What if the real battle in the Prodigal story isn’t the wild run away from home, but the quiet resentment that grows in the one who stayed? We open up the parable through the lens of addiction and recovery, exploring how parents, siblings, and leaders can carry hidden anger while doing “all the right things.” This conversation gets honest about transactional faith—when love is treated like wages—and why the Father’s response refuses our ledgers and chooses celebration instead.

We talk about what it means to “hold the home down” without enabling, how to keep a spiritual house in order so repentance has a place to land, and why older siblings—literal or figurative—need the same grace as the prodigal. If you’ve ever felt overlooked while cleaning up messes, this one hits home. We dig into the helper’s trap: defining identity by crisis, chasing fires, and drifting from leader to arsonist without noticing. The solution isn’t apathy; it’s rootedness. Boundaries, prayer, rest, and community form the base from which we serve without becoming saviors.

Along the way, we translate big ideas into lived practice: telling the truth about addiction in age-appropriate ways, celebrating growth without enabling it, and speaking life to the child who stayed while keeping the door open for the one returning. We name bitterness, comparison, and fatigue, then replace them with sonship and daughterhood—identity that doesn’t require applause to breathe. If you’re navigating family addiction, church leadership, foster care, or just weary from constant crisis, this conversation offers language, tools, and hope.

If this resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs a reminder that grace isn’t earned—it’s received.

Welcome to Rebuilding Life After Addiction. I’m Justin Franich — I’ve led recovery programs, pastored churches, and walked hundreds of men into real transformation. This podcast gives you the tools, truth, and straight talk to rebuild your life through Jesus. Let’s jump in.

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