Pastors in Recovery

Episode 50 – The Cost of the Tower: What Would I Trade In this milestone 50th episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon reflects on a recent trip to San Diego with his daughter — and a surprising inner temptation he faced while standing by the ocean. Using this moment as a launching point, Jon unpacks what it means to count the cost of chasing dreams that may not be part of God’s current calling. He sha...

Episode 49 - The Covering We Never Got—But Still Need In this powerful and honest episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon explores the deep theme of coverings—what it means to live under the shelter of God when you’ve grown up uncovered. So many pastors and ministry leaders were never fathered themselves. Some grew up with abusive dads, emotionally absent parents, or no example of love at all. And now...

Episode 48 - When You Feel Rejected - You Only Heal What You Reveal Feeling rejected by your church, your mission field, or the people you’ve poured your heart into can leave deep wounds. In this episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon shares stories, scriptures, and practical steps to help pastors and missionaries navigate the pain of rejection and discover hope, identity, and healing in Christ. We’l...

Episode 47 - Finding Freedom From Porn - Identifying Your Triggers - Those 2 AM Binges and Gods Plan for Victory Are you a pastor struggling with porn, sexual temptation, 2 AM binges, or dry seasons in your marriage? You are not alone, and you are not disqualified. In this practical, and gospel-centered episode, Jon Hammond from Pastors in Recovery helps you walk toward freedom step by step. We un...

Episode 46 - Legacy Over Ego - A Weekend with the Motodudes In this episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon Hammond reflects on a soul-refreshing weekend with his lifelong friends—Tom, Chuck, and Andy—(and Scott who could'nt make it) known collectively as the Moto Dudes. What starts as a getaway to Lincoln City becomes a powerful look at shifting ambitions, family legacy, and the unshakable bonds of b...

Episode 45 - Why Relationships Matter in Recovery This episode is a real-time reflection on my trip to see my 95-year-old dad and reunite with four of my closest friends—brothers I’ve known for over 40 years. We're heading to the Oregon coast, sharing memories, taking our traditional photo, and putting each other on the “hot seat” to talk honestly about life, faith, and family. If you’re a pastor,...

Episode 44 - Confessions of a Pastor Who Didn’t Think He Needed Recovery In this vulnerable and powerful episode, Jon shares his personal journey as a pastor who once believed recovery was for everyone else—but not for him. Through raw reflection, biblical truth, and a beautiful piano analogy, this episode explores the three stages many pastors face: denial, impatience, and relapse. You’ll hear th...

Episode 43 - Forgiven by God...But Not By Me Even when we believe God has forgiven us, many of us still wrestle with guilt, shame, and the struggle to forgive ourselves. In this powerful episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon shares four real-life stories of pastors—including his own—who faced emotional, moral, or relational struggles that left deep scars. Through Scripture, personal reflection, and...

Episode 42 - You Still Have a Voice – Honoring the Aging Shepherd In this heartfelt episode, Jon Hammond speaks directly to elderly pastors who may feel forgotten, invisible, or unsure if their life’s work made a difference. Through personal reflection, a powerful story from the 1990s, and the example of Caleb in Joshua 14, this episode honors the aging shepherds of the faith. It’s a reminder that...

Episode 41 - When Hope Feels Gone — A Word to the Pastor Who’s Hurting In this deeply personal episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon shares the heartbreaking loss of a woman his wife once mentored—someone she had loved through the darkest seasons of depression, who tragically ended her life. This episode isn't about having the perfect answers—it's a call to the pastor who feels invisible, exhausted,...

Beginning may 21, 2025, due to my own schedule changes, episodes will no longer be released by 12pm AZ time on Wednesdays but rather will be released at 2pm AZ time.  We will see you in the next episode! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support .  Connect : 🌐 www.pastorsinrecovery.com 🌐Facebook.com/pastorsinrecovery 📧 pastorsinrec...

Episode 40 - Challenge to the Young Pastor - What They Didn’t Teach You in Bible College In Episode 40 of Pastors in Recovery, Jon speaks directly to young pastors—those fresh out of Bible college, juggling part-time ministry and full-time doubts. With honesty and heart, he lays out five essentials for long-term ministry impact: humility, teachability, consistency, listening, and soul care. Throug...

