June 27, 2025 • 44 mins
What if your healing wasn’t the end, but the beginning of someone else’s?
In this powerful closing episode of Rooted & Recovered, Dan and Justin unpack Step Twelve of the 12-Step journey:
“Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”
This isn’t a graduation.
It’s a commissioning.
You’re not just recovered—you’re called.
Step Twelve isn’t about polishing your past. It’s about putting it to work. Because the truth is: someone out there is still drowning in the very thing you were delivered from. And what God did in you wasn’t meant to sit in silence.
It was meant to reach back and rescue.
Key Highlights:
- Why your scars are proof, not disqualifications
- How Step 12 turns your past into a platform
- Why recovery isn’t a finish line—it’s a launching pad
- What it means to become the guide you always needed
- Why you don’t need perfection to be powerful—just obedience
- How to carry your message with humility, not hesitation
Scriptures Covered:
James 1:22 • Mark 5:1–20 • 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 • Matthew 28:19–20 • Psalm 118:24 • John 21:15–17
Final Truth:
You didn’t just survive—you’ve been sent.
Not because you’re perfect, but because you’re proof.
Not because you know everything, but because you know grace works.
You are the healing space someone else is praying for.
You are living proof that God still saves, still redeems, still rebuilds.
So don’t shrink back. Don’t go quiet. Don’t play small.
You’re not just rooted and recovered.
You’ve been entrusted.
Now carry it.
Tag someone who’s finished the steps—or just beginning—and remind them:
This is where the mission begins.
Stay rooted. Stay recovered. And let’s get to work.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
This world doesn't hand outhealing.
It offers quick fixes, cheaphighes and empty promises, but
real recovery.
It takes roots.
Roots that dig deep into truth,into identity, into the
unshakeable grace of God.
We're not here to sugarcoat thestruggle.
(00:22):
We've lived it.
Addiction, shame, relapse,regret, but we've also seen
resurrection.
We've seen what happened.
Happens when broken people getanchored in something real
rooted and recovered is morethan a podcast.
It's a battleground for thesoul.
A place where scars tellstories, where scripture speaks
(00:43):
louder than shame, where freedomisn't just a word.
It's a war we win daily.
So if you're tired of surfacelevel answers, if you want truth
that convicts, hope that heals,and conversations that cut
through the noise, you're in theright place.
Welcome to Rooted and Recovered.
Justin (01:08):
Good day family man, and what a good day it is.
By the grace of God.
Go I, I woke up this morningwith breath in my lungs and.
Man, a song on my heart thatI've never had before, right?
Today's a due day.
Bible says, this is the day thatthe Lord is made.
I'm gonna rejoice and be glad init.
And one of the reasons I'm gladis because I am here with my
(01:30):
brother in Christ.
Dan Pyles as always, how are youdoing today?
Dan (01:35):
Blessed and highly favored brother.
Uh, today is a bittersweet day.
Um, it just seems like a coupleweeks ago, man, we just started
this and.
Brother, we are going to bediscussing step 12 today.
Justin (01:52):
Yes, we are.
And you know, I, I talked abouthaving breath in my lungs, and I
just wanna share this witheverybody out there.
If you're alive and breathing,there is a reason.
Dan (02:03):
Mm-hmm.
Justin (02:04):
And that's what Step 12 is about, because you're not
just recovered, you're called.
I wanna say that again.
You are not just recovered,you're called.
You are not just gonna behealed.
You get to now go be used to dothe healing.
Step 12 tells us having had aspiritual awakening as a result
(02:26):
of these steps, we tried tocarry this message to others and
to practice these principles inall our affairs.
Dan.
I can't think of a betterexample of what the gospel
message calls us to.
Amen.
(02:47):
If you look at recovery andsalvation, they're so close and
they go such hand in hand, youcan't help but understand that
recovery is a fruit ofsalvation.
Look, you didn't come throughall that just.
(03:07):
To sit quiet.
There are a lot of people whoare dying in silence, and that's
why it's up to us to recover outloud.
Right.
Recovery is never meant to bethe finish line.
If you have finished thesesteps, great.
Good.
I'm happy I'm clapping.
But what this is meant to be isa launching pad.
Mm-hmm.
(03:28):
You didn't just walk through thefire to sit in the ashes and
say, well, that's over.
Who No beauty comes from ashes.
Amen.
Joy comes in the morning and itis that beauty and joy we are
called to share.
Step 12 reminds us, you're notjust healed, you're
commissioned.
(03:48):
This is not about perfection.
You don't need a theologydegree, right?
I you don't.
We've said, I don't, you don'tneed to know the eman
systematic.
Justification of this schematic.
Yeah.
Sounds like something theBeastie Boys are getting ready
to start blaring into.
Right?
But you don't need that.
And let me tell you something,you don't need a spotless life
(04:09):
to carry this message either.
Dan (04:11):
Nah, family.
You, you gotta think about thisman, and I wanna congratulate
you for being on this journeywith us.
If you have started from thebeginning to now,
congratulations, man.
We are so proud of you.
We are honored to walk thisjourney with you.
But come on, man, let's be realfor a moment.
You didn't claw your way out ofaddiction and shame and, and
(04:35):
spiritual death just to sit insilence.
You didn't survive thatoverdose.
You didn't survive that brokenrelationship or, or those nights
of, of, of just sobbing on thefloor or, or those mornings
where you just had to makeyourself get outta bed and you
didn't even wanna wake up justto play it safe.
(04:56):
Now, family, you made it.
Through for a reason.
You see, God didn't bring youout just so you could blend in.
He brought you out so you couldspeak out, so you could shine a
light into someone else's darklife, so you could walk into the
rooms that you once had to crawlthrough, and now you've got the,
(05:19):
the ability and the powerthrough the Holy Spirit to help
lift others out on their feet.
This step guys.
It isn't for the polished.
Hmm?
It's for the marked.
Marked by grace, marked by fire,marked by the scars that are
that now tell the truth of asavior, a loving savior who
(05:44):
restored everything that helltried to run.
Guys, you're not called asJustin said, to be perfect.
You're called to be real, totestify, to give what was given,
to pass on the kind of hope thatyou wished someone handed you
when you were barely hanging on.
(06:06):
And here's the truth, family, ifyou keep that story bottled up,
if you sit down on the gift thatGod gave you, someone else will
stay stuck.
If your story, your powerfulstory, stay silent.
Someone else is gonna staystuck.
(06:27):
So no, you didn't come throughall this just to coast in life.
You came through it to carrysomething hope, healing truth,
and the kind of power that onlycomes through pain.
Justin, redeemed by grace,
Justin (06:46):
you carry something real.
I love what Dan said.
You're not called to perfection.
You're called to authenticity.
Your scars show who Christ isand what he can do through a
life that is surrendered to him.
You didn't come this far just tosit in silence and watch your
(07:10):
brothers and sisters die.
There's a Bible verse where ittalks about your hand.
Right.
The hand reaches back into thefire.
Well, in order for that hand toreach back, it has to be
tempered.
It has to have gone through thefire itself.
And that's what this step isabout.
It's about saying My hand hasgone through fire, my life has
(07:32):
been tempered, but I'm gonna letGod who has done the healing,
use me to be a part of hishealing for somebody else.
We're called to live out whatGod has given us.
Look, when Jesus, he says, cometo me all you who are weary.
And you hear me say this verse alot, and it's because I know the
other side of tired.
But he says, come to me all youwho are weary.
(07:52):
Give me your heavy ladens andyour burdens and lay it all on
me.
I'm gentle.
I'm meek.
Be yoked with me.
And at the end of that, he says,my burden is light.
My yoke is easy.
Do you know what that is?
That light burden, it's thatmessage, mm-hmm.
Of salvation that we are calledto carry to the world that Jesus
(08:14):
Christ has came.
There is not only forgiveness ofour sins, but there is a healing
that can be found in him.
That's what this is about.
Look, James 1:22 says, do notmerely listen to the word and
deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.
There you go.
Right.
(08:34):
Too many of us, we've gottenthis far and we think, okay, I'm
good.
Me and mine's just fine.
No.
We're called to share thegospel.
We're called to share ourtestimony in the Old Testament.
What the, it was called the Arkof the testimony.
The Ark of the Covenant.
That's what it was.
(08:54):
That's what they carried withhim.
It was the Tabernacle of God.
What they do is they'd haveposts through it, men would
carry it.
Those who had been called by Godwould carry it.
