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Road To Redemption
Road To Redemption
Shame to Freedom with Cory Neal and Steve Coppi
Sexual addiction silently destroys lives, marriages, and families while those struggling often feel hopelessly trapped in cycles of shame. In this powerful conversation, Steve Coppi and Corey Neal share their journey from decades of sexual shame to newfound freedom through honesty, accountability and a personal relationship with Jesus.
Steve reveals how his 45-year battle with pornography addiction began at age 12 and continued until he was 57. Rock bottom came when suicidal thoughts and unbearable hypocrisy drove him to make a desperate call to Corey. That single phone call began a transformation process when Corey responded not with judgment but with compassionate understanding: "That's not the worst I've heard before. You're going to be all right."
The conversation dives deep into how true accountability operates—not as behavior policing but as a confessional space where men can finally bring their darkest struggles into the light. Drawing from James 5:16, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective". They emphasize that confession to trusted brothers provides the pathway to healing that so many desperately seek.
What sets this episode apart is the practical roadmap they offer for those currently struggling. They share how recovery begins with breaking denial, surrendering to a process, and participating in specialized groups where men find the tools, community, and biblical guidance necessary for lasting freedom. They emphasize that while the journey isn't easy, it leads to a life they never thought possible—marriages in restoration and reconnection with children.
For leaders and those wanting to help others, Steve and Corey announce their upcoming Men of Valor Conference on October 10-11, 2025 in Santa Rosa Beach FL, designed to equip people with the tools and understanding to effectively support those battling sexual addiction.
Ready to break free from sexual bondage or help someone who is? This episode provides both the hope and practical guidance needed to begin that journey today. The path to freedom starts with one honest conversation—just like the one that changed Steve's life forever.
For anyone struggling in this area contact Cory Neal at 850-368-3250 and Steve Coppi at 678-457-6471.
For more information contact us at
rtrdestiny@gmail.com
Welcome to Road to Redemption, a show sharing powerful life testimonies, giving hope to those on their own road to redemption.
Speaker 2:Well, welcome. This is John Martin, your host. I'm excited to be back on Road to Redemption today with two good friends of mine Corey Neal, who I've known for a long time. Steve Copey, who I've known for a long time as well. Guys, thanks for coming in.
Speaker 3:It's great being here, John. Thanks so much for having us.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:John, it's unbelievable that the God who created this universe sees fit for us two men to sit in these seats today. How humbling is that it is. It's a blessing to be here.
Speaker 2:Because we both know where we're from. We're from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans, louisiana. We from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans, louisiana. You know we got a lot of past but thanks to Jesus, we're redeemed and we're very blessed. Well, I wanted to get y'all to come on because you know y'all have a ministry, you know, and it's ministering to men and I got to hear a little bit the other night. It's ministering to men and I got to hear a little bit the other night. I went to the men's barbecue, got to hear you, steve, talk about something that is real.
Speaker 2:A lot of people try to push under the rug, but it's sexual impurity and pornography and things like this that are out there. A lot of men and even women are struggling with this and we need to bring this to the light because we know that Jesus wants us set free. He does not want us walking in that and a lot of people can live in that and feel very lonely, get very isolated and it can really burst into a huge problem that can break up their marriage, cause a lot of bad things and we know our Lord does not want that. So just, Steve, why don't you talk about. Maybe tell me a little bit about how you met Corey and how this all came about?
Speaker 3:Yeah, thank you for asking that question. I'm grateful to be able to be here today to talk about this. I'm grateful to be able to be here today to talk about this. It's never easy for me to share these things, but it's imperative, I think, for others to hear it so that they can find hope that there's an actual pathway that can be walked.
