent time writing and working with God and chose to join Chandler in their combined path to continue to get to know God and let Him shape her perspective. To reach out and help others, Chandler created the Relay app at Jade’s urging to create a recovery community. Join us to hear the rest of thei...
Mar 19, 2023•52 min
Sathiya Sam is an author, and recovery coach and pastor for recovery. Sathiya is very passionate about this because he struggled with getting free from addiction and was frustrated by the lack of resources available for those who struggle with addiction and want to get out. Have a listen to his story and a taste of his book.
Mar 06, 2023•52 min
Oftentimes men feel the need to fight their battles alone out of fear of appearing weak and incapable. A brotherhood can remind them that they’re not alone. In a brotherhood men truly care for each other and within the brotherhood there is safety to talk about any aspect of your life. CT, Doug, and Seth join Steve and Jason to discuss what their brotherhood means to them and how it was formed through vulnerability with each other. They talk openly about how they’ve battled for each other’s heart...
Feb 24, 2023•50 min
After Devin and Tanna agreed to tell their story on Unashamed Unafraid, they faced unexpectedly difficult obstacles and even thought about turning the car around on their way to the recording. We're very glad they fought through so we could share this beautiful episode that shines a light of hope on the sometimes very messy and confusing processes of recovery and healing. Devin and Tanna share helpful insights through their story. Tanna talks about discovering the reality of pornography and late...
Feb 13, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Unashamed and unafraid, Josh boldly shares his story of a poser life by day and a life of acting out with multiple partners while trying to keep it a secret from his first wife by night. But now Josh is willing to give up everything to God to make things right and get back into good standing with his church, his family, and start new with his second wife Heather and her kids. Heather’s story is one of struggling with her first husband who was also an addict. Thinking “never again” she was surpri...
Jan 15, 2023•51 min
We at Unashamed Unafraid are just like you. Over the past year, we've struggled and experienced failures and successes as God has tried us, changed us and loved us. In this episode, we invite you to get to know us better as we share our favorite episodes and worship songs of 2022 and speak to our own personal struggles and growth. In addition, we celebrate what 2022 has meant to the podcast. Learn how donations have been used, about our new volunteer team members and about our vision for the fut...
Jan 01, 2023•1 hr 5 min
“Criticism isn’t something to avoid. It is something you should expect when you are making it big.” Sometimes our experiences can bring us more insight than years of study and practice. In this episode Smith Alley at age 18 shares perspectives and insights that rival therapists. Smith had a “normal” life growing up. He had a mom and a dad who showed him love and he thought he was going to conquer the world. However, at age 6 his confidence came crashing down on him. You see, he had a stutter tha...
Dec 04, 2022•46 min
Choosing to Live in Expectancy Join us as Steve and James sit down with Magic Marc once again, to explore the topics of living with expectations versus living in expectancy. Marc explains that living with expectations means we have a tight attachment to end results. Those expectations are actually just premeditated resentments. Often we place the highest expectations on ourselves. This can cause us to feel shame when we aren’t able to meet those expectations. So, when you are trying to avoid car...
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 11 min
D.J. Bishop is a client centered, experiential therapist, dedicated to helping people transform their life stories. His work focuses on supporting his clients in identifying and challenging harmful narratives and cultivating more connected relationships with themselves, their loved ones, and the world around them. D.J. is a unique therapist in that he “walks the walk.” Everything he asks his clients to do he’s done for himself in his own personal therapy work which gives D.J. a unique perspectiv...
Sep 01, 2022•42 min
The Sami Bingham Story When I was eighteen years old. I did not have anything figured out. I knew that I had to go on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; then go to school and get married. But what did I want to do? I had no clue what I wanted to do. That is not the case for Sami Bingham. She is a financial coach for her company Financial Business Solutions.She is a certified coach of Dave Ramsey Financial Solutions. Sami grew up in an artistic household. Her dad was a...
Jul 29, 2022•44 min
The only relationship you need in order to find recovery is with God. In this episode, Jason jumps to the other side of the mic with Steve to talk to Troy about his journey through his addiction and subsequent divorce. Growing up Troy held on to two beliefs. The first, that he could never tell anyone about his addiction and second, that he would never be worthy. He grew up feeling that he was his father’s least favorite son and translated some of that belief to his perception of how God saw him;...
Jun 08, 2022•55 min
Codependency: Don’t Worry About Me. I often ask myself if I am okay. Most of the time I don’t wait for the answer because this world is so crazy busy that I don’t take time to stop and listen to my body, mind, or soul. If you’re like me, this episode is a great episode to stop, drop, and scroll. Stop what you are doing, drop into a chair, and scroll into the app of your choice that you use to listen to Unashamed Unafraid. You’re not going to want to miss this one. James and Steven sit down and t...
May 20, 2022•1 hr
Mike and Tami Do you ever feel like your marriage is a business partnership? This is how Mike and Tami describe their marriage for many years, just business. Tami was focused on being a mom. She was content in the role of motherhood which was all she ever wanted. Mike was struggling with shame in his addiction. They were running the family business but not truly connecting with each other. This story is very special to co-host James as Mike is James' childhood friend. James has been along Mike’s...
