April 18, 2025 • 28 mins
In this encouraging and hope-filled episode of Rooted & Recovered, Dan and Justin unpack Step Two of the 12-Step Program: “We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” Building off of last week’s powerful message on surrender, this episode dives into the next vital piece of the recovery journey—belief.
Dan and Justin bring raw honesty, deep spiritual insight, and powerful scriptural encouragement to those walking through addiction, pain, depression, doubt, or brokenness. You’ll hear personal stories, biblical truth, and real hope as they explore the idea that you don’t need perfect faith—you just need enough to take the next step.
Key Takeaways:
- You’ve survived 100% of your worst days. Your story isn’t over yet.
- Hope is more than a feeling—it’s a decision to trust God’s track record.
- Recovery doesn’t start with a program—it starts with belief in a God who restores.
- The woman with the issue of blood didn’t find healing in a garment, but in the One who wore it.
- Faith doesn’t require perfection, just surrender.
Scriptures Highlighted: Hebrews 11:1, Romans 15:13, Psalm 62:5–6, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Luke 8:43–48
If you’ve stopped believing that things can get better—this episode is your reminder to hope again. Because there is a Power greater than your past, and His name is Jesus.
Help us spread this message by liking, sharing, subscribing, and most importantly—praying. Drop your prayer requests on our Facebook page, and let’s walk this journey together. You are not alone. You are not too far gone. You are stronger than your struggle, and you are rooted in a grace that doesn’t give up.
Until next time, family… 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, cheappies 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 (01:07):
welcome, family.
I don't know about you, but itis a glorious day here in
Southern Illinois.
Such a great day to sit herewith my brother Dan Pyles and
just talk about the Lord andwhat he's done for us.
If you joined us last week, youheard us talking about step one
and what comes after step one.
Is always step two, but in orderto get to step two, you gotta go
(01:31):
through step one.
So maybe you're here today andthis is your first time
listening and you never heardstep one, I'm encouraging you
today.
Go back to step one.
Take an honest look at yourselfand realize.
You can't, but God can.
Now, once again this week wewanna remind you that we need
(01:52):
your support, but like BrotherDan said last week, we're not
asking for money.
What we're asking for, first andforemost is prayer.
I can't stress this enough.
Pray for us, because anytimeyou're doing something that God
wants you to do, the enemy'sgonna be coming, knocking at
your door.
And so as we go out.
We want you to not only pray forus, but pray for each other.
(02:15):
Because if you're taking thesesteps, if you're giving your
life to Christ, let me tell yousomething.
You have an X on your back andthere's an enemy coming after
you, but we have one who isgreater than the enemy.
We have one who is more powerfulthan the enemy.
So the best way you can supportnot only us, but all those out
there listening is prayer.
(02:35):
We'd also like you to like andsubscribe to our Facebook page.
Go check it out.
Go.
Go share your victories.
Go share your struggles.
Go share your prayer requests.
On Sundays, we'll be putting outa post where you can get on and
share your prayer requests, andme and Dan.
We'll get together and you'll,we'll come together in prayer
(02:55):
for what you're asking for.
We'll bring it to the Lord likewe're supposed to guys.
The truth is there's an enemyout there that is trying to
attack, but there is a powergreater than ourselves, and
that's what we're talking aboutto step two.
We came to believe that a powergreater than ourselves could
(03:18):
restore us to sanity.
And Dan, this is my favoritelesson because, man, for a long
time I lived in insanity.
Dan (03:25):
I.
Oh, I'm looking forward totoday's podcast, and man, it's
such a privilege and honor to bein here with you again, brother
and man, just what a powerfulstep two.
I hope that you really enjoyedstep one.
And when we were talking aboutwhen I can't, God.
can and when Justin was readingthat step two, and tells us that
(03:49):
we came to believe that a powergreater than ourselves could
restore us to sanity.
I can't help but think what aperfect podcast episode, but
then to say a power greater thanmy past.
A power greater than my past,and I wanna open this whole
(04:13):
thing up with something.
What if family, just think aboutthis with me for just a moment.
What if your story isn't overyet?
Now think about that for amoment.
I know what, how you feel rightnow.
I know you might be at the verybeginning stages of your
(04:36):
journey, whether that's yourrecovery journey, your spiritual
journey, or whatever.
What if.
Your story isn't over yet.
What if the very thing thatbroke you is the beginning
Justin (04:55):
of your breakthrough?
I wanna encourage everybodylistening today, Dan, as you
were saying that, do you knowyou've already survived a
hundred percent of your worstdays?
You are still here alive andbreathing, so I want to
encourage you today that yourstory isn't over because God's
got a reason.
And if there is breath in yourlungs, there is hope.
(05:17):
If there is breath in your lungsand you've got a reason to
praise God, you've got a reasonnot only to praise, but to cry
out and say, Lord, I need youbecause I know that there is a
power greater than me.
I love how it says, came tobelieve.
We have to first step out ofthat, that river of denial we
talked about last week and say,I'm powerless, and then come to
(05:39):
believe.
So I'm praying that those herethis morning came to believe.
