the recovery lifestyle

In this episode of The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, John Rizzi on a transformative episode where the veil is lifted on the living Jesus in today's recovery journey. Delve into the revelation of who Jesus is now, understand the power of his sovereignty, and learn how this knowledge can lead to lasting change in your life. Uncover the keys to freedom, sobriety, and a stronger relationship with Jesus through the exploration of Revelation and its profound impact on the recovery lifestyle.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Explore the revelation of Jesus in Revelation 1, transcending the historical figure to understand who Jesus is today.
• Recognize the authority and sovereign power of Jesus over your life, the keys to freedom from sin and lasting sobriety.
• Gain insights into the transformative journey of the host, James Lent, and discover the five revelations that awakened a deeper connection with God.
• Understand the symbolic significance of Jesus' appearance in Revelation, from the white hair symbolizing purity to the blazing eyes representing all-seeing judgment.
• Reflect on the assurance that Jesus holds the keys to death and hell, unlocking a path to life and heaven for believers.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Don't be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am the living one. I was dead and now look, I am alive forever, and I hold the keys to death and hell."
• "Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we experience His blessings when we choose to live out our relationship and service to Jesus Christ."
• "King of Kings and Lord of Lords is our God. He's 100 percent man and 100 percent God. This is who we serve with loyalty and allegiance."

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

In this episode of The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, we delve deep into the essence of transformative choices within the Christian recovery journey. We emphasize the importance of understanding motives, aligning choices with spiritual principles, and embracing a life ruled by a creator's love. Exploring scriptural insights and personal experiences, we highlight the need to deny self-indulgence, pursue God's will, and be awakened spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Understanding Motives: Highlighting the significance of checking motives behind every choice to discern their impact.
• Power of Scripture: Encouraging a deeper engagement with the Word to understand God's will and the state of one's heart.
• Denial of Self: Emphasizing the need to deny self-gratification and selfish pursuits in favor of following Christ.
• Revival and Awakening: Urging listeners to seek spiritual revival, aligning with God's will for a fulfilled life.
• Living a Life of Purpose: Embracing choices that honor Christ and contribute to personal growth and endurance.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Every choice impacts life positively or negatively. No one can make choices for you."
• "The heart of man is deceitful above all things... none are truly good, we've all fallen short."
• "God wants to give us a new heart, full of love, joy, and self-control."
• "The culture preaches selfishness for happiness, but true fulfillment lies in friendship with God."
• "Denying self involves rejecting self-indulgence, selfish ambition, and seeking to please oneself at the expense of others."

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

In this episode of The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, James Lent and Chris Decker delve into the profound journey of redemption and transformation. In this special episode, Chris shares his vision for a groundbreaking film, Son of a King, born from a momentous prayer walk and a life-changing retreat. This film encapsulates Chris's raw personal story, portraying the intense struggles with addiction, deception, and the ultimate quest for redemption through faith. Chris invites listeners to be part of this transformative project that aims to touch the hearts of a million men, emphasizing the power of faith and deliverance from the deepest of struggles.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Finding Redemption Through Truth: Chris reveals his profound realization during a prayer walk, acknowledging his past and the pursuit of a career that led to a life far from God's plan.
• Confronting Rock Bottom: The pivotal moment when facing a lawsuit became the catalyst for Chris's awakening, leading to a floodgate of truth and transparency about his addictions, double life, and immense guilt.
• Unveiling a Vision: Son of a King represents Chris's redemption story, a deeply personal journey of transformation, faith, and the pursuit of purpose through filmmaking.
• Crowdfunding for a Purpose: Inviting listeners to participate in this project through crowdfunding, emphasizing the impact of collective support in reaching the hearts of a million fatherless men and boys.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "I was trying to siphon pleasure from a deep well of darkness."
• "I knew exactly how we were going to live this way. I had it all figured out."
• "The recovery lifestyle podcast is about how the Lord brought freedom from years of addiction."
• "We're not going back to those things. The deliverance from addictions is permanent."

