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 youGabe 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/0eiAttcOCHAPTERS00:00 God Doesn’t Just Love You—He Likes You00:57 Anxiety May Be Pointing to Something Deeper02:45 Welcome, Gabriel Andreson04:20 Faith, Family, Business, and Marketplace Ministry11:41 A Panic Attack at 30,000 Feet16:00 When Anxiety Returned After Writing the Book18:29 Anxiety as a Signal—and What May Be Beneath It24:27 Turning Personal Pain Into Help for Others26:23 Performance, a Father’s Approval, and Our View of God29:28 Therapy and the Safety That Unlocked Healing31:54 “God Talks”: Identifying Lies and Receiving Truth35:15 “Isn’t It Great to Be Reminded Who You’re Not?”39:03 Leadership, Burnout, Delegation, and Control42:26 God Loves You—and He Actually Likes You44:35 Silence, Scripture, Journaling, and Honest Venting47:59 The First Step Out of Survival Mode49:18 Where to Find Gabe and UnAnxious50:24 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 Matters03:28 Welcome & Fast Five10:36 The One Thing Most People Don't Know About David16:28 The Broken Neck That Changed Everything22:27 Building Resilience Through Adversity28:14 Start Where You Are30:45 Why So Many People Feel Stuck35:45 Daily Habits That Change Your Life40:48 Reading Scripture for Transformation43:21 Walking Through Lindsey's Brain Cancer47:11 Marriage, Parenting & Legacy50:23 What Legacy Really Means52:29 How to Make Every Day Count55:02 Where to Connect with David56:46 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/03OmXHwgLearn more about Gary Thomas: https://garythomas.comConnect with Embracing Brokenness Ministries: https://embracingbrokenness.orgCHAPTERS00:00 Why the Church Still Gives Gary Thomas Hope (Cold Open)01:12 Introduction & Meet Gary Thomas02:20 Why Gary Wrote The Life You Were Reborn to Live08:45 The Spiritual Lies That Keep Christians Stuck13:05 Consumer Christianity vs. Following Jesus19:10 The Church Isn't Here to Serve You27:35 Why Isolation Is So Spiritually Dangerous33:45 Entitlement vs. Astonishment40:15 The Life You Were Reborn to Live45:05 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 habitGuest:Jon Seidl: Author of Confessions of a Christian AlcoholicLearn more:https://www.jonseidl.com/confessions-of-a-christian-alcoholic-bookhttps://www.veritasrecovery.org/For more resources from Embracing Brokenness Ministries:https://embracingbrokenness.org/Chapter Markers00:00 Introduction: We're All Addicted to Something01:23 Meet Jon Seidl05:50 From Journalist to Storyteller09:30 Finding Rest and Mental Health13:40 Success Didn't Fix the Problem16:00 When Alcohol Became an Escape19:00 The Slow Fade into Addiction23:00 The Miami Trip That Changed Everything27:00 "Get to the Root of Why You're Drinking"29:00 Childhood Trauma and Hidden Wounds32:00 Letting Jesus Into Every Part of Your Story35:00 Why Jon Wrote This Book37:15 Four Steps Toward Freedom37:30 Abiding in Christ40:15 Finding Your True Identity43:00 Radical Vulnerability47:00 The Power of Obedience50:00 Escapism, Sobriety and Freedom52:00 Embracing Messy Sanctification56:00 The Healing Power of Community58:00 Veritas Recovery and Next Steps1:01:00 Final Encouragement

Richard Blackaby joins Steve Adams for a powerful conversation about spiritual maturity, daily rhythms with God, and what it really means to experience God in everyday life—not just in the extraordinary moments.Drawing from the legacy of the bestselling study Experiencing God and the new release Experiencing God in Everyday Life, Richard shares deeply personal stories about his father, Henry Blackaby, spiritual formation, abiding in Christ, and how ordinary believers can learn to recognize God’s presence in the middle of everyday life.Together, Steve and Richard discuss:Why many Christians feel disconnected from God in daily lifeThe danger of reducing faith to activity instead of relationshipThe role of spiritual rhythms and habits in transformationThe importance of spiritual companionshipHow suffering and disruption shape maturityThe next generation’s hunger for authentic faithWhy most of life is lived in the “valleys,” not the mountaintopsThis conversation is filled with wisdom, encouragement, and practical insight for anyone longing to walk more closely with Jesus in the ordinary rhythms of life.