Dan (05:45):
Amen.
And I'm believing that with you,Justin, in the name of Jesus.
Family hope isn't a feeling.
It's a choice to believe thathealing is still possible.
We live in a society and in aworld where just everything is
so dark, so gloom, sodepressing, and just so just
(06:09):
despair, you can't even turn onthe news anymore.
You can't even turn on the tv.
You can't even hardly get onsocial media without seeing all
the negativity and all thatjunk.
What this world needs more thananything is hope, and I'm here
to share that hope with youtoday.
and his Name is Jesus.
(06:30):
It's not a feeling family.
It's a choice to believe thathealing is still.
Possible, and I'm not here todisqualify anything.
I know, Justin, that there is areality of broken belief.
I know what it's like to havebroken trust.
(06:51):
I know what it's like to seekhelp from family man.
From family members and watchthem turn their back on me.
I know what it's like to seek tosink my hope into friends, to
not only let them use me andabuse me, but when they were
done to toss me out and throw meaway, I know what it's like to
(07:15):
have that faith fatigue.
To where you have believed for afamily member that they were
gonna come to salvation, thatyou believed that a family
member yourself was gonna getclean, and you're still waiting
on that miracle.
You're still waiting for that tohappen, and you're starting to
get fatigued.
You're starting to feel like Godcan help others, but not me.
(07:37):
But I want to encourage you witha scripture in Hebrews chapter
11, verse one, and this is whatit says.
It says, now.
Faith is the confidence in whatwe hope for and the assurance
about what we do not see.
Family.
You don't need perfect faith.
(07:58):
You just need enough to takethat next.
Step one step at a time.
So many times, Justin, we try toget so far ahead of ourselves.
We try to get so far ahead ofGod that we end up causing our
ourself more damage than we aredoing good for ourselves.
(08:23):
I understand that you want tosee that family member.
I understand that you want tojump ahead, but I want you to
understand you don't needperfect faith.
You're not perfect.
I'm not perfect.
We're gonna make mistakes.
We're gonna fall.
We don't need perfect faith.
But what I encourage you withtoday is you just need enough
(08:44):
faith to take that next
Justin (08:46):
step.
So Webster's Dictionary defineshope as an expected end for good
and for a long time, Dan, I hadhope.
Okay.
I had hope that my new job wasgonna give me enough money to
finally be happy.
I had hope that relationshipthat I was in would give me some
(09:06):
sense of belonging, some senseof joy.
I had hope that those drugs,that the alcohol, that the
things I was throwing myselfinto would helped me to escape
reality.
I thought I had true hope.
Then God, right?
But then God, because one of myfavorite parts of scripture is
(09:27):
it's so deep, it's so, it'sliving, it's breathing it, it
never ends.
Do you know hope?
In the Old Testament, there'stwo meanings.
The word tikvah it actuallymeans an expect it in for good,
but it also means a line.
(09:47):
Accord, right?
You were talking about how wethink that we have to do it.
We think that we have to be theones to succeed.
Psalm 62, 5 and 6 came to mindwhen you were talking.
Dan, let all that I am waitpatiently before God.
For my hope is in him.
Now think about this.
(10:08):
That word hope that David usedis not only talking about my
expectation for good, it'stalking about that line, that
cord that I have of hope is adirect connection to God and
that is Jesus Christ.
He doesn't offer hope that fadesaway or falls like everything
else.
He is a living, breathing Godthat you can hold onto and trust
(10:31):
to pull you through the muckinmire of life.
And there is a power on theother side of that line greater
than we could ever imagine.
That's just leading us along.
I know sometimes it gets sticky.
I know sometimes it gets hard.
Like you said, Dan, sometimes wewanna listen to the enemy that
says Maybe God doesn't love methe same as everybody else.
(10:53):
Can I tell you something?
He died on a cross for you sothat you could have hope, so
that you could have anexpectation for good and so that
you could have a directconnection to him.
The ultimate power source.
Dan (11:08):
So good.
And I love that scripturebecause David said, my hope is
in God, not in my family, not inmy wife, not in the pastor, not
in my children, not in myself,but God and guys, that's the
whole thing for step two.
(11:29):
That we come to believe thatyou, that me, we come to believe
that a power greater thanourselves.
Something better and greaterthan me.
'cause like step one, man, Icouldn't do it.
I tried, I crashed, I burned.
It wasn't until that moment thatI admitted that I'm weak, that I
(11:50):
admitted that I'm powerless,that I admitted that God.
I need you.
And we read about this where wecan't, God can all the more.
Now we're saying here, God, Ibelieve God, I gotta have faith.
And the hope that you somethingbetter than me can restore me.
(12:12):
And that's what David said, hesaid, and God is my hope and
family today.
If you are gonna get to thisnext step, if you are gonna get
to step two, to step three, allthe way to step 12, and then to
just living your life, you aregoing to have to put your hope
in Jesus Christ.
(12:33):
Stop putting your hope inpeople.
Stop putting your hope inprograms.
Stop putting your hope in thisor that.
Start putting your hope.
