Embracing Brokenness

Steve and Colleen Adams
  • 4.4 (7)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

Welcome to the Embracing Brokenness Podcast. Our focus is to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to a hurting world. To live authentically and without pretense. To encourage others toward a greater understanding of who they are and who God is. To teach the blessed HOPE that the Bible calls the “Anchor of the Soul”. That is Jesus Christ and His healing presence – not only available in this life – but in eternity to come.

  1. 3D AGO

    🎙️EP168. The Cost of Not Following Jesus Is Greater with Morgan Snyder

    What does it really cost to follow Jesus? And what does it cost us when we don’t? In this powerful conversation, Steve Adams welcomes Morgan Snyder to the Embracing Brokenness Podcast for a deep and honest discussion about discipleship, formation, healing, risk, and the slow work of becoming whole in Christ. Morgan reflects on his 26 years in formal relationship with Wild at Heart, his transition with his wife Cherie into the Become Good Soil movement, and the deeper work of apprenticeship to Jesus in the second half of life. He shares why he and Cherie are now focused on “going deeper with fewer,” investing in the thirsty few who long for more of God and the abundant life. Together, Steve and Morgan explore the danger of consumer Christianity, the difference between information and formation, the invitation to become wholehearted men and women, and why brokenness is not the end of the story but often the beginning of deeper restoration. This episode is for anyone who feels stuck, spiritually dry, overextended, or aware that simply “believing the right things” has not produced the healing, maturity, intimacy, and purpose they long for. Morgan reminds us that God is not far away. He meets us at the end of our rope, in our need, in our pain, and in the ordinary moments where we create space to notice His voice. Learn more about Morgan and Cherie Snyder’s work at Become Good Soil: https://becomegoodsoil.com Learn more about Embracing Brokenness Ministries: https://embracingbrokenness.org Chapters 00:00 — God Meets Us at the End of Our Rope 01:00 — Welcome to the Embracing Brokenness Podcast 01:32 — Introducing Morgan Snyder 02:14 — Morgan’s History with John Eldredge and Wild at Heart 03:34 — Becoming Good Soil and Going Deeper with Fewer 04:55 — Husband and Wife Ministry in the Second Half of Life 05:45 — Don’t Waste Your Pain 07:01 — Preferring a Circle Over a Platform 08:00 — The Hidden Years and Carrying Water 09:11 — Steve’s First Wild at Heart Retreat 11:08 — Trusting the Slow Work of God 12:33 — The Interior Work of Becoming Whole 14:23 — We Are All Being Discipled by Something 16:21 — Leaving Platform, Salary, and Momentum 17:45 — Brokenness, Anesthesia, and the Fire in the House 21:22 — The Cost of Not Following Jesus 22:36 — Sabbath as Resistance 23:48 — God as the Father Who Initiates Our Children 24:56 — Why Embrace Brokenness? 27:16 — Living Where God Has to Show Up 29:16 — Becoming the Kind of Person God Can Entrust 30:25 — Risk at the Core of Discipleship 31:05 — Prison Ministry and Holy Ground 34:11 — What Is Burdening Morgan’s Heart? 35:48 — Dallas Willard and the Discipleship Crisis 37:40 — Power, Service, and the Vulnerable 39:52 — The Incomplete Gospel 41:57 — Consumer Christianity and Hyper-Individualism 43:53 — Information Is Not Enough 45:22 — What If God Feels Distant? 46:31 — How Do I Find God? 47:31 — Creating Space to Notice God 48:37 — The Gift of Margin 49:35 — Micro-Shifts That Change a Life 50:31 — Start with What Is Necessary 51:08 — Becoming a King and Practical Resources 52:02 — Become Good Soil and the Thirsty Few 53:28 — Participating in the Restoration of All Things 54:05 — Closing Thoughts

