Q135_082826 Rom. 8:14,15 As Adopted Children, We Have A New PastQ135_082826 Rom. 8:14,15 As Adopted Children, We Have A New Past
How it Happens with Colin Cook
Colin Cook reflects on Romans 8:14–15, linking everyday stress, addiction struggles and childhood wounds with the idea of being adopted as God’s children. He suggests that even faltering prayers are signs of the Holy Spirit at work, offering a new way to view fear, the past and personal failure.
14:35•29 Aug 2026
Adopted Children, New Past: Romans 8 and Breaking Free from Fear
Episode Overview
- Prayer, even when hesitant or conflicted, is presented as clear evidence of being led by the Holy Spirit.
- Believers are reminded that they have not received a spirit of fear or bondage, but the spirit of adoption as children of God.
- Everyday stress can stir up old childhood wounds, yet faith and Scripture can counter the pull of past fears.
- God’s adoption is said to offer a “new history”, allowing people to revisit and reinterpret painful experiences through forgiveness.
- Hidden fear is highlighted as a major reason for avoidance and procrastination, which can be answered by trusting God’s peace rather than old patterns of shame.
“You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol, drugs, or other compulsions when fear and old wounds keep pulling them back? This episode of *How it Happens with Colin Cook* circles around that question by sitting with Romans 8:14–15 and seeing what it means for people caught in addiction and anxiety. Colin speaks candidly about a very down-to-earth stressor: trying to sort out computer technology and feeling thrown straight back into childhood memories of not coping at school.
From there, he links everyday frustration with deeper fears and long-standing shame. Anyone who’s ever felt silly for “overreacting” to a small problem will probably nod along. The heart of the episode is the idea that “as many as are led by the Spirit of God” includes people who feel like failures, sinners, or chronic relapsers.
Colin insists that if you’re still praying – even if it’s through gritted teeth, even if you feel judged – “that is being led by the spirit of God.” He stresses that the urge to call out for mercy in addiction or stress is itself evidence of the Holy Spirit at work. Romans 8:15 becomes a key lifeline: believers “did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear” but “the spirit of adoption”.
Colin applies this to those with painful childhoods, describing how God’s adoption offers a “new history”. He describes how God can revisit past trauma, soften hard hearts toward parents, and shift old events so they no longer define a person’s identity. With gentle humour, honest self-criticism, and a strong focus on biblical faith, this episode speaks to anyone wrestling with addiction, hidden fear, or a past that feels too heavy.
It asks a simple but challenging question: what if your anxious, conflicted prayers are already proof that you’re being led more than you think?
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