Celebrate Recovery Official

162. Satan sabotages my recovery by growing hopelessness for my situation

21 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In recovery, one of the essential principles that we need to fuel our recovery is Hope. If the enemy can get inside our head and heart and convince us...

161. The enemy sabotaging our recovery through attacking marriage and family relationships

14 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It has been said that if the enemy can’t get to us, then he will attack our relationships. What are some of the crafty ways that he might try to cre...

160. Maintaining momentum during the holiday

07 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

During messy and hard times, including the holidays, the enemy may try to break the momentum of our recovery journey. What are some ways that we can m...

159. Is freedom possible with codependency?

30 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes in recovery, we can confuse struggling in an area of recovery with the reality of defining freedom. What does freedom look like and does tha...

158. How can being the 'enforcer' hinder connection?

23 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In Celebrate Recovery, we no doubt learned that boundaries and guidelines are essential to keeping us on the right track. Whether it's the small group...

157. Why making amends matters - a conversation with Mac Owen

16 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most challenging parts of the recovery journey is found in Principle 6 and Step 8. This is where we pause to honestly survey the damage cau...

156. Living proactively through the tools of daily inventory

09 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most challenging disciplines in recovery is the act of stopping and pausing to examine our ways and test them, write them down in a journal...

155. Facing the triggers of others during the Holidays

02 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The holidays are upon us and that can bring some opportunities to grow or triggers that can set us back if we're not careful. What are some practical ...

154. Is my recovery in management or healing mode?

26 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Recovery is hard. Sometimes it's easy to shift our thinking into behavioral management and even our recovery as a whole toward management versus heali...

153. Why should I trust the process if everything is going good and/or bad?

19 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trusting the process can seem so cliché, but is such a critical part to our healing journey. What do I do when things feel hopeless and like it's poi...

152. What is the value of avoiding crosstalk inside and outside small groups?

12 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In celebrate recovery the small group guidelines provide safety for all those in attendance. Is it just for small group or should these follow us outs...

151. How do we move to a more secure place in our recovery?

05 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The celebrate recovery process helps us to face those family of origin struggles, our experiences with relationships and other wounds early on that ha...

150. How can you celebrate that?

28 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Life has a way of throwing things at us that can feel overwhelming and hopeless as we witness the broken world around us. How can we celebrate our rec...

149. Seeking Validation: A tactic to get us off focus

21 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The enemy loves to be deceiving in giving us something like the motivation of longing for validation and recognition to meet our needs. What the enemy...

148. I have ugly scars...?

14 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In our culture, scars are often seen as flaws—symbols of brokenness, weakness, or something to hide. But in recovery, scars tell a very different st...

147. Honoring Others' Dignity Over Our Curiosity

07 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In Celebrate Recovery two foundational practices and guidelines we follow to ensure safety are anonymity and confidentiality. Why does Celebrate Recov...

146. Comparison: A tactic to get us off focus

31 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the ways that the enemy will keep us from moving forward is through the conniving tactic of comparison. In this podcast, Rodney Holmstrom, Glob...

145. Discouragement: A tactic to get us off focus

24 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the ways that the enemy will get us off focus in the path of recovery is through discouragement. What are some ways that he will use discourage...

144. Fighting Against vs Embracing Change

17 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes submitting to the process to go deeper can be scary. Why do we fight change and why is it so scary to discover the roots of the dysfunction ...

143. Addressing the unhealthy roles that come from dysfunctional families (part 2)

10 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We are continuing the conversation around adult children of dysfunctional families, and how those unhealthy and dysfunctional roles that we can develo...

142. Addressing the unhealthy roles that come from dysfunctional families (part 1)

03 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Often when we walk into recovery, we experience revelations on how dysfunctional our family system was growing up. Growing up in these family systems ...

141. Why Being Shameless in our Sharing is Costly

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We talk about shame a lot in the recovery process, but what does it look like to have a posture of shamelessness in our share time through open share,...

140. Finding Our Home in Recovery - Christina's Story

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, in the deepest pits of our dysfunction, we don't realize how much our heart is longing for a safe place to call home in recovery. What is t...

139. What Happens to the Kids of the Incarcerated? Angel Tree!

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the blessings of CR is partnering with incredible ministries like Prison Fellowship's "Angel Tree." In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global F...

138. Is There Hope for People Behind Bars? The CR Inside Discussion

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What keeps people from stepping into the much needed space and ministry of CR Inside? What are some fears we may be facing that keep us from the bless...

