Resources for Recovery, Faith & Family

God Retired Me From Atheism

with Bill Gates

Bill Gates, and yes, that really is his name, spent twenty years as an atheist before one Sunday night at a friend's church changed everything. Twenty-eight years later, he and his wife Sunseri are stepping into Living Free with a simple question: how do you disciple the specific thing someone is actually carrying when a Sunday sermon has to speak to everyone?

Why "Just Say No" Missed the Point with Jeff Arp

with Jeff Arp

Some of the best conversations about addiction come from people who never struggled with it themselves. Jeff Arp is one of those people. He sat down with us to talk about the paradigm shift that happened when a seminary-trained pastor finally learned the word trap, and what changed in his preaching, his counseling, and his view of the people sitting in front of him on Sunday morning.

The Bail Bondsman Pastor Who Shows Up When Everyone Else Walks Away

with Pastor George Williams

Pastor George Williams posts bail at 2AM, pastors a biker church on Sundays, and leads mission trips to one of the poorest counties in America. He shares how working in the justice system shaped his ministry and what it takes to build a recovery center in Appalachia.

Progress Over Perfection: Why I Mulched Before the Paint Job

Sometimes momentum matters more than getting everything in the right order. Why visible progress keeps you from stalling out in recovery, ministry, and life.

The Robe, the Ring, and the Sandals: What God Gives When You Come Home

The Prodigal Son had a speech ready when he came home. The father didn't let him finish it. Instead he gave three gifts: a robe, a ring, and sandals. Those weren't random. The robe is identity, who you are in Christ. The ring is authority, what you carry. The sandals are purpose, where you're going. Most people take the robe. Some take the ring. But a lot of people just stare at the sandals. They get clean, they get forgiven, and then they do nothing with their faith. The ones who stay free are the ones who put the sandals on and walk into something. In this sermon preached at Victory Church in Winchester, VA during missions week, Justin shares the stories of John Selby, who stood before a judge expecting prison and received mercy, Nathaniel, who turned one yes into seven sober living homes in Richmond, and a little foster baby who gave Justin the words he needed on the hardest morning of his life. Your yes doesn't have to be big. It just has to be a yes.

We're Not Closing. We're Relaying the Foundation.

We filmed this in the empty chapel at Teen Challenge. No students, no program running, just me and Rob in a room that used to be full. It hit different. But this isn't a goodbye. We're not closing. We're relaying the foundation and building something new.

What I'm Learning About Letting Go (And What You Might Need to Hear)

Justin reflects on selling a building that held 16 years of ministry and asks a hard question: how do you honor the past without idolizing it? This conversation explores letting go, trusting God with what’s next, and why staying stuck can quietly stall your recovery and faith.

Dad, in His Own Words - A Memorial Tribute to Rev. John Franich

with Rev. John Franich

You're hearing the voice of my dad, Rev. John Franich, the founder of Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge. Not a highlight reel. His real story. In his own words. Dad spent 17 years in the car business and then lived 30 years away from the church. A life-threatening leg infection forced him out of work. That setback became the doorway. He earned a psychology degree from Liberty University and God marked him during a Teen Challenge presentation from Philadelphia. He knew in that moment what he was supposed to do.

Going Back to Where We Started: The Future of SVTC in 2026

with Justin Franich

Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge is transitioning in 2026. After 16 years in our current building, we're selling the property and stepping away from the 12-month residential model to focus on community-based recovery. My dad didn't start this ministry with a building dream. He started it with a burden. Helping a few people get their lives back together. This new model is built on three lanes: content, community, and mentoring. Same Gospel. Same mission. New strategy.

You Can Win at Life and Still Feel Lost: Aaron Gordon

with Aaron Gordon

Aaron Gordon beat the odds - graduating from West Point, building a successful military career - but at 54 he's still wrestling with the question most people avoid: Who did God actually create me to be? A conversation about identity, purpose, and the subtle lies that derail even "successful" lives.

If You’re Sober but Still Struggling, Hear This

with Justin Franich

You stopped using. You're technically clean. But you're still empty. Still white knuckling it. Still wondering why sobriety doesn't feel like freedom. The drugs were never the real problem. They were covering the soul wounds underneath. Betrayal. Abuse. Loss. The only thing that fills the void is the presence of Christ and the hard work of forgiving the people who hurt you.

Why Sobriety Isn't the Same as Peace

with Robert Grant

Most people didn't turn to drugs to party. They were searching for peace. But what the world offers as peace is often just escape, just numbing the noise long enough to get through another day. Sobriety takes away the substance, but it doesn't automatically give you rest. If you're clean but still restless, still waiting for your mind to stop racing, still wondering why freedom feels so heavy, this episode is for you. We talk about why chaos can feel normal after addiction, the difference between the world's version of peace and what God actually promises, and what Philippians 4 has to say about renewing your mind. Peace isn't the absence of problems. It's the presence of something deeper.