Justin (12:44):
In Jesus, and I would encourage you, you read Hebrews
11, one, faith is a substance ofthings hoped for.
Well, what does David say?
My soul waits patiently.
So maybe you're here today andyou're wondering why everything
ain't fallen into place, whythat your life still seems like
it's unmanageable at times.
(13:06):
Maybe you're here and you feel,and you're listening to us and
you're saying, but Justin, youdon't get to struggle.
You don't understand.
I've been going through thisforever.
David waited patiently.
Sometimes it takes.
Us getting out of our own way,admitting we're powerless and
just wait.
And when they, when you're inthe waiting, there's a blessing.
(13:30):
A blessing.
Dan (13:32):
as you were reading that, it's like the Holy Spirit led me
to Romans 15:13 and it says, maythe God of hope.
Amen.
May the God of hope fill youwith all the joy and peace.
Oh my God, that's what we need.
Think about this for a minute.
How would you do with peace inyour life right now?
(13:53):
how much better would your lifebe right now?
Family, with some peace.
The word of God is telling usthat peace is found in God.
Today can be that turning pointfor you.
Today can be that turning pointfor you where your life is never
the same, that maybe you've beentrying to put your hope and
trust in people.
(14:14):
Maybe you've been trying to putyour hope and trust in friends
and family and society, and asgood as those people are,
they're going to fail you.
People will fail you.
I will fail.
You don't put your hope in me.
As we just read, may the God ofHope David said, I put my hope
(14:35):
in God.
May the God of hope fill youwith all the joy and peace as
you trust in him.
In him as you trust in him, Godis not asking you for blind
faith.
He is asking you to trust histrack record family.
(14:57):
His win-loss record is a wholelot better than yours.
I can promise you that hiswin-loss record is a whole lot
better than mine.
All he's not asking forperfection for you.
You don't have to haveeverything figured out.
You won't have it figured out.
Trust me.
I've been there, I've done that.
(15:17):
I tried to have it all squaredaway before I came to God.
He is not asking for that.
He wants you in your bustedbroken mess.
He wants you at your rockbottom.
Because like I asked you today,just a few moments ago, when
this podcast, what if the verything that broke you.
(15:39):
Is the beginning of yourbreakthrough, that rock bottom
that you're going with anddealing with right now in your
life.
God is not asking you to have itall figured out.
He's just asking that you trusthis track record.
Justin (15:58):
You know what is the greatest commandment to love the
Lord your God, with all yourheart, all your strength, all
your soul.
Which means, like you said, Goddoesn't just want the good parts
of you that you're showingeverybody else.
He doesn't want the smilingChristian that shows up on
Sunday and says, everything'sgood in my life.
(16:18):
No.
What God wants is that brokenmess that hides behind closed
doors and cries in your pillowto him, and you can't even speak
words.
All you have is murmurings andgroanings.
Well, guess what?
It.
We have hope because there's aspirit inside of us.
The Bible says, I believe it'sPaul, he says, for when I cannot
express words, the spirit insideme, groans and murmurs.
(16:43):
That's hope, and it takes faithto believe that.
But like Dan said, it's not ablind faith.
We see the end.
I don't know if you've ever readthe end of the book, but it says
he wins.
Like Dan said, he's batting athousand.
We have victory, but we have torealize victory only comes
(17:04):
through him, and that's whereour hope lies.
We can't stress that enough.
Quit putting hope in self-helpprograms.
Quit putting hope in your familyand your job and your success
and give it to him.
Dan (17:17):
And that's such a great way.
And again, we're not here toknock those guys.
We work programs.
Yes, I'm in recovery because ofa program.
I'm where I'm at today becauseof a program.
I have had the privilege andhonor of watching hundreds of
people be able to get throughthe other side, through
(17:40):
programs.
But family, if we bank all ofour hope on a program.
If I bank all of my hope onsomething manmade, I promise you
family, it is going to lead usto crash and burn.
Think about that.
How many times did you try earlyin your recovery?
(18:01):
I'm gonna try this pill.
I'm gonna try that drink.
I'm gonna try this sleep method.
I'm gonna try this meditation.
I'm gonna try this exercise.
I'm gonna try, I'm gonna try.
I am gonna try.
I am gonna try.
I'm gonna try trying differentthings and meanwhile, God is
just sitting back saying, if youwill give it to me, I will give
you peace.
I will give you love.
(18:22):
I will give you joy.
The Bible says that he will giveyou a.
Peace that surpasses all ourunderstanding to guard our heart
and to guard our mind, and thatis found in Jesus.
Justin, when I look and I thinkabout hope, and I think about
(18:44):
hope in scripture, there isnothing more hopeful than the
woman with the issue of blood.
You gotta think about this girlright here.
The Bible says that she has beendealing with this issue for
years.
For years.
We want quick fixes.
I want fix.
Now we're in a society, and nowif I don't wanna wait, I could
(19:08):
just pop something in themicrowave and have a meal in two
minutes.
We are a now society.
We are in a fix it now society,and it said that this woman was
subject to bleeding for 12 yearsbecause no one could heal her.
