From Addiction to Restoration: When Jesus Rewrites Your Story | Elliott Hughes | BCP17

What happens when you know Jesus, serve in ministry, help other people recover—and still find yourself falling apart?

Elliott Hughes grew up in church, played sports, and came from a loving home. But by his senior year of high school, he was walking into class every day addicted to heroin—and almost nobody knew.

What followed were years of addiction, arrests, jail, broken relationships, and somewhere around 20 different attempts at treatment.

But this isn't simply a story about getting sober.

Even while working in ministry, serving at a church, married, and raising a young daughter, Elliott still had things hidden beneath the surface. In 2022, everything came crashing down through relapse, adultery, confession, and a moment Elliott describes as both his rock bottom and the beginning of everything changing.

That moment eventually led him to spend a year away from his family at Be The Bush Recovery Ministries in Tennessee. During that year, his marriage ended in divorce—but the story didn't end there.

Elliott and his wife walked through an extraordinary journey of forgiveness, accountability, discipleship, and restoration that eventually led them back to the altar and remarriage.

In this episode, Cliff and Elliott have an honest conversation about addiction, relapse, jail, pornography, adultery, shame, forgiveness, marriage, accountability, identity, and what it actually means to become a new creation in Christ.

They also wrestle with a question many Christians in recovery face:

Are you always an addict?

Elliott doesn't deny his past or forget where he's been. But he refuses to let his past become his identity.

Today, Elliott is more than four years sober, works with Northern Path Recovery Center, and serves as Indiana Director for Be The Bush as they bring a 12-month faith-based recovery and discipleship program to Indiana.

And for the person who has tried before, failed before, relapsed before, or thinks they've gone too far, Elliott's message is simple:

Cry out to the Lord—and then get help.

Your worst chapter doesn't have to be the end of your story.

Head up. Heart low.

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ELLIOTT HUGHES & RECOVERY RESOURCES

Be The Bush Recovery Ministries

https://www.bethebushministries.com/

Be The Bush Indiana — Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576500457987

Elliott Hughes — Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/elliott.hughes.904

Northern Path Recovery Center

https://northernpathrecovery.com/

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Bent Christian is a community of imperfect believers sharing the message of faith, hope, and love through real conversations and real testimonies.

We believe following Jesus isn't about pretending we're perfect. It's about relationship, transformation, and learning to love God and love people right where we are.

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If this conversation encouraged you—or you know someone struggling with addiction, relapse, shame, or believing their past has disqualified them—share this episode with them.

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