A Celebrate Recovery Story

In this heartfelt episode, Jimmy sits down with Uncle Chaz to explore a redemptive journey that began in the wreckage of addiction, family dysfunction, and brokenness. Chaz reflects on a chaotic youth marked by barroom upbringing, fights, car crashes, and run-ins with the law—years fueled by fear, shame, and insecurity. But his story takes a turn when, at 23 and on the brink of despair, he cries out to God for help. What follows is a powerful testimony of grace: a journey through recovery, redemption, and rebuilding a life on faith and accountability.

Today, Chaz lives as a devoted husband, father, and grandfather—proof that even the most fractured stories can be rewritten by God’s mercy. Through honest reflection and humor, Jimmy and Chaz reveal how healing takes root when we face our pain, seek help, and allow Christ to repair what’s been broken. Their shared past becomes a story of hope for anyone trapped by shame, addiction, or generational wounds—a reminder that God specializes in turning our lowest moments into legacies of love and restoration.

Chapters:

(01:17) Introduction

(03:29) The Plymouth Duster Miracle

(07:49) Childhood Shame & Insecurities

(10:34) The Boy Growing Up in a Bar

(12:59) A Childhood With No Structure

(14:36) Fists, Fears, and a Troubled Youth

(16:52) Little League Coaches and Weed

(18:07) Arrested and Released

(22:37) A Defining Moment

(31:09) Fighting for Those Who Can't Fight

(33:49) The Road to Recovery

(40:34) Fatherhood and Adoption

(47:46) Repairers of the Breach

(52:12) How to Get Help

Get Jimmy's book "God Uses Broken People" here:https://www.amazon.com/God-Uses-Broken-People-Unqualified-ebook/dp/B0DK43JMCG/

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#RecoveryJourney #AddictionRecovery #Sobriety #SoberLiving #RecoveryCommunity #OneDayAtATime #CleanAndSober #NarcoticsAnonymous #AlcoholicsAnonymous #NARecovery #AACommunity #12StepRecovery #SoberLife #HealingJourney #FreedomFromAddiction #CelebrateRecovery

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This episode takes you courtside with Kobie and Regi, who served in Heubach, Germany, this past summer. For eight years, Breakaway’s camp there had focused on baseball—but this summer, basketball was added for the first time, and the impact was beyond what anyone imagined. Through a unique collaboration with local schools, over 250 students—including several Ukrainian refugee youth—heard the Gospel and experienced the love of Christ through sport.

Join us as we sit down with Regi and Kobie, two missional leaders whose stories embody the heart of Breakaway Outreach. Regi has spent nearly 30 years using basketball to reach youth in juvenile centers, schools, and communities across the U.S.—and this summer marked his first overseas mission. Kobie’s journey began as a 9-year-old Breakaway camper when both his parents were incarcerated; today, he’s a young leader helping others find hope through sports.

Together, they share what God did in Germany, what it means to see sports become a global tool for evangelism, sports camps as a Gospel refuge, and how redemption and purpose can emerge from troubled pasts.

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Pastor Corey Brooks is a businessman, philanthropist, mentor and visionary leader. He is the founder and Senior Pastor of New Beginnings Church in Chicago and the CEO of Project H.O.O.D., an organization committed to eradicating violence and transforming lives in Chicago's South Side.

Pastor Brooks’ academic journey took him through Ball State University, University of Florida, Dallas Theological Seminary, and Grace Theological Seminary. He joins us on this episode of the Breakaway Talk podcast to discuss visionary leadership, the importance of mentoring relationships with young people, his own journey from rebellious kid to becoming a pastor, and reaching youth on Chicago's South Side.

Chapters
(00:41) Visionary Leadership
(02:25) Project H.O.O.D.
(04:45) Rooftop Revelations
(08:54) Essential Tools for Visionary Leaders
(13:42) A Rebellious Kid's Journey to Pastor
(18:27) The Impact of Mentors
(26:54) How Can I Make a Difference in my Community?
(29:43) The Gospel and Why it Matters

Get Jimmy's book "God Uses Broken People" here: https://www.amazon.com/God-Uses-Broken-People-Unqualified-ebook/dp/B0DK43JMCG/

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#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #pastor #coreybrooks #chicago #project #hood #vision #visionary #visionaryleaders #mentors #mentoring #mentoringmatters #instagood #podcast #worship #church #nonprofit #nonprofitleadership #interview #makeadifference #testimony #christian #faith #instagram

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When Jacob was 8-years-old his father shot and killed his mother and was sentenced to life in prison. By the grace of God Jacob was sent to a loving home to live with his aunt and uncle. Today, he is a missionary in South Korea. How did Jacob go from such a traumatic childhood to serving others on the other side of the world? As he shares in this episode, it was meaningful relationships at a Christian youth camp that empowered Jacob to focus on the right kind of questions, ultimately leading him down a path of redemption, healing, and the hard stuff of forgiveness. Instead of just focusing on why God allowed it to happen, Jacob began asking different questions, which changed the whole trajectory of his life. Tune in to hear the whole story!

