The Awkward Pastor

What happens when the mission ends, but the war leaves something behind?Former U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret Keith Holland spent 15 years in Special Forces, with multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. But this conversation isn't just about what happened overseas. It's about what happened afterward.In Part One of this conversation, Keith opens up about combat, traumatic brain injury (TBI), trauma, faith, dark moments after leaving the military, and the long road toward finding purpose again.We also talk about the unexpected role dogs played in that journey and how Keith eventually turned his own experiences into a mission to help others.Today, Keith is the founder of Joint Task Force K-9s, a nonprofit providing trained service dogs to veterans and law-enforcement officers at no cost to the recipient.This is a conversation about war but even more than that, it's about what comes after it.About identity when the uniform comes off.About carrying things nobody else can see.About God meeting us in places we never expected to be.And about discovering that sometimes the next mission is helping somebody else survive theirs.The mission ended. The story didn't.This is Part One of my conversation with former Green Beret Keith Holland.Learn more about Joint Task Force K-9s, support their mission, or apply for the program at jtfk9s.org.

Revelation isn’t a locked book of riddles reserved for scholars, prophecy experts, and people with a suspicious amount of end-times charts.It is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ" — an unveiling given by God, delivered through Jesus Christ, communicated by His angel to John, and preserved for us. Ordinary people. Working people. Christians who simply want to know their King.In Lesson 1 of The King Is Coming, we begin our verse-by-verse journey through Revelation by unpacking what revelation actually means, tracing the remarkable chain of delivery in Revelation 1:1, and examining what Scripture means when it says these things must happen “shortly” and that “the time is near.”How can something be “near” nearly 2,000 years later? Does God experience time the way we do? What does eternity look like from His perspective? And how should the promised nearness of Christ’s return affect the way we live right now?Before we chase beasts, bowls, trumpets, or timelines, we have to get the main thing right:Revelation is about Jesus Christ.He isn’t a side character in the book.He is the point of the entire book.

What does God actually look for in a leader's inner world? In this episode of Lead Well — our biblical leadership podcast series — we are tackling three of the most overlooked qualifications from 1 Timothy 3: temperate, sober-minded, and not given to wine. These are not personality suggestions. They are character requirements. And every single one of them is about what is happening inside you before it ever shows up outside you.If you have ever worked under a leader who could not hold it together under pressure, made impulsive decisions that everyone else had to clean up, or was clearly being run by something other than the Holy Spirit — this episode explains exactly why that happens and what God requires instead.We break down the Greek words behind each qualification, look at what the research says about emotional regulation and leadership effectiveness, and ask the question most leaders never stop long enough to answer: is there anything that has more control over you than you do?This is Part One of a two part series on The Leader's Inner World. Part Two covers not violent and not quarrelsome — what happens when the leader gets pushed.The Awkward Pastor — biblical leadership that says what everyone is thinking but nobody is saying.

Jesus did not merely arrive in Bethlehem. He existed before creation and made all things. In this episode of The Awkward Pastor, Tim, in this special teaching monologue, explores the biblical truth that Jesus Christ is both the Creator of physical life and the giver of spiritual life.TFrom John 1 and Colossians 1 to the new birth and the new creation, we discuss who Jesus really is, why humanity needs more than self-improvement, and how Christ makes spiritually dead people alive.The same Jesus who created the universe can transform a broken life. He does not simply repair the old you, He makes you new.Topics include Jesus as Creator, the deity of Christ, salvation, spiritual rebirth, eternal life, the Trinity, and what it truly means to be born again.

What does God actually look for in a leader? In Episode 3 of Lead Well, our Christian leadership podcast teaching series, we are tackling one of the most important questions in biblical leadership: does your private life match your public one? A lot of leaders have an impressive resume. Not many have the character to back it up. We are diving deep into 1 Timothy 3, breaking down the Greek word 'episkopos,' and exposing the difference between leaders who carry the weight of responsibility and leaders who just want the title. If you have ever worked under a toxic leader, wondered what qualified leadership actually looks like, or questioned whether you are becoming the kind of person people can trust to follow, this episode is for you.This is not a leadership hack. This is a character audit. It is going to get uncomfortable before it gets encouraging.

