Studio RC - 2026 Rooted Conference: The Aftermath #4 - Stevie Boyarski
Studio RC - 2026 Rooted Conference: The Aftermath #4 - Stevie Boyarski

Studio RC

Pastor Max and Stevie B talk candidly about staying in AA and NA, living out the five S’s, and choosing honesty over image in faith-based recovery. Their conversation highlights small churches, simple worship and deep character as keys to long-term sobriety and spiritual growth.

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27:50•12 May 2026

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Staying Small, Honest and Rooted: Stevie B on Faith, Recovery and the Five S’s

Episode Overview

Staying connected to AA and NA is framed as essential, both for personal sobriety and for carrying a message to those still suffering.
Stevie’s five S’s—surrender, service, schedule, structure and sanctification—are presented as practical anchors during grief, temptation and everyday life.
Having a home group and a clear service role is encouraged as a way to move from being a spectator to an active participant in recovery and church.
Honest confession of hidden struggles, including pornography, is shown as vital to preventing relapse and spiritual collapse, even for long-time leaders.
Character is repeatedly prioritised over talent in building worship teams and leadership, with worship described as a matter of the heart rather than musical polish.

“"You don't have to be big to start is what I'm saying."”

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? Studio RC heads back into the buzz of the Rooted 2026 Recovery Church conference as Pastor Max chats with Stevie B (Steve Boyarski) from Recovery Church Fort Lauderdale, whose mix of humour and brutal honesty keeps things very real. The heart of their conversation is the overlap of faith and traditional recovery.

Stevie talks about why he still calls AA and NA his “fishing pond” and warns that Christians who pull away from meetings may be stepping away from their mission to “go find the lost and the hurting.” He unpacks two of his “five S’s” — surrender, service, schedule, structure and sanctification — showing how simple habits like a home group, a regular meeting schedule and having a job in recovery spaces kept him grounded even through grief and loss.

There’s plenty here for anyone juggling leadership, ego and sobriety. Stevie shares how pride once crippled a booming recovery ministry, and how he later had to confess a pornography struggle to his church and wife. It’s raw, uncomfortable and incredibly relevant for people who feel they “should be over that stuff by now.” Max adds his own story about being lovingly called out for exaggeration and calls it a “rude awakening” that reshaped his honesty.

They also chat about worship, laughing over campuses without bands and how Spotify and simple set-ups still point people to Jesus. The message is clear: character beats talent, and “you don’t have to be big to start” a recovery church or ministry. If you’ve ever wondered how to stay plugged into meetings, serve without burning out, and tell the whole truth about your struggles, this conversation offers a candid, faith-filled nudge to keep your roots deep.

What one small change could you make this week in your own schedule, service or honesty?

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