Well, what that was made of wasthe gold that they had got from
Egypt.
And look your testimony thatthat gold that was taken from
(09:15):
Egypt was melted down, purified,made right, and put on the arc
of the testimony.
And guess what?
That's what your testimony is,and that's what you're called to
carry.
That arc of the covenant, atestimony of God, and it's made
from the things in your lifethat he is purified, refined,
and made right.
(09:36):
We're called to carry.
This recovery doesn't end withknowing the truth.
It's about living the truth,showing the truth, and sharing
the
Dan (09:45):
truth.
Very good.
Yeah, guys.
12 step.
It's not a wrap party.
It's not a All right, we'll, uh,we'll catch you on the next one.
Woo.
Guys, it's not, it's not thefinish line, guys.
Step 12 is the starting line ofyour assignment.
Justin (09:59):
That's right.
Dan (10:00):
You didn't, you didn't recover you, you, you didn't
just recover for yourself.
You were commissioned to carrythis message into someone else's
rock bottom.
I love what James says.
Don't merely listen to the word,so deceive yourself.
Do what it says, guys, thisisn't about head knowledge.
(10:21):
It's about holy obedience.
That means what God did in yourlife.
It demands a response, not aperfect one, not a polished one,
but a real one.
your story isn't just a momentin your past.
It's a weapon in your hand.
A weapon against shame, a weaponagainst despair, a weapon
(10:42):
against every lie that sayspeople don't change and grace
doesn't work.
Here's the thing, you don't needa stage.
You don't need a mic, you don'tneed a title.
You just need the courage toshow up with your scar showing
to sit across and.
Face.
Someone who thinks that they'retoo far gone and say, look at
(11:03):
me.
I've been there, I've been whereyou are, and I know the way out
family.
You carry a message, not justof, of recovery, but of
redemption, not just ofsobriety, family, but of
transformation.
And make no mistake, thismessage is, is not about
(11:23):
perfection.
It's about.
Power.
The power of what happens when asurrendered life gets set on
Fire By Grace family, you don'tgraduate from this, you grow
into this.
Hmm.
Every single day family.
Step 12 isn't the end of yourrecovery.
(11:45):
It's the beginning of yourministry.
Justin (11:51):
2nd Corinthians 1:3-4 says, all praise to God the
father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is our merciful father andthe source of all comfort.
Listen, he comforts us in allour troubles.
Not so that we can sit insilence, but so that we can
(12:12):
comfort others when they aretroubled, we will be able to
give them the same comfort Godhas given us.
Look what God did in you wasn'tjust for your comfort.
It wasn't just a blanket thatyou could, I'm not saying don't
wrap yourself in that comfort.
I'm not saying forget about itand don't pray.
Be grateful.
Praise him for it daily, but itwasn't just for your comfort, it
(12:35):
was for your calling.
Look, your story, like Dan said,is a weapon that has been forged
in fire, that fights against thedarkness.
Your scars are a signpost thatpoints to grace, the grace of
God that has set you free.
Amen.
The grace of God that hasredeemed you and that shows.
(12:57):
Even a wretched sinner like youcould be saved so that some
other person can know that Godis exactly who he says he is,
and he will do exactly what hesays he does.
Every failure that has beenredeemed becomes fuel for
somebody else's freedom.
Listen, it becomes fuel forsomebody else's freedom when you
(13:20):
come to Christ.
It's not about sitting in a pewon Sunday morning and just
raising your hands in worshipsaying, thank you, God for all
you did for me.
The Pharisee did that.
He had the keys to heaven and helocked himself out.
Why?
Because he wasn't sharing whathe was given.
(13:42):
Look.
This is where you become theguide.
You always need it.
Mm.
Think back on your life andthink, I don't know about you,
Dan.
I don't know about you,listener, but there are times in
my life when I sit there andsay, man, I wish somebody
would've helped me.
I wish somebody would've had aword for me in due season.
(14:04):
Well, that's what this is.
This is when we, we become theperson that shows up.
Speaks hope not just forourselves, but for others.
Step 12 is about stepping intothat role.
Not out of pride, but out ofpurpose.
Dan (14:27):
Amen, that's where this all comes full circle.
You know, think back family tothe, the darkest chapter of your
story.
Think back to that time whereyou hit your rock bottom and you
didn't think you was gonna makeit out.
You know, those nights you weredrowning in guilt and shame and
(14:48):
just confusion and withdraw.
You know, the season where youdidn't need a sermon, Justin,
you just needed someone at thatmoment just to be real with you.
Yep.
Not someone who threw bibleverses at you and, and walked
away.
Not someone who, who flinchedand blocked your number when you
(15:09):
started sharing the ugly partsof your life.
You needed someone who lookedyou in the eye and said, I've
been there.
I'm not afraid of your mess.
I'm not leaving Listener, youare that someone that's the
turning point of step 12.
(15:30):
You're not just a recipient ofgrace anymore.
Now you become a carrier of it.
You're no longer just trying tostay alive.
you're now speaking life intoothers guys, and this is what
seals the transformation.
Not that you've been rescued,but now that you're reaching
(15:51):
back, as Justin said a fewmoments ago, not that you're
perfect, but that you're presentfor someone who's in the pit
that you once lived.
It's not about having the rightwords.
it's about having the rightposture, a posture of humility,
honesty, hope, and hear thisclearly family.
(16:14):
This isn't a burden, it's ablessing because something
powerful happens when you givewhat you never got.
You become a healing space forsomeone else's breakthrough, and
that's when grace moves frombeing your safety net to
becoming your calling.
(16:36):
You're not just a product ofGrace family, you're now a
steward of it.
And when you live like that,your life becomes someone else's
turning point.
Justin (16:48):
This is where you move from surviving to serving.
Mm.
Right.
If you ever go to the gravesites, there's a number on each
side and in between there's alittle dash.
This asks the question, what areyou going to do with that dash,
because God calls us to serve.
(17:11):
This is where you stop justreceiving and start reproducing.
Yep.
This is where disciples aregrown.
This is you stepping in todiscipleship.
Look, when you guide others, itreinforces the truth in your own
life.
You can't keep it unless yougive it away.
That's one of those recoverythings that's said all over.
(17:33):
Right?
And it's true because Nothingmatures your healing, like
helping someone else walk intotheirs.
Hmm.
That's where it's grown.
It helps remind you of who Godis in your life, and it shows
others that, hey, you're meantfor more.
I love that song.
I was meant for more.
I wasn't made to just tend tothe grave.
(17:55):
My job isn't just to sit thereand make sure there's flowers
where that dead old man lies.
My job is to go out and helpspread seed to others grave
sites.
To help show others, Hey, thereis a God who loves you, who died
for you, and is there to helpyou carry these burdens and can
and will if you let him.
(18:17):
But it's about us surrenderingagain, right?
It's that dirty word we like tosay.
This is us surrendering.
When Jesus left this world, hedidn't say, now sit around and
wait.
He said, go.
Go and make disciples of allnations.
This is us going with thatcommission on our heart.
To make disciples,
Dan (18:36):
and
Justin (18:36):
that's the thing.
Dan (18:37):
Family.
You got one simple word.
Go, Don't sit on the sidelines.
don't keep what you have beenset free from.
people don't heal and recover insilence.
They recover in community.
They recover when others oflike-minded people come together
(19:00):
and they can see that someone'sbeen there and done that.
that's why peer recovery supportis so powerful because it's
individuals who's walked thattalked that, been there, done
that, and are able to walkalongside that, that individual.
Justin, our scripture focus fortoday is in Mark chapter five.
(19:22):
Uh, verses one through 20.
And I'm not gonna read it alltoday for time constraints.
I encourage you to go back and,and read this.
But guys, this is one of, thisis probably one of the rawest
most jaw dropping encounters inthe entire Bible because you
gotta look at the context ofthis.
(19:43):
This man was completelyovertaken by demons.
This guy was living in a agraveyard, isolated from
everyone.
The Bible says that he wascutting himself.
He, he was howling and torment,and this poor individual, he
wasn't just broken guys, he wasbound, possessed, lost in every
(20:07):
possible way, man.
But then Jesus shows up with aword.
Justin (20:13):
Mm-hmm.
Dan (20:15):
Jesus shows up with a word, and the Bible says that he casts
out legions of demons with aword.
Jesus rewrites this man's entirestory and the town shows up and,
(20:35):
and that they don't know what todo with, you know, with what
they're seeing because they'reused to seeing the old man.
