What a Pastor, a Chaplain & a Former Atheist Have in Common Ep.29

Sarah Annie Schneider: Welcome to the Addicted to God Podcast. I'm your host and Bible mentor, Sarah Schneider, and I am addicted to God. Addicted to God is a community of imperfect people who are pursuing a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. For over 20 years, I have had my own Addicted to God journey. This movement was inspired by the hundreds of incarcerated women whom I have had the privilege of mentoring in my local jail. The more I learned about their addictive behaviors, the more I realized that my zeal to know God's word wasn't that different from their uncontrollable desire to use their drug of choice. So in a nutshell, addicted to God is where we transfer the unhealthy and unsatisfying, sometimes destructive habits and choices to the freedom and fulfillment that can only come from the one and only healthy addiction, and that is God and his limitless word. So I do ask that you would please share this podcast so we can end addictions, encourage the defeated, and help anyone who wants to have a relationship with God but does not know where to start. So are you with me? Let's get addicted to God together. for the last three weeks, I have had the honor of sitting across from three men whose lives could not look more different on paper. A pastor, a former atheist who now runs a nonprofit clinic, and a jail chaplain. Pastor Brian went to seminary. But get this, not to become a pastor. He went to learn. What he actually wanted was the world. Business, success, the whole package. Christian Jensen. He lost his dad at age fifteen and decided there was no God. He built a picture perfect life, Dean's list, all American athlete, while hiding an eating disorder that nobody knew about. And Chaplain David Myers. He was an accounting major. He ran businesses. He was, by his own words, golden. Valedictorian, good at everything he touched, until everything he touched started falling apart. Three completely different men. And yet, as I've been sitting with their stories, replaying their conversations, going back through my notes, I can't stop seeing the threads. The same God doing the same kinds of things in three completely different lives. And friends. That's not a coincidence. That's a pattern. And patterns are God's fingerprints. So today, it's just you and me. I want to pull on five threads that run through all three of these episode stories. And I'm going to be honest, they run through mine too. and I want to get practical because these aren't just nice stories to admire. They're invitations. So grab your Bible and Or just grab your coffee and let's dig in. Thread one, growing up in a church and not knowing God. Here's the takeaway. Every single one of these grown men grew up in church. That is a common theme, not only in their stories, but in my story. It's also the theme I hear from the women I've mentored in jail. A church foundation with wild twists and turns that life has thrown at them. Only to find ourselves clinging to it when our lives fall apart. Pastor Brian grew up in a church. Pastor's kid. His dad was my senior pastor. Christian got dressed up every Sunday, got confirmed in seventh grade, and looked forward to brunch afterward as their tradition. David grew up in a small farming community, went to church faithfully, followed the rules, and was privately terrified of hell. And me? I prayed. Every single Sunday for Jesus to come into my heart because I thought that's what it took. And I spent 32 years strapping Jesus on like a backpack. I would put him on when I wanted to look good, and I took it off when I wanted to live out my rebellious and self indulgent years. Maybe that's you. You've been basing your eternal fate on church attendance, confirmation, rule following. rituals, but yet you don't have a genuine, intimate, heart-connected relationship with Jesus. I'm hoping this episode will help you bridge that gap. You see, Jesus saw this exact same thing in his day. He said, These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me in Matthew fifteen eight. Ouch, that was me. I gave Christianity a lot of lip service while my heart was somewhere else entirely. Here's the truth, my friends. Proximity to God is not the same as intimacy with God. You can sit in a pew your whole life and never actually meet the one that the pew is pointed at. I've been reading the book of Galatians recently. Pastor Brian actually mentioned it as a book he recommended for people who were new to the Bible. I have to tell you, I have read that book countless times since I had become a Christian. But this time, what jumped out at me is the Apostle Paul's urgent and desperate warning that we do not be deceived. That there are literal what he calls false prophets who come to us with lies. That draw us away from God deliberately and intentionally. Paul urges the Galatians, and in essence, is urging us to persevere in the faith and know that God has given us a spirit of power and love and self-discipline, that we reap what we sow, and when we sow God's truth into our lives, we reap a harvest of fruit. The Bible calls it the fruit of the spirit. That's how we know we belong to Christ and our eternal destiny. Is assurance of heaven. You see, Jesus defined eternal life like this. Now, this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. That's recorded in John chapter 17, verse 3. And that word know isn't head knowledge, it's relationship. It's the difference between knowing someone and actually knowing them. But and I want you to hear this. Don't you dare write off those church years as wasted. Something David said has stuck with me. He went back to his childhood church as an adult after he received Christ and became a believer and he realized that the gospel was there the whole time. It was in the readings. It was in the teaching. He just wasn't ready to receive it. The seed was planted, the soil was soft yet. My friend and guest author wrote an incredible blog about this on my new website, addicted to Godpod.com, and I encourage you to check it out. She frames the four soils that David refers to perfectly. Thank you, Andrea, for using your gift of writing and your love for God to give my listeners the chance to deepen their understanding of the topics that we cover on this podcast. For context and in this episode, Jesus told a story about that specifically. I want to read this passage to you. