Jesus Loves Addicts

In this episode of Jesus Loves Addicts, father-daughter guests Randall and Lawren Cobb share a raw, hopeful conversation about addiction, family, and faith. Lawren recounts her six-year struggle with meth—starting with middle-school insecurities, progressing to self-harm and homelessness, and culminating in violent relationships—while Randall describes the pain and difficult boundaries of parentin...

In this episode of Jesus Loves Addicts, hosts Paul and Kathryn speaks with Crystal Ward from Alabama about her journey from childhood sexual abuse and a family shaped by addiction to more than 20 years of substance dependence. Crystal shares how unforgiveness—not just drugs—kept her bound, her multiple attempts at treatment, and the life-changing encounter with Christ that finally led to lasting s...

Guest Matthew Rindge shares a raw, honest story of growing up surrounded by addiction, coping with his sister’s suicide, years of substance abuse, jail stints, and self-harm. Listeners hear how desperation and family intervention led him to the Home of Grace and the long, difficult steps toward sobriety. The episode covers Matthew’s struggle with depression, addiction to opioids and Xanax, legal c...

In this episode of Jesus Loves Addicts host Paul and Ross interviews John Nugier from Crowley, Louisiana, who shares a raw, honest testimony of 41 years of addiction and the winding path to lasting recovery. John recounts childhood loss, boarding school, early substance use, five marriages, multiple treatment attempts, and the near‑death car accident that became his turning point. Topics include t...

In this roundtable episode of Jesus Loves Addicts the hosts sit down with guest Austin alongside Kathryn and Ross to explore humility and gratitude in the recovery walk. They connect biblical examples to everyday struggles in addiction, repentance, and sanctification. Conversation topics include entitlement versus true gratitude, the danger of bargaining with God, consequences versus the penalty o...

In this powerful episode, guests Brandon Sanders and his wife Cary Dawn Sanders share an unflinching, firsthand account of long-term addiction, relapse, and radical restoration through faith. Brandon—once a nurse who spiraled into pain‑killer abuse, prescription fraud, and years of heroin and meth use—and Cary—who battled similar darkness and suicidal thoughts—walk listeners through the events tha...

In this two-part episode Paul and Kathryn sit down with Brandon Sanders and his wife Cary Dawn Sanders to trace their journeys from deep addiction to life in recovery. Brandon shares a harrowing childhood—witnessing his mother’s murder, growing up in foster care, and battling decades of substance use—while Cary describes how nursing and pain medication led to her own long struggle with addiction....

In this raw, emotional episode of Jesus Loves Addicts, Vinquia Jones shares her powerful testimony of childhood abuse, identity struggles, life in the streets, addiction, prostitution, prison, and multiple attempts at recovery. Hosts Kathryn and Paul sit with Vinquia to unpack the roots of addiction — rejection, identity wounds, and generational trauma — and hear how God’s love, counseling, and mu...

In this powerful episode of Jesus Loves Addicts, host(s) sit down with Elias Kihyet and his sister Kathryn to unpack Elias’s life-long battle with addiction, depression, and same-sex attraction. Raised in a loving, churchgoing family, Elias shares his early struggles with feeling different, substance use beginning in childhood, encounters with the gay nightlife, and multiple cycles of treatment an...

In this episode of Jesus Loves Addicts, Hal and Lisa Selby share the powerful story of Hal’s deliverance from 27 years of bondage to homosexuality and how the couple navigated confession, forgiveness, and restoration. They discuss Hal’s upbringing, early abuse, the spiritual and emotional factors that contributed to his struggle, and the moment he repented and was transformed. Lisa recounts the sh...

In this episode of Jesus Loves Addicts, Katie shares her raw and powerful story of addiction, loss, and redemption. After 20 years of substance abuse, criminal consequences, and fractured relationships, Katie recounts the trauma of homelessness, jail, and the desperation that led her to treatment. Through a faith-based recovery program, reconciling conversations, and the pursuit of God, she finds...

In this emotional two-part episode of Jesus Loves Addicts, host Paul sits down with Katie Foster Gerhart to hear her harrowing life story — from a traumatic childhood with alcoholic parents and early responsibilities as the 'family protector' to two decades of substance abuse. Katie recounts pivotal moments including a near-fatal car crash, arrests, painful medical issues, multiple rehabs, and the...