🎥 Video opening courtesy of Lifeway.📘 Get Experiencing God in Everyday Life by Richard Blackaby and sons:https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/experiencing-god-in-everyday-life-bible-study-book-with-video-access-P005853831Buy on Amazon: https://a.co/d/066sB40o🌐 Learn more about Richard Blackaby and Blackaby Ministries International:https://blackaby.org/🌿 Learn more about Embracing Brokenness Ministries:https://embracingbrokenness.org/⏱️ Chapters00:00 — Opening Video (Courtesy of Lifeway)01:24 — Welcome & Why This Conversation Matters04:06 — Richard Blackaby on Family, Ministry & Legacy10:54 — Grandchildren, Prayer Journals & Spiritual Heritage14:12 — Writing Prayers & Hearing God More Deeply15:28 — Leadership Trivia Begins17:38 — Why Experiencing God in Everyday Life Matters Now20:20 — Religion vs. Relationship with God24:18 — “The Bible Is the Only Book Where You Can Know the Author”25:18 — The Seven Realities of Experiencing God26:15 — George Barna’s 10-Stop Spiritual Formation Journey29:10 — Activity vs. Intimacy with God31:30 — Humility, Abiding & the Presence of God35:29 — Spiritual Legacy Across Generations40:46 — Why Richard Wrote This Book with His Sons45:19 — The Spiritual Hunger of Younger Generations47:23 — God in the Ordinary Moments of Life50:00 — Spiritual Maturity & Daily Rhythms53:12 — Habit Stacking & Walking with God Daily56:58 — Spiritual Companionship & Community01:00:49 — Ministry, Prison Work & Walking Together01:01:30 — Richard’s Message to the Younger Generation01:03:05 — Leadership Trivia Answer Revealed01:05:28 — Why This Book Is an Invitation Into a Way of Life01:07:11 — Final Encouragement from Richard Blackaby

What does it really cost to follow Jesus? And what does it cost us when we don’t?In this powerful conversation, Steve Adams welcomes Morgan Snyder to the Embracing Brokenness Podcast for a deep and honest discussion about discipleship, formation, healing, risk, and the slow work of becoming whole in Christ.Morgan reflects on his 26 years in formal relationship with Wild at Heart, his transition with his wife Cherie into the Become Good Soil movement, and the deeper work of apprenticeship to Jesus in the second half of life. He shares why he and Cherie are now focused on “going deeper with fewer,” investing in the thirsty few who long for more of God and the abundant life.Together, Steve and Morgan explore the danger of consumer Christianity, the difference between information and formation, the invitation to become wholehearted men and women, and why brokenness is not the end of the story but often the beginning of deeper restoration.This episode is for anyone who feels stuck, spiritually dry, overextended, or aware that simply “believing the right things” has not produced the healing, maturity, intimacy, and purpose they long for. Morgan reminds us that God is not far away. He meets us at the end of our rope, in our need, in our pain, and in the ordinary moments where we create space to notice His voice.Learn more about Morgan and Cherie Snyder’s work at Become Good Soil:https://becomegoodsoil.comLearn more about Embracing Brokenness Ministries:https://embracingbrokenness.orgChapters00:00 — God Meets Us at the End of Our Rope01:00 — Welcome to the Embracing Brokenness Podcast01:32 — Introducing Morgan Snyder02:14 — Morgan’s History with John Eldredge and Wild at Heart03:34 — Becoming Good Soil and Going Deeper with Fewer04:55 — Husband and Wife Ministry in the Second Half of Life05:45 — Don’t Waste Your Pain07:01 — Preferring a Circle Over a Platform08:00 — The Hidden Years and Carrying Water09:11 — Steve’s First Wild at Heart Retreat11:08 — Trusting the Slow Work of God12:33 — The Interior Work of Becoming Whole14:23 — We Are All Being Discipled by Something16:21 — Leaving