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. If you want to look that up, that's in Matthew 13, verse 23. So if you grew up around a religion and walked away feeling nothing, the problem may have been the seed. It may have been the season. And seasons change. So keep listening because thread number two is all about how God changes them. this thread is hard, but so good. For all three men, God did his deepest work through loss. Pastor Brian wanted business success, and a recession took that option right off the table. That closed door pushed him into youth ministry He'll tell you now that God's rejection was actually his protection. David built his businesses and watched everything he touched fall apart: money, relationships, reputation. In his own words, everything had been stripped away. And listen to how he explains it. He said those things were his idols. He knew it, because when they were taken, He became desperate, controlling, and scared. His security had been in them, not in God. And Christian, he lost his father at age 15. His family's home burned to the ground. His hidden addiction brought him to the point where he thought, I'm either gonna do this the rest of my life or this is gonna end my life. Now here's what amazes me. Not one of them looks back. At the wreckage with bitterness. The psalmist wrote something that would sound crazy to the world, and it is Psalm 11971. It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. It was good for me to be afflicted. Who says that? People who found God at the bottom. That's who? And the Apostle Paul, a man who had every credential and lost everything, said it this way. What is more, I consider Everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. That's Philippians 3:8. Christian gave me a picture I'll never forget. He said the most nutrient-rich soil on earth is the soil that has been burned. Think about that. After the fire, after the Destruction. That's where the deepest growth happens? It's not instant, but the nutrients are in the ground. So let me ask you gently, is something being stripped away from you right now? A relationship, a job, a reputation, your health, your ability to keep that addiction hidden? I'm not going to pretend that it doesn't hurt. But can I offer you a different question then? Try this one. God, what are you clearing the ground for? And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose. That's Romans 8.28. The stripping is not the end of your story. Sometimes it's the rescue getting started. I think it was Pastor Brian who mentioned pruning. The Bible says that God prunes us. And what happens after pruning? It comes back healthier, more alive, and better than before. But you know what else pruning does? It hurts and it's ugly. We just moved into a new home a few months ago. And the previous owners had everything pruned back so much that I actually doubted that some of our bushes and shrubs would survive. I couldn't have been more wrong. Today, just four months later, they're huge. Most of them are out of control and even overgrown, giving me a vivid picture of how God allows hard things and turns them into the greatest blessings. it's miraculous. So the third thread that I tied through the stories of these men, I'll say whatever you're hiding isn't meant for shame, it's meant for the light. David carried secrecy, failure, porn, the crushing weight of trying to earn his way to God. a God that he was afraid of. Christian carried a binge eating disorder for years. He was a fitness professional, a man with a degree in exercise science. Hiding a food addiction? Nobody knew. Not his family, not his friends, not even the girl who would later become his wife. And here's what he said that I need you to hear. Shame grows in the dark like mold grows in the damp. do you remember? What happened when Christian finally told Tiffany his wife? He was terrified she'd leave. But instead, she extended him grace. And he said that telling her was the beginning of his healing, because once it was out, he couldn't hide it anymore. That is not a coincidence. That is a biblical principle. Listen to this. