Studio RC - Known #2: ABBA - The God Who Comes Close - Max IngramStudio RC - Known #2: ABBA - The God Who Comes Close - Max Ingram
Studio RC
Pastor Max Ingram connects 12-step recovery with seeing God as Abba, a close and adopting father who offers a permanent place in his family. The conversation focuses on moving from fear, performance and an orphan mindset to living as a loved child who truly belongs.
27:25•13 Oct 2026
Abba and the Empty Chair: Finding Your Place in God’s Family
Episode Overview
- God is presented as Abba, a close and respectful father figure, rather than a distant or angry authority.
- Romans 8 and Galatians 4 are used to show that believers move from slavery to sonship through adoption.
- Many in recovery still think like spiritual orphans, trying to earn love instead of receiving it as children.
- Grace gives a permanent place in God’s family; recovery and spiritual growth teach how to live from that belonging.
- The holy spirit continually reminds believers that they are loved, accepted, and invited to live as sons and daughters, not employees.
“"You don't have to earn a seat at a table where you've already been adopted."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? Studio RC answers that by linking recovery with a fresh look at who God really is. Pastor Max Ingram, speaking as both a pastor and an alcoholic, continues the "Known" series with a focus on Abba – "the God who comes close" – and what that means for anyone trying to stay sober while wrestling with shame, fear, or a harsh image of God.
This episode speaks straight to those who feel like spiritual outsiders. Max contrasts two identities – "slave or son" – and shows how many in recovery live like employees clocking in for God, trying to earn love through meetings, days sober, or service. He uses simple, relatable images: the empty chair at the table, "refrigerator rights" in someone’s home, and a banquet with your name already on the place card.
As he puts it, "You don't have to earn a seat at a table where you've already been adopted." Pulling from Romans 8 and Galatians 4, Max talks about adoption as a real change of status, not a spiritual trial period. The "orphan’s heart" – the voice that says "I have to prove myself" or "I’ll probably be abandoned" – is gently challenged by the idea that God, as Abba, has already brought his children home.
He reminds listeners that "The holy spirit is continually reminding us, you belong. You are loved. You are not alone." The tone is warm, honest and practical, especially for those in 12-step recovery. Rather than piling on theology, Max asks probing questions: Do you approach God like a child or an employee? Do you really believe you belong?
It’s a gentle invitation to let recovery include healing your picture of God, so sobriety becomes less about performance and more about living as a loved son or daughter. If your image of God has ever felt like a probation officer instead of a loving father, this conversation might be the nudge you need to rethink who’s really pulled out your chair at the table.
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