137. Understanding Character Defects and What to Do With Them

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In recovery, we face our hurts, hang-ups and habits, but also have to understand the underlying issues related to our character defects. Where do char...

136. Why Leaders Should Be Active and Wise Participants in Open Share

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As leaders, it's tempting to buy into the false narrative that once we've been in recovery for a while, or stepped into leadership, we somehow have "a...

135. What Does "Surrender" Mean in My Recovery?

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What comes to mind when you think about surrendering? Do you feel like it's showing weakness? Giving up? Failure? Join Andy Petry, Landing Director fo...

134. Where Does Leadership End and Codependency Begin?

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In leadership, the lines can get blurry when it comes to shepherding, loving, and guiding those that God has called us to lead through ups and downs o...

133. More Than Just Training

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered about the purpose and mission of our one day training conferences? Sometimes we forget that it's more than just gathering infor...

132. Satan Sabotages My Recovery by Telling Me Honesty Will Destroy Me

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Honesty is one of the biggest components of a sound, lasting recovery. If the enemy wanted to sabotage my recovery, one of the ways that he would get ...

131. Hope Inside a Prison: Patrick's Story

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do we do when we find ourselves in a dark, hopeless and helpless place? Can change really happen even from the inside of a prison cell? In this e...

130. The Sabotaging Effects of Isolation

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most lethal ways the enemy might sabotage our recovery is through isolation. But what are some of the specific ways we isolate and what are...

129. CR is for Benzo Addictions Too?

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Medications can sometimes be necessary for overall health, and we should never shame one another for this. Sometimes it can be a necessity for many pe...

128. How Would Satan Sabotage Your Recovery through RELATIONSHIPS?” Part 2

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, continues his discussion with Andy regarding the different tactics ...

127. “How Would Satan Sabotage Your Recovery through RELATIONSHIPS?” Part 1

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The enemy can be deceiving and very sneaky in finding different ways to try to sabotage our recovery. It's interesting and scary to think about how th...

126. Step 3: Andy's Story

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is the purpose behind Step 3 & Principle 3? Coming to this place of "making a decision" or consciously choosing to commit all of our life to ...

125. Step 12: Why Should I Work It? What's the Value?

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

So, I’ve had a spiritual experience. Now what? Are Principle 8 and Step 12 just as critical as the other 11 Steps and 7 Principles in the recovery j...

124: Step 11: Why Should I Work It? What's the Value?

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is working these Steps just a bunch of busy work? Why should we live out and practice Step 11 and Principle 7 of the recovery journey? In this episode...

123: Step 10: Why Should I Work It? What's the Value?

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our series answering the question, “Why should I carry out these Principles and Steps?” Step 10 is such a vital part of the recovery j...

122. Step 9: Why Should I Work It? What's the Value?

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In Step 8, we made a list. Now, in Step 9, we move into carrying out amends through direct communication with those who we’ve offended and we learn ...

121. "Why Would I Forgive Them for That?" - Renee's Story

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As we work principle 6 and step 8, one of the hardest parts of the recovery process is leaning into the space of grace through forgiveness and making ...

120. "This Step Feels Too Scary!” - Step 8

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This step is perhaps one of the scariest parts of the recovery journey. It can honestly feel like too much to face on our own. So, why should we pract...

119. Facing My Shortcomings and Defects Through Step 7

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What does it look like to humbly ask God to help remove all of those shortcomings and character defects that may have been revealed through the recove...

118. What Does it Look Like to Be Free Indeed?

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As someone who has experienced Jesus Christ’s transformative power, it’s amazing to see the difference it makes in our life! But what do we do onc...

117. How Do I Break Family Dysfunction?

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do we break generational dysfunction in our own family system? Are there things, mindsets, patterns, or habits that have been passed down to us th...

116. Going from Fear to Vigilance in Facing Step 10: Kareena's Story

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kareena first heard about Step 10 in Principle 7 and was full of fear. In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery,...

115. Step 6: Why Should I Work It? What's the Value?

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve done the hard work of Principles one through five, and now we come to the conclusion of identifying some of the character defects that may be ...

114. Walking from Old to New Seasons

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As we walk this road to recovery, it is important to understand that the season we are in now will not last forever. God is doing something in us rega...

113. Step 5: Why Should I Work It? What's the Value?

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When we come to this part of the process where we admit to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs, it can be ver...

