Quirks, Bumps, and Bruises
Take a trip with the Morning JoyRide®️as Candi and Melody discuss the humorous side of real issues facing families today.
Quirks, Bumps, and Bruises
No Shame: Finding Freedom Through Christ
Joseph Habedank opens his heart about the journey from addiction to redemption in this candid and inspiring conversation. The acclaimed Southern Gospel artist shares how his struggle with prescription drug dependency—and subsequent recovery nearly twelve years ago—transformed his understanding of God's grace and erased the shame that once defined him.
At the center of our discussion is Joseph's powerful song "No Shame," which perfectly captures the essence of Joy FM's upcoming spring fundraiser theme: "Made for More." The lyrics reflect his personal testimony: "I'm saved by the blood of the Lamb, I'm free, I've been born again, I'm forgiven, I'm a child of the King. There ain't no shame on me." Joseph reveals how a visit from gospel legend Russ Taff during rehabilitation changed everything when Taff told him, "God loved you when you were using drugs. He still loved you, but he's crazy about you now." This revelation helped Joseph grasp the depth of God's affection that sees beyond our failures.
With refreshing authenticity, Joseph discusses the tension between professional success and personal humility. He credits his wife Lindsay with keeping him grounded, sharing a powerful story of how she confronted him after winning multiple awards to remind him what truly matters. "What I want more than anything," Joseph confesses, "is for people to say he was a good guy, a good man who had integrity and took the worst thing that ever happened to him and let God make it into the best thing." Though celebrated for his music, Joseph emphasizes that he's "not a struggling artist, but an artist who struggles"—facing the same challenges as everyone else.
Want to support the ministry that brings you music with messages like Joseph's? Consider giving during Joy FM's spring fundraiser and help spread the good news that we're all made for more than our mistakes.
Hi, I'm Melody and I'm Candy and you're listening to Quirks, bumps and Bruises. I have such a great friend that I love so much, known such a long time and just thrilled that he's here on the Joyride with us this morning. It's Joseph Habedank, and you know what I call you right. You probably hate it, but I do it anyway Habedank-a-do Well it was funny.
Speaker 2:When you just said my name, I was like she's not saying it correctly. You have to say have a dankadoo. I mean, that's your thing, you know.
Speaker 1:It is.
Speaker 2:You've called me that for 20 years. How long have you been at Joy FM?
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness, I've actually been with the ministry of Joy FM for 21 years, but on the air we're working on well, I'm working on year 18, so so you've been, yeah, almost two decades you've been calling me that I have did you like how?
Speaker 2:I hope you enjoyed how I turned the interview on you. That's called deflection.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, I saw what you did there. I got you. I got you. Uh well, jose, you're so kind to be on the phone with us today and talking about something that's coming up for Joy FM and it is our 2025 spring fundraiser and kind of the theme of our fundraiser is made for more, and so, as we were talking through that theme, everybody was on board that your song and it's an older song, I mean considering what we're playing now but your song no Shame was the song that we just felt would be so perfect for kind of the theme song around that made for more. So, with that said, how has God shown you that you are not what the world has said you were, but that you were made for greater things. You were made for more.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, I love the verse in the Bible that says there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. I was raised in a very conservative Christian home, which I'm so grateful for. But sometimes when you're raised with kind of a lot of rules and regulations, if you will, you kind of get this picture of God that he's this judge, that he's this ruler and he is all of those things. But as I grew older and went through my addiction and recovery which a lot of you don't know my story I was hooked on drugs for several years and got clean about 12 years ago.
Speaker 2:When I went through that experience, I kind of saw a different Jesus. I mean, for me it was this God that loved me, regardless of who I had been, what I had done, and that didn't really define who I was. What defined who I was was Jesus and the blood of Jesus. And once that blood was applied to my life and when I asked for forgiveness for my addiction and what I walked through, there was no longer any shame because I walked in this freedom and this liberty of forgiveness and grace and mercy. And I think the grace of Jesus is what sets us apart, that's what makes us more, that's what makes us different, and because of the blood and the grace and the mercy that he's extended to us as sinners and now children of God. I mean man, where would we be without it? You know?
