Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley
Episode: Saved By Grace (feat. Stephen McWhirter)
Date: January 6, 2026
Guest: Stephen McWhirter, singer/songwriter, author of "Radically Restored"
Episode Overview
This episode features an intimate and raw conversation between host Savannah Chrisley and Stephen McWhirter, a Christian music artist with a harrowing past of addiction, family trauma, and eventual radical redemption. Through honest storytelling, McWhirter details his journey from growing up in a turbulent, religious household to deep addiction, to a miraculous encounter with faith, and ultimately, to a life dedicated to music and helping others. The episode centers on themes of trauma, forgiveness, grace, and the messy process of spiritual restoration.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Stephen's Traumatic Upbringing and Early Rebellion
- [01:41] Stephen recounts his childhood as the son of an evangelist, frequently seeing his father preach about Jesus while witnessing abuse and contradiction at home:
- “My dad was an evangelist... I would watch this guy get up, preach about Jesus... and behind closed doors, the guy that I saw was totally different. I would watch my dad physically abuse my mom... at a very young age, I was like, if God's real, he is not good.” — Stephen McWhirter [01:41]
- [02:39] Early substance exposure and self-destructive behavior:
- Started smoking and drinking at 11, moved to heavy drugs and dealing by 15, and became a daily crystal meth user by 17.
- “By the time I was 17, I was a full out crystal meth addict and I was using every day for many, many years to come.” — Stephen [03:27]
2. Family Secrets and Growing Resentment
- [05:34] Stephen explains how secrecy and shame shaped his family and fueled his anger:
- His mother would hide his behavior from his father, furthering dysfunction and feelings of resentment, both toward his father for abuse and his mother for returning to him.
- “She gets us all up in the middle of the night, puts us in the car, we drive away... 24 hours later, she goes back... It also made me resent my mom. Like, why would you go back?” — Stephen [06:15]
3. Turning Point: Radical Encounter with Grace
- [13:02] The life-changing moment during addiction:
- Someone gives him “The Case for Christ”; one night, amid drugs and darkness, he reads it.
- “I just know God's in the room, right? Like, I just know he's in the room. I don't know how else to explain it other than that.” — Stephen [13:49]
- He describes realizing, “God, I believe you're real... I want to give you my life. I want to quit all this addiction, all this darkness, all this anger...” — Stephen [14:11]
- Felt God say, “Stephen, you won’t do it. I’ll do it.” (referencing Ephesians 2:8)—salvation by grace, not personal effort.
4. Sobriety and Aftermath
- [16:58] Immediate sobriety and the uniqueness of every recovery journey:
- “I quit everything overnight. I quit smoking cigarettes... But when you hear that... you might hear, ‘Oh, he quit everything overnight.’ That’s discouraging. In the gospel, Jesus never healed anyone the same way twice. Every story has a purpose.” — Stephen [17:41]
- [18:15] Savannah and Stephen discuss how everyone's journey is different and that "it's okay to not be okay."