    55 min

  2. MAY 4

    🎙️EP167. AI Said It Well… But It Doesn’t Know Him

    What happens when artificial intelligence reads a manuscript about intimacy with God… and then creates a podcast explaining it? That’s exactly what happened when one of our endorsers uploaded our upcoming book Embracing the Way into NotebookLM. Within moments, it generated a 20-minute conversation—two voices unpacking the heart of our message with surprising clarity, accuracy, and even emotional tone. So we decided to do something different. In this episode, we: Play the AI-generated podcast in full Reflect on what it got right Explore what felt… incomplete And wrestle with a critical question for our time: Can something that sounds human… begin to replace relationship? This isn’t a rejection of AI. It’s a call to discernment. Because while AI can: organize truth explain ideas accelerate productivity …it cannot: experience God heal your wounds or lead you into intimacy with Christ We close with practical, biblical guardrails for engaging AI wisely—without losing what matters most. Link to 5 Biblical Guardrails for Working with AI https://embracingbrokenness.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/5-Biblical-Guardrails-for-Working-with-AI.jpeg 00:00 – AI Needs a Warning Label (Part 2) 02:30 – The unexpected AI-generated podcast 06:15 – What surprised us most 09:30 – Playing the AI podcast (full segment) 29:00 – Our reaction: what it got right 31:30 – Where it missed: relationship vs replication 34:30 – Identity is received, not achieved 36:00 – 5 Biblical guardrails for AI (RAILS) 39:00 – The Great I Am is greater than AI

    40 min

  3. APR 20

    🎙️EP166. AI Needs a Warning Label | The Hidden Threat to Your Soul

    What if the greatest danger of artificial intelligence isn’t what it can do—but what it can replace? In this episode of the Embracing Brokenness Podcast, Steve and Colleen Adams explore a growing concern: AI is no longer just a productivity tool—it’s becoming a relational substitute. From AI companions to emotionally intelligent chatbots, we are entering a moment where technology can mimic what only God was meant to fulfill. This conversation goes deeper than headlines. It gets to the heart. Why AI feels like it “understands” you How it subtly meets core human longings The danger of synthetic belonging, love, and purpose Real stories of how far this has already gone Practical red flags to evaluate your own usage How to use AI without letting it use you This isn’t fear-based. It’s a warning—and an invitation. 👉 The truth: “I AM is greater than AI.” (Use this URL and create a bookmark next to your AI tab in your browser): https://bedecked-litter-95f.notion.site/I-Am-AI-29c29def361b80dc867df86090d3bfe0 Use this prompt in your favorite AI chat. You may be surprised at the answer it gives you. If Screwtape (from C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters) were to write a letter to Wormwood on how to thwart my faith and effectiveness personally, what would that letter say based on what you know about me? Chapters: 00:00 – A chilling real-world example of AI companionship 01:30 – Why this episode matters right now 03:00 – “AI may replace your need for God” 05:00 – The emotional evolution of AI 07:00 – Productivity vs. transformation 09:00 – AI and the loss of human connection 12:00 – The Screwtape exercise (eye-opening) 16:00 – Spiritual warfare and identity 18:30 – Core longings: Belonging 20:30 – Purpose vs. productivity 21:30 – Love and affirmation 23:00 – Understanding and being “seen” 24:30 – Safety and relational risk 26:30 – Significance and generational impact 29:00 – The substitution problem 31:00 – The “synthetic steak” analogy 33:00 – AI companionship and the future 36:00 – Red flags to watch for 39:00 – What if you’re not using AI yet? 41:00 – Practical guardrails 42:30 – Final truth: I AM > AI

    42 min

  4. APR 6

    🎙️EP165. The Dash | Don’t Waste the Life You’ve Been Given

    Easter reminds us that death is not the end—but it does invite a deeper question: how are we living in the time we’ve been given? In this episode of the Embracing Brokenness Podcast, Steve and Colleen explore “The Dash”—the small line between your birth date and death date that represents your entire life. Through the story of Alfred Nobel, personal experiences with loss, and a powerful reflection sparked by the song Live Like That, they unpack what it really means to live intentionally. You’ll discover: Why most people drift instead of live with purpose The difference between happiness and lasting joy How distraction and self-focus quietly shape your life What people actually remember about you in the end How to choose love at the “fork in the road” moments This isn’t about achieving more—it’s about becoming someone who reflects Christ in everyday life. Because the dash may look small… but it holds everything. 00:00 – Welcome + Easter Monday Reflection 02:00 – The Question: What Would People Say About Your Life? 07:30 – The Dash Explained (Birth → Death → Everything Between) 10:15 – The Alfred Nobel Story (A Wake-Up Call) 13:30 – Why Most People Drift Through Life 15:00 – Meaning Doesn’t Just Happen—It’s Cultivated 18:30 – Colleen’s Turning Point (Loss, Funerals, Clarity) 22:30 – “Live Like That” – The Measuring Line for Life 26:00 – The Fork in the Road: Choosing Love or Self 29:00 – Living Surrendered vs Living in Control 32:00 – Start With Why (and Where It Falls Short) 34:30 – Happiness vs Joy 36:30 – What Living for the Dash Actually Feels Like 40:00 – It’s Not About What You Achieve 42:00 – Final Question: What Is Being Written in Your Dash? 43:30 – Closing Challenge + What’s Next