This means that this woman triedprogram after program, after
(19:31):
doctor, after help, and nothingwas solving the problem.
The Bible says that after shespent all she had, I.
She was flat, busted, family,flat, broken family.
She heard of Jesus just like youare hearing today.
The Bible says that she came upbehind him and touched the edge
(19:55):
of his cloak.
Listen to this, and the Biblesays immediately her bleeding
stopped immediately.
Family, when you put your hopein Jesus Christ.
The benefits are immediately.
Now, I'm not saying that theconsequences go away.
(20:15):
We'll talk about that at anothertime.
We still got the consequences.
We still gotta pay, but we areforgiven and we begin to have
that peace.
And it's a process, Justin.
It takes time.
But when I think of hope inscripture, man, nothing banks
more hope.
Then that woman who tried allthose programs, who went to all
(20:38):
those doctors, who spenteverything she had, maybe that's
you right now, man.
Maybe you have spent everything.
Maybe you have sunk ineverything and you've tried
everything and it's failing you.
Try Jesus family.
Try Jesus today.
'cause like I said, only Jesuscan satisfy your soul.
Justin (21:02):
I think we fail to realize that because of this
issue, because of blood, shewasn't allowed to be around her
family.
She would've been living on thestreets outside of the city
because nobody could touch her.
She would've been calledunclean.
She wouldn't have been allowedto worship.
She wouldn't have been allowedto even go in public places and
(21:24):
rub against somebody.
Because it would've made themunclean, but yet we see her
believing in a power greaterthan herself and doing all she
can to reach out and touch.
And what does Jesus say at theend of all of it?
Dan, it's one of your faith hasmade you whole so many times.
(21:48):
So many times we let the worldtell us that we shouldn't be
with our families because ofwhat we're going through.
We let the world tell us that weshouldn't be allowed in the
cities.
We shouldn't be allowed to bearound others.
We believe the lie that I'm notable to worship God because of
who I am.
Well, I'm here to tell you.
I'm here to encourage you thatis a lie straight from the pits
(22:12):
of hell.
And that my God says, come to meall ye who are weary and heavy
laden.
He's not saying, come to meperfect.
He's just asking you to come tobelieve that there is a power
greater than you that canrestore you.
Not just fix you, not just patchyou up and send you on down the
(22:32):
road, restore you to sanity.
But it takes that step, like wetalked about last week, that
first step of going around in acircle, going around in a
circle, you have to step outtathat pattern and say, Lord, I
can't, but you can.
And I believe, I have hope andbelief.
(22:52):
My faith is in the one.
It's not in the garment, it's inthe, it's in the one wearing the
garment.
That's where my faith is.
He can and will restore you tosanity.
Dan (23:05):
Amen.
So powerful family.
That's what this whole thing'sabout.
Step two is we come to believe,belief.
That's it.
Belief even when it don't makesense.
Belief that we come to believethat a power greater than
ourselves can restore us tosanity.
(23:28):
And as we get ready to wrap thispodcast up, I gotta ask you
today, where have you stoppedbelieving?
In what area of my life have Istopped believing?
Is it that I'm ever gonna getclean?
Is it a that I'm ever gonna be agood father or a good husband?
(23:50):
Is it gonna be that I, I'm nevergonna be what God has called me
to be?
Where have you stoppedbelieving?
And I challenge you this.
Start replacing that with truth.
We have gave you a plethora ofscriptures for you to go back
(24:12):
to.
Go back to this podcast andwrite these scriptures down.
We have read about a good Godwho has nothing but hope, who
has nothing but faith, who isnothing but peace, who is
nothing but joy.
Start filling your mind withGod.
(24:33):
Start replacing all thatnegativity, all that junk, and
start replacing it with truth.
Step two, come to believe that apower greater than ourselves
could restore us to sanity.
(24:53):
Justin, do you got anything thatyou wanna close with Brother?
Justin (24:57):
It's real.
It's real.
I don't want to take away fromthese steps, but what I am
telling you is it's therelationship that comes from
taking these steps that saves.
It's the one that you're takingthe step to, like that woman,
none of the physicians of theworld.
(25:19):
These programs are great andthey're good, and like you said,
Dan, we've seen numerous people,the job we do, we've seen people
find freedom from this.
But I am telling you there is afreedom that cannot be found
anywhere else but Christ.
And that is a freedom from sinwhen we come to believe that a
(25:41):
power greater than ourselvescould restore us to sanity.
And we put our faith and ourhope in him, we will see a God
who will do more than we couldever imagine is what my Bible
says more than we could everexpect, because that's our God.
But it takes us getting out ofthe way and admitting that we
(26:04):
need him and man that he'swilling and able.
Dan (26:09):
So powerful, brother.
We hope that you enjoyed thispodcast today.
We hope that you're enjoyingthis series as much as we are.
But hey, before we go, we wantyou to hear this loud and clear.
You are not too far gone, youare not too broken, and more
importantly family.
You are not alone.
(26:31):
Recovery is not aboutperfection.
We gotta get that out of ourmind.
It's about progress So you got alittle bit of work on your part
though.
You gotta keep showing up.
