Behind the Citgo

In BTC Episode #27, Josh Torbich sits down with Rob Hardin of Rare of Breed for a powerful conversation about addiction, redemption, identity, perseverance, and the transforming power of faith in Jesus Christ.
Rob shares the remarkable story of being removed from his home and entering foster care at eight years old, using poetry and music to process childhood trauma, struggling with drug addiction as a teenager, attending Tar Heel ChalleNGe Academy, facing incarceration, and ultimately reaching a life-changing moment of surrender.
On September 4, 2011, Rob and his future wife walked to an altar together, surrendered their lives to Christ, and were baptized. That decision changed the direction of their lives and became the foundation of a ministry that would eventually reach millions of people through music, concerts, prison tours, and Rare of Breed’s distinctive blend of Christian rap, country, Southern rock, and faith-filled storytelling known as “God Twang.”
Rob also discusses the ten years of unseen work that preceded his success, the importance of developing strong spiritual roots, the temptation to quit, the role his wife played in encouraging him, and why lasting purpose requires faithfulness long before anyone sees the results.
Behind the Citgo is also available on major podcast and streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, iHeartRadio, and other leading podcast services. Search for Behind the Citgo on your preferred listening platform and follow the show for future episodes.
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In this episode of Behind the Citgo, Josh sits down with Eric Machado, Assistant Director of the men’s program and a proud graduate of Christian Recovery Centers, Inc., for a powerful conversation about recovery, honesty, accountability, and the life-changing work of Step Four.
Titled “A Fearless Inventory,” this episode explores what it really means to make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Eric shares from personal experience about facing resentment, shame, fear, guilt, responsibility, damaged relationships, and the difficult but rewarding process of getting honest about the past. Together, Josh and Eric discuss why so many people struggle with Step Four, why accountability matters, and how the Twelve Steps help create room for healing, faith, humility, and a new way of living.
This conversation is especially meaningful for anyone walking through addiction recovery, sponsoring someone in a Twelve Step program, supporting a loved one in recovery, or trying to better understand the spiritual and emotional work behind lasting sobriety. Eric’s story is a reminder that recovery is not about pretending the past did not happen. It is about facing it honestly, allowing God to work through it, and choosing to live differently one day at a time.
Behind the Citgo is where we pull back the curtain on the unseen truth of addiction recovery and talk about the things most people never get the chance to see. It is real, raw, honest, and rooted in faith and hope—because we do recover.
Watch or listen to Behind the Citgo on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Audible.
Subscribe for more real conversations about addiction recovery, Christian recovery, the Twelve Steps, testimony, transformation, faith, leadership, and life after addiction.
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In BTC EP #25: The Shepherd and the Streets - Pastor Caleb McCall’s Call to Recovery, Josh Torbich sits down with Pastor Caleb McCall for a powerful conversation about addiction recovery, faith, family, ministry, and the call to reach people in the trenches.
Pastor Caleb McCall shares his testimony of growing up in a Christian home, being introduced to drugs and alcohol at a young age, years of addiction, jail, brokenness, and the life-changing moment that led him into faith-based recovery. From Teen Challenge to launching Be the Bush Ministries, Miriam House, and Legacy Church, Caleb’s story is a testimony of redemption, obedience, and the power of God to rebuild a life from the ground up.
In this episode, Josh and Caleb talk openly about the realities of recovery ministry, the importance of spiritual leadership, marriage after recovery, building healthy systems, helping families heal, and what it means to serve people who are rebuilding everything. They also discuss the challenges of pastoring, the need for balance, the role of grace, and why faith-based recovery still matters for people battling addiction today.
This conversation is raw, honest, faith-filled, and deeply practical for anyone in recovery, anyone serving in ministry, or anyone who loves someone struggling with addiction.
Topics covered in this episode:
Pastor Caleb McCall’s addiction recovery testimony
Teen Challenge and long-term faith-based recovery
Be the Bush Ministries and Miriam House
Legacy Church and recovery-friendly ministry
Marriage, family, and rebuilding life after addiction
Spiritual leadership in recovery ministry
Grace, structure, discipline, and balance
Why faith-based recovery changes lives
Expanding recovery ministry into new communities
The power of testimony, discipleship, and the Gospel
Subscribe to Behind the Citgo for real conversations about addiction recovery, faith, leadership, ministry, and the unseen stories behind transformation.
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In BTC EP #24: From Lived Experience to National Impact, Behind the Citgo sits down with Dr. Monty Burks for a powerful conversation about addiction recovery, faith-based transformation, rural recovery systems, workforce redevelopment, and the national impact of lived experience.
This episode explores what happens when people who have walked through addiction, recovery, criminal justice involvement, and personal transformation step into leadership roles that influence communities, systems, churches, and public policy. Dr. Burks shares his own recovery journey, the role of the faith community in helping people find freedom, and how churches and houses of worship often serve as the true first responders for families facing addiction.
Throughout the conversation, Josh Torbich and Dr. Burks discuss the importance of community, fellowship, mentorship, employment, reentry, and long-term support in rebuilding lives after substance use disorder. They also talk about Christian Recovery Centers Inc., rural transformation, the connection between faith communities and government resources, and why people with lived experience are essential voices in shaping the future of recovery in America.
This episode is a message of hope for anyone in addiction recovery, anyone supporting a loved one through substance use disorder, churches seeking to better serve their communities, employers considering second-chance hiring, and leaders who want to understand how recovery can create generational change.
Topics covered in this episode include: • Lived experience and addiction recovery leadership • Faith-based recovery and the role of the church • Rural recovery transformation • Substance use disorder and long-term healing • Churches as first responders in the opioid crisis • Workforce redevelopment and second-chance employment • Reentry, criminal justice, and recovery support • Community, fellowship, and mentorship in recovery • Christian Recovery Centers Inc. and the recovery model • Hope, freedom, purpose, and generational change
Behind the Citgo is a recovery podcast that pulls back the curtain on the unseen truth of addiction, faith, healing, leadership, and transformation. These conversations are real, raw, and rooted in hope because recovery is possible, families can be restored, and lives can be rebuilt. If this conversation encouraged you, please like the video, subscribe to Behind the Citgo, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear that recovery is real.
Learn more about Christian Recovery Centers Inc.: https://crcirecovery.org/
Learn more about Behind the Citgo: https://behindthecitgo.com/
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In BTC EP #23: When Harm Reduction Causes More Harm, Behind the Citgo host Josh Torbich sits down with Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz for a direct conversation about harm reduction, addiction recovery, fentanyl, opioid addiction, overdose prevention, and substance use disorder treatment.
Dr. McCance-Katz explains what harm reduction means today and discusses current approaches such as syringe distribution, safe consumption sites, fentanyl test strips, naloxone access, drug decriminalization, and public drug use policies. Together, Josh and Dr. McCance-Katz examine the difficult question of whether some harm reduction efforts may unintentionally create more harm for individuals, families, and communities.
This episode explores the difference between helping someone survive and helping someone truly recover. The conversation also looks at the rise of fentanyl, the impact of addiction on families, the importance of treatment, and why treatment itself should be understood as a form of harm reduction.
At Behind the Citgo, we believe people should be met where they are, but not left where addiction found them. Recovery is possible, healing is possible, and lives can be restored.

