Studio RC - Known #5: The Father Who Never Leaves - Max IngramStudio RC - Known #5: The Father Who Never Leaves - Max Ingram
Studio RC
Pastor Max Ingram reflects on God as "the father who never leaves," connecting biblical promises of God’s presence with the deep abandonment wounds common in recovery. The episode invites people to rethink their image of God and consider how believing they’re never alone could reshape their journey toward sobriety.
34:29•3 Nov 2026
Studio RC: The Father Who Never Leaves and Healing Abandonment in Recovery
Episode Overview
- God’s greatest promise is that you will never face life alone, even if others have left you.
- Abandonment wounds often fuel addiction, but God’s constant presence can begin to heal those hurts.
- Feeling alone or unloved is not the same as actually being alone or unloved, and faith can challenge that broken perspective.
- Scriptures such as Psalm 139, Isaiah 43 and Hebrews 13:5 present God as a Father who stays and pursues his children everywhere.
- Recovery involves not just changing behaviours, but also replacing distorted images of God with the picture Jesus gives of the Father.
“You may have been left by others, but you will never be left by God.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This Studio RC episode offers a faith-filled answer, as Pastor Max Ingram talks about "the father who never leaves" and why that promise matters so much for people in recovery. Studio RC is aimed at those walking the path of addiction recovery who also care about their spiritual life.
Here, you’ll hear Max speak openly as "an alcoholic" and a pastor, blending scripture, recovery language, and everyday illustrations in a warm, conversational style. The focus of this fifth instalment in the "Known" series is God’s presence and faithfulness, especially for anyone scarred by abandonment.
Anchored in Psalm 139 and passages like Isaiah 43 and Hebrews 13:5, Max unpacks the idea that "you may have been left by others, but you will never be left by God." He contrasts the feeling of being alone with the reality of being pursued, using a vivid story of a child lost in a shop to highlight how our perspective can twist what’s actually true.
For many in recovery, he notes, the deepest wound isn’t addiction but being repeatedly left, rejected or neglected. Max connects this directly to addictive behaviour, calling substances a false comfort that "doesn’t ask questions" and seems like it never leaves, until it does. God, he says, is different: "The father goes everywhere his children go," even into relapses, hospital rooms, and lonely flats.
Rather than offering tidy explanations, Max emphasizes that God’s greatest gift is often presence and peace, not answers. Expect a gentle mix of Bible teaching, recovery wisdom, and reflective questions.
You’ll be asked to consider where you’ve believed you were abandoned, whether you’ve judged God through the lens of people who failed you, and what might change if you really trusted that "never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." If you’ve ever wondered whether God will give up on you like others have, this episode might be a comforting challenge to that story. How would your recovery look if you truly believed you are never alone?
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