    45 min

  5. MAR 23

    🎙️EP164. Reclamation Part 2: The Road Back | When God Redeems the Worst Chapters of Our Story

    In Part 2 of our Reclamation series, Steve and Colleen Adams explore what it looks like to reclaim the parts of our story that were shaped by failure, shame, and consequences. In this deeply personal episode, Steve shares the part of his story he rarely tells publicly — the collapse of a successful real estate business in the 1980s, federal fraud charges, and the prison sentence that followed. For years, the weight of that chapter lingered quietly in the background of his life. Then, decades later, God prompted him to do something unexpected. Go back. Together, Steve and Colleen returned to the federal prison camp where he served his sentence — not as an inmate this time, but as a man who had experienced redemption. What happened there became a powerful moment of reclamation — a reconciling of past, present, and purpose. This conversation explores: How God redeems even the most painful chapters of our story The difference between shame and redemption Why consequences can become part of God’s restoration process How wounds and failures can shape our calling What it means to reclaim the life God originally intended Reclamation isn’t about rewriting the past. It’s about seeing how God was present in it all along. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Personal Background 02:16 The Journey of Reclamation and Writing the Book 04:12 Early Life, Success, and the Fall into Crime 07:21 Facing Charges and the Impact on Life 10:24 The Courtroom and Sentencing Experience 12:33 Returning to Prison and Reconciliation 15:54 Reflections on God's Mercy and Grace 18:39 Visiting Prison and Internal Reconciliation 22:37 The Internal Journey of Reclamation 26:17 Turning Point and Surrender to God 28:21 The Role of God's Word in Healing 29:37 God's Continuous Reclamation in Our Lives

    31 min

  6. MAR 9

    🎙️EP163 Reclamation, Part 1: When Jesus Reclaims What Was Lost

    What does it mean to reclaim the parts of yourself that trauma, shame, and pain taught you to hide? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation on Reclamation, Steve and Colleen explore how Jesus restores what was lost through wounds, false beliefs, and spiritual fragmentation. Colleen shares deeply from her own story of abuse, abandonment, healing, and the reclaiming of the true self through Christ. This is a conversation about more than pain from the past. It’s about the renewing work of God in the present—and the hope of restoration for the future. Chapters: 00:00 Trauma, the true self, and the cost to our relationship with God00:44 Welcome + introducing the Reclamation series (Embracing the Way)01:59 War, current events, and the unseen reality of spiritual warfare03:18 Defining reclamation: reclaiming what was lost in God, self, others, purpose04:29 Reclaiming the Imago Dei + Joel 2:25 (“years the locusts have eaten”)08:28 “Altar moments” + how healing unfolds over time10:13 Fragmentation and “orphan parts” (IFS) through a Christ-centered lens13:02 Colleen’s story: abuse, walls, and rejecting the vulnerable self18:32 The “bitter root” memory + Jesus brings integration and healing26:02 Why we don’t ignore the past: healing wounds without living stuck there