Because the man who used toterrorize the streets is now the
Bible sitting says, sitting,calmly, clothed, and in his
right mind.
Guys, this is what Grace does.
(20:56):
It doesn't just make you better.
It makes you new.
Not improved, not medicated, buttransformed.
Now, here's where it gets deepfor us.
Because this man begs Jesus tolet him come with him.
And honestly, if you think aboutit, Justin, who could blame him?
Justin (21:17):
Hmm.
Dan (21:17):
After all that this guy had been through, it makes sense.
You know, let me be close to theone who healed me.
This.
This makes sense.
I would've been asking the samething.
But Jesus says something thatshould shake every one of us
awake.
He says, no, go home and tellthem how much the Lord has done
(21:42):
for you.
He didn't send this man to Biblecollege, Justin.
He, he didn't wait for him to,to get to clean up every habit
and, and to get everything allfigured out and to, and to sit
down for seven years undersomebody and learn the Bible
and, and learn this, and learnthat.
(22:04):
He sent him with a testimony anda mission.
Why?
Because a redeemed life is themessage family.
Mm-hmm.
Your scars preach louder thanstrategies ever will, because
when people see you healed,they'll start to believe that
they can be healed to guys,that's what Step 12 is all
(22:27):
about.
You don't need a pulpit.
Family, you are the pulpit.
You don't need permission.
Family Justin just said it a fewmoments ago.
Matthew 28 19 commissions us.
You are already commissioned.
You've been through the storm,you've stood in the graveyard,
and now you carry theresurrection power.
(22:51):
Everywhere you go, family, theworld doesn't need a better
polished version of you.
It needs the healed you.
It needs the honest you.
It needs the hope filled you.
So go go back to the places youused to avoid.
Go love the people you used torun with.
(23:11):
Go shine the light where youonce lived in darkness because
you're not just, it's not justthe past anymore family.
That's not your past.
It's now your platform.
And the greatest ministry you'llever have in the life you lived
is the one that is shown Justinand redeemed.
(23:33):
By Grace,
Justin (23:36):
Jesus didn't just save him.
He sent him.
He didn't just save you, hesends you.
Look.
He turned a testimony into aministry like Dan said, and
that's step 12.
It's not about just being arecipient of grace.
It's about being a messenger ofit.
And look, people say, well, hewanted to follow Jesus.
(23:59):
Why didn't he take him in?
Why he, he told him to go.
Because guess what?
That's how you get close toJesus is by going.
Look, we're called to follow inhis footsteps and what did Jesus
do?
He came and the first thing hesaid, he proclaimed the good
news to the poor, to set thecaptives free.
(24:20):
That's what he wants to do inyour life.
That's what the Holy Spiritempowers us to do.
That's what it's about.
It's about letting God be Godand going, telling others about
this God who can and will domore than we could ever imagine.
More than we could ever think.
Why?
Because he loves us and he lovesthe world.
(24:41):
He's not, what does it say?
He's not slack concerning hispromises.
Mm-hmm.
His humans are, but he wants hisdesire, his goal is that any and
all can be saved.
Well, the Bible says faith comesby hearing, hearing by the word
of God.
The word of God is not some cerseminary, school pulpit message
(25:01):
that breaks down what the actualGreek and Hebrew words mean and
no.
It's about what the word of Goddone in your life.
Who is Jesus to you?
Look, if I wanna, if I would'vewanted to marry my wife, if I
would've told her, Hey, I wantyou to go to a restaurant, meet
me there, and I would've hadsomebody else sit down and tell
(25:22):
her all about me, probablywouldn't have went, well, this
is us sitting with people atthat table.
Showing who Jesus is in ourlife.
When Jesus saved Matthew, thefirst thing Matthew did is he
went and got all his friends andJesus said, throw a party.
Right?
Invite those publications andinvite those harlots Pharisees.
(25:45):
What are you doing?
The righteous need repentance.
Jesus is like, what are youdoing?
Yeah, what are you doing?
He who's not sick doesn't needhealed.
Look.
This is us going back to thosepeople that need healing and
letting Jesus use us to be thatcomfort in their lives.
(26:07):
If you wanna get close to Jesusand you wanna follow Jesus, then
go, because Jesus came, he lefthis home on high, that holy
ground.
He was seated at the right handof the Father before he ever
came.
He left that to be born in adingy old manger.
To live a life so that me andyou could find forgiveness
(26:32):
through him so that he couldwillingly carry across the
calvary.
But guess what?
He didn't stay on that cross andhe didn't stay in the tomb,
Dan (26:39):
Justin, early in my recovery, I, I remember I was
probably, maybe almost a year inrecovery.
It, was, I was young.
I just remember feeling the callof God on my life.
Mm.
And I knew I wanted to dosomething for God.
I didn't know what that was.
(27:00):
I just wanted to do something.
And I remember just getting soexcited and just, and this goes
back, be careful who you talkto.
Go back and listen to those, ourprevious podcast episodes,'cause
we talk about this because, youknow, Not everybody's for you in
your recovery.
And some people are justmegaphones.
Justin (27:21):
Hmm.
Dan (27:22):
You know, and I remember I went and shared this with, with
close people in my life that Iwanted to be in the ministry.
And I was thinking just in that,you know, they would be excited
for me, that they would be happyfor me.
And honestly, dude, I was shotwith so much criticism.
I was told that, I've not beenin recovery long enough.
(27:45):
I was told that I wasn't.
I've not sat long enough that Ineed to sit under a pastor for
seven years, is what was told tome, and then go before a board
and they would dictate if Icould get my license or not.
After running my background,after doing a credit check,
after going over my finance,this is the honest to god truth.
(28:10):
Justin and I begin to believethis, I begin to believe that
maybe I'm not called, maybe itwasn't God's voice I was
hearing, maybe it was justindigestion from the tacos I had
the night before.
And then the Lord spoke to mejust like he did that day in my
room.
He spoke to me in a, in a, justa clear, audible voice because I
(28:32):
was believing God that Icouldn't, that I wouldn't ever
be called.
The Lord spoke to me that dayand said, whoever said that you
could.
And he said they didn't callyou.
I did.
Amen.
Family, that individual, yourpastor, your spouse, your
(28:58):
family, they didn't call you.
Jesus said, go.
Go and the scripture right afterit says, and I'm with you,
always, always, they didn't callyou family.
You don't need more time.
You don't need a title.
(29:20):
You've been healed.
You've been sent.
Now go, because your greatestministry family, your greatest
ministry that you'll ever haveis that life that you lived.
Redeemed by Grace.
Justin (29:39):
That's where it's at.
Jesus told him to go.
That is not, he didn't just tellPeter, Paul and John, right?
No, you guys go.
Everybody else just said No.
Go is a commission.
It's called the Great Commissionbecause it's to all the church,
(30:01):
all those who come to Christ.
Look it.
It's not about outreach, it'sabout overflow.
I don't know about you, but Idon't give out because I have
to.
I give out because I want to.
Mm-hmm.
I have been my cup overfloweth.
(30:23):
That is for the other people.
You think of a picture of a cup,right, and what's in the cup.
That's for you.
That's yours.
That's God's filling you withthat man, and that's so that you
know he's God.
That's the goodness that givesyou the strength to carry on
throughout the day.
When you feel weak, the outsideof the cup man, that's that God
that's on you.
That's that Jesus shine as Icall it, because you can tell
(30:46):
somebody when they walk in,that's just been touched by God.
Oh yeah.
You can tell a life redeemed bygrace that you, it's no
explaining it.
You can just look and say, man,there's something different.
The grace of God has been there,and then there's that saucer.
That's where the overflows out.
That's for others.
That's so that people can tasteand see that the Lord is good.
(31:11):
Look, the love that you found,the truth that rescued you, the
power that carried you, that'swhat someone else is dying to
know exists.
Mm-hmm.
That testimony of what happenedto you in that moment when
Christ touched your life, therewas enough power in it to change
(31:34):
yours, and there's enough powerin it to change the lives of
others.
A life redeemed by grace is alight that shines bright, and
Jesus says, do not hide yourlight under a bushel.
You put a lamp stand on a tableso that everybody can see.
The problem is it's getting darkout there and too many people's
putting a, they're putting itunder the table.
Dan (31:55):
Well,'cause you got clowns like that guy that told me that
you gotta sit for seven yearsunder somebody, you're not
ready.
What an ignorant statement tosay to somebody.
Do not listen to people likethat because.