Most leaders get evaluated on decisions and confidence — but what actually determines whether you survive pressure is what's underneath: your roots. Brandon breaks down Psalm 1, 1 Corinthians 3, and the fruit of the Spirit as a leadership framework, backed by research on self-awareness, empathy, and integrity in leadership...with the humor (and conviction) you'd expect from The Awkward Pastor.

Why do some leaders inspire trust while others leave a trail of frustration, division, and burnout?Before we talk about leadership skills, influence, vision, or strategy, we have to start with something deeper: identity.In this first episode of our Lead Well series, we explore a truth many leaders miss: leadership problems are often identity problems wearing a leadership costume.When your identity is built on titles, applause, positions, or the approval of others, leadership becomes a never-ending quest to prove yourself. But when your identity is rooted in Christ, you can lead from security instead of insecurity, service instead of self-promotion, and conviction instead of fear.In this episode, we'll discuss:• Why character matters more than charisma• The connection between insecurity and unhealthy leadership• The difference between Saul's leadership and David's leadership• Why titles don't create leaders• Practical questions every leader should ask themselves• How a secure identity produces healthy leadershipWhether you're a pastor, parent, business owner, coach, teacher, ministry worker, or simply someone who influences others, this episode will challenge you to examine the foundation beneath your leadership.Because leadership isn't about becoming somebody.It's about knowing whose you already are.

On November 14th, 2007, SGT. Derek Banks passed from injuries sustained during combat in Iraq.The folded flag was presented.Taps was played.The ceremonies ended.But for the families left behind…the grief did not.This episode is deeply personal.In 2007, Brandon deployed to Iraq alongside Derek. They trained together, shared laughs, and attended church together before war changed everything.Nearly two decades later, Derek’s mother, Renee Person, opens her heart to share the story behind the uniform...not simply of a soldier, but of her son.Together, we honor Derek’s life and legacy while listening to the perspective of a Gold Star mother who has carried grief, faith, questions, memories, and hope through the long years that followed.This is a conversation about sacrifice.About grief that does not run on a schedule.About the people we love and the memories we carry.And about trusting God when life leaves wounds that never fully disappear.This episode also honors Gold Star families, including Derek’s son, DJ...a living extension of his father’s legacy and a reminder that while death may interrupt a life, love and influence often continue long after.Some stories entertain.Some stories challenge.And some stories deserve to be remembered.This one aims to remember.

What happens when a man survives the kind of night that should’ve killed him?In this powerful episode of The Awkward Pastor, we sit down with Jon Holt — an Iraq War veteran that Brandon served with, Purple Heart recipient, and law enforcement officer whose story sounds more like a movie than real life.After surviving a devastating EFP roadside bomb attack in Iraq that killed two of his brothers-in-arms and left him severely wounded, Jon was told he may never walk normally again. But that wasn’t the end of his story.It was the beginning.By the grace of God, Jon went from the battlefields of Iraq to a life spent serving and rescuing others as a police officer — pulling people from burning homes, responding to horrific crashes, and walking through trauma most people could never imagine.His journey is one of pain, resilience, brotherhood, faith, survival, and purpose.This episode dives deep into:The reality of combat trauma and PTSDSurvivor’s guilt and grief after warBrotherhood forged in combatThe mental and emotional cost of law enforcementFaith in the middle of sufferingHow God can bring purpose out of devastationOvercoming impossible oddsRedemption, resilience, and hope after painThis is not a polished Hollywood war story.It’s raw.It’s human.And it’s unforgettable.

What if the most dangerous false gospel isn’t outside the church…but sounds almost exactly like the truth?In this episode of The Awkward Pastor, we expose the “Jesus + something” gospel...a subtle, soul-crushing lie that started with the Judaizers and still shows up in churches, sermons, and social media feeds today.They didn’t reject Jesus.They just made Him… insufficient.“Jesus saves you… but you better perform.”“Grace starts it… but you better maintain it.”“Faith matters… but your effort proves everything.”It sounds spiritual.It sounds serious.It sounds right.But it’s poison.In this episode, we break down:What the Judaizers were really teaching (and why it spread so easily)Why adding anything to the gospel doesn’t strengthen it—it destroys itHow performance-based Christianity quietly replaces peace with pressureThe difference between real obedience and religious exhaustionHow to finally rest in a gospel that doesn’t depend on youIf your faith has ever felt like a constant test you’re failing…If you’ve been stuck trying to prove something God already settled…If Christianity feels more like a burden than freedom…This episode is going to hit you right where you live.