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. It's one of my favorites in James chapter 5, verse 16. Did you catch that? Confess to each other so that you may be healed. Confession isn't God rubbing your nose in what you did. Confession is finally putting down a weight you were never ever built to carry. You see, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. First John 1 9 says that. Faithful and just, not disgusting and disappointed. And the apostle Paul, the wise apostle Paul says, but Everything exposed by the light becomes visible, and everything that is illuminated becomes light. Check it out in Ephesians 5, 13 and 14 if you want to spend some time on that verse. But what I want to point out to you is what gets exposed to the light doesn't just get seen. It becomes light. Your confessed struggle struggle becomes your testimony. Christians hidden Eating disorder is now the very story God is using to reach men who are suffering in silence. David's wreckage is now witnessing lives completely transformed through jail ministry. Your mess becomes your message, but only if it comes out of the dark. And friend, one more thing, because Christian said it perfectly, as much as you think you're hiding it, God already knows. He's not waiting to punish you. He's waiting with open arms. I love that. Thread four that I found tied through these men's stories is that nobody gets free alone. This one. Is what every guest said, almost word for word. You cannot do this alone, and you were never meant to. Look at the people God planted in these stories. For Christian, it was Tiffany, the coffee shop girl who loved him enough to hold a boundary, refused to compromise, but gently and patiently pointed him to Jesus. And then he had bill in his life. Bill the builder who rebuilt his family's burnt down house and pulled A war torn Bible, and gave it to Christian in a Home Depot parking lot. For David, it was a campus ministry at college, and later a stranger, a former inmate who happened to mention the jail ministry that David didn't even know existed. He just felt the prompting on his heart that he was called to jail. And for Pastor Brian, it was his dad and a church family who taught him and caught him. When his plans to pursue the world collapsed. None of these men climbed out of this alone. God sent people. He always sends people. Maybe he's sending you this podcast to encourage you to find those kinds of people. God-loving people. I was listening this week to the Live Free Podcast. And this is my resource recommendation for this episode. Josh Howerton in the Live Free Podcast, specifically the August 24th, 2026 episode, where he says, We all need four what he calls map carriers in your life. Map carriers are people who love God and his word so much and love you enough to keep you on the right path. People who hold you accountable, love you enough to redirect you, rebuke you, and remind you that you're not living the life or making the right choices. in a God-desired way. My map carriers are Monique, Becky, Shelby, and Barb. Josh says, if you don't have them, go get them. I found my map carriers through volunteering at church, signing up for Bible studies, and just talking about what I'm reading in the Bible and how much I love God's word. And I would do that openly and in public. It's amazing when you talk about the Bible and how much you love God's word, God puts other God loving people into your life. Pastor Brian called them bricks. I encourage people to always have someone before you who is somebody mature in the faith, besides you who's elbow to elbow walking with you through life and growing along with you. And then that behind you person, that person or someone who you are mentoring, teaching, or the churchy word calls it, discipling. You see, scripture Also affirms that we need to have people like bricks above us, beside us, and beneath us, two are better than one it says because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up, but pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. That's in Ecclesiastes chapter four. I have seen this in the jail, also in women's support groups, because their biggest breakthrough is realizing. I'm not the only one. When the guard drops and the truth comes out, inmates literally become the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to each other. David calls the jail like heaven for this exact reason. It's the most honest room he's ever been in. Now, two pieces of wisdom from our guests about who to let in. From Christian, he says, choose humble people. You can't heal your imperfection by confiding in someone who's polishing their own image of perfection. Find someone who's walked through their own valley and found grace there. Second, be wise, because Christians are still flawed humans, and sometimes people will hurt you. Church hurt is people hurt. Don't let one person's failure become your excuse to run from God. Scripture says walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. That's Proverbs 1320. And if you're listening right now and you're thinking, I don't have a single person like that, I want you to start with Christian's advice because it's so doable. Think of one believer in your world, the coworker with the Bible on their desk, the neighbor who invited you to church that one time. Ask them to coffee, take a walk. You don't have to spill everything on the first day, but just approach them. It's like giving yourself a little crack through the door. Now thread five. I'll say freedom is built one ordinary day at a time. This is our last thread. And this is where transformation actually lives. All three men on my previous Podcasts have had that walk, that one at a time daily walk. Pastor Brian talked about his lethargies, daily habits that literally change what you love. Because he says, and I love this quote: nothing takes over your life unless you do it every day. Isn't that exactly how the unhealthy addictions got their grip on us? One day at a time. Freedom works that same way. He also gave us that unforgettable picture of standing at the parted Red Sea every single morning and asking, Lord, can you hold it up one more day by your grace? I'm a visual person. So of course it resonated with me. And then Christian, he's up before the sun, praying while he runs, stacking new habits onto old ones, listening