Like God told me that day,people don't call you family.
You are not called by people.
(32:15):
Now do I do I agree.
You need to sit under a pastor.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Please don't misconstrue ortwist what I'm saying.
You need to.
Sit under a shepherd, but forsomeone to come up there and
tell you you don't have enoughrecovery time under your belt to
be able to share the good newsof God, you run from that as
(32:37):
fast as you can because thereare people every single day,
Justin, that are dying andoverdosing and families are
being ripped apart.
Yes, because you have peoplethat will tell you You don't
have enough clean time to shareyour story.
You don't have a polishedtestimony to share your story.
You don't got a degree to shareyour story.
(32:59):
So what are you doing?
You begin to believe those lies,and because you are sitting
there with a powerful recoverystory, people are dying in the
streets.
And as we get ready to wrap thispodcast up, I ask Justin, who
needs.
Justin (33:16):
What you now carry, and I love what you said, guys,
don't misinterpret what we'resaying.
Sometimes God needs a refiningperiod for your finished
calling.
But until then, the will of Godis that you.
Like I said, you don't have tohave seven years under your belt
to go share the gospel.
All you need is a testimony ofwho Jesus Christ is, what he's
(33:38):
done, and what he will do.
Don't let some, like Dan said,some clown tell you, well,
you've gotta sit here for sevenyears or 41 days, and four score
and seven.
No.
If you've got a testimony, shareit now.
I'm not saying don't sit underteaching.
Dan (33:56):
Mm-hmm.
Justin (33:56):
I'm not saying that.
Not at all, because I neededfour years of sitting in a
church pew before I became apastor.
But you know what I did in thattime?
I was sitting in the church pew.
I shared my testimony with thechurch members.
I shared my testimony in thegospel with people out in the
world that that wasn't yourpast, doesn't disqualify you.
It makes you right for who Godwants you to be.
(34:18):
You've been entrusted with hope.
Amen.
You've been given a message thatsomeone out there is drowning in
darkness, that you were pulledfrom, that God wants to shine
your light in.
They need proof that freedom ispossible, and at the end of the
day, look, family, that's you.
(34:40):
It's not your pastor.
If it was up to the pastor,there only one man.
Take it from somebody who's apastor.
I tell my church all the time,it's easy on Sunday mornings to
preach to people who might wantto be in church.
The real mission field is yourworkplace.
The real mission field is yourhome.
Amen.
It's the grocery store you findyourself in.
(35:01):
Don't think that you can't sharethe gospel just because you're
not in a church building or youhave some fancy title.
We're all called to share thegospel.
If that was the case, Peterwould've been disqualified.
We just talked about him lastepisode, denying Jesus.
But what did he tell him?
And look, he's telling youtoday, go feed my sheep.
Mm-hmm.
Go teach my people.
(35:24):
Quit hiding behind this mindsetthat I can't, and start trusting
that God can.
Dan (35:31):
Amen.
Well, let's be real for asecond.
You know, as we get ready towrap this podcast up, you know,
there was a time Justin, when Ididn't think I was gonna make it
out.
Hmm.
Listener.
If you're honest with yourself,there was a time.
Maybe not too long ago, maybe 40years ago, I don't know.
(35:52):
But there was a time when youdidn't think you was gonna make
it out, when you didn't see away forward where you were just
stuck drowning.
There was a time when you werecrushed by shame.
Hmm.
There was those nights where wewould sit in our bedrooms and
cry ourselves to sleep, justpraying for a breakthrough and
(36:15):
not even sure if it was evergonna come.
But because of grace.
Hmm.
Because of his mercies New.
Every single morning you'rehere, you're still standing,
you're still breathing, you'restill fighting.
Family, you've been through toomuch.
(36:35):
You've seen too much.
You've been rescued from toomuch to stay silent now.
The truth is, there's someoneout there right now in that
exact place that you used to be.
They're hurting behind closeddoors.
They're, they're surrounded bypeople, but they're feeling just
lost and alone.
(36:56):
They're looking in that mirrorand they're not recognizing that
face that's looking back at him.
They're scared to death.
To ask for help'cause they'reconvinced that nobody's gonna
understand.
But family, you understand why?
Because you've walked that path.
(37:17):
You've cried those tears, you'veasked those same questions that
they're asking now, and now youand I carry something that can
change everything for someoneelse.
Not perfection, not a polishedmessage, but perspective, truth,
(37:38):
hope this is the moment whereyour healing shifts from eternal
to external.
Because step 12 family isn'tjust about outreach.
Justin's, like you said, it'sabout overflow.
(37:58):
You've been filled, you've beenrestored, and now the power of
grace in your life is too realfor you to keep to yourself.
You're not called to beimpressive.
You're called to be impactful.
You don't need to preach.
You just need to be present.
(38:19):
You don't gotta fix them.
That's not your job to fixpeople.
You just need to show'em Justin,that freedom's possible.
And here's the kicker.
You may be the only glimpse ofhope that someone ever sees.
You may be the only living proofthat they'll trust you.
(38:40):
My friend may be the voice theyclinging to when everything else
in their life is falling apart.
So don't let people, don't letdoubt.
Holds your story hostage.
Don't wait until you feel orsomeone tells you that you're
(39:01):
spiritually qualified family.
You're ready.
Not because you're perfect, butbecause you're different.
You've been changed.
You've been called, you've beensent family.
Your healing becomes whole.
When it starts healing others,let it flow, let it speak.
(39:24):
Let it reach the broken, thebound, the weary, the wandering,
because that's what Grace does.
Family.
It moves through you to someoneelse.
Justin, we are ran way over,brother, but this is too
powerful just to keep it in somebox.
But brother, help us wrap.
Wrap this thing up for
Justin (39:45):
us, man.
Step 12.
It's not a graduation, it's acommissioning.
You've had a spiritualawakening.
You've come to realize that Godis God.
You've seen him move in yourlife.
You've seen him do things thatonly he can do.
Now it's time to carry thatmessage, not just with your
(40:06):
words, with the life you live.
You're not just rooted andrecovered.
You're called.
Look, guys.
We need your prayer.
As we get ready to wrap thisseason up and go into season
two, there's a lot more that Godhas that he wants to do.
(40:29):
Amen.
And that's why I'm going to, I'mgonna ask you just to keep
praying.
I'm gonna ask you to keeppraying for the ones that this
reach so that they might findthe freedom.
You might think it's nothing butlike, share, subscribe, get the
message out there that there ismore to this life than just a
(40:53):
life filled with addiction, thana life filled with anger and
bitterness and just the sameold, same old, that people can
step out of that cycle and findfreedom in Christ.
Guys, as we prepare to end thisall for this season.
I just wanna say thank you.
Dan (41:13):
Hmm.
Justin (41:14):
I wanna say thank you for letting us be here.
Thank you for letting us gothrough these steps.
I will say one more thing.
Make sure that you've gotsomebody walking these steps
with you.
Fellowship is a vital role inthis, and that's what it's
about.
And we are your family.
If you, if you feel like youdon't have anybody, send a
message on Facebook and let usknow where you're at and.
(41:36):
Be surprised.
You might have somebody rightaround there that's willing to
meet up and talk.
Amen guys, I love you, but moreimportantly, Jesus does.
Dan (41:45):
Amen.
He sure does.
He loves you so much family thathe died for you.
He loves you so much that aswe've talked about through these
last 12 steps, that you can castyour anxieties and your cares
and your burdens and all that onhim, and he'll take'em from you.
God, as we, as we finish step12.
(42:05):
You've walked the steps, notjust in theory, but through the
fire.
Amen.
You've surrendered what you'veclung to.
You face that mirror you onceavoided.
You made the call that you neverthought you'd make.
You let go of the weight thatused to define you, and now
(42:26):
guess what?
Now you go back.
Mm-hmm.
Not to stay, not to relive thepast, but to rescue the ones.
Who are still trapped in it'cause freedom, family.
It's it.
It isn't just a gift, guys.
Freedom's a responsibility.
Amen.
And you are living proof thatGod still moves, that God still
(42:50):
heals, that God still redeemsbroken people, and that God
still builds powerfultestimonies.
One shattered life at a time.
Amen.
So don't you dare listen topeople, and don't you dare
shrink now and go back into yourcave.
(43:12):
Don't silence the story that Godwrote with your survival.
Don't hold back the hope thatsomeone else is dying for.
Speak boldly, even if your voiceshakes live deeply, even when
it's messy.