In this episode of Behind the Citgo, Josh sits down with Emma Long, Director of the ARROW Program — Addiction Response and Rediscovering One’s Worth — to discuss addiction recovery inside the jail system, Moral Reconation Therapy, reentry planning, and the life-changing power of second chances. Emma shares how the ARROW Program helps individuals in the detention center take responsibility, rebuild self-worth, develop healthier thinking patterns, and prepare for life after incarceration. This conversation explores the real challenges people face when leaving jail, including housing, employment, stigma, community support, relapse prevention, and the need for strong recovery resources. If you care about addiction recovery, criminal justice reform, opioid recovery, jail reentry programs, faith-based recovery, recovery housing, reducing recidivism, or community-based recovery support, this episode offers a powerful look at what it takes to help people rebuild their lives. #BehindTheCitgo #AddictionRecovery #RecoveryPodcast #ReentryProgram #MoralReconationTherapy #MRT #ARROWProgram #SecondChances #FaithBasedRecovery #OpioidRecovery #CriminalJusticeReform #RecoveryCommunity #SubstanceUseRecovery #LifeAfterIncarceration #WeDoRecover

In this powerful episode of Behind the Citgo, Josh Torbich sits down with Nick and Tiffany to share a deeply honest story of addiction, recovery, marriage, faith, forgiveness, and transformation through Jesus Christ.
Nick came to Brunswick Christian Recovery Center in 2016 after multiple failed attempts at getting sober. He arrived with little hope, believing he could not become the husband, father, or man his family needed. Tiffany, his wife, had spent years living through the fear, chaos, heartbreak, and uncertainty that addiction brings into a family. She wanted to save him, but eventually came to the painful realization that she could not.
This conversation explores the reality that addiction is not only an individual struggle; it is a family illness. Nick and Tiffany open up about relapse, broken trust, fear of overdose, emotional exhaustion, boundaries, forgiveness, and what it looked like for both of them to encounter God in different but equally life-changing ways.
From Nick’s time at Brunswick Christian Recovery Center, to Tiffany learning how to release control and pursue her own relationship with Christ, their story is a testimony of what can happen when human strength runs out and God steps in. Today, nearly ten years later, they are still walking in recovery, marriage, parenthood, ministry, and purpose.
This episode is for anyone in addiction recovery, anyone married to someone struggling with addiction, family members trying to help a loved one, and anyone wondering whether real change is still possible.
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In this episode of Behind the Citgo, we sit down with Christy Spivey, Chief Nursing Officer at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, for a powerful conversation about breaking the revolving door of ER visits, improving community health, and building real partnerships around substance use disorder, mental health, and whole‑person care. Christy shares her journey from bedside nurse to CNO, the realities of emergency medicine, and why the ER—though open 24/7—is not designed to solve every crisis. We dig into collective impact, the importance of cross‑agency collaboration, and how Novant is working to create remarkable patient experiences while navigating the growing pressures on emergency departments. We also explore: Why many people end up in the ER for non‑emergencies How unmet social drivers of health complicate care The role of community paramedicine in reducing unnecessary ER visits How hospice and in‑home care models prevent avoidable crises The need for clear, accessible public education about where to seek help How recovery programs and hospitals can partner without creating system strain This episode is a masterclass in community health, systems thinking, and compassionate leadership.