Apr 24, 2022•59 min
Join us as James and Chris sit down with Jarrett as he openly shares about his early exposure to and struggle with pornography. Jarrett first realized the extent of God’s love for him, when he first opened up about his struggle while serving a mission for his church. In this episode Jarrett reminds us that unless we deal with our trauma we will pass it onto the next generation. Jarrett’s dad was willing to share with him about his own struggles and what he learned while attending the Warrior Hea...
Mar 28, 2022•47 min
At a young age Rod realized he loved looking at girls. His fascination started at his grandparent’s home with a swimsuit edition of a certain magazine. Like many who struggle, he kept his addiction quiet thinking it would go away with marriage. After he had been married for a few years, and realizing his struggle was ongoing, Rod had a desire to be honest with his wife. His path through disclosure and opening up to his children is not one he would recommend. Rod faced severe distrust in his marr...
Mar 14, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Not all addicts begin their struggles in their childhood or youth. Jim’s addiction struggle started a little later in life. Married with a young family, his life began to change as he descended into addiction. Honesty is very difficult for addicts yet so crucial to the healing process. For Jim, being fully honest with himself and with those affected by his addiction came in waves. This struggle to be fully honest negatively affected his wife’s trust and intensified her betrayal trauma. Coming to...
Feb 22, 2022•1 hr 1 min
The entire U/U Crew meet to talk about 2021. What was everyone’s song of healing for the year? How many outsiders are there and just how is that non-profit doing? They each share their hearts and get vulnerable and real. No surprises there. The crew reveals their plans for 2022 as a group and individually. Thank you for everything you all do and for listening to this podcast. Happy New Year from the U/U Crew. We love you! - Steven, James, Chris, CT, Jason, Sway, Rachel, Cory and Cassy...
Jan 06, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Relationships: Communication, Conflict, and Connection Daniel is welcomed back to Unashamed Unafraid for a deep dive with Steve and Chris into something every relationship can improve on, communication. Many of us have never had great examples of what healthy communication within relationships looks like. In this episode, therapist Daniel Burgess shares his four do’s and don’ts for healthy communication in our relationships. Daniel gained his unique perspective while working with contentious rel...
Dec 18, 2021•54 min
In our world today there is a lot of violence: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. You see it almost everywhere. Too often our first reaction to harm or hurt is to put our dukes up and punch back or go running the other direction, fight or flight. Although both are generally good options for survival they aren’t always the best for recovery. One thing that many of us struggle with in recovery is being accountable and making repair. Saying a sincere “I’m sorry” is an important step. Beyond ...
Dec 14, 2021•1 hr
“Where the hell are you, God?” This is a common question for those in pain and in the depths of struggle and darkness. Finding rock bottom can be a rough journey downward. The positive is that from rock bottom, one can only climb upward. The climb can be very difficult alone and is always easier with help from others. The reason addictions develop is because people are trying to cope with painful wounds - wounds of neglect, wounds of betrayal, wounds of isolation. What starts out as innocently d...
Oct 25, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Have you ever heard the phrase once an addict, always an addict? I’ve certainly heard it during my lifetime. It is a creative bumper sticker to describe who you are—but is that truly who you are as a person? Chris, James, and Steve go on a journey with Doug Nielsen to find out what to do when you are wanting to take that next step, the step beyond recovery. I know some of us who are struggling (or have struggled) with an addiction are thinking, “I can’t even fathom what life looks like without a...
Oct 14, 2021•58 min
“Ultimate Poser”: That’s how Rob describes himself when he was at the height of his sexual addiction. Take a listen as Steve and James start not at the beginning, but at the bottom of Rob’s story as he shares how working through fears and loss. Rob describes how ultimately his path led to him to discovering, not the guy not on either side of his poser life, but the third guy who God wanted him to be. Rob was married with three children, working as an employee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat...
Aug 25, 2021•56 min
You may have heard the saying, “Once an addict always an addict.” But is it true? In the opinion of the UU crew, this statement is incongruent with Christ’s healing atonement. We believe that Christ can change people forever. Sometimes that change comes with the assistance of professional therapists and others, but ultimate healing is the work of Jesus Christ. Sam Teilemans believes that the language we use is powerful. For example, he says that it may be more helpful to say, “I struggle with ad...
Aug 07, 2021•46 min
At Unashamed Unafraid we share real stories with you that prove sexual addiction has no bounds of age, background, or gender, and that recovery is possible for anyone. Yes, women struggle too and here is more proof as Ashlee, our 2nd female to share on the podcast, opens up about her struggle with sexual addiction. We invite you to listen as Steve and Chris challenge Ashlee to abandon her notes and go off-script, sharing her story Unashamed-style , from the heart. Ashlee discusses how her addict...
Jul 09, 2021•53 min