Speaker 1:The chorus, so to speak, is I'm saved by the blood of the Lamb, I'm free, I've been born again, I'm forgiven, I'm a child of the King. There ain't no shame on me. So, with those lyrics in mind, did those lyrics come from being taught about the grace of God through that experience for you? I mean, did that just kind of bubble up those lyrics through that process that you went through, where you flat on felt heard the grace of God in your life?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I mean, I think one of the most powerful things that happened to me is while I was in rehab, Russ Taft came and visited me. For those of you who don't know who that is, he's a kind of a gospel music legend and eight-time Grammy winner and he just shows up at the rehab I was at and just literally sits down with me and he said something so powerful. He said you know, god loved you when you were using drugs. He still loved you, but he's crazy about you now.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I thought I never heard anybody tell me that Jesus was crazy about me and he is. I mean he's crazy about us. I mean you have to for those of you that have kids, and I don't even have kids, so I can't even fathom this. Think about how much you love your kids, think about how much you love your grandkids, and how much more does Jesus love us when he looks down. You know, when you think about your kids, you don't think about their faults and their failures and their shortcomings and all the bad things about them. You look at your kids and you think, man, that's my kid, I love them, I would die for them. And Jesus literally did die for his children and for the world.
Speaker 2:And I think the coolest thing about this song is that I tend to write songs that are a little more complicated. Songs like Judas or Religion Isn't Working. And this particular song I felt challenged to like make it simple. Make it simple, you know, talk about being saved. And that's hard for me as a writer, because I want to write something that's so fresh and original and new. And when we wrote Shame on Me, I actually wrote it with a guy named Jason Cox and Michael Boggs at First Baptist in Nashville, tennessee, where we live, we sat down and just wrote this simple chorus and the thing that kind of made it artistic was the hook there's no Shame on Me, and so this song has always been very special to me. It was actually my first number one song as a solo artist about six years ago, so I've always loved this song. But more important than all of that is just the message that there really is no shame on us because of the blood of Jesus.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you this, Joseph what advice would you give to a fellow Christian who has struggled with their identity as a child of Christ, knowing that we have all fallen short of the glory of God? Is there some advice you could give to someone that may be struggling hard with that right now? What would you say to them?
Speaker 2:Well, I think something that God's been kind of teaching me lately is about seeking Him, and it sounds kind of like simple, like okay, just seek God. Well, that's easy to say, but what does that look like? And I think for me, being cognizant of every aspect of my life, what can I do to seek God, like every day? Now, when I wake up, it's actually my manager that came to me and was like, hey, no-transcript, but what does it look like to seek God in every aspect of your life, every single day? And so I've been waking up and going, okay, god, help me, teach me how to seek you today. How can I seek after you what you know?
Speaker 2:I want to know the heart of God and what he wants for my life, and I think the more that you do that, the more that you'll see the heart of God about the love for his children love for people, love for the sinners and the outcasts, and one of my favorite things about Jesus, and I say this there's a song called Judas I talked about it just a few minutes ago that I wrote and out of all the people that he met, he chose Judas. He knew what Judas was going to do because he was God, he was a man, he was all man and all God. He knew that Judas was a liar and a fraud and a fake and he chose him and he loved him. So if we look at that and we go, okay, if Jesus loved Judas, why in the world would he not love me? You know what I mean. Like it's pretty simple.
Speaker 2:So I think once you seek the heart of God, you'll find everything you need to know about who you are in Christ and what he thinks about you. And what he thinks about you is not what, like you said earlier, it's not what the world says, it's not even what the church says. What he thinks about you is what he says in his word and what he says as we seek him. And so I think seeking God is probably the best advice I could give anybody, because the more you seek him, the more you'll find him.
Speaker 1:There's no shame on us because of the blood of Jesus.
Speaker 1:I think of Isaiah 43 when his word says to us fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine, and I think people today and I know you, especially artists like you and that kind of thing, probably get this so much.
Speaker 1:But they define one another by titles and successes and the roles they play and how much money they have, and if they're, I've made it to the top of the success ladder and they're a CEO now or whatever, and sadly they also are labeled by their failures. So, with Isaiah 43 in mind and what we just said, how do you kind of define yourself in a world that we live in today that is literally obsessed with labels and I guess maybe you answered that by what you said about seeking God but is there anything else that kind of keeps your feet grounded Because you know what? It is hard to do that when you're an artist. I'm just going to say, joseph, you're extremely talented and one of the best voices I've ever heard one of the greatest songwriters, I think, in Southern gospel music and music in general and it is hard to stay grounded when people are kind of I don't want to say worshiping you, because that's just too broad of a term there, but when they're just they're clapping and you know how do you stay grounded?
Speaker 2:I think the best.
Speaker 1:Thing that's happened for me is.
