Pastors in Recovery
by Jon Hammond
Pastors struggle too—but you don’t have to struggle alone. Every Wednesday, Jon Hammond shares honest conversations about ministry, recovery, and the hope we find in Jesus. With real stories, practical tools, and guest pastors who’ve walked the road of recovery, Pastors in Recovery is here to remind you: you are not alone, and healing is possible. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support.
Episodes
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Episode 114 - Before You Become the Next Headline | + Drama + Music
Episode 114 — Before You Become the Next Headline Sometimes the most dangerous moment in a pastor's life isn't when somebody discovers his secret. It's when he convinces himself that nobody ever will. In this powerful episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon Hammond explores the private decisions,...
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Episode 113 — That Didn't Sound Like You | When the Pastor Becomes the Performance | + Drama
Episode 113 — That Didn't Sound Like You Have you ever noticed how some pastors sound completely different when they step behind a pulpit? There's nothing wrong with passionate preaching. But what happens when the pastor becomes the performance? In Episode 113 of Pastors in Recovery, Jon Hammond...
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Episode 112 - What Are You Doing With Their Trust | + Drama + Song
Episode 112 - What Are You Doing With Their Trust When someone trusts a pastor with their deepest struggles, what happens to that trust? They share their broken marriages, addictions, relapses, doubts, and secrets because they believe they've found someone safe. But what happens when their…
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Episode 111 - Whose Disappointment Are You Most Afraid of? | + Drama + Song
Episode 111 — Whose Disappointment Are You Most Afraid Of? When someone asks how you’re doing, do you bring the truth—or a report you hope they’ll be pleased with? Jon Hammond explores how fear of disappointing parents, ministry leaders, sponsors, and others can shape our choices and keep our...
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Special Episode 3 — Terry Gurno: A Legacy of Unyielding Hope
Last week, I lost my friend Terry Gurno. Terry and I first met in Bible college, and years later I had the privilege of sitting down with him for two deeply personal conversations on Pastors in Recovery. In this special memorial episode, I’ve brought those conversations together so Terry can tell...
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Episode 110 - His Strength Is Perfect… Is Ours? | + Original Song "Put it in Gear"
Episode 110 - His Strength Is Perfect… Is Ours? We love the promise of 2 Corinthians 12:9–10: God’s power is made perfect in weakness. But do we sometimes live as though we provide most of the horsepower and God simply gives us a boost when our own strength isn’t enough? In this episode of…
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Episode 109 - Who Told You to Carry That? | + Original Song "I Was Never Meant to Carry This"
Episode 109 - Who Told You to Carry That? What happens when caring quietly becomes carrying? Pastors are called to love people, walk with them through difficult seasons, speak truth, pray, counsel, encourage, and sometimes help carry incredibly heavy burdens. But there is a line between…
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Episode 108 - I Think I Am Secretly Selfish | + Original Song "Secret Agent Self"
Episode 108 — I Think I’m Secretly Selfish I think I’m secretly selfish.That may sound strange coming from someone who has spent decades in ministry, raised a family, adopted three children, and is still parenting at 63. But lately I’ve been paying attention to what happens inside me when I’m...
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Episode 107 - Sabbath Rest - The Pastor Who Can't Stop
Episode 107 - Sabbath Rest - The Pastor Who Can't Stop When you’re a pastor, Sunday probably isn’t your Sabbath - it may be the busiest day of your week. So you choose Monday. Then Monday fills up. You try Saturday, but the sermon still needs work and Sunday is coming. Before long, rest becomes...
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Episode 106 - The Pastor Who Never Gets Caught | + Drama
Episode 106 - The Pastor Who Never Gets Caught What if you never get caught? Nobody finds the browser history. Nobody sees the messages. Nobody smells the alcohol. Your congregation still respects you. Your family still trusts you. You still preach on Sunday morning. But are you doing well…
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Episode 105 - Cast Your Cares | + Original Song "Cast"
Episode 105 - Cast Your Cares In Episode 105 of Pastors in Recovery, we take an honest look at the burdens we carry—and what it really means to “cast all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you. ”Pastors can become very good at carrying layer after layer of responsibility, worry, fear…
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Episode 104 - Intentions I + Drama + Original Song "Humble Pride"
Episode 104 - Intentions What happens when good intentions never become action? In Episode 104 of Pastors in Recovery, Jon explores the gap between what we mean to do and what we actually do. Through the drama “Humble Pride,” personal reflection, and strong biblical recovery principles, this...
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Episode 103 - After the Words Leave Your Mouth | + Drama + Original Song "I Can't Undo It"
Episode 103 - After the Words Leave Your Mouth What do you do when the words are already out there and you cannot take them back? In this episode of Pastors in Recovery, we continue our series on words and intentions by looking at what happens after careless or hurtful words have already done...
