The Living Clean Podcast

This week on the Living Clean Podcast, we dive headfirst into Step Four: “We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”
Our consistent panel returns — Archer, Pete, and Douglas — and we’re joined by two powerful guests, Tim and Dawn, as we break down all things Step Four. We talk about what it really means to be searching. What fearless actually looks like. How to write honestly without drowning in shame. Why resentment, fear, and sex inventories matter. And how this step becomes a turning point in recovery instead of a punishment.
This conversation is real. It’s raw. It’s practical. And it might be the strongest episode in our Step series so far.
If you’ve ever been intimidated by Step Four… If you’ve ever avoided it… If you’re in the middle of it right now…
Do yourself a favor and listen.
This is where freedom begins.

In this episode of Francis’s Archive, we follow Brad S. from Jackson, Mississippi as curiosity about his home group, the Foglifters, turns into a deep dive down the NA history rabbit hole. What begins as a simple desire to learn more about the roots of his home group quickly grows into a passion for preserving the stories of how Narcotics Anonymous took hold in Mississippi.
Brad doesn’t just listen—he pitches in. Through interviews and conversations with trusted servants who were there in the early days, we begin to piece together a living history of the Mississippi Region. Dennis E. shares his recollections of the beginnings of the Mississippi Region and the spirit of service that helped carry the message in its formative years. Scott P. reflects on what is believed to be the first meeting in Jackson, Mississippi, and possibly the first meeting in the state, offering insight into the courage and commitment it took for NA to take root in a new place.
These stories remind us that NA history is not just about dates and events—it is about addicts helping addicts, one meeting at a time. The willingness of members like Brad to ask questions, seek connection, and participate in preserving our shared past helps ensure that the message remains available for the next newcomer who walks through the door.
From one home group’s story to the broader development of a region, this episode highlights how our history lives through the members who care enough to learn it, share it, and carry it forward.
Welcome to Francis’s Archive.

This week’s episode came together in a way that honestly couldn’t have been planned any better.
Francis and I had the opportunity to be together in person at the Texarkana Area Convention in Texarkana, Arkansas, and that alone made this week different. While we were there, we were both involved in different parts of the convention. We did a History of the Basic Text workshop together, I shared on conscious contact, and Francis was scheduled to be the Sunday morning spiritual speaker on the topic “Creative Action of the Spirit.”
All of the topics for the convention were pulled directly from Living Clean: The Journey Continues, and as we were talking through what we were going to do for this week’s episode, Francis mentioned he was having a hard time figuring out what he wanted to say on his topic.
That’s when the idea hit.
Instead of just recording a normal episode, we decided to take advantage of being surrounded by addicts in recovery from all over and do a live, in-person Living Clean study on the section “Creative Action of the Spirit.” We broke it up into its 12 paragraphs and had members from the convention share on different sections.
What came out of that was something powerful. You’ll hear different perspectives, different experiences, and real-time insight from people who don’t normally sit in the same rooms together.
And then we took it one step further.
At the end of this episode, we included Francis’s full Sunday morning message. So what you’re getting is the process and the result. You get to hear the preparation through the study and then hear how that message came to life.
This one is special.

n this episode of Be The Change, the team presents the Welcoming the Newcomer workshop based on Traditions Three and Five.
Together we explore how the actions of a group shape the atmosphere of recovery and how every member plays a role in creating a space where newcomers feel safe enough to stay.
Through discussion, reflection, and role-play examples, we talk about what it really means to carry the message—not the addict.
This episode reminds us that Tradition Three keeps the door open and Tradition Five keeps the message clear.

n this episode of the Living Clean Podcast, we continue our book study of Living Clean: The Journey Continues, focusing on the final six paragraphs of the “Illness” section in Chapter 4.
Illness can challenge our recovery in ways we never expected. Physical suffering, fear of the future, and difficult choices can test the spiritual principles we rely on every day. In this conversation, we explore how the tools of recovery help us navigate those moments when life becomes uncertain and painful.
We discuss the importance of reaching out—calling a sponsor, leaning on our support group, and turning to the wisdom found in NA literature such as In Times of Illness. These tools help us make decisions we can live with and take the next right action, even in the middle of crisis.
The episode also explores the spiritual tension many of us feel when illness strikes. We talk about bargaining with God, expectations in prayer, and the powerful shift that happens when we move from demanding outcomes to practicing surrender. Recovery teaches us that our Higher Power is not a vending machine, and that acceptance of life on life’s terms often opens the door to gratitude—even when gratitude feels hardest to find.
We also examine the deeply personal nature of health decisions. Recovery does not give us a single model for how to live, and each of us must find our own balance between caring for ourselves and avoiding the self-destructive patterns of our past. Through honest reflection, inventory, and surrender, we learn how to live according to our values rather than our fears.
Ultimately, this section reminds us that recovery is not about perfection. It is about continually returning to the tools of the program, refining our balance between health and illness, action and acceptance, and learning how to live a life that aligns with our beliefs.
Freedom in recovery means something powerful: we get to live life according to our own choosing and design.