Speaker 3:So the way that it all happened was I had this problem with pornography in my life to make it simple, since I was 12. And that's when I was first first ran into it. And then my experience with that at 12 was like a revelation to me. It just absolutely filled me with this understanding that that's what I needed in my life and that's that first contact. Some people don't have that experience. Well, I did, because it met a need, and then that thing went on for my life until I was 57. And there's a lot of ground that I could cover in there, but, for the sense of time, just be aware that it went on for a very long time, and the point where everything began to kind of bubble to a head was when I was actually leading a group on purity here at the church and I was really in a bad spot. I was like the last person in this panhandle to be leading that group, and so I'm leading this group in the sense of despair and dread that I would wake up with every morning. So there's a mental aspect to this, a mental health aspect to this, where I was in terrible shape, probably going to end my life pretty soon, because it was the weight of all this hypocrisy in my life was just becoming unbearable. So I'm at this group and very jaded at this point I don't believe anyone can help me. And Corey sitting across from me and he hears me talking like I'm the worst guy in this group and I'm leading it at my house, and Corey sitting on the chair next to me and he's like you should give me a phone call, you should call me. I'm like, yeah, whatever, man, I'll give you a call.
Speaker 3:And so then it was February 7th of 2022. I'm sitting on that same couch and I'm dialing a number that I should not be dialing. I get about halfway through it and I hear this little voice say you should give Corey a call. I'm like, all right, whatever, I'll give him a call. So I call Corey and I say you know, hey, this is Steve and he goes. Yeah, great Thanks for calling, he goes.
Speaker 3:So what have you been up to? Well, I've been up to a little of this and a little of that, and he's like that's not what. I asked you, what are you doing? And so I just said, okay, fine, I let it rip. I just said here's everything. And I told him everything that I was doing and he said, ah, that's not the worst I've heard before. You're going to be all right, man. And that just really like suddenly I felt like the sun came out and I was like, holy cow, who is this guy? And then he said you know what? I want you to send me a text every day of three things you're grateful for. And then I want you to come with a group to me with a group no-transcript and I've been sober ever since, but I do need to make a qualification on that before we all celebrate Is that the pathway from February 7th to today has been a daily, consistent thing that I've had to walk out, and I've had to walk out all the consequences as well.
Speaker 3:And so the good news was I had Corey along the way to mentor me through this, because he didn't lead me in a way where he just dropped nuggets on me.
Speaker 3:He walked the path alongside me and mentored me through it and sometimes I was telling you, john earlier today sometimes I'd call him three times a day and I don't know how he put up with me that much, but there were times where it was pretty desperate and I needed him and he helped me walk through those early days and then eventually we can go into the talking about how my marriage is moved into a place of restoration. I won't call it restored, I'll call it in a place of restoration. It's a process that's continuing on. So that's the short of it. And there were other issues in addition to pornography. I won't go into those here, but I was in desperate shape and at a certain point I had to give all my firearms to Corey for a while, and that's how close things were. So he's been a good brother and a good friend in all this and I'm really grateful to be sitting here today.
Speaker 2:Amen, thank you, corey. Well, corey, let's hear from you.
Speaker 4:So James, 5.16, we probably know this it's confess your sins to one another so you may be healed, and that the prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Well, how can we confess our sins if we don't have a brother to go to? You see, james is writing this to the church. This was to find a safe place, to find a brother to be able to confess, and that's the way I see accountability. Accountability is not policing, it's confessional, but there's got to be a brother there who has two things in order to step into that role for that man, and the two things are grace.
Speaker 4:The truth is that these men think that they're alone. How do I know that? Because I was him. I didn't just show up and be a mentor to Steve. I had to walk my own path, my path, very similar to Steve's. It was hard and it was hurtful and it was painful, but it's changed my life and it's changed. It's changed my relationship to understand that I have a God who deeply and desperately loves me and he chose to create me. Knowing everything that I would do, he still chose me. So I went down my path and the truth is, john, that sometimes God gives us something outside of salvation that is so good that we have to share it to the world, and this is one of those. If men could only see what their life would be like, if they became rigorously honest and willing to do whatever it took, how their life could change, how their world could change. The world around them will change, and how now the God of the universe will see fit to use them. There's nothing more edifying on this side of earth than that.
Speaker 2:Amen. Well, this is such an important topic because sexual sin is an area that can really be. It's a dark, hidden place. You know people that struggle with this, and if you don't have outlets to bring it to the light and accountability, it can, just as I said earlier, really go down a bad path. And I'm so glad that the church, the body of Christ, is getting better about this and offering freedom, you know, for men and women, cause with these phones and all these things, it's just everywhere now. So we've got to um, put on the armor of God, you know as Ephesians said, and go up against this. Steve, what else do you have to share?