Speaker 2:My wife Lindsay, travels with me and it's funny. You talk about successes. I mean, let me just. I want to be completely vulnerable with you and your listeners right now. I have not had a number one song in over two years. I've not been nominated for a Grammy in five years. That kind of stuff messes with me and it's so silly because but if I'm just going to being completely honest, I look and go. I talked to my record company about it recently. I was like man, I just feel like you know, these are the things that used to happen and they're not really happening anymore. And what am I doing wrong? And you know, it's not about that stuff. And I think once I shift my focus on back to seeking God, that's where the true blessings come in. And I don't want to seek God just for success. I don't want to seek God just for the blessings. I want to seek God because there is no greater thing that I can do in my life than to seek after the heart of God. But I have to tell you that the way that I stay grounded last October we talked about that's a little bit about failure. I'll talk a little bit about success.
Speaker 2:Last October I had just come off the Dove Awards. I had won a Dove Award. I performed on the Dove Awards the week before that. I'd won a Singing News Fan Award for like the seventh year in a row for Soloist of the Year, and Lindsay saw a shift in me that I didn't even see and she took me and she doesn't like this story, but this is what happened. She took me outside.
Speaker 2:We were in Winston-Salem, believe it or not. She took me outside and I knew something was bothering her and I said what's going on? And she's like let's go outside for a second. And she looked at me and she said you're not a celebrity and you're not famous. And people that are listening are going. Yes, he is. No, I'm really not. I don't go into the to Walmart or I'm getting ready to go into Walgreens and get a card for my wife. You know I don't get recognized very often at all, but she kind of grounded me in that moment, said I know you've had a big month, but let's rein that in and let's realize that we are nothing without Jesus, that we're not too good to load in, you know sound equipment and work hard and keep serving God, you know, and that's the kind of thing that and I didn't even notice it in myself, but apparently I was acting- differently because Lindsay's with me out on the road and she sees these things, you know.
Speaker 2:And it kind of brought me back down to earth and went OK, dove Awards are great and Singing News, fan Awards are sweet, and so you know, so kind. But at the end of the day, what am I doing to be a good husband? What am I doing to be a good man? What am I doing to be a good boss to my band and my team? So you know, to answer a simple question with a long answer, I think Lindsay is the reason I'm able to stay grounded, and obviously Jesus.
Speaker 1:Wow, could you feel yourself being different, or did she have to point that out to you?
Speaker 2:No, in fact I argued it. I was like, like I'm not there, I've been changed, you know I'm the same. But I think what I was writing was kind of like this, for lack of better word, a kind of a success high um man, things are going really well right now and people are acknowledging. You know all the hard work and and um, and then the devil works. Performance. I performed a song called tell the Devil and it really went well, I mean they saw it.
Speaker 2:I mean, the contemporary world was with me and I didn't really get any flack from the southern world because it was a little edgy. My performance was a little edgy and I didn't, but you know, everybody was just, it was really. It went really well and I felt like God was, you know, honored in it and so you know, maybe I was riding this high of success for a few weeks there and she was able to go. Hey, let's not focus on the praise. And one thing I love about my team whether it's my secretary or my band or my wife or anybody, they don't it's.
Speaker 2:I've told them I don't want man worship. I'm not interested in man worship. I don't want you all. They'll call me. I had a guy come up the other night at an event and then call me a superstar and my guitar player literally laughed at it and I thought, ok, I hired the right guy because he just thought that was so funny. You know that somebody would call me that and I love that. I love that they don't look at me as this. You know, I'm fallible. I'm a man. I'm not even close to what I. You know what I want to be and what I need to be, and God has blessed me tremendously with not just my recovery but you know, my, our ministry, and I'm so grateful for that. But I never want it to be a thing where it's about me. It's about what Jesus has done in my life.
Speaker 1:Well, you can see why that God put Lindsay in your life right Because he knew the whole story from beginning to end of your life, and he would know the failures and he also knew who you would need as your life partner to guide you through those. I think that's an amazing and kudos to Lindsay for just having you back and saying okay, buddy, he's going to say you got to go home and clean the toilet just like everybody else, so get over yourself. Exactly right.
Speaker 2:Take out the trash. One of my favorite stories is there's a guy named Larnell Harris, an amazing artist.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:He won a Grammy and they had this big award. And the next morning he woke up and there was a note on the table from his wife that said congratulations, I'm so proud of you, but please don't forget to take out the trash. It was kind of that moment of that's Lindsay, like she's like, hey, congrats, happy for you, but you're not special, that's great.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you this, Joseph what would you want people to know about you? Not Joseph Habedank, the artist, but the person who exists away from the music. Who is he and what is he like?
Speaker 2:I would say I'm pretty boring. I mean, I think in a lot of ways, you know, when I get home I'm very normal. I just I go to the gym every day and you know that's the most exciting thing I do. I'm in the studio a lot, but it's funny. You know that's the most exciting thing I do. I'm in the studio a lot, but it's funny, you know. I just think what I want people to know about me is that I'm probably a lot like you.