Lead humbly.
You remember family, where youcame from.
(43:34):
You're not just recovered asJustin so beautifully put it.
You're commissioned, you've beentrusted with grace.
Now you carry that thing intothe darkest places and you
remind others what's possible.
This is the calling family.
This is the mission.
(43:56):
This is the movement.
So here's your charge.
Stay rooted, stay recovered,family, and let's get to work.
You are not just surviving.
You are becoming, becomingrooted in truth, becoming
recovered by grace, and becomingthe person God always knew you
(44:20):
could be.
Thanks for joining us on Rootedin Recovered.
If this episode stirredsomething in you, don't keep it
to yourself.
Share it, live it, let it takeroot.
We'll see you next time righthere where scars become
testimonies and hope rises fromthe ashes.
This world doesn't hand outhealing.
It offers quick fixes, cheaphighes and empty promises, but
real recovery.
It takes roots.
Roots that dig deep into truth,into identity, into the
unshakeable grace of God.
We're not here to sugarcoat thestruggle.
(00:22):
We've lived it.
Addiction, shame, relapse,regret, but we've also seen
resurrection.
We've seen what happened.
Happens when broken people getanchored in something real
rooted and recovered is morethan a podcast.
It's a battleground for thesoul.
A place where scars tellstories, where scripture speaks
(00:43):
louder than shame, where freedomisn't just a word.
It's a war we win daily.
So if you're tired of surfacelevel answers, if you want truth
that convicts, hope that heals,and conversations that cut
through the noise, you're in theright place.
Welcome to Rooted and Recovered.
Justin (01:08):
Good day family man, and what a good day it is.
By the grace of God.
Go I, I woke up this morningwith breath in my lungs and.
Man, a song on my heart thatI've never had before, right?
Today's a due day.
Bible says, this is the day thatthe Lord is made.
I'm gonna rejoice and be glad init.
And one of the reasons I'm gladis because I am here with my
(01:30):
brother in Christ.
Dan Pyles as always, how are youdoing today?
Dan (01:35):
Blessed and highly favored brother.
Uh, today is a bittersweet day.
Um, it just seems like a coupleweeks ago, man, we just started
this and.
Brother, we are going to bediscussing step 12 today.
Justin (01:52):
Yes, we are.
And you know, I, I talked abouthaving breath in my lungs, and I
just wanna share this witheverybody out there.
If you're alive and breathing,there is a reason.
Dan (02:03):
Mm-hmm.
Justin (02:04):
And that's what Step 12 is about, because you're not
just recovered, you're called.
I wanna say that again.
You are not just recovered,you're called.
You are not just gonna behealed.
You get to now go be used to dothe healing.
Step 12 tells us having had aspiritual awakening as a result
(02:26):
of these steps, we tried tocarry this message to others and
to practice these principles inall our affairs.
Dan.
I can't think of a betterexample of what the gospel
message calls us to.
Amen.
(02:47):
If you look at recovery andsalvation, they're so close and
they go such hand in hand, youcan't help but understand that
recovery is a fruit ofsalvation.
Look, you didn't come throughall that just.
(03:07):
To sit quiet.
There are a lot of people whoare dying in silence, and that's
why it's up to us to recover outloud.
Right.
Recovery is never meant to bethe finish line.
If you have finished thesesteps, great.
Good.
I'm happy I'm clapping.
But what this is meant to be isa launching pad.
Mm-hmm.
(03:28):
You didn't just walk through thefire to sit in the ashes and
say, well, that's over.
Who No beauty comes from ashes.
Amen.
Joy comes in the morning and itis that beauty and joy we are
called to share.
Step 12 reminds us, you're notjust healed, you're
commissioned.
(03:48):
This is not about perfection.
You don't need a theologydegree, right?
I you don't.
We've said, I don't, you don'tneed to know the eman
systematic.
Justification of this schematic.
Yeah.
Sounds like something theBeastie Boys are getting ready
to start blaring into.
Right?
But you don't need that.
And let me tell you something,you don't need a spotless life
(04:09):
to carry this message either.
Dan (04:11):
Nah, family.
You, you gotta think about thisman, and I wanna congratulate
you for being on this journeywith us.
If you have started from thebeginning to now,
congratulations, man.
We are so proud of you.
We are honored to walk thisjourney with you.
But come on, man, let's be realfor a moment.
You didn't claw your way out ofaddiction and shame and, and
(04:35):
spiritual death just to sit insilence.
You didn't survive thatoverdose.
You didn't survive that brokenrelationship or, or those nights
of, of, of just sobbing on thefloor or, or those mornings
where you just had to makeyourself get outta bed and you
didn't even wanna wake up justto play it safe.
(04:56):
Now, family, you made it.
Through for a reason.
You see, God didn't bring youout just so you could blend in.
He brought you out so you couldspeak out, so you could shine a
light into someone else's darklife, so you could walk into the
rooms that you once had to crawlthrough, and now you've got the,
(05:19):
the ability and the powerthrough the Holy Spirit to help
lift others out on their feet.
This step guys.
It isn't for the polished.
Hmm?
It's for the marked.
Marked by grace, marked by fire,marked by the scars that are
that now tell the truth of asavior, a loving savior who
(05:44):
restored everything that helltried to run.
Guys, you're not called asJustin said, to be perfect.
You're called to be real, totestify, to give what was given,
to pass on the kind of hope thatyou wished someone handed you
when you were barely hanging on.
(06:06):
And here's the truth, family, ifyou keep that story bottled up,
if you sit down on the gift thatGod gave you, someone else will
stay stuck.
If your story, your powerfulstory, stay silent.
Someone else is gonna staystuck.
(06:27):
So no, you didn't come throughall this just to coast in life.
You came through it to carrysomething hope, healing truth,
and the kind of power that onlycomes through pain.
Justin, redeemed by grace,
Justin (06:46):
you carry something real.
I love what Dan said.
You're not called to perfection.
You're called to authenticity.
Your scars show who Christ isand what he can do through a
life that is surrendered to him.
You didn't come this far just tosit in silence and watch your
(07:10):
brothers and sisters die.
There's a Bible verse where ittalks about your hand.
Right.
The hand reaches back into thefire.
Well, in order for that hand toreach back, it has to be
tempered.
It has to have gone through thefire itself.
And that's what this step isabout.
It's about saying My hand hasgone through fire, my life has
(07:32):
been tempered, but I'm gonna letGod who has done the healing,
use me to be a part of hishealing for somebody else.
We're called to live out whatGod has given us.
Look, when Jesus, he says, cometo me all you who are weary.
And you hear me say this verse alot, and it's because I know the
other side of tired.
But he says, come to me all youwho are weary.
(07:52):
Give me your heavy ladens andyour burdens and lay it all on
me.
I'm gentle.
I'm meek.
Be yoked with me.
And at the end of that, he says,my burden is light.
My yoke is easy.
Do you know what that is?
That light burden, it's thatmessage, mm-hmm.
Of salvation that we are calledto carry to the world that Jesus
(08:14):
Christ has came.
There is not only forgiveness ofour sins, but there is a healing
that can be found in him.
That's what this is about.
Look, James 1:22 says, do notmerely listen to the word and
deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.
There you go.
Right.
(08:34):
Too many of us, we've gottenthis far and we think, okay, I'm
good.
Me and mine's just fine.
No.
We're called to share thegospel.
We're called to share ourtestimony in the Old Testament.
What the, it was called the Arkof the testimony.
The Ark of the Covenant.
That's what it was.
(08:54):
That's what they carried withhim.
It was the Tabernacle of God.
What they do is they'd haveposts through it, men would
carry it.
Those who had been called by Godwould carry it.
Well, what that was made of wasthe gold that they had got from
Egypt.
And look your testimony thatthat gold that was taken from
(09:15):
Egypt was melted down, purified,made right, and put on the arc
of the testimony.
And guess what?
That's what your testimony is,and that's what you're called to
carry.
That arc of the covenant, atestimony of God, and it's made
from the things in your lifethat he is purified, refined,
and made right.
(09:36):
We're called to carry.
This recovery doesn't end withknowing the truth.
It's about living the truth,showing the truth, and sharing
the
Dan (09:45):
truth.
Very good.
Yeah, guys.
12 step.
It's not a wrap party.
It's not a All right, we'll, uh,we'll catch you on the next one.
Woo.
Guys, it's not, it's not thefinish line, guys.
Step 12 is the starting line ofyour assignment.