Speaker 3:I'm glad you brought up the point about the armor of God.
Speaker 3:I think that a lot of times when I'm among men, we talk about the sword of the spirit and the shield of faith and we really focus on those things.
Speaker 3:But everything's hanging off the belt of truth and if we are operating as Christians as we're operating as Christian men with integrity and we don't have that truth on the innermost being, if we have parts of our lives where we're keeping secrets, our armor is on the ground and then the other part of it is is if we keep those secrets, then what happened in my life, and in Corey's life too, is that our weapons are pointed towards our families. So there's an effect downstream of this that goes beyond just our own picture, and that's what we help men walk through. We help them walk through a process I help them walk through and Corey does too. We help them walk through a process where that belt of truth becomes the center of their life. They become rigorously honest and they're willing to do whatever it takes, and then the armor of God makes sense. It stays where it's supposed to be, and then my weapons are pointed towards the enemy. And I do want to read a scripture that.
Speaker 3:I think, would really has been a hallmark for a lot of men in this situation. It's Isaiah 58, 8 and 12. Then your salvation will come like the dawn and it came in my life that way and your wounds will quickly heal, your godliness will lead you forward and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities and then you'll be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. And that scripture speaks so deeply to me because as you step forward into this path, your wounds will heal. God will heal your wounds and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. So you're only going to get the consequences that you need to stay on the path, and I've witnessed that over and over again.
Speaker 3:I've asked these guys, I asked the guys in my group do you think you got everything you deserved? And they're like no. And I'm like who do you think's in charge of that? God in his mercy. And I said you know, I hadn't thought about this that a man reaps what he sows. It says that God's the Lord of the harvest, and sometimes we think of that in an avalanche of blessing, but I think he's also Lord of the Harvest in preventing a lot of the harvest of the consequences coming towards us. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, it's going to be hard, it's going to be really hard. I'm sorry, but crossing over that brink into a place of freedom, it's worth everything. And the way I live now, the person I am now, I can't even imagine how I lived that way for 45 years of my life and I would never, I never want to go back to it again. So it's that scripture also speaks about moving forward.
Speaker 3:Once you're healed, then you're going to be a restorer of homes, and that has blossomed out of this thing that I've seen some I can't say all. I've seen some marriages restored and they're on their path to recovery, and I've seen some people go through divorces too, and we're there for those guys as well, but I've always seen the children come back, and so there's a lot of really good products out of this thing. I guess I could say, because of what the Holy Spirit and what God does, every man, no matter how far you've gone down this path, is worthy of redemption. You don't believe it, you don't think it's possible, but you're worthy of it, I'm worthy of it and I'm worthy of that redemption because of the work that Christ has done. But I just was in a position where I couldn't of it and I'm worthy of that redemption because of the work that Christ has done.
Speaker 2:But I just was in a position where I couldn't receive it. So if anyone's listening right now, I know they are people that are struggling with this because it's just rampant With the world, with these phones and our world. What do you say? What is something they can do to take steps to start getting free?
Speaker 4:Well, I have an idea. The first thing we have to do is we got to fight the right enemy. So let's go back to James. James says but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin when it so. Are we blaming everything on Satan or do we have a part to play in this? And I think James says that we have a part to play in this. And first we have to be willing to open up our hearts to whatever it is that God wants to show us, about us, and that can be painful that God wants to show us about us, and that can be painful.
Speaker 3:And then I think the other part would be to surrender to a process. That's one of the toughest parts of what I had to work with Corey. I used to say to Corey Corey would be saying to me things and I'd be like you talk like a space alien. I have no idea what you're talking about Because my brain was so messed up I couldn't receive the things he was saying. They make sense to me now, but so I'll have guys in our groups, going through these groups and for the first six months it's like they don't even.
Speaker 3:Everything I'm saying is like throwing ping pong balls against their head and I just tell them you need to just stay in the group, keep coming, and the surrender process will eventually kick in and the lights come on in about six to eight months that just suddenly their eyes open.