Speaker 2:Some days I do really well and I have great days and I have bad days. I have days where I fail and days when I wake up and don't really, you know, I'm tired and don't really want to get out of bed. And there's days that, you know, I feel like God blesses, and I have good days and bad days. I think the biggest thing for me is I'm broken, just like everybody else, obviously, with my story, and I've been sober for almost 12 years and I still feel like in a lot of ways, I'm still learning how to be a good man. And somebody asked me the other day it was like what do you want your legacy to be? And I said, if you'd asked me that 10 years ago I probably would have said I want to be the greatest artist that Southern Gossip Music's ever had. I want to be the best songwriter and the best singer.
Speaker 2:And now it's kind of like boy if they just say he was a good guy you know he's a good man and he was honest and he was fair and he had integrity and he took, you know, the worst thing that ever happened to him, and let God make it into the best thing that ever happened to him, which is pretty much my story.
Speaker 2:That's what I want more than anything, and so what to know about me is that I'm a lot like you. I just, yeah, people clap when I sing and people sometimes stand up when I go to work and do my thing, but that doesn't make me any different than you. I still have those tough days and I still struggle a lot to get through life. I told my guys the other night on the bus we were riding down the road and I said you know, I'm not a struggling artist, but I am an artist who struggles. And that's true. I think we all struggle and it's really easy to look at somebody in the music business, any sort of aspect of life, and go, man, I thought they had such a good life and they got it all together. And the truth is, you know, some days, yeah, I have good days, but there's days when I fail miserably and just like anybody else. So I'm a common guy.
Speaker 1:I think in a lot of ways I just have a baby, just have a better spray tan. Oh, that's funny. This is kind of a transparent question because I know the enemy works so hard. I mean, he just works so hard. So I know your story and I know that you have such a fantastic redemption story to tell and you tell it beautifully and you tell it often and you're very honest. Like the first time I heard you tell it I was like wow, you know, that is being totally honest with his audience and I was so impressed by that because you could have danced around it and you didn't. But do you ever have times, joseph, where you've gotten through that? You know you're forgiven, you absolutely know you're forgiven, but you just have those darts at times where you can kind of feel that shame coming back on you a little bit. Do you ever have that, or have you really let that go?
Speaker 2:You know it's funny. You mentioned this. I'm always very honest and I try to be very honest and vulnerable. But I actually had a guy the other night text me a friend of mine and I posted something on Facebook and he in a way kind of questioned my sobriety and because it was goofy or funny, he's like how does a sober mind think of this? And it kind of hurt my feelings because I was like well, I know I'm sober, you know I've been sober for I think today's been 4,280 days or something like that, but it made me go.
Speaker 2:I have to be so vigilant about even 12 years later. I mean sober for 12 years, continually, and we call that continuous sobriety, which means I haven't relapsed, by the grace of God in almost 12 years.
Speaker 1:Praise God.
Speaker 2:And yet I still have to be a little bit like cautious because I think people still watch and they go. Man, is he good? You know, and I get that that's part of the consequences of my sin and what I walk through and being an addict, and so while it, you know, it's kind of tough for me to somebody to go. Hey, how do you, how does a sober person even think of this? I was kind of like, well you know, I promise I'm still sober.
Speaker 2:But, you know, I think the biggest thing for me is the trust aspect. I mean, I think trust is like a wall you build and it can be torn down in a second, and it can take literally years to build it back. That's what trust is like, and so I think what I love, though, is that the people have been so gracious to me and they've allowed me to explore musically I think, maybe more so than most artists and I. Somebody asked me this like how do you get away with recording this music that really isn't before? Being completely candid and honest, is not extremely Southern Gospel. It's very different. They call me Southern Gospel, but musically it's kind of a different thing, and I said I think the people are just glad that I'm sober. That makes sense. I mean, I think they've given me so much lead way. You know what? At least he's not using drugs. We love what he does. There's a great story there, and they've been so gracious and they've allowed me to be an artist, and I'm so grateful for that I really am.
Speaker 2:I can't tell you how I very rarely get any negative comments from the people that support me about my music or the band, or the way I dress, or whatever it may be, they just want me to be their friend and love on them and record music about Jesus. And so I think, to answer your question, yeah I still deal with some shame, but I'm also so proud of what Jesus has done in my life and I love being in recovery Like I love talking about it. I helped a guy, a couple guys, get rehab in the last month. I mean I love doing that stuff because it helps me stay sober Right. So yeah, I think I still deal with the shame aspect of it, but I try not to let that overshadow the redemption and the forgiveness and the recovery.
