Faith Stories | Pastor Joe Coffey and Matt Erkkila

In this episode of Faith Stories, Matt shares how his life in Northeast Ohio moved from a typical Catholic upbringing into an early and escalating struggle with alcohol that began in his teens and intensified through high school and college. By his early twenties, fraternity life, drinking culture, and addiction had taken over, leading to an intervention and the start of sobriety at 22 through recovery meetings, mentorship, and learning to rely on a higher power. Over time, that recovery deepened into a personal relationship with Jesus as he and his wife began attending church through connections at Christ Community Chapel and stepping into spiritual community and rhythms like Bible reading and prayer. Today, Matt reflects on how faith, sobriety, and daily habits have reshaped his family life, marriage, and sense of purpose, moving from dependence on alcohol to dependence on Christ.If you’re ready to take your next step with Jesus, visit www.ccchapel.com – we’d love to connect with you.