    39 min

  7. FEB 23

    🎙️EP162. A New Name on a White Stone

    Jesus promises a white stone, hidden manna, and a new name known only to the one who receives it. In this episode, Steve & Colleen Adams explore identity, healing, and what it means to “conquer” when competing voices are loud. Colleen shares her story of hearing God call her “Delightful” through trauma and reintegration; Steve shares how God restored his identity as a Warrior in a season of loss. A deeply practical invitation to ask God what He calls you—and to live from it. Chapters 00:00 – Why identity matters in marriage & community synergy 01:10 – Podcast intro + Episode context (Episode 27 throwback) 02:30 – Anchor Scripture: Revelation 2:17 (new name on a white stone) 03:10 – “The one who conquers” = resisting false identities 05:03 – Colleen’s checklist (and why the “new name” mattered) 07:45 – Colleen’s “Delightful” story begins 11:49 – Trauma, the false self, and burying the “little girl” 14:03 – Redeeming “Delightful” + how God uses our wounds in service 15:35 – Steve’s crisis season + Wild at Heart Boot Camp context 17:45 – The moment Steve asked God: “What is my name?” 19:05 – Ephesians 1 & Psalm 139: identity before performance 20:55 – Father wounds, distortion, and why brokenness comes first 22:12 – Dark night of the soul: surrender vs self-reliance 24:20 – Biblical name changes (Abraham, Jacob, Peter, Paul) 26:42 – Peter’s journey: living into a name over time 28:20 – Exposure, blind spots, and sanctification (especially in marriage) 29:29 – Chesterton + Spurgeon: we’ve forgotten who we are 31:30 – Living from your new name: purpose between “now” and eternity 33:30 – Identity creates synergy in marriage & the Body of Christ 34:44 – Performance, people-pleasing, and resisting the world’s box 37:09 – Identity as spiritual warfare + Gladiator illustration 40:05 – Pain can become the doorway to calling 41:35 – Practical invitation: surrender, ask God, silence other voices 43:12 – Blessing & closing

    44 min

  8. FEB 9

    🎙️EP161. Consecrating the Year in Light of Eternity

    In this annual conversation, Steve Adams, Colleen Adams, and Michael Kurtz invite listeners to begin the year through consecration, not pressure or performance. Rather than goal-setting, the focus is surrender—offering the year back to God as an act of union with Christ. They explore listening for a word or phrase for the year as an invitation into formation, why God’s work is often cumulative over time, and how an eternal perspective reshapes how we live and suffer today. Eternity is reframed not as escape, but as restoration—returning to God’s “very good” design. This episode serves as a formation anchor for the year ahead, calling listeners to resist striving, stop self-saving, and trust the God who holds both now and forever. Resources mentioned: The Royal in You — Jordan Raynor Video Intro Heaven — Randy Alcorn All Things New — John Eldredge Scripture references:Matthew 6:34 • Genesis 1–3 • Matthew 24:36 • Genesis 1:26–28 • Matthew 25:14–30 • John 15 Chapters: 00:00 Cold open — “Don’t add pressure… I have a month.”01:01 Welcome + episode setup01:54 Introducing Colleen & Michael + annual rhythm06:19 What consecrating the year is (and isn’t)08:49 Colleen: consecration as union, not performance10:59 Michael: fasting + surrendering plans without demands14:28 Steve: offering the calendar back to God15:35 Colleen: “walking in the greater story”19:06 Words build over time (stepping stones)20:27 Word ≠ slogan (and a quick Eagles detour)21:30 Colleen: “presence” (inward → outward) + carrying Jesus into chaos26:54 Michael: Jacob’s purification + returning to “God’s house”36:14 Eternity: The Royal In You + reclaiming a hopeful view of heaven40:44 Colleen: recovering the supernatural worldview + “very good” restoration44:22 Matthew 24:36 + living ready without obsessing over dates46:53 Michael: dominion, stewardship, and being formed to rule & reign49:19 Colleen: “Stop being self-saviors” (union restores surrender)52:18 Suffering well: faithfulness, love, forgiveness in the fire53:02 Colleen: NIH story — blessing others in pain + “table with Jesus”57:38 Michael: Psalms—bring the unfiltered to God01:02:17 Wrap + final encouragements01:03:10 Colleen: don’t be discouraged; give the Spirit permission beyond awareness01:06:49 Michael: don’t rush; a month-long posture of receiving01:08:28 Steve: final send-off

    1h 10m
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About

Welcome to the Embracing Brokenness Podcast. Our focus is to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to a hurting world. To live authentically and without pretense. To encourage others toward a greater understanding of who they are and who God is. To teach the blessed HOPE that the Bible calls the “Anchor of the Soul”. That is Jesus Christ and His healing presence – not only available in this life – but in eternity to come.

Information

  • Creator
    Steve and Colleen Adams
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    169
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Steve and Colleen Adams
  • Show Website
    Embracing Brokenness

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