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Episode 102 - Taming the Tongue | + Original Song "Why?"
Episode 102 - Taming the Tongue Words may be small, but they are never powerless. In Episode 102 of the Pastors in Recovery podcast, Jon begins a three-part series about our words, their impact, and the intentions behind them. Using James chapter 3, Jon explores the power of the tongue through…
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Episode 101 - Your Brain Is Trained by What You Entertain: Reels, Temptation, and Recovery | + Drama + Song
Episode 101 - Your Brain Is Trained by What You Entertain: Reels, Temptation, and Recovery What happens when the same platform that helps you stay connected also becomes a threat to your recovery? In Episode 101 of Pastors in Recovery, Jon begins with a five-minute audio drama, then shares an...
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Episode 100 - The Story Is Not Over | + Drama + Original Song "The Bridges That Brought Me Here"
Episode 100 - The Story Is Not Over In this milestone 100th episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon looks back on the journey that shaped the first one hundred episodes—and offers a glimpse of what may come next. The episode begins with a short original radio drama, The Bridge, followed by a personal...
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Episode 99 - Grace Has Always Been the Hero
Episode 99: Grace Has Always Been the Hero As we prepare for Episode 100, Jon reflects on one truth that has quietly woven its way through every conversation on Pastors in Recovery.We've talked about addiction, burnout, ministry, failure, shame, and recovery—but underneath every story has been…
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Episode 98 - The Mistake You Can't Stop Thinking About
Episode 98: The Mistake You Can't Stop Thinking About Every pastor has a story they wish they could rewrite.Maybe it was inviting the wrong speaker. Making a leadership decision that didn't work out. Trusting the wrong person. Or simply making a mistake that still comes back to mind years later.…
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Episode 97 - Devil's Been Lying to You | + Original Song "Keep Riding"
Episode 97 - Devil's Been Lying to You What happens when the enemy convinces us that our failures are the whole story? After a motorcycle ride through the winding mountain roads of Arizona, I was reminded that we rarely see what's around the next bend. The same is true in our spiritual lives.…
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Episode 96 - Come Apart Before You Come Apart | + Original Song "Ready to Get Back"
Episode 96 — Come Apart Before You Come Apart Many pastors know they need rest, but not every pastor can take a sabbatical or a week-long retreat. Some are bivocational. Some are raising families. Some are using their vacation time for family trips. So what do we do when life and ministry keep...
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Episode 95 - Look How Far You've Come | + Original Song "Hitherto"
Episode 95 - Look How Far You've Come Recovery can sometimes feel frustrating. We complete a Step Study, attend meetings, work with a sponsor, and still find ourselves noticing all the ways we haven't arrived yet. In this encouraging episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon Hammond reminds pastors and...
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Episode 94 - The People God Sent | + Original Song "The People God Sent"
Episode 94 - The People God Sent When we pray for help, guidance, wisdom, or strength, we often expect God to answer through a miracle, a sign, or a dramatic breakthrough. But what if many of God's answers arrive in the form of people? In this episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon Hammond explores...
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Episode 93 - Retiring Without Losing Your Purpose | + Original Song "Seasons"
Episode 93 - Retiring Without Losing Your Purpose Episode 93 explores the emotional and spiritual transition many pastors quietly face as they grow older. What happens when your passions begin to change? What if retirement is not the end of your purpose, but a new season of it? In this deeply...
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Episode 92 - Always On - Pastors ADHD and the Guilt of Rest | + Original Song "Downshift"
Episode 92 - Always On - Pastors ADHD and the Guilt of Rest In this deeply personal episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon Hammond talks honestly about pastors who struggle to slow down. From racing thoughts and chaotic desks to guilt over resting and late-night scrolling, this episode explores the...
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Episode 91 - Everbody Else | + Original Song "Everybody Else"
Episode 91 - Everbody Else In Episode 91 of the Pastors in Recovery, Jon opens up about something he misunderstood about himself for years — why certain parts of ministry energized him while other parts emotionally drained him. Why did preaching, mentoring, recovery groups, creativity, and…
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Episode 90 - Called… But Not Ready Yet | + Original Song "Not Ready Yet"
Episode 90 - Called… But Not Ready Yet What happens when someone feels genuinely called by God… but they’re not fully ready yet? In Episode 90 of Pastors in Recovery, Jon Hammond talks honestly about one of the most difficult balancing acts pastors face: encouraging people in their calling while...