Speaker 3:So in that ensuing eight months is where they need to just surrender to the process that we're leading them into a thing biblically and clinically not that we're clinicians at all, but it's clinically based so that they can trust that where we're leading them with this thing will result in their freedom in this area.
Speaker 3:And it takes time, and then we're there just to love and accept them as they go through that surrender process. While they go, I describe it like some of these guys are like cats on a waffle iron they're just going through a lot and it's hard to get through the noise. But I think the key is, like I said, surrendering to the process. They've got to break the denial first. They've got to stop acting like it's not a problem Once they break that denial, then, if they surrender to the process, then I'm within a 99% sure that the grace of God and the Holy Spirit will lead them to a better place of freedom and love and grace and they'll find that they are men of valor. They're men who are walking in this glorious place with God.
Speaker 4:And what I find, too, is that men are willing. So these men we're talking about myself and Steve included these are good men. These men do not want to be here. These are good men. They're just trapped, and so I know that men are practical. I know many women are too but particularly they will say hey, corey, give me steps, one through five, and I'll do those if that means I'm going to get better.
Speaker 4:Well, there's not necessarily a one through five, but I never had direction when I started this journey. I had to figure out the path, and that path has kind of been blazed for those who go behind us, and we've been a process of you know how, what are we going to use to help the guys who go behind us, cause there's always different ideals. And so, through our small groups, uh, we have kind of we have landed on pure desire ministries. They are one of the absolute leaders when it comes to helping men with unwanted sexual behavior or compulsive sexual behavior, and so they have a multitude of studies. So, anybody listening to this, if you simply go to Pure Desire Ministries, there is a plethora of information, there's a phone number to call, so there is a path where you can start today.
Speaker 2:Amen. Well, and I think, too, we just want to encourage you, along with our three pillars, the road to redemption. Number one get into the Word of God. If you're listening right now, just pick up the Bible and I promise you he's going to take you to where you need to be. You're going to open a scripture that's going to speak to you right now with this problem, or whatever problem you right now with this problem, or whatever problem you're dealing with. And then two is to get into a Christ-centered church and just go.
Speaker 2:And lastly is to get into a group, a small group that you can be accountable to, you can do life with, and just get into a group. It may not be the exact group you're going to be in long term, but right now, I know, coming up here in the next week or two, the freedom groups are starting and and destiny worship center churches and and other churches throughout the the country. You know freedom is done and it's a great group for people that are dealing with the sexual sin and other things to get set free. So get into a freedom group. Wow, this has been such a good discussion. Is there anything else before we go, guys, that you want to share. How about that conference, steve?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we have a conference coming up and this would be a great opportunity for you know. Maybe you're wondering, you know, is this something that's active in my children? Is this something that's active in my grandchildren? How is it affecting the schools, how is it affecting the church? How is it affecting those around me? So maybe it's not my issue.
Speaker 3:Well, the conference will help you to have access to the tools that you need to help those around you, so that's a great way to go there. And then it will introduce resources and opportunities for people that can access these things. And I do want to focus on what you said about groups, and in a group setting is where we can confess to one another and that's where we find that freedom, and so I think the conference would be a great way to start. Maybe you're not ready to come to a group right now. The conference is a great way to just kind of show up and eat some barbecue and hear some things and and gain a better understanding of what the ground looks like in this area, especially for leadership. If you, if you love the men around you, if this is not a tool in your tool bag right now, I really think it. I really would encourage you to gain that resource and so at least you would know where to, where to turn guys, and when is that conference and where do people go to find out about it?
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's a good question. So that conference is October 10th and 11th and if you Google or go to YouTube, you can type in Men of Valor, every Man's War, and that'll have our conference information. Now we have two national keynote speakers coming in. This is going to be a regional event. This is not a local event. We suspect people will be flying in for this event.
Speaker 4:We've got Nick Stumbo, the executive director at pure desire, and we have Dr Janice Cottle, so an amazing lineup. We're going to have praise and worship. It includes food, um, and it's right now is our early bird, so it's $95. So we made it really affordable. So any man who wants to go. But I want to talk to a very specific man right now. The man I want to talk to is not a struggler. It's not his problem. He probably never struggled with this, but his heart hurts when he sees other people hurting. That man should come to this conference to get equipped, because that's the entire goal of this conference. Conference to get equipped, because that's the entire goal of this conference is to show the church how this can be successful, that you can get clean and stay clean, and they will leave there with the tools to be competent to help another struggler.