Chapters
(00:30) Mission Work in South Korea
(03:34) Religion and Despair in Korea
(09:11) English Camps Giving Hope
(12:08) My Father Killed My Mother
(16:55) Healing at a Christian Camp
(22:33) Hard Truth About Forgiveness
(32:52) How to Share The Gospel
(38:05) Faith in a Good God
(47:02) Getting Out of the "Victim" Hood

Get the book "God Uses Broken People" here: https://www.amazon.com/God-Uses-Broken-People-Unqualified-ebook/dp/B0DK43JMCG/

Shankill Road is one of the main roads leading through West Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It runs through the working-class, predominantly loyalist, area known as the Shankill, which became a hotbed for conflict, violence, and countless bombings during The Troubles. The Shankill is also home to Kim, one of the synergists of the Breakaway Outreach UK network. Kim learned to follow Jesus at a very young age and responded to God’s call to serve the people of the Shankill, inspired by the missionary legacy of Amy Carmichael.

Breakaway Outreach has partnered with Kim and her community in facilitating youth sports camps over the years and we have become very familiar with her story. Kim is no stranger to the “troubles” and hardships of life. In the span of about a year she lost both of her parents, her marriage, and her pastor. In this podcast episode we discuss obedience to God’s calling on our lives, trusting Him with our pain, and being reassured that He works through our brokenness.

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Chapters

(00:40) "Belfast Kim" Intros

(03:45) Missionary Amy Carmichael

(05:29) Life on the Shankill

(11:19) Childhood and Family Hardship

(13:37) Childlike Faith and Discipleship

(18:11) Having Our YES on the Table for Jesus

(25:32) Understanding God's Will

(34:26) Trusting God Through Pain

(42:41) God Doesn't Sanitize our Testimonies

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#belfast #troubles #shankill #theshankill #shankillroad #mission #missionary #amycarmichael #leadership #podcast #instagram #instagood #faith #God #Jesus #church #worship #discipleship #testimony #christian #testimonies #ireland #uk #northernireland #sports #ministry #reels #reelsinstagram #tiktok

In this episode of the Breakaway Talk podcast, we hear Ray's freedom story of encountering Jesus after being diagnosed with psychosis and mania in what he describes as the darkest season of his life. The old saying “the night is darkest before the dawn” proved to be true in this testimony of God's deliverance and life-change.

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Chapters

(01:48) Superpowers and Childhood

(06:35) Gangbangers and Shot Callers

(07:20) Cultural and Ethnic Foods

(09:17) The Darkest Season of My Life

(11:39) Diagnosis of Psychosis and Mania

(19:33) Night is Darkest Before the Dawn

(22:00) Experiencing Freedom in Jesus Christ

(27:16) Faith Requires a First Step

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#psychology #psychosis #mania #counseling #therapy #therapyjourney #Jesus #God #faith #faithjourney #christianbelief #christianity #podcast #clips #insta #instagram #instagood #instagramyoutube #interview #testimony #traumahealing #traumarecovery

Hope Reins serves kids in life crisis through their 38-acre ranch, rescued horses, and restoration in Christ. Kim Tschirret, Founder and CEO of Hope Reins, comes on this Breakaway Talk podcast episode to discuss her own journey of healing from childhood trauma, her resurrected passion with horses, and how God led her to begin a ministry pairing rescued horses with trauma-impacted kids.

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Chapters

01:00 Meet Kim Tschirret

03:19 Equinophobia and Killer Whales

04:53 Childhood Trauma, Refuge in Horses

08:00 A Childhood Passion Resurrected

11:00 God's Guidance, Vision, and Provision

15:49 Pairing Hurting Kids with Rescued Horses

22:35 Resiliency: The Power of Mentors

27:30 Leadership Lessons

32:02 A Rescue Message for YOU

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#podcast #bible #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #christian #faith #christ #God #Jesus #church #breakaway #consulting #horse #equine #mentoring #leader #leadership #students #studentministry #youthministry #hope #nonprofit #ministry #kids #youth #mentor #trauma #childhood #childhoodtrauma #healing #recovery #horses #therapy #therapyjourney #interview #horseriding #horselover #horseenthusiast #counselling #resilience #resiliency #vision #startup #startups #success #successmindset #successmotivation #motivation #instagram #goodvibes