Justin (09:59):
That's right.
Dan (10:00):
You didn't, you didn't recover you, you, you didn't
just recover for yourself.
You were commissioned to carrythis message into someone else's
rock bottom.
I love what James says.
Don't merely listen to the word,so deceive yourself.
Do what it says, guys, thisisn't about head knowledge.
(10:21):
It's about holy obedience.
That means what God did in yourlife.
It demands a response, not aperfect one, not a polished one,
but a real one.
your story isn't just a momentin your past.
It's a weapon in your hand.
A weapon against shame, a weaponagainst despair, a weapon
(10:42):
against every lie that sayspeople don't change and grace
doesn't work.
Here's the thing, you don't needa stage.
You don't need a mic, you don'tneed a title.
You just need the courage toshow up with your scar showing
to sit across and.
Face.
Someone who thinks that they'retoo far gone and say, look at
(11:03):
me.
I've been there, I've been whereyou are, and I know the way out
family.
You carry a message, not justof, of recovery, but of
redemption, not just ofsobriety, family, but of
transformation.
And make no mistake, thismessage is, is not about
(11:23):
perfection.
It's about.
Power.
The power of what happens when asurrendered life gets set on
Fire By Grace family, you don'tgraduate from this, you grow
into this.
Hmm.
Every single day family.
Step 12 isn't the end of yourrecovery.
(11:45):
It's the beginning of yourministry.
Justin (11:51):
2nd Corinthians 1:3-4 says, all praise to God the
father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is our merciful father andthe source of all comfort.
Listen, he comforts us in allour troubles.
Not so that we can sit insilence, but so that we can
(12:12):
comfort others when they aretroubled, we will be able to
give them the same comfort Godhas given us.
Look what God did in you wasn'tjust for your comfort.
It wasn't just a blanket thatyou could, I'm not saying don't
wrap yourself in that comfort.
I'm not saying forget about itand don't pray.
Be grateful.
Praise him for it daily, but itwasn't just for your comfort, it
(12:35):
was for your calling.
Look, your story, like Dan said,is a weapon that has been forged
in fire, that fights against thedarkness.
Your scars are a signpost thatpoints to grace, the grace of
God that has set you free.
Amen.
The grace of God that hasredeemed you and that shows.
(12:57):
Even a wretched sinner like youcould be saved so that some
other person can know that Godis exactly who he says he is,
and he will do exactly what hesays he does.
Every failure that has beenredeemed becomes fuel for
somebody else's freedom.
Listen, it becomes fuel forsomebody else's freedom when you
(13:20):
come to Christ.
It's not about sitting in a pewon Sunday morning and just
raising your hands in worshipsaying, thank you, God for all
you did for me.
The Pharisee did that.
He had the keys to heaven and helocked himself out.
Why?
Because he wasn't sharing whathe was given.
(13:42):
Look.
This is where you become theguide.
You always need it.
Mm.
Think back on your life andthink, I don't know about you,
Dan.
I don't know about you,listener, but there are times in
my life when I sit there andsay, man, I wish somebody
would've helped me.
I wish somebody would've had aword for me in due season.
(14:04):
Well, that's what this is.
This is when we, we become theperson that shows up.
Speaks hope not just forourselves, but for others.
Step 12 is about stepping intothat role.
Not out of pride, but out ofpurpose.
Dan (14:27):
Amen, that's where this all comes full circle.
You know, think back family tothe, the darkest chapter of your
story.
Think back to that time whereyou hit your rock bottom and you
didn't think you was gonna makeit out.
You know, those nights you weredrowning in guilt and shame and
(14:48):
just confusion and withdraw.
You know, the season where youdidn't need a sermon, Justin,
you just needed someone at thatmoment just to be real with you.
Yep.
Not someone who threw bibleverses at you and, and walked
away.
Not someone who, who flinchedand blocked your number when you
(15:09):
started sharing the ugly partsof your life.
You needed someone who lookedyou in the eye and said, I've
been there.
I'm not afraid of your mess.
I'm not leaving Listener, youare that someone that's the
turning point of step 12.
(15:30):
You're not just a recipient ofgrace anymore.
Now you become a carrier of it.
You're no longer just trying tostay alive.
you're now speaking life intoothers guys, and this is what
seals the transformation.
Not that you've been rescued,but now that you're reaching
(15:51):
back, as Justin said a fewmoments ago, not that you're
perfect, but that you're presentfor someone who's in the pit
that you once lived.
It's not about having the rightwords.
it's about having the rightposture, a posture of humility,
honesty, hope, and hear thisclearly family.
(16:14):
This isn't a burden, it's ablessing because something
powerful happens when you givewhat you never got.
You become a healing space forsomeone else's breakthrough, and
that's when grace moves frombeing your safety net to
becoming your calling.
(16:36):
You're not just a product ofGrace family, you're now a
steward of it.
And when you live like that,your life becomes someone else's
turning point.
Justin (16:48):
This is where you move from surviving to serving.
Mm.
Right.
If you ever go to the gravesites, there's a number on each
side and in between there's alittle dash.
This asks the question, what areyou going to do with that dash,
because God calls us to serve.
(17:11):
This is where you stop justreceiving and start reproducing.
Yep.
This is where disciples aregrown.
This is you stepping in todiscipleship.
Look, when you guide others, itreinforces the truth in your own
life.
You can't keep it unless yougive it away.
That's one of those recoverythings that's said all over.
(17:33):
Right?
And it's true because Nothingmatures your healing, like
helping someone else walk intotheirs.
Hmm.
That's where it's grown.
It helps remind you of who Godis in your life, and it shows
others that, hey, you're meantfor more.
I love that song.
I was meant for more.
I wasn't made to just tend tothe grave.
(17:55):
My job isn't just to sit thereand make sure there's flowers
where that dead old man lies.
My job is to go out and helpspread seed to others grave
sites.
To help show others, Hey, thereis a God who loves you, who died
for you, and is there to helpyou carry these burdens and can
and will if you let him.
(18:17):
But it's about us surrenderingagain, right?
It's that dirty word we like tosay.
This is us surrendering.
When Jesus left this world, hedidn't say, now sit around and
wait.
He said, go.
Go and make disciples of allnations.
This is us going with thatcommission on our heart.
To make disciples,
Dan (18:36):
and
Justin (18:36):
that's the thing.
Dan (18:37):
Family.
You got one simple word.
Go, Don't sit on the sidelines.
don't keep what you have beenset free from.
people don't heal and recover insilence.
They recover in community.
They recover when others oflike-minded people come together
(19:00):
and they can see that someone'sbeen there and done that.
that's why peer recovery supportis so powerful because it's
individuals who's walked thattalked that, been there, done
that, and are able to walkalongside that, that individual.
Justin, our scripture focus fortoday is in Mark chapter five.
(19:22):
Uh, verses one through 20.
And I'm not gonna read it alltoday for time constraints.
I encourage you to go back and,and read this.
But guys, this is one of, thisis probably one of the rawest
most jaw dropping encounters inthe entire Bible because you
gotta look at the context ofthis.
(19:43):
This man was completelyovertaken by demons.
This guy was living in a agraveyard, isolated from
everyone.
The Bible says that he wascutting himself.
He, he was howling and torment,and this poor individual, he
wasn't just broken guys, he wasbound, possessed, lost in every
(20:07):
possible way, man.
But then Jesus shows up with aword.
Justin (20:13):
Mm-hmm.
Dan (20:15):
Jesus shows up with a word, and the Bible says that he casts
out legions of demons with aword.
Jesus rewrites this man's entirestory and the town shows up and,
(20:35):
and that they don't know what todo with, you know, with what
they're seeing because they'reused to seeing the old man.
Because the man who used toterrorize the streets is now the
Bible sitting says, sitting,calmly, clothed, and in his
right mind.
Guys, this is what Grace does.
(20:56):
It doesn't just make you better.
It makes you new.
Not improved, not medicated, buttransformed.
Now, here's where it gets deepfor us.
Because this man begs Jesus tolet him come with him.
And honestly, if you think aboutit, Justin, who could blame him?
Justin (21:17):
Hmm.
Dan (21:17):
After all that this guy had been through, it makes sense.
You know, let me be close to theone who healed me.
This.
This makes sense.
I would've been asking the samething.
But Jesus says something thatshould shake every one of us
awake.
He says, no, go home and tellthem how much the Lord has done
(21:42):
for you.
He didn't send this man to Biblecollege, Justin.