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

In this episode of The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, James Lent and Chris Decker dive into the profound experiences of spiritual healing and the pursuit of lasting transformation. They explore the recent powerful insights gained from a special four-day event: the "Wild at Heart" boot camp retreat on Catalina Island, attended by Chris. The conversation delves into the eye-opening journey Chris undertook during this transformative retreat led by John Eldridge, a renowned Christian author and counselor. Through raw, candid discussions, they dissect the core elements of spiritual warfare, masculine identity, the impacts of wounds on one's life, and the pursuit of true deliverance through the grace of Jesus Christ.

The discussion touches on the significance of reintegration into one's daily life after such transformative experiences, the challenges encountered, the reality of spiritual warfare, and the impact of these lessons on personal growth. The hosts emphasize the need for men to confront their wounds, realize their role in the battle against the enemy, and seek true deliverance and healing through faith.

Throughout the conversation, they highlight the importance of facing personal wounds and exploring the powerful impact of the Holy Spirit in bringing about genuine healing. The episode provides a poignant exploration of finding strength, purpose, and identity in a world at war and seeks to encourage men on their journey toward spiritual growth, unveiling the transformative potential found in faith, self-discovery, and the pursuit of true masculinity.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Uncovering the true essence of masculinity and the battle against Satan's attempts to emasculate men.
• Healing from wounds, addictions, and deep-seated agreements made with the enemy through the power of the Holy Spirit and confession.
• Understanding the misconceptions of a "good Christian man" and the call to be warriors for Christ in a spiritually besieged world.
• The tangible impact of spiritual warfare and the challenges of being misunderstood, envied, and facing jealousy in the journey back to reintegration.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "The root of my addictions was not the lack of a 12-step program to follow. The root was trying to make myself feel like I'm good enough, good enough for the Lord." - Chris Decker
• "Sobriety is not salvation. It's when we come into the power of the Holy Spirit by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, laying down our lives for Him in surrender." - James Lent

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

In this episode of The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, James Lent and John Rizzi delve into the transformative power of Step Two in their recovery program. They discuss the challenges and revelations that come with addressing anger issues and control struggles. By sharing their personal experiences and insights, they shed light on how individuals can break free from the chains of anger and find lasting recovery and peace.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Step Two, the Transformation Journal, focuses on identifying and addressing anger and control issues.
• Anger often stems from an underlying fear of losing control.
• Control-related triggers can be as simple as traffic, but they have a significant impact on our emotional well-being.
• Negative internal dialogue and rehearsing conflicts in our minds only steal our joy and energy.
• Learning to live unoffendable can bring more joy and peace to our lives.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Whenever expectations aren't met, the result is disappointment, frustration, and anger."
• "If I could live unoffendable, how much more joyful would life be?"
• "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:2)

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

In the previous episode of The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, James Lent shares his deeply personal journey of recovery and transformation. Discover how embracing the grace of God, commitment to obedience, and the power of the Word led James out of a life of denial and into lasting freedom from addiction. He discusses the importance of studying the Word, understanding the standards of the Lord, and finding peace amidst the chaos of life. James also emphasizes the need to tackle common addictions like pornography, alcohol, and drugs, while urging listeners to seek the Lord with a pure heart. This episode is an inspiring testament to the power of faith, transformation, and recovery.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Embracing the grace of God and commitment to obedience are key to lasting recovery and transformation.
• The Word of God is the ultimate guide to understanding the Lord's standards and building a relationship with Him.
• Peace and freedom from addiction can be achieved through a strong connection with the divine and the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Addressing common addictions like pornography, alcohol, and drugs is crucial for personal growth and recovery.
• Seek the Lord with a pure heart, allowing Him to search your soul and guide you toward eternal life.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "The transformation journey I have been on has been one of coming to an understanding of the grace of God, a deeper experience with the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, character, discipline, and repentance in my heart and life."
• "The Lord did a marvelous work through Chuck Smith, and, uh, many of those pastors around the country sprang from the Calvary Chapel movement."
• "The rewards and benefits of knowing and understanding the Lord are freedom from addiction, confusion, emotional and mental distress, anxiety, and finding peace that goes beyond our ability to understand."
• "You are fully and completely undermining your potential for life if you're indulging in pornography, alcohol, or drugs."
• "I pray that you would invest time with the Lord and ask Him to search your heart and lead you towards the path that leads to eternal life."