Speaker 2:So it's the Men of Valor conference called.
Speaker 4:Men of Valor. Every Man's War.
Speaker 2:Every Man's War. Every Man's War. It's in Santa Rosa Beach, it's at Good News Church right, that's right yep, santa Rosa Beach, and give me the date again, october 10th and 11th. Okay, wow, that's going to be great. That is really cool. They're doing that Well as we're coming to the end here. Is there anything else, guys, you'll have to share?
Speaker 3:I'm just grateful for the time. I'm glad that the Lord brought us all together in this space. Unimaginable to me three years ago that I would be sitting here, and it's only by God's grace and his mercy in my life and his redemptive power that I'm here with you today. So I'm really grateful for all the things that God is doing in this area.
Speaker 2:Well, as we come to the end of the show, I just feel really called to pray. We just want to lift up in prayer this discussion we've had around sexual impurity, pornography, these things that have really hurt our families and marriages, and I know that our Lord does not want this and he wants to see men and women set free. So we just lift this up, lord, and we lift up the conference and the groups that Corey and Steve are doing and we just pray for anyone struggling with this Lord that you will provide a way for them to be set free. We just pray that you give them a future hope, that there is great hope that they can be set free and they can live in sexual purity, and we just pray that you open doors for them to call, whether it be Steve or Corey We'll put their numbers in the show, in the show notes for you to reach them.
Speaker 2:Reach out to Steve or Corey or some other men in your church. We pray many men and even women will reach out to someone after this show to take that step to be set free. In Jesus' name we pray, amen, amen. So it's still rolling now. So I always say if there's anything else that you forgot. We've got a few more minutes. We can plug it in.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I've got a couple thoughts. I feel like the Holy Spirit shared something when I was getting ready to come out here, and it's this ideal that the way I was raised in a legalistic manner, my righteousness was dependent upon me. But how freeing is it whenever our righteousness has nothing to do with us, we can just stand. As a son, I never knew how to do that.
Speaker 2:Awesome, corey, thank you.
Speaker 3:And I think for me it took a long time in this process, you know, to get to that place where I was walking in restoration. I felt like I had to struggle through this. I felt like I had to, I must, I have to, I need to do things. And then I stopped doing that. God took me into a place where I stopped doing that and I just rested, do things. And then I stopped doing that. God took me into a place where I stopped doing that and I just rested in him. It sounds so weird. And everything slowed down. And then it's almost like God started prospering me in ways I never thought were possible. And I'm not saying this is a prosperity method. It has to do with, kind of, when my priorities became his priorities and his priorities became my priorities. Everything slowed down and I started kind of walking in that place.
Speaker 3:It doesn't happen. It happens for everyone that goes through this process. I can't tell you how, I can't tell you when, but it does. And then these things just open up. It's like the scales fall you when, but it does. And then these things just open up, it's like the scales fall off your eyes and it happens. And it's such a miraculous place to be, and that's where I walk now. It hurts like a son of a gun, but I still am walking in this place. So that's the place. I'm trying to encourage men to land, but it takes time.
Speaker 4:You know it's funny you say that, steve, because I've heard this and I've seen this to be true that men who have any control of their income, whether they're self-employed, whether they're in sales, whether they get bonuses, whatever when a man gets clean, when he surrenders his sexuality to God, when he does that, his income doubles. It was true for me, wow, and I've seen it time and time again. It's, it's unbelievable. It's like what happens when we align our heart with God's heart what he wants to do for us and most of what we do is get ourselves out of the way. So God can do for us what he wants to do.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow so awesome.
Speaker 1:You've been listening to Road to Redemption, sharing powerful life testimonies, giving hope to those on their own road to redemption. If you have any comments or questions, we would love to connect with you. You can reach out to us at destinyradiolive. Thank you for listening and we'll see you next week on Road to Redemption.