Scott Spiezio knew God. During some of the best years of his Major League Baseball career, he was surrounded by believers and openly sharing his faith. But after reaching the height of success, Scott moved away from what had kept him grounded. As addiction took hold, shame told him he was too far gone, while the mindset that made him a champion convinced him he could save himself. He couldn't. What changed everything was surrender.

Now Scott is sharing his story through his new book, The Hardest Comeback, and Spiezio, a documentary about his life. He hopes they will reach people who need to know that addiction does not have to be the end of their story.

Scott played 12 seasons in the major leagues, winning World Series championships with the Anaheim Angels and St. Louis Cardinals. Cardinals fans may remember the soul patch he dyed bright red during the 2006 championship run. But behind the success, addiction was taking hold. After 11 trips to rehab, Scott entered the hospital with a failing liver and only a 20-percent chance of survival.

Scott first shared his story with The Unfolding in 2023. Now, eight years sober, he returns with an update about restored relationships, people finding hope through his story, and how God is using the most painful parts of his past.

Show Notes:

Website: https://www.scottspiezio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spiezios/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scott.spiezio.96

Movie Website: https://spiezio.info/

Jaron Lockridge spent years quietly struggling with pornography while wrestling with doubts about God. Then an unexpected sermon from Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell led to the most sincere prayer Jaron had ever prayed, and by the next morning, everything had changed. Now free from that addiction, Jaron is using his gifts as a filmmaker to tell honest stories about faith, struggle, and community. His new series, House for the Broken, is available on Amazon.

What happens when you finally get the success you wanted and realize it still is not enough?

For Donovan Donnell, the stage had always been a place where he felt seen. But after years of disappointment and rejection, his desire for attention and approval led him into the world of exotic dancing. He found money, recognition, and success, but none of it could give him the life he really wanted.

Donovan never completely walked away from faith. He still went to church and Bible study. But eventually, God asked him to walk away from the life he had built and trust Him with what came next.

This is Donovan's story of losing himself, surrendering to God, and discovering who he had been created to be. He also shares the message behind Designed to Succeed, his new book with Kevin Olusola of Pentatonix, about pursuing success without losing your faith, your purpose, or your identity.

Show Notes:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ1f7NOZ-Qk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donovandeedonnell/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donovandee.donnell.50

Website: https://www.donovandeedonnell.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310370124?lv=shuf&channelId=520&plpRedirect=mhFallback#

"This makes you way more real to us." That's what Amber Albee Swenson's kids told her after she finally opened up about her past. She had spent years teaching the Bible and leading her family in faith, but still carried silent shame that was creating distance. One conversation changed everything. Vulnerability became the key to deeper trust, healing, and faith.

Amber's latest book is called "The Key to Confidence".

Have you ever wondered if your past has already determined your future?

The circumstances of your childhood, painful family relationships, mistakes you've made, or words someone spoke over you can leave you wondering whether your future has already been decided. Jonathan Almonte knows that feeling.

Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Jonathan experienced extreme poverty, family brokenness, and rejection from his father. As a little boy, he dreamed of becoming a gang member because it was the only future he could imagine. Then everything began to change.

Jonathan shares how a local church, a Compassion sponsor who faithfully wrote letters year after year, and the love of Jesus transformed his life. He found hope where there had been despair and the ability to forgive the father who once told him he was "a mistake."

This episode is a reminder that your past does not have the final word. God is still writing stories of redemption.

Show Notes:

Website: https://compassion.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compassion/

X: https://x.com/compassion

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/compassionintl/

After a chaotic childhood, Doug Hannah came to Christ at 15 and finally understood that he was deeply loved, but years later, he realized he had turned faith into something he had to perform. This is the story of discovering grace... twice... and learning to rest in a love he never had to earn.

Most people know Stephen Bargatze as the father of comedian Nate Bargatze. But long before audiences knew Nate's name, Stephen was living a story marked by childhood abuse, rejection, depression, and pain.

Growing up, Stephen believed he was unwanted. His mother told him he was a mistake. He struggled with thoughts of suicide and spent years carrying the wounds of his childhood. But God wasn't finished writing his story.

In this moving conversation, Stephen shares how one family's extraordinary kindness introduced him to the love of Jesus, how God's grace transformed his life, and why, decades later, he found himself standing beside his dying mother with a choice that would define the rest of his life.

It's a remarkable story of forgiveness, mercy, redemption, and the God who can bring beauty from even our deepest wounds.

If you've ever wondered whether God can redeem a painful past, or whether forgiveness is really possible, Stephen's story will encourage you.

⚠️ This episode includes discussion of child abuse, suicide, and family trauma. Listener discretion is advised for younger audiences.

Show Notes:

Out In a Minute Comedy Special - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV-aKVmH98s

Nate Bargatze's YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/@Nateland

Stephen's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephenbargatze

Stephen's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sbargatze

Have you ever struggled to trust God after bad news? Shinia Dittman had prayed for a baby, but during pregnancy, doctors discovered that her son had a serious birth defect that could threaten his life. Afraid, angry, and overwhelmed, Shinia got alone with God and prayed honestly, and God met her with peace. After surgery, healing, and so many unexpected details, the sound of her son's first cry became a beautiful reminder that God was in the details.

Jinger Duggar Vuolo grew up on television. From the age of 10 until she was 27, her family appeared on TLC's reality shows 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On. As the sixth child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, she grew up in a strict religious system led by a teacher who claimed to speak for God. That belief system contributed to a view of God as an angry judge waiting for her next mistake. Motivated by a fear of rejection, she was driven to be a people pleaser, trying to keep everyone happy all of the time. But as she grew to know and understand God's love, she realized the loving thing to do was speak the truth. Jinger Duggar Vuolo is the author of Becoming Free Indeed, and People Pleaser: Breaking Free from the Burden of Imaginary Expectations.

Website: https://www.jingerandjeremy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jingervuolo/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/People-Pleaser-Breaking-Imaginary-Expectations/dp/140034171X

"I see God very clearly through the rearview mirror."

Tim Mulgrew was trying to move closer to God, but the more intentional he became about faith, the more tension grew at home. His wife resented it, and that conflict eventually boiled over into a painful public moment at church. Tim's story is about coming to real faith, even when choosing God made life harder before it got better.

Link to Google form for guest submissions: https://forms.gle/bJqjKjBUBCAYwNg68

A grizzly bear attack in the Canadian wilderness nearly took Jim VanSteenhouse's life.

As he was being flown to safety, Jim found himself confronting a question he could no longer avoid: If he died that day, where would he spend eternity?

But this story begins long before the bear attack. When Jim and Liz met, their relationship was, in their words, "a high-speed train wreck." There was addiction, heartbreak, years of unanswered prayers, and a marriage that seemed unlikely to survive. After Liz gave her life to Christ, she spent years praying for her husband while God transformed her own life in ways she never expected. Then came the phone call that changed everything.

In this episode of The Unfolding, Jim and Liz share their remarkable story of addiction, redemption, healing, a grizzly bear attack, and a God who never stopped pursuing them.

If you've ever prayed for someone you love, wondered whether God was listening, or needed a reminder that no one is beyond His reach, this conversation is for you.

Show Notes:

Website: https://thebearman.com/