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

In the previous episode of The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, James Lent shares his personal journey from a 40-year-long heroin addiction to redemption through Christ-centered recovery. He discusses the importance of transforming one's belief system and emphasizes the need to prepare for the coming Kingdom of Heaven. Drawing from scripture and personal experiences, James provides insights into the power of the Holy Spirit and the significance of studying and applying the Word of God in one's life. He also explores the concept of the rapture and its implications for believers. Join James and the Recovery Lifestyle community as they guide you towards lasting sobriety and a deeper relationship with Jesus.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Recovery Lifestyle program focuses on a 16-week journey, beginning with confessing sins and addressing character defects.
• James emphasizes the role of a dysfunctional belief system in influencing behaviors and decisions.
• The transformation of one's belief system aligns with God's will and involves the Holy Spirit's guidance.
• James shares his personal journey from addiction to recovery and highlights the importance of making recovery lifestyle choices.
• Believers need to prepare for the Kingdom of Heaven by studying the Bible and allowing the Word of God to shape their lives.
• James discusses the concept of the rapture and the role of believers in the millennial reign of Christ.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed for the fervent, effective prayer of a righteous man availeth much." - James 5:16
• "If we confess our sins, He, meaning God, is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9
• "To be poor in spirit is to know and understand your need for God, that God wants to prepare you for your calling and your ministry and anoint you with the Holy Spirit."
• "You never do this on your own. You're gonna need the help. So Jesus says, I will not leave you alone as orphans, but I will send the counselor, and he will guide you into all truth."
• "Prepare yourself with prayer, study the Bible. The Bible says, study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
• "Blessed is the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - From the Beatitudes

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

In the previous episode of The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, James Lent shares his inspiring journey from a life of addiction to finding faith and recovery. He discusses the importance of transforming dysfunctional beliefs and aligning one's life with God's plan. James emphasizes the need for a Christ-centered approach to recovery and encourages listeners to embrace the freedom that comes from lasting sobriety.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Recovery is a journey of transformation, where individuals can overcome addiction and embrace lasting sobriety through faith and personal growth.
• Dysfunctional belief systems often underlie addictive behaviors, and addressing these beliefs is a crucial step in the recovery process.
• The power of community and accountability in recovery cannot be underestimated, as sharing one's struggles and progress with others is a key element of healing.
• James highlights the importance of studying and understanding the Word of God as a means of personal growth and spiritual development.
• He reminds listeners that the time for recovery is now, and that embracing God's calling and anointing can lead to a purposeful and fulfilling life.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "To be poor in spirit is to know and understand your need for God, that God wants to prepare you for your calling in your ministry."
• "We don't have to do this with machoism. We don't have to do this with testosterone. We do what we do under the power of the Holy Spirit."
• "The recovery journey is about sweeping aside things that keep us from truly knowing and understanding God and discovering what real life in Christ is all about."

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

THE BREAKING PART OF RECOVERY IS AN ONGOING PROCESS

In the previous episode of The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, John and James discuss the "Search me" prayer in Craig Groeschel’s Dangerous Prayers book referencing Psalm 139.

In today's episode, the duo will be diving deeper into the dangerous prayer, “Break me” and the break me story of the perfume from Mark chapter 14 on the day before the Passover. There are tons of great insights and inspiration so tune in to this episode of The Recovery Lifestyle.