Platform, Salary, and Momentum17:45 — Brokenness, Anesthesia, and the Fire in the House21:22 — The Cost of Not Following Jesus22:36 — Sabbath as Resistance23:48 — God as the Father Who Initiates Our Children24:56 — Why Embrace Brokenness?27:16 — Living Where God Has to Show Up29:16 — Becoming the Kind of Person God Can Entrust30:25 — Risk at the Core of Discipleship31:05 — Prison Ministry and Holy Ground34:11 — What Is Burdening Morgan’s Heart?35:48 — Dallas Willard and the Discipleship Crisis37:40 — Power, Service, and the Vulnerable39:52 — The Incomplete Gospel41:57 — Consumer Christianity and Hyper-Individualism43:53 — Information Is Not Enough45:22 — What If God Feels Distant?46:31 — How Do I Find God?47:31 — Creating Space to Notice God48:37 — The Gift of Margin49:35 — Micro-Shifts That Change a Life50:31 — Start with What Is Necessary51:08 — Becoming a King and Practical Resources52:02 — Become Good Soil and the Thirsty Few53:28 — Participating in the Restoration of All Things54:05 — Closing Thoughts

What happens when artificial intelligence reads a manuscript about intimacy with God… and then creates a podcast explaining it?That’s exactly what happened when one of our endorsers uploaded our upcoming book Embracing the Way into NotebookLM. Within moments, it generated a 20-minute conversation—two voices unpacking the heart of our message with surprising clarity, accuracy, and even emotional tone.So we decided to do something different.In this episode, we:Play the AI-generated podcast in fullReflect on what it got rightExplore what felt… incompleteAnd wrestle with a critical question for our time:Can something that sounds human… begin to replace relationship?This isn’t a rejection of AI.It’s a call to discernment.Because while AI can:organize truthexplain ideasaccelerate productivity…it cannot:experience Godheal your woundsor lead you into intimacy with ChristWe close with practical, biblical guardrails for engaging AI wisely—without losing what matters most.Link to 5 Biblical Guardrails for Working with AIhttps://embracingbrokenness.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/5-Biblical-Guardrails-for-Working-with-AI.jpeg00:00 – AI Needs a Warning Label (Part 2)02:30 – The unexpected AI-generated podcast06:15 – What surprised us most09:30 – Playing the AI podcast (full segment)29:00 – Our reaction: what it got right31:30 – Where it missed: relationship vs replication34:30 – Identity is received, not achieved36:00 – 5 Biblical guardrails for AI (RAILS)39:00 – The Great I Am is greater than AI

What if the greatest danger of artificial intelligence isn’t what it can do—but what it can replace?In this episode of the Embracing Brokenness Podcast, Steve and Colleen Adams explore a growing concern: AI is no longer just a productivity tool—it’s becoming a relational substitute. From AI companions to emotionally intelligent chatbots, we are entering a moment where technology can mimic what only God was meant to fulfill.This conversation goes deeper than headlines. It gets to the heart.Why AI feels like it “understands” youHow it subtly meets core human longingsThe danger of synthetic belonging, love, and purposeReal stories of how far this has already gonePractical red flags to evaluate your own usageHow to use AI without letting it use youThis isn’t fear-based. It’s a warning—and an invitation.👉 The truth:“I AM is greater than AI.” (Use this URL and create a bookmark next to your AI tab in your browser): https://bedecked-litter-95f.notion.site/I-Am-AI-29c29def361b80dc867df86090d3bfe0Use this prompt in your favorite AI chat. You may be surprised at the answer it gives you.If Screwtape (from C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters) were to write a letter to Wormwood on how to thwart my faith and effectiveness personally, what would that letter say based on what you know about me?Chapters:00:00 – A chilling real-world example of AI companionship01:30 – Why this episode matters right now03:00 – “AI may replace your need for God”05:00 – The emotional evolution of AI07:00 – Productivity vs. transformation09:00 – AI and the loss of human connection12:00 – The Screwtape exercise (eye-opening)16:00 – Spiritual warfare and identity18:30 – Core longings: Belonging20:30 – Purpose vs. productivity21:30 – Love and affirmation23:00 – Understanding and being “seen”24:30 – Safety and relational risk26:30 – Significance and generational impact29:00 – The substitution problem31:00 – The “synthetic steak” analogy33:00 – AI companionship and the future36:00 – Red flags to watch for39:00 – What if you’re not using AI yet?41:00 – Practical guardrails42:30 – Final truth: I AM > AI