Episode 39 - Getting Out of God’s Way - When Our Pride Hijacks the Pulpit I wasn’t planning on recording this episode. I almost pulled an old teaching from the archives. But during an open share group with another pastor, some deep reflection surfaced—and I knew I had to hit record. In this episode, I share two stories from my past as a pastor that forced me to ask hard questions about pride, perf...

Episode 38 - Prayer and Recovery: The Third Option In this heartfelt episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon gets real about something foundational to recovery but often overlooked—prayer. If we aren’t talking to God, we aren’t truly walking in recovery. Jon shares how prayer isn’t always easy, especially when life gets loud, distractions take over, or doubt creeps in. Through raw honesty and personal...

Episode 37 - Raw Lessons the Road to London Taught Me (Part 2) - There is Joy Ahead In this follow-up to last week’s raw and honest episode, Jon Hammond shares the next chapter of his journey—returning from London, Ontario, and facing the realities of pain, weakness, and spiritual fatigue.  With transparency and grace, Jon opens up about his health struggles, the weight of shame and regret, and th...

Episode 36 - Raw Lessons the Road to London Taught Me (Part 1) - The Power of Presence In this deeply personal episode, Jon shares raw reflections from a 4,000-mile journey between Arizona and London, Ontario—unpacking the emotional, relational, and spiritual lessons that surfaced along the way.  Through tense moments in the car, painful goodbyes, feelings of spiritual dryness, and the unexpected...

Episode 35 - My Testimony - A Pastor in Recovery In this deeply personal episode, Pastor Jon Hammond shares his unfiltered testimony of pain, addiction, redemption, and healing.  From childhood trauma to ministry burnout, from isolation to Celebrate Recovery, Jon takes you through the real journey of a pastor in recovery who is learning to walk in freedom—one step at a time. If you’re a leader who...

🎙 Episode 34 – Hebrews 3:13 | Don’t Miss the Dandelions "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness." – Hebrews 3:13 In this episode, I share a story that changed me—a poem from a girl in college. She described a well-dressed man walking through a beautiful field. He saw the wildflowers, the color, the splendor—but t...

As pastors, we often feel torn between the calling to lead like Jesus and the crushing weight of our own imperfection. In this honest and grace-filled episode, Jon explores the many leadership styles found in the world today—authoritarian, populist, perfectionist, servant, visionary—and draws powerful comparisons to the perfectly balanced leadership of Christ. But more than a leadership study, thi...

Episode 32 - When Church Planting Breaks You - Through Failure and Recovery Church planting can be one of the hardest journeys a pastor takes—and if you’re in recovery, it can reveal deep struggles you didn’t even know were there.  In this episode of Pastors in Recovery, I share my personal experience of planting two churches that didn’t survive. The pain of failure, the wounds of rejection, and t...

🎙 New Episode: When the Nest Empties & Ministry Ends – Navigating Transition Without Losing Yourself What happens when the title of “Pastor” fades away? When your kids grow up and leave home? When the structure that held your life together suddenly disappears? For many pastors and leaders, this transition can be unexpectedly difficult—leading to identity struggles, loneliness, and even relapse...

Episode 30 - Hurting to Healing - Janines story from Pastor's Wife to Midwife In this powerful episode of Pastors in Recovery, I sit down with someone who has walked beside me through every season of life—my wife, Janine. From the early days of ministry, feeling the pressure to conform as a pastor’s wife, to navigating deep personal loss, to ultimately discovering her true calling as a midwife, Ja...

In this powerful episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon Hammond sits down with Pastor Brian, a church planter from Arizona. Join us as we dive into his incredible journey of calling, struggle, and faithfulness. Pastor Brian shares how he went from a college student wrestling with God’s call to a church planter leading a congregation that grew from 10 to 500 in just a few years. But his journey wasn’t...

Welcome to Pastors in Recovery, the podcast dedicated to encouraging and equipping pastors and leaders to thrive in ministry without burnout. In this episode, we explore how investing in others leads to growth and recovery . Too often, leaders try to do it all themselves, but when we release ministry into the hands of others, we multiply instead of burn out. Featuring insights from Rick Warren, To...

"You are not alone. God is with you. It’s okay to ask for help." In this episode of Pastors in Recovery, host Jon Hammond sits down with Dustin, a Mental Health Ambassador in Celebrate Recovery, to discuss faith, mental health, and the stigma surrounding mental health struggles in the church. Dustin shares his personal journey of living with bipolar disorder, navigating medication adjustments, and...