112. Praying through the Pen as I Worked Step 4: David's Story

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We've been exploring the "why behind the what" of working the steps in recovery. And it's always good to hear about someone's personal journey through...

111. Step 4: Why Should I Work It? What’s the Value?

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding the “why” behind step 4 and principle 4 is essential to facing this difficult and important step. Why would we openly examine and co...

110. Step 3: Why Should I Work It? What’s the Value?

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

All the steps of Celebrate Recovery are so crucial to our growth and healing. However, this principle and step are extremely critical to sustainable r...

109. Step 2: Why Should I Work It? What’s the Value?

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Having worked Principle 1 and Step 1, the next part of the journey is moving into Principle 2. When we can embrace the fact that we matter to God and ...

108. Step 1: Why Should I Work It? What’s the Value?

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the Celebrate Recovery process, we walk through some core lessons that are attached to some essential principles of recovery. This can be so life-c...

107. What Does a "One Day at a Time" Mentality Look Like?

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the Celebrate Recovery curriculum lessons asks an important question: What does living one day at a time mean to you? In this episode Rodney Ho...

106. How Do I Cling to Hope During the Holidays?

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes the holidays can be difficult as we navigate staying on the road to recovery while facing the outside distractions and challenges that the e...

105. How do I Invite Jesus into My Recovery? (Part 2)

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What does it look like to invite Jesus into our recovery process? In this Part 2 episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recover...

104. How do I Invite Jesus into My Recovery? (Part 1)

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Celebrate Recovery we understand that Jesus has to be the center of our recovery. But what does it look like practically to invite Jesus into our r...

103. How Do I Walk With Perseverance?

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Perseverance can be one of the most challenging things for us to develop, but also one of the most critical for sustainability in staying on the road ...

102. What is the Impact of Grace?

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the greatest gifts we can receive in recovery is the undeserved gift we call "grace." But sometimes it can be difficult to accept grace and wal...

101. What are Some Things We Can Do to Combat Shame?

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The road to recovery can be difficult - especially when dealing with shame. How do we face it head-on so we don’t stay stuck? What are some practica...

100. What Role Does Shame Play in Keeping Me Stuck?

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Shame is such a lethal part of the process of keeping us stuck in recovery. Understanding how shame plays a role in keeping us stuck is critical so th...

99. I Started a CR and Want to Get the Word Out. Now what? (Part 2)

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We continue the conversation around creative ways to use new tools to get the word out about Celebrate Recovery. In this episode Rodney Holmstrom, Glo...

98. I Started a CR and Want to Get the Word Out. Now what? (Part 1)

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We all know that Celebrate Recovery is a life-changing ministry. In today’s changing world there are new tools that can help us be more effective in...

97. Can God Bring Healing to my Body Image Struggles? Josh and Julia's Stories (Part 2)

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our focus on "body image struggles" with Part 2 of our discussion with Josh and Julia who share their stories of hope and freedom. In this...

96. Can God Bring Healing to my Body Image Struggles? Josh and Julia's Stories (Part 1)

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Life-change stories are so important to give us hope and encouragement as we walk the road to recovery. In this episode Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field...

95. What are the Costs from Body Image Struggles, and the Path Toward Healing?

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will continue the conversation around body image and lean more specifi...

94. Do I Struggle With Body Image?

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What does it look like to struggle with body image, and what are some of the characteristics that we might develop?  In this episode, Rodney Holmstro...

93. Trauma, Bulimia and Healing: Tyra’s Story

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a previous podcast, Rodney had an important conversation around food and pointed out some of the indicators that may reveal that we’ve been strug...

92. What is My Relationship with Food?

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Food can be one of the greatest challenges that we face in life because it’s something that we all require to survive. But what are some of the char...

91. Is Fear All Bad? How do I work WITH fear toward change?

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes fear can be crippling and keep us from doing the necessary things toward change. But, is all fear bad as it relates to our recovery journey?...

90. Codependent vs. Healthy Bonds: What’s the Difference?

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If we’re being honest, we could never stop talking about codependency. What are some of the characteristics that we develop in this arena? How do we...

89. When I Feel Like I've Had Enough

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The scriptures are such great reminders for us of how life's struggles can be so familiar, but also giving us understanding of how overwhelming those ...

88. How Do We Evaluate "Good vs. Best" in Our Daily Life?

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes in life we can evaluate the things that God has called us to do in our daily rhythms and get confused about what is "good" versus what is "b...

