Redeemed by Grace: An Addiction Recovery Testimony Through Christ
with Christian Winder

In this deeply moving episode of the Bible Chat Podcast, Alina welcomes long time friend Christian Winder to share his powerful story of redemption. From a joyful childhood overshadowed by family addiction and mental health challenges, Christian's path led through high school partying, escalating alcohol and drug use, wilderness programs, boarding school trauma, and rock bottom cycles of shame and despair in downtown Denver.

The turning point came with a blindsiding family intervention, full surrender, and his transformative time at Harvest Farm, a faith based recovery program where work, community, and a real relationship with Jesus Christ rebuilt his life. Christian reflects on grace over guilt, taking thoughts captive, the Prodigal Son parable, favorite Scriptures, and the universal need for surrender, community, and obedience.

Key Scriptures Shared:

• Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV): "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
• 1 John 4:4 (NKJV): "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
• Genesis 2:18: "And the LORD God said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.'"

Today, Christian is thriving, training and building wind turbine blades at his workplace, passionately fly fishing, working out (down 50 lbs!), and excited to be newly plugged into church community, living proof that God restores the brokenhearted and provides entirely new beginnings.

This episode reminds us: nothing is impossible with God. If you're trapped in addiction, wrestling with shame, supporting a loved one, or simply needing hope, Christian's journey will inspire you. Surrender fully, and the Father waits with open arms and no judgment.

Timestamps
00:00 Message of Hope for Those Trapped in Addiction
01:06 Welcome to the Bible Chat Podcast
04:00 Christian’s Childhood and Family Challenges
04:47 High School Struggles and Escalating Addiction
06:13 Wilderness Program, Boarding School and Depression
11:44 Rock Bottom, Family Intervention and Surrender
13:11 Preparation and Life Changing Time at Harvest Farm
15:46 Developing a Personal Relationship with Christ
22:02 Taking Thoughts Captive, Temptation and Community
26:02 Embracing Hope, Authenticity and Daily Practices
26:46 Who Christian Is Becoming Today
27:28 Dreams: Leading Others to Christ and the Farm
28:36 Current Life in Fort Collins: Work, Fly Fishing, Fitness
29:51 Final Message to Those in Addiction
31:13 Advice to Younger Self and Families Struggling
32:42 The True Meaning of Surrender
33:33 "Double Winner" Insight and Support for Families
37:37 Summing Up Life and Desired Legacy
39:23 Closing Prayer for Those Still Struggling
40:30 Dedication to Praying Mothers and Final Encouragement

If this story touched your heart, please rate, review, subscribe, and share with someone who needs hope today. God is still performing miracles!

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Website: thebiblechat.com/podcast
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In this deeply moving episode of the Bible Chat Podcast, Nicole shares her powerful journey from a passionate 7-year-old soccer player to a collegiate athlete facing a devastating lupus diagnosis during her senior year.

Her story takes us through unimaginable valleys: severe pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure, and ultimately a life-saving double lung transplant in 2008.

We explore the emotional weight of receiving the gift of life—the paradox of gratitude mixed with survivor’s guilt—the unwavering support of her husband Josh, and post-transplant challenges including PTSD and chronic rejection.

Nicole also shares the breathtaking miracle of adopting her son Noah amid the uncertainties of COVID-19.

Today, she is thriving with 40% lung function, deadlifting 205 lbs at 110 lbs bodyweight, and running her own business, Mindful Fitness with Nicole, helping others strengthen body, mind, and soul.

This episode reminds us that nothing is impossible with God.
 If you're facing chronic illness, waiting on a transplant, walking through grief, or simply needing hope, Nicole’s journey will inspire you.

Episode Chapters

00:00 Welcome
 00:23 Early Love for Soccer
 01:10 College Soccer & First Warning Signs
 03:21 Pushing Through Symptoms
 05:49 Lupus Diagnosis
 08:35 Life & Love with Lupus
 10:17 Heart Failure
 12:19 Road to Transplant
 18:40 Choosing Stanford
 22:05 Waiting in California
 34:54 Renewed Hope
 35:50 The Transplant Call
 36:12 The Gift of Life
 37:02 Recovery & PTSD
 38:30 Faith & Mindset
 40:57 Support & Toxic Positivity
 47:39 Chronic Rejection
 53:26 Adoption Journey
 59:21 Welcoming Noah
 01:01:46 Living with Purpose
 01:05:36 Final Reflections

If this story touched your heart, please like, comment your biggest takeaway, subscribe, and share with someone who needs hope today.
 ✨ God is still performing miracles!

