Jesus Loves Addicts

87. Bound by Unforgiveness (w/ Crystal Ward)

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 surrender and healing.

Topics include early trauma, family dynamics, foster care, huffing gas and polysubstance use, losing and regaining custody, seven treatment attempts, the role of faith in recovery, the power of forgiveness (including forgiving her father), and how Crystal now serves others through ministry—married to Elijah Warren and preparing to lead a women’s City of Refuge.

Tune in for a raw, hope-filled conversation about failures and restoration, practical recovery wisdom, boundaries, and how God uses brokenness for renewed purpose.

86. Living the Lifestyle (w/ Matthew Rindge)

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 consequences, and the spiritual journey from atheism to faith—culminating in a transformative moment in chapel and eventual baptism. Conversations explore relapse, recovery phases, counseling, and the role of community and church in sustained change.

Key takeaways include the challenges and rewards of recovery, confronting past hurts and unhealthy patterns (including manipulation and relationship work), and practical hope: how faith, honest support, and programs like the Home of Grace can turn darkness into restored purpose.

85. Iron Wall (w/ John Nugier)

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 the role of faith in recovery, the limitations of rehab without a spiritual foundation, the Home of Grace model (a three‑month Christ‑centered program), accepting responsibility, forgiveness, family reconciliation, and practical lessons for loved ones and those still struggling. John describes his moment of surrender, baptism, and how God transformed his anger into compassion and ministry work helping others find treatment.

Listeners can expect candid stories, hard lessons about enabling and manipulation, encouragement for families, and clear takeaways about building a relationship with Christ, taking responsibility for one’s choices, and the slow, ongoing process of healing and redemption.

84. ROUNDTABLE- Gratitude

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 of sin, identity in Christ, and how purpose (not pleasure) fuels lasting recovery. Guests share personal stories, practical indicators of relapse (restless, irritable, discontent), and why grace—“the cross was enough”—is the foundation for life-changing thankfulness.

Key takeaways: humility precedes deep gratitude, trust in God’s way transforms desires and brings real joy, and recovery is a daily dying to self that creates space for Christ’s work. Listeners can expect candid testimony, biblical teaching, and practical encouragement for those in or helping someone through recovery.

83. Living to Die - Part 2 (w/ Brandon and Cary Sanders)

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 that led them to rock bottom and the faith‑based programs that helped them rebuild.

Topics include the early prescription that sparked addiction, life as a double‑life addict, arrests and pretrial diversion, secular rehab vs. faith programs like Teen Challenge and Wings of Life, suicidal ideation and near‑death experiences, the role of community and toxic relationships in relapse, and the practical steps they took toward restoration: surrender, ministry, counseling, and family reconciliation. Key moments: Brandon’s surrender in a hotel room, Cary’s encounter with the Holy Spirit, their meeting while serving outreach, marital courtship under pastoral oversight, and later miracles including restored relationships and the reinstatement of Carrie’s nursing license.

Listeners can expect candid stories about shame, loss, and recovery, reflections on how Christ overcomes addiction and brokenness, and actionable encouragement about staying connected, avoiding premature relationships in early sobriety, and trusting grace. This episode is for anyone facing addiction, supporting a loved one, or seeking hope in the midst of despair.

82. Living to Die - Part 1 (w/ Brandon and Cary Sanders)

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.

Topics include multigenerational addiction, early trauma, homelessness, relapse, violence and shame, the false comforts of substances, and the moments that planted seeds of faith. Both guests are candid about failures and the hard work of recovery, and they reflect on the challenges and rewards of healing from such broken pasts.

The episode also highlights the role of faith and community in recovery — Brandon and Cary’s encounter with Christ, Brandon’s eventual forgiveness of his father, and their work as executive directors of Wings of Life. Expect honest storytelling, practical insight on stigma and recovery, and a message of hope and restoration for listeners seeking a path out of addiction.

81. Counterfeit vs Authenticity (w/ Vinquia Jones)

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 multiple recovery programs (Wings of Life, Home of Grace) slowly restored her life.

Listeners will hear candid accounts of loss (the murders and overdoses of close friends and cousins), the cycle of offense and relapse, and the difficult work of forgiveness — especially toward a mother who had her own brokenness. Vinquia describes the moment of surrender, how Christ’s love healed her eight-year-old wounds, the ongoing battle with pride and relapse, and how purpose and community help sustain recovery.

This episode is for anyone wrestling with addiction, identity, or the pain of the past. Expect honest scripture-grounded conversation about repentance, daily dependence on Christ, the reality of spiritual warfare, and the promise that no one is too far gone for God to redeem. Includes discussion of Christian recovery resources and invitations to the Home of Grace for support and treatment.

80. From a False Identity to a Child of Christ (w/ Elias Kihyet Jr)

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 and relapse. Listeners hear candid details about arrests, car accidents, and the turning points that eventually led Elias to Teen Challenge and the Home of Grace.

The conversation dives into theological perspectives on sin and recovery, the role of family dynamics, the complexity of spiritual versus behavioral change, and practical recovery steps like accountability, scripture memorization, and radical honesty. Elias describes how Christ and structured, faith-based programs helped shift his identity from sexuality-focused to Christ-centered, and how he now pursues sanctification while acknowledging ongoing temptations.

Expect an honest, sometimes confronting discussion of addiction, homosexuality, and Christian faith—complete with personal testimony, reflections on pastoral responses, and encouragement for anyone seeking freedom. Key points include the interplay of addiction and sexuality, the power of Christ-centered recovery, the importance of accountability and truth-telling, and a message of hope for those trapped in similar cycles.