He, he didn't wait for him to,to get to clean up every habit
and, and to get everything allfigured out and to, and to sit
down for seven years undersomebody and learn the Bible
and, and learn this, and learnthat.
(22:04):
He sent him with a testimony anda mission.
Why?
Because a redeemed life is themessage family.
Mm-hmm.
Your scars preach louder thanstrategies ever will, because
when people see you healed,they'll start to believe that
they can be healed to guys,that's what Step 12 is all
(22:27):
about.
You don't need a pulpit.
Family, you are the pulpit.
You don't need permission.
Family Justin just said it a fewmoments ago.
Matthew 28 19 commissions us.
You are already commissioned.
You've been through the storm,you've stood in the graveyard,
and now you carry theresurrection power.
(22:51):
Everywhere you go, family, theworld doesn't need a better
polished version of you.
It needs the healed you.
It needs the honest you.
It needs the hope filled you.
So go go back to the places youused to avoid.
Go love the people you used torun with.
(23:11):
Go shine the light where youonce lived in darkness because
you're not just, it's not justthe past anymore family.
That's not your past.
It's now your platform.
And the greatest ministry you'llever have in the life you lived
is the one that is shown Justinand redeemed.
(23:33):
By Grace,
Justin (23:36):
Jesus didn't just save him.
He sent him.
He didn't just save you, hesends you.
Look.
He turned a testimony into aministry like Dan said, and
that's step 12.
It's not about just being arecipient of grace.
It's about being a messenger ofit.
And look, people say, well, hewanted to follow Jesus.
(23:59):
Why didn't he take him in?
Why he, he told him to go.
Because guess what?
That's how you get close toJesus is by going.
Look, we're called to follow inhis footsteps and what did Jesus
do?
He came and the first thing hesaid, he proclaimed the good
news to the poor, to set thecaptives free.
(24:20):
That's what he wants to do inyour life.
That's what the Holy Spiritempowers us to do.
That's what it's about.
It's about letting God be Godand going, telling others about
this God who can and will domore than we could ever imagine.
More than we could ever think.
Why?
Because he loves us and he lovesthe world.
(24:41):
He's not, what does it say?
He's not slack concerning hispromises.
Mm-hmm.
His humans are, but he wants hisdesire, his goal is that any and
all can be saved.
Well, the Bible says faith comesby hearing, hearing by the word
of God.
The word of God is not some cerseminary, school pulpit message
(25:01):
that breaks down what the actualGreek and Hebrew words mean and
no.
It's about what the word of Goddone in your life.
Who is Jesus to you?
Look, if I wanna, if I would'vewanted to marry my wife, if I
would've told her, Hey, I wantyou to go to a restaurant, meet
me there, and I would've hadsomebody else sit down and tell
(25:22):
her all about me, probablywouldn't have went, well, this
is us sitting with people atthat table.
Showing who Jesus is in ourlife.
When Jesus saved Matthew, thefirst thing Matthew did is he
went and got all his friends andJesus said, throw a party.
Right?
Invite those publications andinvite those harlots Pharisees.
(25:45):
What are you doing?
The righteous need repentance.
Jesus is like, what are youdoing?
Yeah, what are you doing?
He who's not sick doesn't needhealed.
Look.
This is us going back to thosepeople that need healing and
letting Jesus use us to be thatcomfort in their lives.
(26:07):
If you wanna get close to Jesusand you wanna follow Jesus, then
go, because Jesus came, he lefthis home on high, that holy
ground.
He was seated at the right handof the Father before he ever
came.
He left that to be born in adingy old manger.
To live a life so that me andyou could find forgiveness
(26:32):
through him so that he couldwillingly carry across the
calvary.
But guess what?
He didn't stay on that cross andhe didn't stay in the tomb,
Dan (26:39):
Justin, early in my recovery, I, I remember I was
probably, maybe almost a year inrecovery.
It, was, I was young.
I just remember feeling the callof God on my life.
Mm.
And I knew I wanted to dosomething for God.
I didn't know what that was.
(27:00):
I just wanted to do something.
And I remember just getting soexcited and just, and this goes
back, be careful who you talkto.
Go back and listen to those, ourprevious podcast episodes,'cause
we talk about this because, youknow, Not everybody's for you in
your recovery.
And some people are justmegaphones.
Justin (27:21):
Hmm.
Dan (27:22):
You know, and I remember I went and shared this with, with
close people in my life that Iwanted to be in the ministry.
And I was thinking just in that,you know, they would be excited
for me, that they would be happyfor me.
And honestly, dude, I was shotwith so much criticism.
I was told that, I've not beenin recovery long enough.
(27:45):
I was told that I wasn't.
I've not sat long enough that Ineed to sit under a pastor for
seven years, is what was told tome, and then go before a board
and they would dictate if Icould get my license or not.
After running my background,after doing a credit check,
after going over my finance,this is the honest to god truth.
(28:10):
Justin and I begin to believethis, I begin to believe that
maybe I'm not called, maybe itwasn't God's voice I was
hearing, maybe it was justindigestion from the tacos I had
the night before.
And then the Lord spoke to mejust like he did that day in my
room.
He spoke to me in a, in a, justa clear, audible voice because I
(28:32):
was believing God that Icouldn't, that I wouldn't ever
be called.
The Lord spoke to me that dayand said, whoever said that you
could.
And he said they didn't callyou.
I did.
Amen.
Family, that individual, yourpastor, your spouse, your
(28:58):
family, they didn't call you.
Jesus said, go.
Go and the scripture right afterit says, and I'm with you,
always, always, they didn't callyou family.
You don't need more time.
You don't need a title.
(29:20):
You've been healed.
You've been sent.
Now go, because your greatestministry family, your greatest
ministry that you'll ever haveis that life that you lived.
Redeemed by Grace.
Justin (29:39):
That's where it's at.
Jesus told him to go.
That is not, he didn't just tellPeter, Paul and John, right?
No, you guys go.
Everybody else just said No.
Go is a commission.
It's called the Great Commissionbecause it's to all the church,
(30:01):
all those who come to Christ.
Look it.
It's not about outreach, it'sabout overflow.
I don't know about you, but Idon't give out because I have
to.
I give out because I want to.
Mm-hmm.
I have been my cup overfloweth.
(30:23):
That is for the other people.
You think of a picture of a cup,right, and what's in the cup.
That's for you.
That's yours.
That's God's filling you withthat man, and that's so that you
know he's God.
That's the goodness that givesyou the strength to carry on
throughout the day.
When you feel weak, the outsideof the cup man, that's that God
that's on you.
That's that Jesus shine as Icall it, because you can tell
(30:46):
somebody when they walk in,that's just been touched by God.
Oh yeah.
You can tell a life redeemed bygrace that you, it's no
explaining it.
You can just look and say, man,there's something different.
The grace of God has been there,and then there's that saucer.
That's where the overflows out.
That's for others.
That's so that people can tasteand see that the Lord is good.
(31:11):
Look, the love that you found,the truth that rescued you, the
power that carried you, that'swhat someone else is dying to
know exists.
Mm-hmm.
That testimony of what happenedto you in that moment when
Christ touched your life, therewas enough power in it to change
(31:34):
yours, and there's enough powerin it to change the lives of
others.
A life redeemed by grace is alight that shines bright, and
Jesus says, do not hide yourlight under a bushel.
You put a lamp stand on a tableso that everybody can see.
The problem is it's getting darkout there and too many people's
putting a, they're putting itunder the table.
Dan (31:55):
Well,'cause you got clowns like that guy that told me that
you gotta sit for seven yearsunder somebody, you're not
ready.
What an ignorant statement tosay to somebody.
Do not listen to people likethat because.
Like God told me that day,people don't call you family.
You are not called by people.
(32:15):
Now do I do I agree.
You need to sit under a pastor.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Please don't misconstrue ortwist what I'm saying.
You need to.
Sit under a shepherd, but forsomeone to come up there and
tell you you don't have enoughrecovery time under your belt to
be able to share the good newsof God, you run from that as
(32:37):
fast as you can because thereare people every single day,
Justin, that are dying andoverdosing and families are
being ripped apart.
Yes, because you have peoplethat will tell you You don't
have enough clean time to shareyour story.
You don't have a polishedtestimony to share your story.
You don't got a degree to shareyour story.
(32:59):
So what are you doing?
You begin to believe those lies,and because you are sitting
there with a powerful recoverystory, people are dying in the
streets.