to audio Bibles while he's commuting or starting with one proverb a day and a journal. Just those little baby steps. It's all it takes. Sometimes we think it's a mountain to climb when really it's only taking one step. And David, talks about how he abides all day, that he doesn't compartmentalize God into the morning slot. He practices staying in God's presence from the moment he wakes up in the morning until what he calls creation walks. Just being with God in the quiet. And when I asked him for his favorite resource, do you remember his answer? The Bible. I love that. Keep it simple. Don't overcomplicate it. Don't plug your world with crazy and varied resources that overwhelm you. Just open up God's word. So friends, this is the foundation of a whole movement. I love this scripture that says Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. That's a verse that we base this podcast on. Mark twelve thirty. All means all heart, all soul, all mind, all strength. And that's not just a Sunday commitment, it's a daily one. And here's God's promise for the person who builds their days around his word. He says that person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever they do prospers. Psalm one verse three. I love it. I love it. Think about the prospering. Jesus says, He is the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me, I will remain in you and You will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing, John 15 5 says. So here's some key words. Remain, abide, and stay connected. That's the whole secret. That's the renewed every day, every single morning. are you eager to get started? Okay. So, what do we do with all of this? These men gave us some incredible insights. Let me make it embarrassingly simple. Four steps for this week. I borrowed them straight from our guests. Number one, most importantly, open your Bible every day, even for five minutes. Start where Christians started, one proverb a day. Even Pastor Brian recommended it. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs, which is great, one for every day of the month. Read it and write down one sentence about it that stood out to you. And that's it. Don't try to read the whole Bible this week. Just plant a seed day by day. Two. Talk with God without a script. Talked in the car, on a walk, while you're breathing hard on a run like Christian or in the quiet of the creation like David. You don't need fancy words. You don't need church language. He already knows everything. And you're not informing him of anything. You're connecting with him because he knows your heart and wants your heart. Number three, bring one hidden thing into the light. Start by telling God out loud. And then ask him to show you your one safe, humble, godly person. And when he does, he will take that walk. Say it out loud to another human being. I promise you, on the other side of that terrifying first sentence is more grace than you can ever imagine. And it's beginning your healing. That's the best part. Number four, attach a new habit to something you already do. It's called habit stacking. Coffee brewing. That's your proverb. Morning commute, that's your audio Bible. Your evening walk, that's your creation meditation, as I call it. Don't build a brand new life this week. Just attach God to life that you already do and have. And watch him. Watch him take over in the very, very best way. And if you're sitting there thinking, you know, Sarah, you don't know how stuck I am. You don't know what I've done. I could never be Pastor Brian or Chaplain David or Christian Jensen. Friend, neither could they. A recession, a wrecked businessman, a bankrupt entrepreneur, afraid of hell, an atheist with a secret. That's who God chooses. That's who God always chooses. Scripture says Jesus looked at them and said, with man, it is impossible. With God, all things are possible. Clang to Mark chapter 10 verse 27 this week, be assured that impossible is for you, but nothing is impossible for God. Always. So this is the start of the conclusion of this episode. Friends, don't forget that this is not the end of your story. It's the beginning of your rescue. And I am truly thrilled to have you on this addicted to God journey with me. Learning to trade every harmful addiction for the one and only addiction that truly satisfies, and that is Jesus Christ and his living word. If today's episode stirred something in you, would you please share it with someone who feels stuck or hopeless? You never know how God might use it to spark freedom in their life. And if you missed any part of the three conversations that I reflected on today, go ahead and look them up. Pastor Brian, Christian Jensen, And chaplain David Myers, go back and listen. I promise they will bless you. And if they're listening, Christian, Pastor Brian, or David, thank you so much. I also just launched a brand new website, you guys. I mentioned it earlier in this episode, the addicted to Godpod.com. Go there, leave a review, and help us get this message out. Also visit Andrea's blog. And if you want to also stay connected to In the various ways that I am trying to stay connected to you through the week, you can go to Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, or Substack. My handle is at Sarah Annie Schneider. My ministry is addicted to God. I'm also always looking for guests. If your life has been genuinely transformed by Jesus, if you're experiencing or have experienced what it means to transfer your addiction to him, please email me at addicted to Godpod at gmail.com. And don't forget, friends, we'll see you next week. And don't forget to choose the better addiction.