You gotta keep being honest withyourself.
You gotta keep surrenderingevery day, step one, every day.
Even when it's messy.
(26:52):
Because you family are strongerthan your struggle.
You are loved beyond your shameand you are rooted in a grace,
the grace of God family thatdon't give up.
We believe in you here at Rootedin Recovered, even if you don't
believe in yourself right now.
(27:12):
But more importantly, family,God hasn't changed his mind
about you.
So until next time, fam, stayrooted, stay recovered.
Let's go to work.
You are not just surviving.
You are becoming, becomingrooted in truth, becoming
(27:33):
recovered by grace, and becomingthe person God always knew you
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
(27:54):
testimonies and hope rises fromthe ashes.
This world doesn't hand outhealing.
It offers quick fixes, cheappies 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 (01:07):
welcome, family.
I don't know about you, but itis a glorious day here in
Southern Illinois.
Such a great day to sit herewith my brother Dan Pyles and
just talk about the Lord andwhat he's done for us.
If you joined us last week, youheard us talking about step one
and what comes after step one.
Is always step two, but in orderto get to step two, you gotta go
(01:31):
through step one.
So maybe you're here today andthis is your first time
listening and you never heardstep one, I'm encouraging you
today.
Go back to step one.
Take an honest look at yourselfand realize.
You can't, but God can.
Now, once again this week wewanna remind you that we need
(01:52):
your support, but like BrotherDan said last week, we're not
asking for money.
What we're asking for, first andforemost is prayer.
I can't stress this enough.
Pray for us, because anytimeyou're doing something that God
wants you to do, the enemy'sgonna be coming, knocking at
your door.
And so as we go out.
We want you to not only pray forus, but pray for each other.
(02:15):
Because if you're taking thesesteps, if you're giving your
life to Christ, let me tell yousomething.
You have an X on your back andthere's an enemy coming after
you, but we have one who isgreater than the enemy.
We have one who is more powerfulthan the enemy.
So the best way you can supportnot only us, but all those out
there listening is prayer.
(02:35):
We'd also like you to like andsubscribe to our Facebook page.
Go check it out.
Go.
Go share your victories.
Go share your struggles.
Go share your prayer requests.
On Sundays, we'll be putting outa post where you can get on and
share your prayer requests, andme and Dan.
We'll get together and you'll,we'll come together in prayer
(02:55):
for what you're asking for.
We'll bring it to the Lord likewe're supposed to guys.
The truth is there's an enemyout there that is trying to
attack, but there is a powergreater than ourselves, and
that's what we're talking aboutto step two.
We came to believe that a powergreater than ourselves could
(03:18):
restore us to sanity.
And Dan, this is my favoritelesson because, man, for a long
time I lived in insanity.
Dan (03:25):
I.
Oh, I'm looking forward totoday's podcast, and man, it's
such a privilege and honor to bein here with you again, brother
and man, just what a powerfulstep two.
I hope that you really enjoyedstep one.
And when we were talking aboutwhen I can't, God.
can and when Justin was readingthat step two, and tells us that
(03:49):
we came to believe that a powergreater than ourselves could
restore us to sanity.
I can't help but think what aperfect podcast episode, but
then to say a power greater thanmy past.
A power greater than my past,and I wanna open this whole
(04:13):
thing up with something.
What if family, just think aboutthis with me for just a moment.
What if your story isn't overyet?
Now think about that for amoment.
I know what, how you feel rightnow.
I know you might be at the verybeginning stages of your
(04:36):
journey, whether that's yourrecovery journey, your spiritual
journey, or whatever.
What if.
Your story isn't over yet.
What if the very thing thatbroke you is the beginning
Justin (04:55):
of your breakthrough?
I wanna encourage everybodylistening today, Dan, as you
were saying that, do you knowyou've already survived a
hundred percent of your worstdays?
You are still here alive andbreathing, so I want to
encourage you today that yourstory isn't over because God's
got a reason.
And if there is breath in yourlungs, there is hope.
(05:17):
If there is breath in your lungsand you've got a reason to
praise God, you've got a reasonnot only to praise, but to cry
out and say, Lord, I need youbecause I know that there is a
power greater than me.
I love how it says, came tobelieve.
We have to first step out ofthat, that river of denial we
talked about last week and say,I'm powerless, and then come to
(05:39):
believe.
So I'm praying that those herethis morning came to believe.
Dan (05:45):
Amen.
And I'm believing that with you,Justin, in the name of Jesus.
Family hope isn't a feeling.
It's a choice to believe thathealing is still possible.
We live in a society and in aworld where just everything is
so dark, so gloom, sodepressing, and just so just
(06:09):
despair, you can't even turn onthe news anymore.
You can't even turn on the tv.
You can't even hardly get onsocial media without seeing all
the negativity and all thatjunk.
What this world needs more thananything is hope, and I'm here
to share that hope with youtoday.
and his Name is Jesus.
(06:30):
It's not a feeling family.
It's a choice to believe thathealing is still.
Possible, and I'm not here todisqualify anything.
I know, Justin, that there is areality of broken belief.