RECOVERY MOMENTS

JOHN: RECOVERY ALWAYS STARTS FROM BEING BROKEN

“I was broken and then I found recovery, started in recovery, and then the whole process of recovery really led to so many blessings in my life. So I shouldn't be afraid of becoming broken because of all the fruit that winds up coming from it.”

JAMES: IT’S THE GOODNESS OF GOD THAT DRAWS US TO REPENTANCE

“When a child of God sins, which we will continue to do saved or unsaved, what happens is the grace, love, and mercy of God goes out from the throne and just expands around us and draws us away from the sin.”

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

NOTHING’S MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE PATH TO RECOVERY

In the previous episode of The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, John introduced us to Craig Groschel’s book, Dangerous Prayers, where he broke down the 5 dangerous prayers, "Search Me," "Reveal My Fears," "Break Me," "Send Me," and "Disturb Me".

In this episode John, together with his new co-host, James Lent, will be diving deeper into the first dangerous prayer, “Search me”. The duo discuss this prayer in detail with reference to Psalm 139. Learn more by staying tuned to this latest episode of The Recovery Lifestyle.

RECOVERY MOMENTS

JOHN: GOD IS EVERYWHERE

“God is everywhere. God knows everything. And his love for us is unbounded.”

JAMES: IT’S WE WHO DON’T KNOW ABOUT OURSELVES

“When we ask God to search us, there isn't anything that he doesn't know about us. Yeah, but there's plenty that we don't know about ourselves.”

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

NOTHING’S MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE PATH TO RECOVERY

In this episode of The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, John discusses the book "Dangerous Prayers" by Craig Groeschel. He explains the purpose of the book and its significance for those in recovery.

John discusses the five dangerous prayers mentioned in the book: "Search Me," "Reveal My Fears," "Break Me," "Send Me," and "Disturb Me" and provides a detailed explanation of each prayer and the related Bible verses and devotionals.

RECOVERY MOMENTS

JOHN: THE FIVE DANGEROUS PRAYERS

“Jesus didn't just challenge others to leave their own wills behind. He too lived the dangerous states. He touched lepers, showed grace to prostitutes, and stood bravely in the face of danger. Then He told us, we could do what He did, and more. So the dangerous prayers are search me, reveal my fears, break me, send me, and disturb me.”

JOHN: EARNESTLY PRAY FOR GOD TO USE YOU

“If you're feeling like your prayer life is stale, or if you hit a recovery plateau, then earnestly pray for God to use you, and He will.”

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE FREE?

Can freedom be achieved by man alone? How does one know that he/she is free? This edition of The Recovery Lifestyle discusses the relationship between freedom and holiness. It explains that holiness means being set apart for God and that Jesus came to restore the breath of life lost in Genesis 3. It also highlights Jesus' mission statement and the progressive steps of spiritual awakening and recovery outlined in the Beatitudes.

RECOVERY MOMENTS

FREEDOM FROM THE STATE OF BEING DEAD

“Its freedom from the state of being dead, God releases us back into our natural original condition, that of being alive, like Adam was before Genesis three in him in Jesus.”

THE TWO KINGDOMS

“Every single one of you is a kingdom man. Make no mistake about it. Every one of you in every man, is a kingdom man, and every man belongs to one of two kingdoms. There's not more, there's only two. There's two kingdoms on earth, and every man belongs to one of the other, there's the Kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of darkness. That's it. When Jesus said, repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. He was pointing out now that he's bringing the Kingdom of Heaven down to the earth.”

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

MORAL MEANS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Getting close to Season 3, John Rizzi opens the episode by talking about where they are now in planning what the season will look like. Then he proceeds to discuss Lesson 8 from Celebrate Recovery. 

John focuses the episode today on MORAL. What does it really mean? In the book, MORAL is an acronym for Make Time, Open, Rely, Analyze, and List. Stay tuned to learn these in detail in the latest episode of The Recovery Lifestyle podcast.

