When we are not completely honest with ourselves or others about our problems, struggles, or emotional pain, we can find ourselves disconnected from the world and may even turn to drugs, alcohol, or other addictive behaviors to combat our shame. This shame can grow over time and fuel our addictions to become even worse. But there is hope in overcoming these destructive cycles—and we don’t have to live in the shadows of our secrets. Jesus tells us in the Bible that if we follow Him we can know the truth; and that truth can set us free. Our guests this week battled their own secret pain and addictions only to find the freedom that comes by pursuing the truth that Jesus so readily wants to show us. We’re talking with country music artists and songwriters Brett and Brad Warren from the Warren Brothers and Broadway, film, and television actress Amanda Jane Cooper.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Jesus Calling

Jesus Always

Jesus Listens

Past interview: Ryan Sheckler

Upcoming interview: Danny Gokey

Warren Brothers

Van Halen album

Women and Children First

Buzz Cason

Tom Douglas

Tim McGraw

9/11 

www.warrenbrothers.com

Amanda Jane Cooper

Glinda in Wicked

Carnegie Mellon University

Mr. Stephen Schwartz

Kristin Chenoweth

www.amandajanecooper.com

Interview Quotes:

“The partying and the drinking and being in a bar band and just having fun and hanging out with other people that were partying and drinking turned into medicating pretty quick.” - Brett Warren

“The very first hit we had was in our first year of sobriety, so we thought we were giving something up creatively [by not drinking] but the truth is we were gaining tons.” - Brad Warren

“The God I met in recovery and the God that I was introduced to as a little kid that was holding a lightning bolt that couldn't wait to pelt me all the time, and then the God I've gotten to read in Jesus Calling, each of them, they've all circled into one.” - Brad Warren

“God is good. They always say that when something good happens to them, but [Brad’s] seeing that God is good in the worst thing that could happen to you, and the good that's happened to our family as a whole, and the change that it's made in all of us and increased our faith and trust.” - Brett Warren

“Helping other people [is] what helps us to stay sober. And it makes us feel fulfilled.” - Brett Warren

“I really did think that I had to earn my value, earn my worth, prove my perfection. So that was through misusing and abusing my body, but also trying to fill that God-shaped void in my soul with relationships, with promiscuity, with substances, with success, even.” - Amanda Jane Cooper

“I have a new perspective that God says who I am. I do not need to “prove” to the world my worth through a certain size or through a certain weight at all. God looks at the heart and He wants to tend to our hearts.” - Amanda Jane Cooper

“I fully believe that by the blood of Christ and His healing power, we can be set free from addictions, compulsions. We can go to Him in distress, pain, anger, insecurity. He is big enough and good enough, better than good enough, to handle whatever we bring to His feet.” - Amanda Jane Cooper

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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel:

Audio Playlist: https://bit.ly/2PrbuwH

Video Playlist: https://bit.