I know what it's like to havebroken trust.
(06:51):
I know what it's like to seekhelp from family man.
From family members and watchthem turn their back on me.
I know what it's like to seek tosink my hope into friends, to
not only let them use me andabuse me, but when they were
done to toss me out and throw meaway, I know what it's like to
(07:15):
have that faith fatigue.
To where you have believed for afamily member that they were
gonna come to salvation, thatyou believed that a family
member yourself was gonna getclean, and you're still waiting
on that miracle.
You're still waiting for that tohappen, and you're starting to
get fatigued.
You're starting to feel like Godcan help others, but not me.
(07:37):
But I want to encourage you witha scripture in Hebrews chapter
11, verse one, and this is whatit says.
It says, now.
Faith is the confidence in whatwe hope for and the assurance
about what we do not see.
Family.
You don't need perfect faith.
(07:58):
You just need enough to takethat next.
Step one step at a time.
So many times, Justin, we try toget so far ahead of ourselves.
We try to get so far ahead ofGod that we end up causing our
ourself more damage than we aredoing good for ourselves.
(08:23):
I understand that you want tosee that family member.
I understand that you want tojump ahead, but I want you to
understand you don't needperfect faith.
You're not perfect.
I'm not perfect.
We're gonna make mistakes.
We're gonna fall.
We don't need perfect faith.
But what I encourage you withtoday is you just need enough
(08:44):
faith to take that next
Justin (08:46):
step.
So Webster's Dictionary defineshope as an expected end for good
and for a long time, Dan, I hadhope.
Okay.
I had hope that my new job wasgonna give me enough money to
finally be happy.
I had hope that relationshipthat I was in would give me some
(09:06):
sense of belonging, some senseof joy.
I had hope that those drugs,that the alcohol, that the
things I was throwing myselfinto would helped me to escape
reality.
I thought I had true hope.
Then God, right?
But then God, because one of myfavorite parts of scripture is
(09:27):
it's so deep, it's so, it'sliving, it's breathing it, it
never ends.
Do you know hope?
In the Old Testament, there'stwo meanings.
The word tikvah it actuallymeans an expect it in for good,
but it also means a line.
(09:47):
Accord, right?
You were talking about how wethink that we have to do it.
We think that we have to be theones to succeed.
Psalm 62, 5 and 6 came to mindwhen you were talking.
Dan, let all that I am waitpatiently before God.
For my hope is in him.
Now think about this.
(10:08):
That word hope that David usedis not only talking about my
expectation for good, it'stalking about that line, that
cord that I have of hope is adirect connection to God and
that is Jesus Christ.
He doesn't offer hope that fadesaway or falls like everything
else.
He is a living, breathing Godthat you can hold onto and trust
(10:31):
to pull you through the muckinmire of life.
And there is a power on theother side of that line greater
than we could ever imagine.
That's just leading us along.
I know sometimes it gets sticky.
I know sometimes it gets hard.
Like you said, Dan, sometimes wewanna listen to the enemy that
says Maybe God doesn't love methe same as everybody else.
(10:53):
Can I tell you something?
He died on a cross for you sothat you could have hope, so
that you could have anexpectation for good and so that
you could have a directconnection to him.
The ultimate power source.
Dan (11:08):
So good.
And I love that scripturebecause David said, my hope is
in God, not in my family, not inmy wife, not in the pastor, not
in my children, not in myself,but God and guys, that's the
whole thing for step two.
(11:29):
That we come to believe thatyou, that me, we come to believe
that a power greater thanourselves.
Something better and greaterthan me.
'cause like step one, man, Icouldn't do it.
I tried, I crashed, I burned.
It wasn't until that moment thatI admitted that I'm weak, that I
(11:50):
admitted that I'm powerless,that I admitted that God.
I need you.
And we read about this where wecan't, God can all the more.
Now we're saying here, God, Ibelieve God, I gotta have faith.
And the hope that you somethingbetter than me can restore me.
(12:12):
And that's what David said, hesaid, and God is my hope and
family today.
If you are gonna get to thisnext step, if you are gonna get
to step two, to step three, allthe way to step 12, and then to
just living your life, you aregoing to have to put your hope
in Jesus Christ.
(12:33):
Stop putting your hope inpeople.
Stop putting your hope inprograms.
Stop putting your hope in thisor that.
Start putting your hope.
Justin (12:44):
In Jesus, and I would encourage you, you read Hebrews
11, one, faith is a substance ofthings hoped for.
Well, what does David say?
My soul waits patiently.
So maybe you're here today andyou're wondering why everything
ain't fallen into place, whythat your life still seems like
it's unmanageable at times.
(13:06):
Maybe you're here and you feel,and you're listening to us and
you're saying, but Justin, youdon't get to struggle.
You don't understand.
I've been going through thisforever.
David waited patiently.
Sometimes it takes.
Us getting out of our own way,admitting we're powerless and
just wait.
And when they, when you're inthe waiting, there's a blessing.
(13:30):
A blessing.
Dan (13:32):
as you were reading that, it's like the Holy Spirit led me
to Romans 15:13 and it says, maythe God of hope.
