Studio RC - Worship #2 - See God Clearly - Max IngramStudio RC - Worship #2 - See God Clearly - Max Ingram
Studio RC
Pastor Max Ingram reflects on what worship really is and connects it to life in recovery, arguing that a bigger view of God naturally deepens worship. Through Bible passages and vivid images, he suggests that seeing God’s greatness can reshape both faith and sobriety.
21:30•8 Sept 2026
Seeing God Bigger: Worship, Awe and Recovery with Pastor Max Ingram
Episode Overview
- Worship is defined as our response to who God is and what He has done, not just singing or church services.
- Whatever holds ongoing attention will eventually guide the direction of life, which links worship closely to recovery.
- Biblical examples show that when people see God clearly, worship flows naturally through awe, humility and surrender.
- Recovery often begins when someone sees both their own brokenness and God’s greatness, rather than just deciding to surrender.
- Addiction tends to make God seem small and manageable, whereas worship and recovery enlarge our view of His greatness and mystery.
“The depth of our worship is directly connected to the greatness of our vision of God.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? Studio RC leans right into that question by linking recovery with a bigger, clearer view of God. Pastor Max Ingram, who openly introduces himself as an alcoholic, talks to those in recovery who also care about their faith, blending Bible teaching with honest reflections from life in sobriety. Here, worship is taken way beyond Sunday songs.
Max explains that worship is "our response to God" and ties it directly to recovery, because "whatever can consistently hold our attention will eventually shape our direction." If alcohol once held centre stage, this conversation is about letting God take that place instead. Using Isaiah 6:1–8 and other Bible passages, Max shows how people in scripture reacted when they saw God clearly—falling face down, speechless, overwhelmed.
The standout idea is simple but challenging: "The depth of our worship is directly connected to the greatness of our vision of God." If God feels small, our worship and our recovery will feel small too. You’ll hear vivid images—a goldfish bowl compared to the ocean, the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, a newborn baby—to show how real greatness naturally leads to awe.
Max gently asks if some of us have shrunk God into something "manageable" or like a handy genie, instead of holding both the closeness of "Abba, Father" and the awe of a powerful King. The tone is warm, honest and slightly cheeky at times (he happily claims "make a joyful noise" for his own singing), but the message lands firmly: addiction makes God smaller; recovery and worship make Him bigger again.
If you’re in recovery and want your faith to feel less routine and more alive, this conversation might nudge you to ask: have you been looking at God through a bowl when there’s an ocean on offer?
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