In Part 2 of this conversation on addict behavior, Liz Beck and Lara Kees move beyond surface-level explanations and examine what Scripture says is happening beneath destructive patterns and choices. Are addictive behaviors truly unique to addicts, or are they revealing something common to all humanity? Using passages like James 1:14–15, this episode explores how desires, temptations, and heart motives shape behavior, and why external triggers alone cannot explain the struggle. This discussion contrasts behavior-focused solutions with the hope of the gospel and shows why true freedom cannot come from behavior modification alone. If the problem is deeper than habits and conditioning, then the solution must be deeper too. These episodes are designed to help pastors, church leaders, and everyday Christians think biblically about addiction and confidently walk alongside those who struggle. Find more resources on our website: https://www.hopeforaddiction.com Have questions or comments? Please email aboundinghope@hopeforaddiction.com Music by West Coast Revival, used with permission Check out all their great music: https://linktr.ee/westcoastrevival #HopeForAddiction #AboundingHope #GospelHope #BiblicalDiscipleship #BiblicalCounseling #DiscipleMaking #FreedomInChrist

What do people mean when they talk about “addict behavior”? Why do addiction struggles often seem irrational, chaotic, and out of control? And does that mean addiction should be understood as a disorder? In this episode of Abounding Hope, Liz Beck and Lara Kees walk through many of the behaviors commonly associated with addiction: deception, blame-shifting, self-centeredness, lack of self-control, escapism, and instability. They also examine common worldly explanations for these patterns and ask an important question: do these explanations actually account for what is happening beneath the surface? This conversation challenges listeners to think carefully about how addiction is defined and why those definitions matter. Because how we define the problem will shape the solutions we offer. Find more resources on our website: https://www.hopeforaddiction.com Have questions or comments? Please email aboundinghope@hopeforaddiction.com Music by West Coast Revival, used with permission Check out all their great music: https://linktr.ee/westcoastrevival #HopeForAddiction #AboundingHope #GospelHope #BiblicalDiscipleship #BiblicalCounseling #DiscipleMaking #FreedomInChrist

Structure, Accountability, and Gospel Restoration Building a Practical Plan for Early Recovery, Part 3 Understanding the importance of structure is one thing, knowing how to implement it is another. In this episode, we walk through a practical example of what accountability and structured discipleship can look like for someone in early recovery. Drawing from Hope for Addiction’s 90-Day Early Recovery Discipleship Plan, we discuss how churches can establish meaningful accountability, create helpful guardrails, and guide someone toward stability in daily life. From daily check-ins and weekly discipleship to scheduling, relationships, and financial responsibility, we explore how intentional structure creates the environment where trust can be rebuilt, wise habits can form, and the gospel can take root. Sign up for the free Church Toolkit: https://www.hopeforaddiction.com/free-toolkit Have questions or comments? Please email aboundinghope@hopeforaddiction.com Music by West Coast Revival, used with permission Check out all their great music: https://linktr.ee/westcoastrevival #HopeForAddiction #AboundingHope #GospelHope #BiblicalDiscipleship #BiblicalCounseling #DiscipleMaking #BiblicalOrder #LivingWisely #GodsDesign #WisdomForLife

Structure, Accountability, and Gospel Restoration Order, Disorder, and the Image of God, Part 2 Structure and accountability are often viewed as restrictive, but Scripture reveals something very different. God Himself is a God of order, and human beings, created in His image, were designed to live in ways that reflect that order. In this episode, we explore the biblical foundation for structure and orderly living. From creation to the fall and the hope of restoration in Christ, we examine how sin distorts God’s design and brings disorder into every area of life. We’ll also discuss why living according to God’s ways leads to peace, stability, and human flourishing, even in a broken world. Have questions or comments? Please email aboundinghope@hopeforaddiction.com Music by West Coast Revival, used with permission Check out all their great music: https://linktr.ee/westcoastrevival #HopeForAddiction #AboundingHope #GospelHope #BiblicalDiscipleship #BiblicalCounseling #DiscipleMaking #BiblicalOrder #LivingWisely #GodsDesign #WisdomForLife