RECOVERY MOMENTS

JOHN: MAKE TIME TO LISTEN

“M is MAKE TIME. I think that the book suggests setting aside a day or a weekend, to listen to yourself and to God, and I think that we need to be really prayerful about this.”

JOHN: OPEN YOURSELF TO THE TRUTH

“O is OPEN. So this is where the fearlessness comes in, ask God to reveal things. So we have to ask him to be truthful. But it's there's no problem asking him to be gentle to and he will be. Sometimes it might not feel that way, so we're talking about waking up our feelings”

JOHN: RELY ON JESUS

“R is RELY. This is relying on Jesus, for strength, for guidance, for wisdom, for insight, at this point, I should have completed step three and turned my will over to the care and control of Jesus.”

JOHN: ANALYZE BY JOURNALING

“A is ANALYZE, I think I've talked about one of my goals for 2023 is being better at journaling, being better at reflection, and setting these specific goals of having consistency in daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly annual reflection.”

JOHN: LIST YOUR EXPERIENCE

“L is LIST. So this is where we're getting the good, the bad, and the ugly out on paper, and there's something really powerful about seeing it on the page, or the screen. One of the questions in this lesson is ‘why is it important to do a written inventory?’ And in my share, I said writing it down makes it real. There's power in seeing on paper, the patterns, the enormity, the realness. It's a bit like a confession.”

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

NEW WAYS ARE ABOUT TO START

In this episode, John and Chris will be talking about the new 12-step program where certain methods are changed and outside topics are being utilized to make the program more accessible and flexible for its participants. John breaks down the steps and the logic behind them and invites everyone to join. Find out more about these changes in this latest episode of The Recovery Lifestyle.

RECOVERY MOMENTS

JOHN: MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE

"The whole premise is we want to make recovery a bit more accessible without it losing any of its power.”

JOHN: OUTSIDE TOPICS FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY

"We've brought in the topics outside of just pure Celebrate Recovery material because we want to have that flexibility.”

Want to share feedback or need a prayer request? Please visit https://recoverylifestyle.com/contact to reach out!

On this episode of The Recovery Lifestyle Podcast, Chris and John discuss pacing your recovery and finding a coach/sponsor! 

On this special episode of The Recovery Lifestyle podcast, Pastor Jeff Hamilton joins Chris and John in studio to discuss the recovery ministry at Hills Church, the science and theology of addiction, and 1X1X1=1 - the formula for living an integrated life.

From the Hills Church website:

1X1X1=1

There’s a simple way of doing life that produces the wholeness. Its how faith becomes integrated in our lives

and how our lives are connected to each other. At Hills Church we use this simple equation to describe how we

heal, change, and grow.

Gathering

We believe that one weekly gathering with the Body of Christ and the family he’s placed you in is one of the keys to a healthy life. We’re better together.

Group

One group of people that you “do life” with; people who encourage you, challenge you,

know you and still love you;

a safe circle of relationships.

Appointment

A once daily meeting with Jesus in prayer and His word in which our personal relationship with Him is cultivated.

To learn more about Pastor Jeff and Hills Church please visit: https://hillschurchoc.com/

On this episode of the Recovery Lifestyle podcast, Chris Decker interviews Caleb Anderson and we dig into the topic of HOPE - the founder and Lead Farmer at Spirit Farm: Cultivating growth in the WHOLE of life--body, mind, heart, soul. We help people connect with themselves, others, and their Creator; learning to live lives of fulfillment; realizing that everything is spiritual, peace leads to progress, and grace leads to growth.

Follow Caleb:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleba/

https://www.instagram.com/spiritfarm/

For this inaugural episode meet cohosts John Rizzi and Chris Decker as they share more about The Recovery Lifestyle. 

Learn the Habits, Mindsets and Tools you need to find God, stay sober and give back.