Amen.
May the God of hope fill youwith all the joy and peace.
Oh my God, that's what we need.
Think about this for a minute.
How would you do with peace inyour life right now?
(13:53):
how much better would your lifebe right now?
Family, with some peace.
The word of God is telling usthat peace is found in God.
Today can be that turning pointfor you.
Today can be that turning pointfor you where your life is never
the same, that maybe you've beentrying to put your hope and
trust in people.
(14:14):
Maybe you've been trying to putyour hope and trust in friends
and family and society, and asgood as those people are,
they're going to fail you.
People will fail you.
I will fail.
You don't put your hope in me.
As we just read, may the God ofHope David said, I put my hope
(14:35):
in God.
May the God of hope fill youwith all the joy and peace as
you trust in him.
In him as you trust in him, Godis not asking you for blind
faith.
He is asking you to trust histrack record family.
(14:57):
His win-loss record is a wholelot better than yours.
I can promise you that hiswin-loss record is a whole lot
better than mine.
All he's not asking forperfection for you.
You don't have to haveeverything figured out.
You won't have it figured out.
Trust me.
I've been there, I've done that.
(15:17):
I tried to have it all squaredaway before I came to God.
He is not asking for that.
He wants you in your bustedbroken mess.
He wants you at your rockbottom.
Because like I asked you today,just a few moments ago, when
this podcast, what if the verything that broke you.
(15:39):
Is the beginning of yourbreakthrough, that rock bottom
that you're going with anddealing with right now in your
life.
God is not asking you to have itall figured out.
He's just asking that you trusthis track record.
Justin (15:58):
You know what is the greatest commandment to love the
Lord your God, with all yourheart, all your strength, all
your soul.
Which means, like you said, Goddoesn't just want the good parts
of you that you're showingeverybody else.
He doesn't want the smilingChristian that shows up on
Sunday and says, everything'sgood in my life.
(16:18):
No.
What God wants is that brokenmess that hides behind closed
doors and cries in your pillowto him, and you can't even speak
words.
All you have is murmurings andgroanings.
Well, guess what?
It.
We have hope because there's aspirit inside of us.
The Bible says, I believe it'sPaul, he says, for when I cannot
express words, the spirit insideme, groans and murmurs.
(16:43):
That's hope, and it takes faithto believe that.
But like Dan said, it's not ablind faith.
We see the end.
I don't know if you've ever readthe end of the book, but it says
he wins.
Like Dan said, he's batting athousand.
We have victory, but we have torealize victory only comes
(17:04):
through him, and that's whereour hope lies.
We can't stress that enough.
Quit putting hope in self-helpprograms.
Quit putting hope in your familyand your job and your success
and give it to him.
Dan (17:17):
And that's such a great way.
And again, we're not here toknock those guys.
We work programs.
Yes, I'm in recovery because ofa program.
I'm where I'm at today becauseof a program.
I have had the privilege andhonor of watching hundreds of
people be able to get throughthe other side, through
(17:40):
programs.
But family, if we bank all ofour hope on a program.
If I bank all of my hope onsomething manmade, I promise you
family, it is going to lead usto crash and burn.
Think about that.
How many times did you try earlyin your recovery?
(18:01):
I'm gonna try this pill.
I'm gonna try that drink.
I'm gonna try this sleep method.
I'm gonna try this meditation.
I'm gonna try this exercise.
I'm gonna try, I'm gonna try.
I am gonna try.
I am gonna try.
I'm gonna try trying differentthings and meanwhile, God is
just sitting back saying, if youwill give it to me, I will give
you peace.
I will give you love.
(18:22):
I will give you joy.
The Bible says that he will giveyou a.
Peace that surpasses all ourunderstanding to guard our heart
and to guard our mind, and thatis found in Jesus.
Justin, when I look and I thinkabout hope, and I think about
(18:44):
hope in scripture, there isnothing more hopeful than the
woman with the issue of blood.
You gotta think about this girlright here.
The Bible says that she has beendealing with this issue for
years.
For years.
We want quick fixes.
I want fix.
Now we're in a society, and nowif I don't wanna wait, I could
(19:08):
just pop something in themicrowave and have a meal in two
minutes.
We are a now society.
We are in a fix it now society,and it said that this woman was
subject to bleeding for 12 yearsbecause no one could heal her.
This means that this woman triedprogram after program, after
(19:31):
doctor, after help, and nothingwas solving the problem.
The Bible says that after shespent all she had, I.
She was flat, busted, family,flat, broken family.
She heard of Jesus just like youare hearing today.
The Bible says that she came upbehind him and touched the edge
(19:55):
of his cloak.
Listen to this, and the Biblesays immediately her bleeding
stopped immediately.
Family, when you put your hopein Jesus Christ.
The benefits are immediately.
Now, I'm not saying that theconsequences go away.
(20:15):
We'll talk about that at anothertime.
We still got the consequences.
We still gotta pay, but we areforgiven and we begin to have
that peace.
And it's a process, Justin.
It takes time.
But when I think of hope inscripture, man, nothing banks
more hope.
