Studio RC - 2026 Rooted Conference: The Aftermath #10 - Junior Saint Val
Studio RC - 2026 Rooted Conference: The Aftermath #10 - Junior Saint Val

Studio RC

Pastor Max talks with Junior Saint Val about balancing church leadership and 12-step recovery, travelling as a national coach, and involving family in ministry. They reflect on storms, doubt, relapse, and how hope and faith can keep people from giving up on their recovery or calling too soon.

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33:40•23 Jun 2026

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Balancing Church, Recovery, and Hope with Junior Saint Val

Episode Overview

Check whether you’re leaning more toward church or recovery so you can strengthen your weaker side instead of letting it become a blind spot.
Use AA meetings as a way to feel at home in new places and to connect with people who can point you toward local support and community.
When storms hit marriages, ministries, or businesses, remember the peace you had when you first said yes and resist the urge to assume you heard God wrong.
Discouragement and regret can trigger relapse, so swap alcohol as the old "answer" for turning to Jesus, scripture, and supportive people instead.
Focus on Jesus rather than the "giants" or waves in front of you, so you don’t walk away from a calling or relationship just when the breakthrough may be near.

“The enemy can't take away your purpose, he can't take away your destiny, but if he can discourage you enough, you'll give it to him.”

What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? Studio RC brings together faith and recovery in a relaxed, honest chat between host Pastor Max Ingram and national coach Junior Saint Val from Recovery Church Movement. Across their conversation, you'll hear two long-time friends bounce between jokes and serious truth as they talk about living "fully in both" church and 12-step recovery.

Junior shares how he came to church through recovery, sponsors a dozen guys, still loves AA meetings, and yet spends much of his life preaching and leading small groups. His constant question is, "Where am I challenging myself the most?" – a great prompt for anyone wondering if their own recovery or faith has gone on autopilot. Junior talks about travelling the US helping launch Recovery Church locations and how AA meetings make any city feel like home.

He describes involving his whole family in the journey and keeping priorities as "God, family, ministry", even when the demands of helping hundreds of people start to pile up. The heart of the episode lands on storms – those seasons when marriages strain, ministries stall, relapses happen, or projects seem to fail.

As he puts it, "The enemy can't take away your purpose, he can't take away your destiny, but if he can discourage you enough, you'll give it to him." For anyone in recovery who’s wondering if they misheard God, thinking of quitting a ministry, or feeling pulled back towards "Egypt" – the old life – Junior’s message is simple: cling to hope, remember the peace you once had, and "be a hope dealer" instead of reaching for the old answer of alcohol.

Junior unpacks Bible stories about Jesus in the storm and Israel in the wilderness to show how doubt, discouragement, and the enemy’s whispers can push people to walk away too soon. Where might you be tempted to turn back when you’re actually closer to the promise than you think?

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