Big Book Study: Step 2 - Now What (Part 3 of 15)Big Book Study: Step 2 - Now What (Part 3 of 15)
Sober Cast: An (unofficial) Alcoholics Anonymous Podcast AA
Pete H offers a detailed Big Book study on Step 2, focusing on belief in a power greater than oneself as the solution to alcoholism. He blends reading from "We Agnostics" with personal experience to show how spiritual practice, honesty, and relationships fit into sober living.
51:48•26 Sept 2026
Step 2 and the "What Now?" Moment with Pete H
Episode Overview
- Step 2 begins with a simple question: am I willing to believe there is a power greater than myself?
- Alcoholism is described as a threefold illness – physical allergy, mental obsession, and spiritual malady – with self at the centre of the problem.
- A personal concept of a higher power is enough to start, and for many, the AA group becomes that power in early sobriety.
- Honesty, writing, and sharing with a sponsor or group help turn Big Book statements into practical, lived experience.
- Daily prayer, meditation, and leaving results to a higher power are presented as key to better relationships and long-term sober living.
“Lack of power, that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This Big Book study session centres on Step 2 – "Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity" – with long-time AA member Pete H sharing his experience, strength, and hope.
Across this talk, you'll hear Pete break down Step 2 straight from the Big Book, especially the chapter "We Agnostics", stopping often to turn key statements into questions any sober or sober-curious person can sit with. He keeps returning to one blunt idea: "The problem is me" – and if the problem lies within, then the solution has to be found within as well.
Pete speaks to newcomers and old-timers alike, pointing out that "no one in this room is any closer to God than the person next to us" and that early on, his higher power was simply the AA group.
He reads passages like "Lack of power, that was our dilemma" and asks whether someone really believes they need a spiritual experience to recover: is alcohol "everything or nothing" in your life, and does the same need to be true of a higher power? You'll also hear him talk candidly about relationships, resentment, and the “cycle of drink”, with plenty of humour at his own expense.
He stresses practical actions: prayer, meditation, writing about the questions in Step 2, and working closely with a sponsor or small group. The Q&A section shows how these ideas play out in real-life issues such as relationships, honesty, and long-term sobriety. If you’re wondering what “came to believe” might actually look like day to day, this session offers a grounded take on building that Step 2 cornerstone – one honest question and one small action at a time.
How ready are you to consider that there might be something greater than yourself?
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