Then that woman who tried allthose programs, who went to all
(20:38):
those doctors, who spenteverything she had, maybe that's
you right now, man.
Maybe you have spent everything.
Maybe you have sunk ineverything and you've tried
everything and it's failing you.
Try Jesus family.
Try Jesus today.
'cause like I said, only Jesuscan satisfy your soul.
Justin (21:02):
I think we fail to realize that because of this
issue, because of blood, shewasn't allowed to be around her
family.
She would've been living on thestreets outside of the city
because nobody could touch her.
She would've been calledunclean.
She wouldn't have been allowedto worship.
She wouldn't have been allowedto even go in public places and
(21:24):
rub against somebody.
Because it would've made themunclean, but yet we see her
believing in a power greaterthan herself and doing all she
can to reach out and touch.
And what does Jesus say at theend of all of it?
Dan, it's one of your faith hasmade you whole so many times.
(21:48):
So many times we let the worldtell us that we shouldn't be
with our families because ofwhat we're going through.
We let the world tell us that weshouldn't be allowed in the
cities.
We shouldn't be allowed to bearound others.
We believe the lie that I'm notable to worship God because of
who I am.
Well, I'm here to tell you.
I'm here to encourage you thatis a lie straight from the pits
(22:12):
of hell.
And that my God says, come to meall ye who are weary and heavy
laden.
He's not saying, come to meperfect.
He's just asking you to come tobelieve that there is a power
greater than you that canrestore you.
Not just fix you, not just patchyou up and send you on down the
(22:32):
road, restore you to sanity.
But it takes that step, like wetalked about last week, that
first step of going around in acircle, going around in a
circle, you have to step outtathat pattern and say, Lord, I
can't, but you can.
And I believe, I have hope andbelief.
(22:52):
My faith is in the one.
It's not in the garment, it's inthe, it's in the one wearing the
garment.
That's where my faith is.
He can and will restore you tosanity.
Dan (23:05):
Amen.
So powerful family.
That's what this whole thing'sabout.
Step two is we come to believe,belief.
That's it.
Belief even when it don't makesense.
Belief that we come to believethat a power greater than
ourselves can restore us tosanity.
(23:28):
And as we get ready to wrap thispodcast up, I gotta ask you
today, where have you stoppedbelieving?
In what area of my life have Istopped believing?
Is it that I'm ever gonna getclean?
Is it a that I'm ever gonna be agood father or a good husband?
(23:50):
Is it gonna be that I, I'm nevergonna be what God has called me
to be?
Where have you stoppedbelieving?
And I challenge you this.
Start replacing that with truth.
We have gave you a plethora ofscriptures for you to go back
(24:12):
to.
Go back to this podcast andwrite these scriptures down.
We have read about a good Godwho has nothing but hope, who
has nothing but faith, who isnothing but peace, who is
nothing but joy.
Start filling your mind withGod.
(24:33):
Start replacing all thatnegativity, all that junk, and
start replacing it with truth.
Step two, come to believe that apower greater than ourselves
could restore us to sanity.
(24:53):
Justin, do you got anything thatyou wanna close with Brother?
Justin (24:57):
It's real.
It's real.
I don't want to take away fromthese steps, but what I am
telling you is it's therelationship that comes from
taking these steps that saves.
It's the one that you're takingthe step to, like that woman,
none of the physicians of theworld.
(25:19):
These programs are great andthey're good, and like you said,
Dan, we've seen numerous people,the job we do, we've seen people
find freedom from this.
But I am telling you there is afreedom that cannot be found
anywhere else but Christ.
And that is a freedom from sinwhen we come to believe that a
(25:41):
power greater than ourselvescould restore us to sanity.
And we put our faith and ourhope in him, we will see a God
who will do more than we couldever imagine is what my Bible
says more than we could everexpect, because that's our God.
But it takes us getting out ofthe way and admitting that we
(26:04):
need him and man that he'swilling and able.
Dan (26:09):
So powerful, brother.
We hope that you enjoyed thispodcast today.
We hope that you're enjoyingthis series as much as we are.
But hey, before we go, we wantyou to hear this loud and clear.
You are not too far gone, youare not too broken, and more
importantly family.
You are not alone.
(26:31):
Recovery is not aboutperfection.
We gotta get that out of ourmind.
It's about progress So you got alittle bit of work on your part
though.
You gotta keep showing up.
You gotta keep being honest withyourself.
You gotta keep surrenderingevery day, step one, every day.
Even when it's messy.
(26:52):
Because you family are strongerthan your struggle.
You are loved beyond your shameand you are rooted in a grace,
the grace of God family thatdon't give up.
We believe in you here at Rootedin Recovered, even if you don't
believe in yourself right now.
(27:12):
But more importantly, family,God hasn't changed his mind
about you.
So until next time, fam, stayrooted, stay recovered.
Let's go to work.
You are not just surviving.
You are becoming, becomingrooted in truth, becoming
(27:33):
recovered by grace, and becomingthe person God always knew you
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
(27:54):
testimonies and hope rises fromthe ashes.
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