And as we get ready to wrap thispodcast up, I ask Justin, who
needs.
Justin (33:16):
What you now carry, and I love what you said, guys,
don't misinterpret what we'resaying.
Sometimes God needs a refiningperiod for your finished
calling.
But until then, the will of Godis that you.
Like I said, you don't have tohave seven years under your belt
to go share the gospel.
All you need is a testimony ofwho Jesus Christ is, what he's
(33:38):
done, and what he will do.
Don't let some, like Dan said,some clown tell you, well,
you've gotta sit here for sevenyears or 41 days, and four score
and seven.
No.
If you've got a testimony, shareit now.
I'm not saying don't sit underteaching.
Dan (33:56):
Mm-hmm.
Justin (33:56):
I'm not saying that.
Not at all, because I neededfour years of sitting in a
church pew before I became apastor.
But you know what I did in thattime?
I was sitting in the church pew.
I shared my testimony with thechurch members.
I shared my testimony in thegospel with people out in the
world that that wasn't yourpast, doesn't disqualify you.
It makes you right for who Godwants you to be.
(34:18):
You've been entrusted with hope.
Amen.
You've been given a message thatsomeone out there is drowning in
darkness, that you were pulledfrom, that God wants to shine
your light in.
They need proof that freedom ispossible, and at the end of the
day, look, family, that's you.
(34:40):
It's not your pastor.
If it was up to the pastor,there only one man.
Take it from somebody who's apastor.
I tell my church all the time,it's easy on Sunday mornings to
preach to people who might wantto be in church.
The real mission field is yourworkplace.
The real mission field is yourhome.
Amen.
It's the grocery store you findyourself in.
(35:01):
Don't think that you can't sharethe gospel just because you're
not in a church building or youhave some fancy title.
We're all called to share thegospel.
If that was the case, Peterwould've been disqualified.
We just talked about him lastepisode, denying Jesus.
But what did he tell him?
And look, he's telling youtoday, go feed my sheep.
Mm-hmm.
Go teach my people.
(35:24):
Quit hiding behind this mindsetthat I can't, and start trusting
that God can.
Dan (35:31):
Amen.
Well, let's be real for asecond.
You know, as we get ready towrap this podcast up, you know,
there was a time Justin, when Ididn't think I was gonna make it
out.
Hmm.
Listener.
If you're honest with yourself,there was a time.
Maybe not too long ago, maybe 40years ago, I don't know.
(35:52):
But there was a time when youdidn't think you was gonna make
it out, when you didn't see away forward where you were just
stuck drowning.
There was a time when you werecrushed by shame.
Hmm.
There was those nights where wewould sit in our bedrooms and
cry ourselves to sleep, justpraying for a breakthrough and
(36:15):
not even sure if it was evergonna come.
But because of grace.
Hmm.
Because of his mercies New.
Every single morning you'rehere, you're still standing,
you're still breathing, you'restill fighting.
Family, you've been through toomuch.
(36:35):
You've seen too much.
You've been rescued from toomuch to stay silent now.
The truth is, there's someoneout there right now in that
exact place that you used to be.
They're hurting behind closeddoors.
They're, they're surrounded bypeople, but they're feeling just
lost and alone.
(36:56):
They're looking in that mirrorand they're not recognizing that
face that's looking back at him.
They're scared to death.
To ask for help'cause they'reconvinced that nobody's gonna
understand.
But family, you understand why?
Because you've walked that path.
(37:17):
You've cried those tears, you'veasked those same questions that
they're asking now, and now youand I carry something that can
change everything for someoneelse.
Not perfection, not a polishedmessage, but perspective, truth,
(37:38):
hope this is the moment whereyour healing shifts from eternal
to external.
Because step 12 family isn'tjust about outreach.
Justin's, like you said, it'sabout overflow.
(37:58):
You've been filled, you've beenrestored, and now the power of
grace in your life is too realfor you to keep to yourself.
You're not called to beimpressive.
You're called to be impactful.
You don't need to preach.
You just need to be present.
(38:19):
You don't gotta fix them.
That's not your job to fixpeople.
You just need to show'em Justin,that freedom's possible.
And here's the kicker.
You may be the only glimpse ofhope that someone ever sees.
You may be the only living proofthat they'll trust you.
(38:40):
My friend may be the voice theyclinging to when everything else
in their life is falling apart.
So don't let people, don't letdoubt.
Holds your story hostage.
Don't wait until you feel orsomeone tells you that you're
(39:01):
spiritually qualified family.
You're ready.
Not because you're perfect, butbecause you're different.
You've been changed.
You've been called, you've beensent family.
Your healing becomes whole.
When it starts healing others,let it flow, let it speak.
(39:24):
Let it reach the broken, thebound, the weary, the wandering,
because that's what Grace does.
Family.
It moves through you to someoneelse.
Justin, we are ran way over,brother, but this is too
powerful just to keep it in somebox.
But brother, help us wrap.
Wrap this thing up for
Justin (39:45):
us, man.
Step 12.
It's not a graduation, it's acommissioning.
You've had a spiritualawakening.
You've come to realize that Godis God.
You've seen him move in yourlife.
You've seen him do things thatonly he can do.
Now it's time to carry thatmessage, not just with your
(40:06):
words, with the life you live.
You're not just rooted andrecovered.
You're called.
Look, guys.
We need your prayer.
As we get ready to wrap thisseason up and go into season
two, there's a lot more that Godhas that he wants to do.
(40:29):
Amen.
And that's why I'm going to, I'mgonna ask you just to keep
praying.
I'm gonna ask you to keeppraying for the ones that this
reach so that they might findthe freedom.
You might think it's nothing butlike, share, subscribe, get the
message out there that there ismore to this life than just a
(40:53):
life filled with addiction, thana life filled with anger and
bitterness and just the sameold, same old, that people can
step out of that cycle and findfreedom in Christ.
Guys, as we prepare to end thisall for this season.
I just wanna say thank you.
Dan (41:13):
Hmm.
Justin (41:14):
I wanna say thank you for letting us be here.
Thank you for letting us gothrough these steps.
I will say one more thing.
Make sure that you've gotsomebody walking these steps
with you.
Fellowship is a vital role inthis, and that's what it's
about.
And we are your family.
If you, if you feel like youdon't have anybody, send a
message on Facebook and let usknow where you're at and.
(41:36):
Be surprised.
You might have somebody rightaround there that's willing to
meet up and talk.
Amen guys, I love you, but moreimportantly, Jesus does.
Dan (41:45):
Amen.
He sure does.
He loves you so much family thathe died for you.
He loves you so much that aswe've talked about through these
last 12 steps, that you can castyour anxieties and your cares
and your burdens and all that onhim, and he'll take'em from you.
God, as we, as we finish step12.
(42:05):
You've walked the steps, notjust in theory, but through the
fire.
Amen.
You've surrendered what you'veclung to.
You face that mirror you onceavoided.
You made the call that you neverthought you'd make.
You let go of the weight thatused to define you, and now
(42:26):
guess what?
Now you go back.
Mm-hmm.
Not to stay, not to relive thepast, but to rescue the ones.
Who are still trapped in it'cause freedom, family.
It's it.
It isn't just a gift, guys.
Freedom's a responsibility.
Amen.
And you are living proof thatGod still moves, that God still
(42:50):
heals, that God still redeemsbroken people, and that God
still builds powerfultestimonies.
One shattered life at a time.
Amen.
So don't you dare listen topeople, and don't you dare
shrink now and go back into yourcave.
(43:12):
Don't silence the story that Godwrote with your survival.
Don't hold back the hope thatsomeone else is dying for.
Speak boldly, even if your voiceshakes live deeply, even when
it's messy.
Lead humbly.
You remember family, where youcame from.
(43:34):
You're not just recovered asJustin so beautifully put it.
You're commissioned, you've beentrusted with grace.
Now you carry that thing intothe darkest places and you
remind others what's possible.
This is the calling family.
This is the mission.
(43:56):
This is the movement.
So here's your charge.
Stay rooted, stay recovered,family, and let's get to work.
You are not just surviving.
You are becoming, becomingrooted in truth, becoming
recovered by grace, and becomingthe person God always knew you
(44:20):
could be.
Thanks for joining us on Rootedin Recovered.
If this episode stirredsomething in you, don't keep it
to yourself.
Share it, live it, let it takeroot.
We'll see you next time righthere where scars become
testimonies and hope rises fromthe ashes.
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