My story

In July 2026, my church, The Meeting House, asked me to share my story on a Sunday morning. My first instinct was to say no. When I asked myself why, the honest answer was fear, and underneath the fear was a belief I've carried most of my life: I'm not good enough.

I said yes. What follows is that story, in about 35 minutes. It covers things I'd usually keep closer: drug and alcohol addiction in my teens and early twenties, chasing money and then status, workaholism, a fear of public speaking bad enough that I once ran around my neighborhood in a full suit, and two chronic health issues that have asked me to surrender my comfort.

I'm not pushing my faith on you here. I'm sharing it because most of what I write comes out of it.

Watch the message

Thank you to The Meeting House and Pastor Bob for the invitation.

The pattern I keep seeing

False beliefs lead to choices, and those choices, made over days, months and years, lead to some form of bondage. The way out runs the other direction. When I exchange the lie for the truth about who God is, who He sees me as, and who He sees others as, and make my choices from there, it leads to freedom over time.

I've walked that road more than once: at 16, in a college hallway at 7 a.m., in my 20s with money, in my 30s with career status, and now with my health. Each time, it was like the father in the parable of the lost son came running to meet me.

Chapters

• 0:00 Why I almost said no
• 4:45 The parable of the lost son
• 9:21 Age six, a screen door, and “I'm not good enough”
• 11:14 Young Life at 16
• 12:48 College, addiction, and a hallway at 7 a.m.
• 16:13 My 20s: 90-hour weeks and money
• 19:32 My 30s: career status and a run in a full suit
• 24:01 My 40s: chronic illness and surrendering comfort
• 27:38 An invitation

Where this shows up in my writing

• What if the things you chase to prove your worth are keeping you in bondage?
• The Fear That Wasn't About Public Speaking
• The Cabin Taught Me What the Money Was For
• Why can't I think my way out of this?

If something here put words to something you're carrying, that's what my Unstuck Calls are for.

-Dave Hooke.