In this episode John Carriere jr. joins the Jesus Loves Addicts podcast to tell his raw, honest story: growing up chasing sports and success, spiraling into drugs and drug-dealing in college, and the devastating turning point after his mother’s terminal diagnosis and death in 2007. He describes ordering pills online, seizures, arrests, and living in chaos before hitting rock bottom. John shares th...

In this episode Jeff York, founder and executive director of Joseph's Home, shares his raw and honest journey from a violent, drug‑addicted past to more than two decades of recovery and ministry. He recounts childhood struggles with dyslexia and bullying, early drug use and extreme violence, a federal indictment, and the moments of surrender that turned his life around. Jeff discusses the turning...

In this intense, deeply personal episode Julie tells her story of addiction, loss, and faith. She recounts years of drug use with her partner, arrests, overdoses, and the devastating moment she found him after he took his own life while she was tending their baby. Julie describes relapses, multiple treatment stints, time in jail and psychiatric holds, and the trauma of being estranged from family...

Part one of a two-part conversation with guest Julie Schouest and host Paul from Jesus Loves Addicts. Julie rawly recounts a childhood marked by divorce, conflicting parental expectations, shame and feeling unseen — and how those wounds steered her into early substance use, risky relationships, and escalating drug use through adolescence and young adulthood. The episode covers early experimentatio...

In this episode Kristyn Simmons shares her raw, candid story: a happy childhood shadowed by family addiction, a decade-long battle with opiates, violent relationships, jail and loss, and a horrific 2021 car accident that shattered her face and changed everything. Kristyn talks about sinking into IV opiate use, losing custody of her children, hitting rock bottom, and the long recovery process with...

Host interviews Kayla, who shares growing up in an addicted home with an absent, struggling father and a faithful mother, the instability of homelessness, and the cycle of rehab and jail. She recounts how God met her in childhood, her transformative years in a 24/7 prayer room, and the long process of grieving, healing, and learning to set healthy boundaries. Topics include addiction’s impact on f...

In this roundtable episode of Jesus Loves Addicts, hosts and recovery leaders Kathryn, Ross, and Paul unpack relationships in early recovery—examining the rewards, the dangers, and the faith-centered wisdom needed to navigate them. Topics include why waiting (often a year or more) matters, how attraction and sex can function like a drug, codependency and “fixer/fixee” dynamics, the influence of Ho...

Join us for a compelling episode of "Jesus Loves Addicts," featuring the heartfelt and inspiring journey of Shane and Shelly Martin, a couple who overcame years of addiction through the power of faith. In this episode, Shane and Shelly candidly share their personal battles with addiction, from nicotine, pornography, and alcoholism to overcoming PTSD. Despite facing significant challenges, their fa...

In this heartfelt episode of Jesus Loves Addicts, we dive deep into the transformative journey of David Herrington. Once lost to cocaine and crack addiction, David shares his experiences of living on the streets, serving time in prison, and the turning points that led him to find hope and renewal through Jesus Christ. Joining this conversation is Pastor Brandon Rogers, who plays a pivotal role in...

In this gripping episode of Jesus Loves Addicts, we continue with part two of Joseph Deason's powerful story of addiction, redemption, and faith. Joseph recounts his tumultuous journey through drug addiction, starting from experimenting with substances in his teenage years to battling with severe meth addiction. He shares candid insights into his life experiences, including a traumatic car acciden...

In this compelling episode, the hosts of Jesus Loves Addicts dive deep into the tumultuous early life of Joseph Deason. Growing up amidst chaos, from witnessing tumultuous family dynamics to exposure to addiction at a young age, Joseph shares candid memories and pivotal moments that shaped his path. This is the first part of a two-part series exploring Joseph's journey from a troubled childhood to...

In this powerful episode of "Jesus Loves Addicts," join host Kathryn and co-host Ross as they welcome special guest Jaclyn Herman. Jaclyn, wife of Pastor Victor Herman and mother to six, opens up about her tumultuous journey from a seemingly idyllic childhood to battling addiction and finding salvation in Christ. Born in South Florida, Jaclyn's life took a drastic turn after her parents' unexpecte...

In this compelling episode of "Jesus Loves Addicts," we delve into the life of Victor Herman, a pastor with a past that mirrors many tales of struggle and redemption. Growing up in an environment of addiction and violence, Victor embraced a life of hedonism and found himself facing the harsh realities of Alabama State Prison. Victor takes us through his journey from being a "God-hating libertine"...