Structure, Accountability, and Gospel Restoration Why Chaos Hinders Growth, Part 1 Many people struggling with addiction have spent years living in chaos—making impulsive decisions, reacting to immediate pressures, and simply trying to survive. Over time, this kind of living affects far more than outward behavior. It shapes how someone thinks, how they relate to others, how they live and even their ability to understand and apply Scripture. In this episode, we explore the reality of chaotic living and why it creates such a barrier to spiritual growth and maturity. We’ll discuss how a lack of structure leads to decision fatigue, impulsive choices, and instability, and why establishing practical guardrails is one of the most loving things the church can do for someone in early recovery. Have questions or comments? Please email aboundinghope@hopeforaddiction.com Music by West Coast Revival, used with permission Check out all their great music: https://linktr.ee/westcoastrevival #HopeForAddiction #AboundingHope #GospelHope #BiblicalDiscipleship #BiblicalCounseling #DiscipleMaking #BiblicalOrder #LivingWisely #GodsDesign #WisdomForLife

How does God take one family’s suffering and use it to serve many? In this final episode with Steve and Marian Tong, we reflect on the impact of their care and the faithful love of our church as the foundation for what would become Hope for Addiction. Thirteen years later, what started with a small group loving a broken family has grown into a ministry equipping churches and walking alongside countless individuals and families. The model hasn’t changed. It’s still rooted in the same gospel truths, the same relational care, and the same conviction: real freedom comes through Christ lived out in church community. This episode is about faithfulness, and the multiplying grace of God. What began in weakness has become a testimony of His abounding hope. Have questions or comments? Please email aboundinghope@hopeforaddiction.com Music by West Coast Revival, used with permission Check out all their great music: https://linktr.ee/westcoastrevival #HopeForAddiction #AboundingHope #GospelHope #ChurchEquipping #BiblicalCounsel #RedemptionStory #KingdomImpact #MinistryMultiplication #FaithfulGod #BiblicalAddictionCare

What happens when loving people gets messy? In Part 2 of Liz's conversation with Steve and Marian Tong, we move deeper into the difficulties — the chaos, the setbacks, the weariness, and the stretching that comes when you walk closely with someone battling addiction. This episode gets honest. We talk about how God used loving the Beck family to bring more compassion and more trust in Jesus as the Tongs stepped into places they did not feel equipped to handle. Care wasn’t convenient. It wasn’t easy. But it was transformative — not only for our family, but for the Tongs as well. If you’ve ever wondered whether long-term, messy discipleship is worth it, this conversation will encourage you to press in. Have questions or comments? Please email aboundinghope@hopeforaddiction.com Music by West Coast Revival, used with permission Check out all their great music: https://linktr.ee/westcoastrevival #HopeForAddiction #AboundingHope #CostlyLove #ChurchInAction #LongSuffering #BiblicalCare #FaithfulnessInTheHard #Transformation #GospelHope #MessyMinistry

What does it look like when the church actually lives their care? In this first episode of Abounding Hope, Liz sits down with Steve and Marian Tong to revisit where it all began — when they met our family and stepped into our messy, complicated world. We talk about ordinary faithfulness: shared meals, fellowship, laughter, seeing into the depths of suffering and showing up again and again, learning what it means to bear one another’s burdens. Long before there was a Hope for Addiction ministry, there was a living room. Before there was a program, there were people willing to move toward suffering instead of away from it. This episode is about the beauty of biblical community — and how God often begins His greatest works in the most ordinary spaces. To learn more about the origins of Hope For Addiction and the Beck Family story, visit https://www.hopeforaddiction.com/liz Have questions or comments? Please email aboundinghope@hopeforaddiction.com Music by West Coast Revival, used with permission Check out all their great music: https://linktr.ee/westcoastrevival #HopeForAddiction #AboundingHope #BiblicalCommunity #LifeTogether #ChurchInAction #SmallGroupMinistry #OneAnother #BodyOfChrist #EverydayDiscipleship #BearOneAnothersBurdens