Have you ever felt like your past disqualifies you from serving God? That your mistakes, addictions, failures, or regrets are too big to be used for His glory?

In this powerful episode of From Guilt to Grace, host Andy Choate opens up about his personal battle with alcohol abuse and the lingering shame that tried to convince him he had no place in kingdom work. But as Andy reminds us through Scripture and honest reflection—God doesn’t toss out broken stories. He redeems them.

In this episode:

• Why your past isn’t a disqualifier, but a platform for ministry
• How the lives of Paul and Peter prove that failure doesn’t cancel your calling
• What to do when shame whispers “you’re a hypocrite”
• How your darkest chapters may be the very thing God uses to reach others in pain

If you've ever avoided ministry opportunities, spiritual conversations, or leadership roles because of your past, this episode will help you reframe your story as evidence of God’s grace—not a reason for disqualification.

“God doesn’t just use the polished parts of your story. He uses the bruised ones too.”

This podcast is a spiritual encouragement and not a substitute for licensed mental health care. If you're healing from trauma or addiction, please seek professional support.

Can a Christian be depressed and have joy? What if you don’t feel the “joy, joy, joy down in your heart” that everyone sings about on Sunday?

In this honest and deeply relatable episode of From Guilt to Grace, host Andy Choate opens up about the painful disconnect many believers feel between the command to rejoice and the reality of depression. Through Scripture, Andy helps us untangle the confusion between joy and happiness, showing us that biblical joy isn’t about smiling through the pain—it’s about holding on to truth when your heart feels heavy.

In this episode:

• Why David, Job, Jeremiah, and Elijah may have battled deep depression
• How Psalm 6 reveals raw emotional anguish and spiritual hope
• The crucial difference between emotional happiness and Holy Spirit-produced joy
• Why depression doesn’t disqualify you from God’s love—or the fruit of the Spirit

If you’ve ever felt like a “bad Christian” for feeling low, this episode offers healing perspective: You can be crying and still faithful. Weeping and still Spirit-filled. Depressed—and still full of joy.

“Joy isn’t the absence of depression. It’s the presence of God in the middle of it.”

This podcast is a spiritual support, not a substitute for professional therapy or medical care. If you’re struggling, please seek help from a licensed mental health provider.

Does your anxiety mean you’re failing as a Christian? Is God disappointed in you because your heart races, your mind spins, and you can’t seem to calm down?

In this compassionate and powerful episode of From Guilt to Grace, host Andy Choate tackles one of the most painful and persistent lies many believers face: that anxiety equals spiritual failure. With raw honesty and biblical clarity, Andy explores the difference between having anxiety and responding in faith through it.

Drawing from Philippians 4 and the deeply emotional scene in Gethsemane (Matthew 26), Andy reminds us that even Jesus felt anxious—and still trusted His Father completely. Faith is not the absence of fear, but the choice to seek God through the storm.

In this episode:

• Why quoting “Be anxious for nothing” out of context can do more harm than good
• How Jesus' own sorrow and distress prove that anxiety isn’t a sin
• What it really looks like to exercise faith in the middle of mental health struggles
• Encouragement for the anxious heart: “God sees your trembling and still calls it trust.”

If you’ve ever prayed through panic, worshiped through worry, or walked with God through weakness—this episode is for you.

“Faith isn’t proven by calm feelings—it’s proven by coming to God when everything inside you is shaking.”

This podcast is a spiritual encouragement, not a substitute for licensed mental health care. Please consult a professional for clinical support.