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Episode 89 - Another Church Town | + Original Song "Another Church Town"
Episode 89 - Another Church Town Sometimes the hardest part of ministry isn’t the sermon… it’s the moving truck. In Episode 89 of the Pastors in Recovery podcast, Jon Hammond talks honestly about the emotional cost of relocating in ministry and how repeated church moves can deeply affect pastors,...
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Episode 88 - Struggling Children and You Can’t Fix It | + Original Song "I'll Leave the Porch Light On"
Episode 88 - Struggling Children and You Can’t Fix It Some of the deepest pain a parent can carry is watching a child struggle… and realizing you can’t fix it. In this honest and heartfelt episode of Pastors in Recovery, we talk about the heartbreak of loving teenage or adult children who are...
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Episode 87 - Don’t Forget Her - Loving Your Wife | + Original Song "Still In Your Corner"
Episode 87 - Don’t Forget Her - Loving Your Wife When Life Gets Heavy Sometimes in ministry, we give our best energy to everyone else… and the one closest to us gets what’s left. In this episode of Pastors in Recovery, we take an honest look at what it means to truly love your wife—not just in...
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Episode 86 - I tried and it Didn't work (So I Stopped) | + Original Song "Me"
Episode 86 - I tried and it Didn't work (So I Stopped) Have you ever tried to connect with someone… and it just didn’t go the way you hoped? Maybe it felt awkward. Maybe they didn’t respond. Maybe you walked away thinking, “That didn’t work… so I’m done.” In this episode, we go deeper than just...
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Episode 85 - Loneliness by Choice - From Isolation to Connection | + Original Song "Known"
Episode 85 - Loneliness by Choice | From Isolation to Connection Loneliness is something many pastors feel—but what if part of the problem isn’t just what’s happening to us… but what we’re not doing about it? In Episode 1, we talked about how real isolation is in ministry. But this episode is...
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Episode 84 - That Slow Drift | + Original Song "Drift"
Episode 84 - That Slow Drift | + Original Song "Drift" What if you didn’t fall… what if you just drifted? In this episode of Pastors in Recovery, we talk about one of the most dangerous realities in ministry—the slow, almost invisible drift away from God. It doesn’t start with rebellion. It…
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Episode 83 - TSP | Part 9 - That I May Be Reasonably Happy + Song "The Serenity Prayer"
Episode 83 - TSP | Part 9 - So That I May Be Reasonably Happy In This Life What if the problem isn’t your life… but your expectations? In this episode, we unpack one of the most honest and freeing lines in the Serenity Prayer: “…so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy...
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Episode 82 - TSP | Part 8 - Trusting That You Will Make All Things Right +Song "What If I Stay"
Episode 82 - TSP | Part 8 - Trusting That You Will Make All Things Right In Episode 82 of the Pastors in Recovery Podcast, we continue our Serenity Prayer series by exploring the line: “Trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will.” When many of us think about the will...
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Episode 81 - TSP | Part 7 - Taking As Jesus Did This Sinful World + Song "Why Can't the World"
Episode 81 - TSP | Part 7 - Taking As Jesus Did This Sinful World + Song "Why Can't the World" In Episode 81 of the Pastors in Recovery Podcast, we continue our Serenity Prayer series by reflecting on a powerful and difficult line: “Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would...
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Episode 80 - TSP | Part 6 - Accepting Hardship as a Pathway to Peace + Original Song "Peace"
Episode 80 - The Serenity Prayer | Part 6 - Accepting Hardship as a Pathway to Peace This may be the most difficult line in the entire Serenity Prayer. In this episode, I share personal stories of real hardship — my sister running away from home, losing my brother to Hodgkin’s disease, the...
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Episode 79 - TSP | Part 5 - Living One Day At A Time
Episode 79 - The Serenity Prayer | Part 5 - Living One Day At A Time Are you living in yesterday’s regret… or tomorrow’s anxiety? In Part 5 of our Serenity Prayer series, we explore two powerful phrases: “Living one day at a time. Enjoying one moment at a time.” Many pastors and ministry leaders...
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Episode 78 - TSP | Part 4 - Wisdom to Know the Difference + Original Worship w/Stone & Mercy
Episode 78 - The Serenity Prayer | Part 4 + Original Worship Experience with Stone & Mercy In Part 4 of our Serenity Prayer series, we focus on one of the most overlooked — and most powerful — lines: “…and the wisdom to know the difference.” As pastors, many of us are wired to fix things. We…
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Episode 77 - TSP | Part 3 - Courage to Change the Things I Can + Original Song "When It's My Turn"
Episode 77 - The Serenity Prayer | Part 3 + Original Song "When It's My Turn" This week on Pastors in Recovery, we move into the hardest part of the Serenity Prayer. Not accepting what we cannot change. But owning what we can. As pastors, we preach that the Holy Spirit does the cleaning. We say,...