Easter reminds us that death is not the end—but it does invite a deeper question: how are we living in the time we’ve been given?In this episode of the Embracing Brokenness Podcast, Steve and Colleen explore “The Dash”—the small line between your birth date and death date that represents your entire life.Through the story of Alfred Nobel, personal experiences with loss, and a powerful reflection sparked by the song Live Like That, they unpack what it really means to live intentionally.You’ll discover:Why most people drift instead of live with purposeThe difference between happiness and lasting joyHow distraction and self-focus quietly shape your lifeWhat people actually remember about you in the endHow to choose love at the “fork in the road” momentsThis isn’t about achieving more—it’s about becoming someone who reflects Christ in everyday life.Because the dash may look small… but it holds everything.00:00 – Welcome + Easter Monday Reflection02:00 – The Question: What Would People Say About Your Life?07:30 – The Dash Explained (Birth → Death → Everything Between)10:15 – The Alfred Nobel Story (A Wake-Up Call)13:30 – Why Most People Drift Through Life15:00 – Meaning Doesn’t Just Happen—It’s Cultivated18:30 – Colleen’s Turning Point (Loss, Funerals, Clarity)22:30 – “Live Like That” – The Measuring Line for Life26:00 – The Fork in the Road: Choosing Love or Self29:00 – Living Surrendered vs Living in Control32:00 – Start With Why (and Where It Falls Short)34:30 – Happiness vs Joy36:30 – What Living for the Dash Actually Feels Like40:00 – It’s Not About What You Achieve42:00 – Final Question: What Is Being Written in Your Dash?43:30 – Closing Challenge + What’s Next

In Part 2 of our Reclamation series, Steve and Colleen Adams explore what it looks like to reclaim the parts of our story that were shaped by failure, shame, and consequences.In this deeply personal episode, Steve shares the part of his story he rarely tells publicly — the collapse of a successful real estate business in the 1980s, federal fraud charges, and the prison sentence that followed.For years, the weight of that chapter lingered quietly in the background of his life.Then, decades later, God prompted him to do something unexpected.Go back.Together, Steve and Colleen returned to the federal prison camp where he served his sentence — not as an inmate this time, but as a man who had experienced redemption.What happened there became a powerful moment of reclamation — a reconciling of past, present, and purpose.This conversation explores:How God redeems even the most painful chapters of our storyThe difference between shame and redemptionWhy consequences can become part of God’s restoration processHow wounds and failures can shape our callingWhat it means to reclaim the life God originally intendedReclamation isn’t about rewriting the past.It’s about seeing how God was present in it all along.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Personal Background02:16 The Journey of Reclamation and Writing the Book04:12 Early Life, Success, and the Fall into Crime07:21 Facing Charges and the Impact on Life10:24 The Courtroom and Sentencing Experience12:33 Returning to Prison and Reconciliation15:54 Reflections on God's Mercy and Grace18:39 Visiting Prison and Internal Reconciliation22:37 The Internal Journey of Reclamation26:17 Turning Point and Surrender to God28:21 The Role of God's Word in Healing29:37 God's Continuous Reclamation in Our Lives