87. How is Self Awareness a Key to Growth?

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In recovery, there can be some barriers that keep us from walking the path of healing and growth toward change in our life. In this episode, Rodney Ho...

86. Pastors Believe in Celebrate Recovery Too

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pastor support is so critical to the life of a local CR. There’s something incredibly refreshing when we get to hear the heart and passion of a loca...

85. Addictions, Deception, and a Breaking Point: Patrick’s Story (Part 2)

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this part 2 episode, we continue the conversation with Patrick - hearing how God turned everything around in his life as he surrendered to his true...

84. Addictions, Deception, and a Breaking Point: Patrick’s Story (Part 1)

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What does it look like to live a life in hiding and deception with a mountain full of addictions that feel and become unbearable. Sometimes in our mes...

83. Do I Have a Substance or Behavioral Addiction?

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes it can be confusing when we get into the conversation around addictions. What’s the difference between a substance or behavioral addiction...

82. I’m Learning to Live as a Victor Versus as a Victim - Part 2

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we will continue the conversation on practical steps we can take to walk victoriously - all the while knowing Jesus Christ is the sour...

81. I’m Learning to Live as a Victor Versus as a Victim - Part 1

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s no surprise that in this world we will experience pain inflicted on us by others. Many of us have been victimized by significant circumstances ...

80. Why Do I Avoid Change?

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes in life we can see and feel the wreckage inside of and surrounding us. And to those on the outside looking in, it can seem obvious that some...

79. Honoring vs. Being Honest About our Pain

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are there differences between “honoring” and “honesty” in the healing process? What are the similarities between these two components and how ...

78. Is CR for the Offender or the One Who’s Been Hurt?

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes we can experience some significant hurt in our life. That hurt feels even worse when it’s from those closest to us. Betrayal, rejection, a...

77. Healthy Practices of Effective Leaders - Part 2

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, continues the conversation around healthy habits we can adopt that hel...

76. Healthy Practices of Effective Leaders - Part 1

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As we learned early through our own growth process, forming new habits in life doesn’t only apply to our personal recovery. Healthy practices and ha...

75. How Opioids Impacted My Life: Lou's Story

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The opioid epidemic is destroying individuals, families, churches, and communities as a whole. How do we face this as a forever family to bring hope t...

74. Abuse, Loss, and Forgiveness - Rebecka’s Story

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s so much hope that can be found in hearing evidence expressed of Jesus and His miracles in our life. Listening to life-change in the life of ...

73. I'm Depressed and Don't Know What to Do: Part 2

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing the conversation around depression, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, gives practical ideas to provoke new tho...

72. I'm Depressed and Don't Know What to Do: Part 1

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Depression is one of those topics that gets a little bit tricky and hard to talk about in church circles. In our efforts to keep people from falling i...

71. What Is My Relationship with Anger? Jeni's Story: Part 2

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We pick up with our discussion with Jeni Baker, Co-Executive Global Director of Celebrate Recovery, to look at how her personal relationships - starti...

70. What Is My Relationship with Anger? Jeni's Story: Part 1

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As we continue the conversation around the misunderstood emotion of anger, we invite guest, Jeni Baker, Co-Executive Global Director of Celebrate Reco...

69. But My Story Isn't As Bad As...

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s easy to fall into the comparison bug when thinking about our story and looking at our neighbor’s story. What if my story isn’t messy enough...

68. Why Spend Time Grieving My Past?

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Doing the Principle 4 “Spiritual Inventory” can look like a ridiculous thing to accomplish from the outside looking in. Why would we want to spend...

67. No Longer Denying What is There

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Can you imagine going to the doctor with your illness, and in response to that the doctor keeps denying your symptoms saying, “Everything‘s fine.”...

66. Listening to Anger - Sarah’s Story

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Anger can be one of the most misunderstood emotions of all that we carry as believers in Christ. But anger is just a rise against an injustice. So how...

65. Life-Change Happens Across All Cultures - Jose’s Story

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the greatest blessings about the ministry of Celebrate Recovery is that whether we come from one country or another, we all speak the same lang...

64. The Value of Being Present in the 5th Step (Part 2)

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we will continue with Part 2 of the conversation on establishing the value of our presence versus our intellect in sitting with someon...

63. The Value of Being Present in the 5th Step (Part 1)

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the greatest gifts we have in recovery is being able to sit with someone who enters into the scary parts of their story.  This may even be the...