Pastor Joby Martin and Denny Thompson sit down with Joshua Broome for a conversation about forgiveness identity and what it actually means to be free from your past. Joshua shares how growing up without a relationship with his father led him on a lifelong pursuit of affirmation acceptance and approval. That pursuit slowly shaped the decisions he made and the direction his life took as he chased performance success and validation in an effort to feel like he was enough. Over time what began as a search for identity turned into a life defined by shame as the things he had done became the lens through which he saw himself.

Together they talk about how shame convinces us that what we have done is who we are and how that belief keeps us stuck in cycles of striving condemnation and isolation. This episode explores why so many people struggle to believe they are actually forgiven even after hearing the gospel and how condemnation can continue to shape our identity long after our sin has been paid for. Pastor Joby and Denny unpack the difference between behavior modification and heart transformation and explain why real freedom begins when we stop trying to earn approval and start living from the identity we have already been given in Christ.

Joshua shares how the renewing of his mind through Scripture discipleship and community allowed him to understand that forgiveness is not just about avoiding punishment but about being made new. They discuss why confession leads to healing how loneliness fuels addiction and why the finished work of Jesus means our past is not something we have to manage hide or overcome on our own. This conversation is about redemption grace and the truth that in Christ your past is no longer held against you. Because of the cross forgiveness is not a future promise but a present reality and your identity is no longer defined by what you have done but by what Jesus has done for you.