Episodes

This September, Greg celebrated 39 years of sobriety, and he’s quick to say it’s all God’s doing. In this episode, Greg shares how God removed the obsession and compulsion to drink. He talks about the sponsor who has walked beside him for all 39 of those years, and the stranger from under a bridge who told him, “Brother, you gotta get it out.” He also describes how a legalistic upbringing and childhood trauma shaped his understanding of God. Today, Greg is a former pastor, Celebrate Recovery coordinator and chaplain from the Joplin, Missouri area. He works one-on-one with people in early recovery and helps churches become ready to walk alongside them.

We talk about the hard first 18 months of sobriety, what Greg calls “obedience before understanding,” and the moment a friend told him the Bible never says to give your life to Jesus. That truth changed everything for him. Your job is to get your life from Jesus.

Whether you’re questioning your own drinking, newly sober, or still t…

Ryan VandeHei spent 30 years trapped in cocaine addiction, repeat incarcerations, and over 140 criminal charges before God broke through. Through the relentless pursuit of a Teen Challenge worker and a community of believers who stood with him in court, he experienced radical redemption. Today he speaks openly about why willpower fails, the necessity of new fellowship, and how the same intensity once given to drugs now fuels his walk with Christ.

A shorter recording that reflects on episodes 31-33. The stories hold similarities and the messages have themes that are worth being highlighted. There is added scripture for deeper understanding. Addiction, or anything that we yearn for, is unable to meet our deepest needs. The "threads" that run through three interviews speak into that. "What are you thirsty for" is drawing you to be aware of what you might be settling for that is less than God's best for you, what you may be using to replace God as the rightful King of your life, and who is the true source of all joy, hope, and peace - despite your circumstances.

Brian grew up milking cows on a Wisconsin dairy farm and gave his life to Jesus at seven, then spent years living a double life - church on Sunday, crack and cocaine the rest of the week. After his marriage ended, God brought him to his knees. He shares how running to the Word, letting go of idols, and Christ-centered recovery rebuilt his life, and why saving faith has to reach the heart, not just the paper.

Three DUIs, six months in jail, and a night in a holding cell when she was ready to give up. Then 23-year-old Maddy heard God say, "I need you to fight this fight." She shares how she traded drugs and alcohol for a relationship with Jesus, what nine months at Adult & Teen Challenge taught her, and why losing everything was how she gained everything. If you feel stuck in your past, this episode is for you.

I am honored to host Rev. David W. Pendergrass, Ph.D., who is an author, biblical specialist, and pastoral counselor who helps Christians think clearly about their faith. Trained in biblical studies, theology, and pastoral counseling, he has spent more than twenty years walking with people through grief, trauma, addiction, and broken marriages — and writes and teaches on shame, emotional health, and discipleship.

How the words, "Dad, You Stink", changed a man's life, forever. But Pete’s Story of Grief, Alcohol, and finding Christ, is a powerful example of how God get's your attention. Even when you're in an addiction you don't even realize is an addiction. Pete says, "You Can’t Fix You With More of You". Only God can fix you. Enjoy this edge of your seat testimony as Pete is called out of the Darkness and learn how a recovering Alcoholic meets the real Jesus.

Taking a pause to highlight some of the key takeaways from episodes 26-28. Guests who had a common thread through their stories.

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 ...

An atheist meets a Christian girl who changes His life, yet the impact of his childhood trauma drove him into a devastating eating disorder. Learn how God heals and restores in the most loving and gentle ways by using people and His Word to transform a life.

Since I'm not a seminary graduate, Bible scholar, or theologian. I wanted to call on my Senior Pastor to speak Biblically to what the Bible says about addiction. Very thought-provoking conversation that I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope you do too!

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:

...

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 clea...

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:

Fierce...

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 o...

In this foundational episode of the Addicted to God Podcast, host Sarah Annie Schneider tackles one of the most common questions she receives: “I want to read the Bible, but I don’t know where to start.” Using a relatable Couch-to-5K analogy, Sarah walks through practical steps to build a sustainable habit of engaging with God’s Word—starting with the right tools, scheduling devotional time, finding accountability, progressing gradually, and celebrating progress.

She emphasizes that the Bible i...

In this foundational episode, Sarah Annie Schneider makes the compelling case for pursuing a deep, intimate relationship with God and His living Word—especially if you’re new to faith, feeling distant from God, or stuck in destructive cycles you can’t seem to break.

Drawing from over a decade mentoring women in jail, personal testimony, and Scripture (Ecclesiastes 3:11, Psalm 139, Ephesians 3:20-21, and more), Sarah shares why nothing else satisfies the eternity God has placed in our hearts. Sh...

In this heartfelt episode of The Addicted to God Pod, host Sarah Annie Schneider tackles the loneliness epidemic head-on and reveals why godly friendships and accountability partners are essential for our faith journey. Drawing from over a decade mentoring incarcerated women, her women's support groups, and personal experience, Sarah shares how to move from surface-level connections to the deep, sharpening relationships God designed us for—friends who love at all times, speak truth in love, and ...

She sat in a counselor's office after her husband confessed his porn addiction—and she wasn't angry. She wasn't threatening to leave, kick him out, or make him sleep on the couch. And the counselor noticed.

What her husband didn't know—what no one knew—was that Andrea Sloma had been carrying the same secret for decades.

Women don't talk about this. And that silence is exactly what keeps so many of them trapped.

In this raw and redemptive episode of the Addicted to God Podcast, Andrea shares t...

In this one of the most powerful and most needed episodes of the Addicted to God Podcast series. Sarah Schneider tackles one of the most pervasive lies women believe: the lie of unworthiness.

If you’ve ever tied your value to your career, motherhood, appearance, relationships, or even past failures and shame—this episode is for you. Through honest stories, illustrations and rich Bible teaching, Sarah exposes the poison of comparison and the destructive places we look for worth.

This episode is...

"If you died today, how confident are you that you would be in heaven?"

0%? 50/50? 99%? Not sure?

If your answer is anything less than 100%, this episode is for you. We start with urgency. In Luke 12, Jesus tells the story of a man who had everything - full barns, big plans, zero worries. God's response? "You fool. Tonight your life is required of you." None of us is promised tomorrow. That question isn't hypothetical - it's the most important one you'll ever answer.

But this episode isn't ju...

Welcome to Addicted to God, the podcast for anyone with an addictive personality who’s ready to trade their old struggles for a life-changing love for Jesus. Hosted by Sarah Schneider — a woman who openly shares her own addictive wiring and decade-plus experience mentoring women in her local jail. This show delivers raw, biblical truth with zero shame and zero judgment. Through Scripture, real stories, and practical tools, Sarah helps you break free from substances, screens, approval, pain, sham...

Church Hurt & Spiritual Disappointment — a heavy but hopeful conversation for anyone who’s ever been wounded by the very place that should have felt safest. In this episode, I open up about the deep pain so many carry from church experiences: judgment, exclusion, gossip, feeling you can’t show up as your real, struggling self, and far more serious wounds like betrayal, abuse of power, or violation by trusted leaders and pastors. I share my own regretful moment of unintentionally making a family ...

Discover the powerful Bible that’s been transforming lives in jail ministry for over a decade — The Life Recovery Bible (NLT) by Stephen Arterburn and the late Dr. David Stoop. In this heartfelt episode, I share why this is one of the most effective tools for anyone seeking freedom from addiction, strongholds, or unhealthy habits. From easy-to-understand NLT text and recovery-focused footnotes, to 169 days of targeted devotionals tied to the 12 Steps, Recovery Principles, and the Serenity Prayer...