Links

The Bible Chat Podcast
 Instagram: @biblechatpodcast
 Website: thebiblechat.com/podcast
 Download the app: thebiblechat.com/app

Follow Nicole: @mindfulfitnesswithnicole

Hashtags

#FaithJourney #LungTransplant #MiracleStory #LupusWarrior #AdoptionMiracle #DoubleLungTransplant #BibleChatPodcast #ChristianPodcast #HopeInHardTimes #GodIsFaithful

In this deeply moving episode of the Bible Chat Podcast, host Alina Buzdugan sits down with Dan Christopulos, a lifelong servant of Christ with more than 40 years of ministry experience spanning parish life, global missions, humanitarian aid, and spiritual formation. From his early years as a college football standout to his calling as a priest, missionary, counselor, and development leader, Dan shares a powerful testimony of faith shaped by adversity, repentance, humility, and love in action. This conversation weaves together personal stories from the mission field, profound theological insight, and practical wisdom for living a Christ-centered life in today’s world. At the heart of the episode is a rich exploration of discipleship, apostleship, and theosis, not as abstract theology, but as a lived, ongoing journey from learning, to living, to becoming.

Episode Highlights

• Growing up Orthodox in Wyoming and the formative power of prayer and embodied faith
 • Lessons from sports on perseverance, focus, and facing adversity with Christ
 • Early signs of vocation and childhood evangelism
 • Ministry challenges, suffering, and the redemptive work of grace
 • Global humanitarian work with International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC)
• Missionary experiences in Kenya, Albania, Eastern Europe, and beyond
• Empowering local leadership through Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC)
• Sustainable mission models and faith rooted development
• A compelling explanation of discipleship, apostleship, and theosis
• Forgiveness, humility, spiritual warfare, and self-forgiveness
• What it truly means to leave a legacy of love and faith

Key Teaching Moment

Discipleship → Apostleship → Theosis

Dan beautifully connects these three movements of the Christian life:

• Discipleship (mathētēs): a lifelong posture of learning, listening, and being formed
• Apostleship (apostellō): being sent to share what we have received through love and service
• Theosis: the lifelong journey from image (ikona) to likeness (kath’ homoiōsin), becoming more like God through repentance, humility, and action

This is not a linear or perfect process. We fall. We repent. We get back up.
And we continue forward.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Life lessons from sports and faith
04:16 Early life and spiritual foundations
06:23 Sports, adversity, and perseverance
11:58 Childhood evangelism
14:21 Ministry challenges and growth
19:12 Humanitarian work with IOCC
28:08 Missionary work and future vision
35:09 Albania and religious persecution
37:06 Sustainable projects in Nairobi
42:17 Discipleship, apostleship, and theosis
48:01 Forgiveness and humility
55:30 Legacy and wisdom for future generations
01:01:29 Closing prayer and reflections

What if your greatest crisis became your deepest purpose?

In this powerful episode of Bible Chat Podcast, Bruce Feiler, the man who walked the Bible across 10,000 miles of deserts, war zones, and ancient lands, shares how to transform life’s biggest disruptions into meaning, strength, and legacy.
From teaching English in Japan, to juggling oranges in a traveling circus to facing a rare cancer that threatened to end his story, Bruce reveals the hidden map inside the Bible and the 7 tools he used to navigate life’s wildest transitions, tools backed by 500 real-life stories and now helping millions worldwide.