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Episode 76 - TSP | Part 2 - Accept the Things I Can Not Change + Original Song "When God is First"
Episode 76 - The Serenity Prayer | Part 2 + Original Song "When God is First" What happens when God is first… but nothing changes? In Week 2 of our Serenity Prayer series, we slow down and sit with one of the hardest realities of faith and recovery: accepting what we cannot change. Many of us…
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Episode 75 - TSP | Part 1 - God, Grant Me the Serenity + Featuring "The Serenity Prayer"
Episode 75 - The Serenity Prayer | Part 1 + Featuring the song "The Serenity Prayer" In this episode, we begin a new short series by slowing down and looking closer at the Serenity Prayer—starting with the very first word: God. Before we ask for serenity, courage, or wisdom, we acknowledge who…
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Episode 74 - The Twelve Steps Recap | Recovery as a Lifelong Practice
Episode 74 — The Twelve Steps Recap | Recovery as a Lifelong Practice This episode is a pause, a breath, and a look back. In Episode 74, we step away from teaching individual steps and instead reflect on what the Twelve Steps give us as a whole. Not as a program to complete—but as a way of…
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Episode 73 - STEP TWELVE | From Recovery to Responsibility + Original Song "Just Passing the Light"
Episode 73 — STEP TWELVE | From Recovery to Responsibility – Carrying Hope Without Ego Step Twelve is where recovery turns outward—but for pastors, this step comes with real danger. When healing starts to look like leadership, ego can quietly slip in. In this episode, we talk honestly about what…
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Episode 72 - STEP ELEVEN | Listening Before Speaking + Original Song "Face Down on the Table"
Episode 72 - STEP ELEVEN | Listening Before Speaking + Original Song "Face Down on the Table" Most pastors don’t struggle with prayer because they don’t know how. They struggle because their lives are loud. In Step Eleven, we’re invited to improve our conscious contact with God through prayer and...
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Episode 71 - STEP TEN | Stay Ready Stay Free + Original Song "I'm Keeping the Backpack Light"
Episode 71 - STEP TEN | Stay Ready Stay Free + Original Song "I'm Keeping the Backpack Light" Step Ten is where recovery becomes a way of life. In this episode, we talk about what it really means to stay honest in real time—not by sitting down later to write another inventory, but by dealing with...
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Episode 70 - STEP NINE | Making Amends Without Making a Mess + Original Song "My Side of the Street"
Episode 70 - STEP NINE | Making Amends Without Making a Mess + Original Song "My Side of the Street" Making amends sounds simple—until you actually do it. In this episode, we move beyond talking about Step 9 and step into the harder work of doing it wisely. We explore how even sincere apologies…
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Episode 69 - STEP EIGHT | Owning the Damage I’ve Done + Original Song "The Bubbleator"
Episode 69 - STEP EIGHT | Owning the Damage I’ve Done + Original Song "The Bubbleator" In this episode, we step into one of the most challenging and freeing moments of recovery: learning to own the damage we’ve caused. For many pastors, it’s easier to talk about what happened to us than to look...
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Episode 68 - STEP SEVEN | Letting God Heal the Pastor, Not the Performer
Episode 68 - STEP SEVEN | Letting God Heal the Pastor, Not the Performer Today we talk about the crash that almost every pastor knows but rarely admits—the moment after the sermon when the anointing fades, the adrenaline stops, and the real battle begins. You’ve prayed. You’ve preached. God has...
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BONUS - Tripping Over Myself + Original Song "Tripping Over Myself"
BONUS EPISODE — “Tripping Over Myself” In this bonus episode, Jon looks at the blind spots we all have — the places where we keep tripping over our own attitudes, reactions, and old patterns. Sometimes the biggest obstacle in the hallway isn’t the enemy… it’s us. This episode features Jon’s new...
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Episode 67 - STEP SIX | Being Willing To Change + Original Song "No More Defending"
Episode 67 - STEP SIX | Being Willing To Change + Original Song "No More Defending" Step Six is where healing finally starts to take root. It’s the moment we stop defending our dysfunction and become willing for God to rewrite what we’ve been hiding. In this episode, Jon shares raw stories from…
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About this show
Pastors struggle too—but you don’t have to struggle alone. Every Wednesday, Jon Hammond shares honest conversations about ministry, recovery, and the hope we find in Jesus. With real stories, practical tools, and guest pastors who’ve walked the road of recovery, Pastors in Recovery is here to remind you: you are not alone, and healing is possible.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support.
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Jon Hammond
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