- Savannah: “We live in such a society to where everything has to be perfect all the time.” [18:26]
5. Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and Messy Healing
- [18:57] The hardest aspect: Forgiving his father
- “Once I became a believer, this was my testimony... I never shied away from it. Then I had to do the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life... to forgive my dad...” — Stephen [18:57]
- Forgiveness didn’t look magical:
- “I just remember being like, ‘dad, I gotta talk to you’, and him looking at me as I said, ‘I forgive you for all these things’... He just looked at me like his whole world was like... cracking... I just left. It was so awkward, so weird. I just got my car and I drove away.” — Stephen [22:06]
- “I didn’t leave it disappointed. I left in relief that it was done.” — Stephen [23:21]
6. Restoration and Ripples of Redemption
- [25:13] Final reconciliation at his father's deathbed:
- “I lean in one last time, and I say, ‘I love you and I forgive you’. And then I watch my dad take his last breath...” — Stephen [25:13]
- “When I got saved, I was just like, if I could just be sober and be okay... but God was like, no, that’s not all we’re gonna do... We’re gonna heal something that will traumatize you for the rest of your life if you don’t give it up.” — Stephen [25:31]
- Forgiveness as a continual, imperfect process:
- “Jesus says: ‘…Forgive…seven times seventy-seven’ which is basically like, forever, imperfectly.” — Stephen [26:00]
7. Service, Music, and Authentic Connection
- [27:42] Life now: Worship music, outreach, family
- “I've done worship music for a long time and songwriter full time... We wrote a song called ‘Come Jesus, Come’ that God took off with.” — Stephen [27:42]
- [30:51] Continuing prison ministry:
- “I love going to that. I'm going with God behind bars to San Quentin to do a worship thing in February.” — Stephen [30:51]
- [31:41] Authentic storytelling, not preaching, is what reaches hearts:
- “If I share my story and I do an altar call... we see about 20% of every room come to Jesus. And that—I'm telling you, I'm not an eloquent speaker... I just share my story. And for some reason, people go, yeah, yeah, I believe this.” — Stephen [31:41]
8. Radical Honesty and Parenting
- [29:29] On sharing with his own children:
- “On the complete opposite of the way I grew up... my kids have to deal with me just being totally real with them.” — Stephen [29:29]
9. Closing: A Challenge to Listeners
- [34:12] Inviting people to meet God authentically:
- “If you don’t get the book... just ask [God]—I need you to show me you’re real. I want to meet you, like, for real.” — Stephen [34:12]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On the disconnect between “church” and “home”:
- “You see him save people and bring them to Christ and you're like: you're doing this for strangers. But you’re not saving your own family.” — Savannah [09:38]
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On salvation by grace:
- “You're saved by grace now. I'll take it from here. No, you're saved by grace, period. That keeps happening for the rest of your life, regardless.” — Stephen [15:51]
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On forgiveness and messy realities:
- “There is no bird on my shoulder. There's no beam of light shooting in like a Disney movie... I forgive you for all these things... It was so awkward, so weird. I just got my car and I drove away.” — Stephen [22:06]
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On the power of authentic sharing:
- “It’s really simple. You share what God did and you believe what he did and you just tell people it’s real. You keep it authentic, you keep it honest, and you let God do all the heavy lifting. Not be showy.” — Stephen [32:01]
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Timestamp | Segment Description |
|------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 01:41 | Stephen’s upbringing and family trauma |
| 03:27 | Descent into addiction |
| 06:15 | Mother leaving and returning—impact on resentment |
| 13:02 | Radical encounter with Jesus—turning point |
| 16:58 | Sobriety “overnight” and the uniqueness of each journey |
| 18:57 | On forgiveness—hardest act, not magical |
| 22:06 | Telling father “I forgive you”—the awkward reality |
| 25:13 | Father’s deathbed—final words of love and forgiveness |
| 27:42 | On music ministry and life after addiction |
| 29:29 | Reality and honesty with his own children |
| 30:51 | Prison ministry, God Behind Bars |
| 31:41 | Power of testimony vs. conventional preaching |
| 34:12 | Final challenge—ask God to show up for you |
Additional Resources
- Stephen’s book: Radically Restored (radicallyrestoredbook.com / Amazon)
- Music: “Come Jesus, Come” and others available via streaming platforms
- Website: worshipJesus.life
- Instagram/Socials: @stephenmcwhirter (links tagged by Savannah)
Episode Tone
The conversation blends raw vulnerability, candid humor, and spiritual hope. Both Savannah and Stephen are unafraid to address the darkness, confusion, and discomfort in their journeys—while also expressing belief in the transformative power of grace and honest community. Savannah’s warm encouragement and Stephen’s self-deprecating quips lighten the weight of the subject, making the profound accessible and real.
Summary Takeaway
“Saved By Grace” is a powerful testament to the messiness of redemption—the scars that don’t vanish overnight, the awkward and often anti-climactic moments of forgiveness, and the ongoing journey toward healing. Listeners are invited to confront their own pain, be real about their struggles, and remain open to the possibility of transformation—one vulnerable, authentic step at a time.