Whether you're facing a career shift, loss, burnout, or spiritual wandering, this is your roadmap through the wilderness.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

✅ Why the Bible isn’t only a book but a living MAP of human struggle and triumph
✅ How Bruce beat cancer at 43 and created the Council of Dads for his twin daughters
✅ The 3 phases of every lifequake
✅ The ABCs of Meaning: Agency, Belonging, Cause and how to rebalance them
✅ Why ritual is the antidote to loneliness, AI overload, and digital drift
✅ Bruce’s 3 life lessons from the circus, the desert, and the edge of death

Perfect for:

Anyone seeking purpose in chaos • Fans of Walking the Bible, The Council of Dads, Life Is in the Transitions • Spiritual seekers, entrepreneurs, parents, and change-makers

📖 Pre-Order Bruce’s New Book:
A Time to Gather: How Ritual Created the World and How It Can Save Us (Spring 2026)
💬 Comment Below: What’s YOUR biggest lifequake right now?
Let’s build a community of courage and connection.
🔥 Subscribe for weekly wisdom from global voices of faith, resilience, and transformation.
#BruceFeiler #LifeQuakes #WalkingTheBible #LifeTransitions #CouncilOfDads #BibleAsMap #Ritual #PurposeInCrisis #BibleChatPodcast

CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Welcome: A Circus Clown Meets the Bible
02:15 – Bruce’s Roots: Jewish in the South & the Birth of an “Experientialist”
05:40 – Japan, Viral Letters & Selling His First Book at 24
08:10 – Juggling Oranges on a Hill → Joining the Circus
12:30 – From Nashville Pews to Walking the Bible
17:45 – 10,000 Miles: Camels, Jeeps, War Zones & Mount Sinai
22:10 – The Bible Isn’t a Book — It’s a MAP
28:50 – The Sinai: Cold Nights, Noisy Sand & the Burning Bush… with a Fire Extinguisher
35:20 – Cancer at 43: “The Walking Man Who Couldn’t Walk”
40:00 – The Council of Dads: A Father’s Final Gift
46:15 – 3 Life Lessons from the Council
50:30 – Happy Families: Adapt, Talk, Play
55:10 – Life Is in the Transitions: 3–5 Life-Quakes, 5 Years Each
1:01:20 – The 3 Phases: Long Goodbye, Messy Middle, New Beginning
1:06:40 – The ABCs of Meaning: Agency, Belonging, Cause
1:12:00 – Ritual: The Cure for Loneliness & Digital Drift
1:18:50 – Legacy: Passing Down Treasure and Trauma
1:23:30 – A Word for Men: You Can’t Run from Emotions
1:26:00 – Final Charge: Be the Hero of Your Story

In this inspiring episode of the Bible Chat Podcast, host Alina sits down with Alexxa Gagner, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at Denver Rescue Mission. With over 15 years of service, Alexxa shares the mission’s Christ-centered approach to serving those experiencing homelessness and poverty. Rooted in the core values of engaging mercifully, working holistically, speaking truthfully, and believing in miracles, Denver Rescue Mission transforms lives one person at a time. From providing shelter for up to 1,500 individuals nightly to offering addiction recovery programs and family support, Alexxa highlights stories of hope, like that of James, a blind man who found housing and renewed purpose through the mission’s services. Learn how you can get involved through volunteering, donating, or supporting their annual Turkey Drive. This episode is a heartfelt exploration of faith, compassion, and the power of miracles in action.

Key Quotes

• Alexxa Gagner on Core Values: “Engage mercifully, work holistically, speak truthfully, and believe in miracles... these are like our core values as an organization, how we live out our faith. God does miracles. He can heal people and be a part of our day-to-day.”
• On Compassion: “Viewing people just through a lens of love and through non-judgment... there’s a person, there’s a story, there’s a background, just like we all have.”
• On Impactful Interactions: “Even if they only come to us once for a meal and they feel that love... we feel like we’ve done our job.”
• On Approaching Homelessness: “Treat people with dignity... You can see Christ in them. Offer a smile, ask their name, or how you can pray for them.”
• Alina on Societal Roles: “In America, we think the highest role in our society is the president. But actually, that’s not true. It’s the citizen.”

How to Support

• Volunteer: Serve meals, tutor youth, or join unique opportunities like resume workshops or barber services at Denver Rescue Mission.
• Donate: Contribute to the annual Turkey Drive (goal: 15,000 turkeys) or provide essentials like furniture and housewarming boxes for those transitioning to permanent housing.
• Learn More: Visit Denver Rescue Mission’s website for volunteer details, donation needs, or to schedule a tour of their facilities.

Support & Learn More

• Denver Rescue Mission
• Open Soul Foundation Partners with DRM
• Connect with Alexxa on LinkedIn

Join us in supporting Denver Rescue Mission’s transformative work and download the Bible Chat app to continue your spiritual journey.