5 Choices to True Freedom5 Choices to True Freedom
Life Recovery Today with Stephen Arterburn
Stephen Arterburn talks with pastor Rick Bosch about his experience with two daughters addicted to heroin and how that shaped his Christ-centred recovery work. Rick outlines five choices he believes lead to true freedom: surrender, ownership, healing, growth, and connection.
26:16•13 Apr 2026
Five Courageous Choices That Lead to True Freedom from Addiction
Episode Overview
- True freedom is not doing whatever you want without boundaries; it begins with a relationship with Christ and living within His purposes.
- Surrender means admitting you can’t fix yourself and turning your will over to God, even if you start by simply being willing to follow what works for others.
- Ownership calls for taking responsibility for your choices instead of staying stuck in blame, excuses, or a victim mindset.
- Healing involves forgiving those who hurt you, seeking forgiveness from others, and actually accepting God’s forgiveness for yourself.
- Lasting change includes daily spiritual growth, changing negative thinking with God’s word, and building healthy connections where you serve and share your testimony.
“"Addiction has no bounds."”
What drives someone to seek a life without addiction and live in what Rick Bosch calls "true freedom"? This conversation between host Stephen Arterburn and pastor/author Rick Bosch gives a raw look at addiction, family heartbreak, and faith-centred recovery. Rick shares how his recovery work in church ministry suddenly became personal: "We had two daughters that were hooked on heroin." One daughter’s prescribed oxycodone after a car accident quietly shifted into heroin use, then her sister followed.
As a pastor and dad, Rick admits he wrestled with shame and failure, yet keeps repeating a hard truth: "Addiction has no bounds." From that pain came his book *True Freedom*, built around five choices he’s seen change lives. You’ll hear him and Steve walk through each one in down-to-earth language: - Surrender: reaching "the end of ourself" and handing our will to Christ, even if it starts as reluctant compliance.
- Ownership: moving from excuses to responsibility, taking an honest inventory rather than living as a permanent victim. - The choice to heal: facing wounds, forgiving others, seeking forgiveness, and actually receiving God’s mercy. - The choice to grow: challenging negative self-talk and reshaping thinking with biblical truth. - The choice to connect: deepening relationship with God and others, serving, and sharing your story so others can find hope.
Stephen ties these ideas back to the 12 steps and the Life Recovery Bible, stressing that God’s presence and guidance are for today, not just the past. Both men keep circling one big question: are you still trying to fix yourself, or are you ready to admit "I can’t fix myself, I need help"? If you’re feeling stuck in addiction, grief, anxiety, or tangled family dynamics, this episode might nudge you toward that first brave choice.
Which of Rick’s five choices feels like the one you need most right now?
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