Speaker 1:Well, I think another reason why you can kind of get by with different kinds of music is that, first of all, what you're presenting has such a message. You know it's not just fluff, it's got a message. It's got a message. But secondly, I would say that probably 99.9% of those that are sitting out there listening to you they may not have been addicted to drugs, but they've had a failure. You know they've had a tough failure and they understand and know what it feels like to go through that failure, to be forgiven for that failure and then to come out on the other side looking back in and going. It is only by the grace of God that that happened, that I'm able to get up every morning, take a breath, take a few steps, get my day started without having that cloud of shame just hanging over me each and every day. So I think it's a lot about what you're presenting there and how you're making people feel through your transparency, your vulnerability and just the honesty in which you tell your story.
Speaker 2:So in a world of fake and artificial intelligence, literally, I think people are just looking for something real.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:And I think the more real you can be. I tell my guys that all the time on the bus I'm like just be who you are and some people are going to like you and some people aren't. But just be who you are, be who God made you to be and don't try to be somebody else. And I think authenticity is so important.
Speaker 1:Our tagline here at Joy FM is real music, real life, and so we share. You know the good times here. We have laughs here on the air, but, man, when we blow it, we talk about that as well, and it's in those times that we get so much feedback, because we get a lot of well, that's me too. Well, I feel just like that too, or you know that kind of thing. So I agree, in a world where it is just, you don't know what's true and what isn't, that realness, honesty, is absolutely key, and you do that beautifully. So let me ask you one more question before we head out, and it's this why do you think it is important that those who listen to radio ministries like Joy FM, why is it important that they give to a station like Joy FM that is 100% listener supported?
Speaker 2:Well, I think the first thing is pretty obvious.
Speaker 2:I mean, if you want this music on your radio, you need to support it, because you're literally taking advantage of something that's free to you and that's the common logical response to that.
Speaker 2:But I would also say, more importantly than that is you're literally supporting somebody who's sharing the gospel. I think radio is so powerful because there's usually a little DJ in a little room in a little town and they're playing music for thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of people and nobody's ever going to really recognize, for the most part, what they do. I think that this jockey, or the DJ, if you will, is the most underappreciated person in any genre of music. But they're literally, especially obviously in Christian music they're literally spreading the good news of Jesus to thousands and tens of thousands of people, maybe even hundreds of thousands of people, because of the internet now, and I think we I love Joy FM. I think Joy FM station did not be the greatest station in our genre and I would love to encourage you all to give to the ministry. I love that you all use the word ministry, because it is a ministry.
Speaker 2:I mean it's really about reaching people, and the Bible says to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and I know that's what I'm trying to do, and I know that's what you all are trying to do, and so they just you all can't do it without the listener's support, and so if you all would do me a favor, it would mean so much to me if you would help support this station, because without stations like Joy FM, I would not have places to sing or people to sing to, and I'm just so grateful for everything that you all do and for the kingdom of God. I think a great opportunity for the listener is this spring fundraiser that's coming up. First of all, pray about what God would want you to do and then go to joyfmorg and give. I want you to do it today because I think it's so important to support Joy FM that are literally sharing the good news of Jesus.
Speaker 1:So, joseph, thank you for hanging out with me today sharing the good news of Jesus. So, joseph, thank you for hanging out with me today. And while we were sitting here, I looked over at I can click on the computer screen here our library and you have over 20 songs playing on our station now.
Speaker 2:Wow, we may need to change the name to Joy FM to Joseph Habedank FM. Hey, I'm just so grateful, thank you so much, I think I don't even. I think that's about as many singles as I've had. Yeah, so you might be playing every single it is.
Speaker 1:I was looking at, wow, it was so many that I had to go like down to the next page on the computer to see them all. And I will tell you, though, that we are playing now, you and Chris Blue. Jesus Walked In Jesus.
Speaker 2:Walked In. Yeah, I love that song so much. Thank you so much for playing it. Yeah, and a shout out to Chris If you've never heard Chris Blue, you've got to go. This guy's amazing. I'm so honored he sang this song with me.
Speaker 1:Well, Joseph, thank you again. You know I love you to pieces. You know I've always loved you.
Speaker 2:I love you too and I'm so grateful that you chose me to be a part of this great fundraiser coming up and thank you for using my song and playing my music and being my friend.
Speaker 1:Thank you, joseph. Thanks for listening to the Quirks, bumps and Bruises podcast with Candy and Melody. If you enjoyed the show, please take a moment to subscribe, rate and share the podcast. You can learn more at joyfmorg.
