The Debrief Podcast with Matthew Stephen Brown

Lots happens behind the mics before each episode of The Debrief begins. Listen in as Pastor Matt, Justin, Stephanie and lots of guests have some fun before getting to the tough questions. 

Anxiety is a real thing, and it’s possible well-meaning Christians have been giving the wrong advice about it for a long time. Listen in as Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie share their own experiences with anxiety and answer questions about what to do when “just pray about it” just doesn’t work. 

What’s so bad about wanting to be perfect? What’s the right way to pray? And how do you know when it’s time to step out in faith or wait for better circumstances? This week Pastor Matt tackles tough questions about perfection, prayer and preparedness.

What does it mean to be happy? How do you know if you’ve heard the voice of God or just your own subconscious? And how on earth can an a-hole, well, stop being an a-hole? Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to tough questions about happiness.

What do you do when work isn’t working for you? How can you find meaning in your job - no matter what it is - and how do you know if God wants you to find a new place to work? Pastor Matt tackles real questions about happiness in the workplace.

How can we really be happy when we’re in the midst of parenting small children or working in a job that is anything but what we dreamed it would be? Was Jesus actually happy when he was on earth? Listen in as Pastor Matt answers our questions and shares some of the secrets to real happiness.

Is it possible to be truly happy in an imperfect world? Is plastic surgery ok for Christians and when/how do you walk away from crazy? Pastor Matt and the crew answer these questions and more while unpacking a sermon all about holding onto happiness.

Can you be a gay Christian, how do you apologize to an ex and how do you know if your guilt is from God or the enemy? Pastor Matt Brown shares his thoughts on how to grow in your faith, not become a slave to money and how exactly to go about enjoying God.

Can Christians get help from hypnotists and mediums? What about marrying someone who is divorced or reading the “other” books from the bible? Sometimes things just aren’t quite black and white, especially when you’re trying to follow Jesus. Listen in as Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions about what is and isn’t sin.

Can we really know what the afterlife, heaven, and hell are really like? And why do we focus so much on the size of the church? Or can a non-sexual dating relationship between two people of the same gender be okay? Pastor Matt, Justin, and Stephanie walk through your questions across a handful of topics while teaching us what it means to be real in serving the church.

If Jesus says we’re forgiven, why do we still talk about judgment day? And what do you do when you keep asking God to change the way you feel, but nothing seems to be happening? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie walk through your questions about coworkers, God’s judgment and serving at church.

Two weeks after Pastor Matt taught on sexual temptation, the Debrief team got overrun by your questions about sex. In this episode, Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through questions on forgiveness, sex, homosexuality and porn.

Pastor Mark Driscoll joins the show to talk through some off-topic questions with the crew. Listen in as Pastor Matt, Pastor Mark, Justin and Stephanie talk through gender roles, how to have a more interactive relationship with God and what to do when you act on bad advice.

How do you find someone to date? What happens when the person you’re dating changes their view on church and faith? And where exactly is the line? Pastor Matt gives real answers to your tough questions about dating.

The bible says “bad company corrupts good character” - so how do you find and keep the right friends? Listen in as Pastor Matt talks about friendships, the most dangerous thing to Christianity and the best thing to help a toxic person in your life.

From melting down toddlers to defiant teenagers, Pastor Matt answers listener questions on how to raise kids in an ever-changing world. Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through how to navigate one of the hardest and most rewarding jobs there is.

People are hard, and somehow the people we fall in love with and choose to spend our entire lives with can be the hardest. What do you do when your spouse doesn't share your beliefs? Or won't forgive you for something you've done? And how do we not just survive marriage, but make it great? Listen in as Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk marriage.

Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie start to break down Genesis and the story of how we all got here and how we all got so messed up. In this episode, Pastor Matt talks about the bad side of religion, what your gender says - and doesn’t say - about you and what forgiveness really is.

Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through how to be real with others. Listen in as they talk through whether or not to attend a gay wedding, how to confess sin and actually experience forgiveness and how to heal from things that have wounded you.

Pastor Matt's wife Tammy joins the show for a special episode all about their marriage and relationship. Listen in as they share about their highs and lows, the times they almost didn't make it and what they've learned about being real in the process. 

Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie tackle lots of off-topic follow-up questions from listeners. Listen in on an honest conversation about sexual boundaries in dating, how to be better at reading your Bible and what Sandals Church has to say about the pro-life/pro-choice debate.

How should Christians respond to the refugee crisis, what’s the role of religion if God just wants a relationship and what does “God is love” actually mean? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through how to be real with God.

Recorded live with 300 of their closest friends, Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through how to be real with ourselves by identifying our core struggles and strengths.

What do you do when your family isn’t ok with you being real? How exactly do we humble ourselves? Is all religion pointless? Listen in as Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through what it means to be real.

Did God give people free will to knowingly send some to hell? Does forgiving someone mean you need to like them? And where did the Sandals Church vision of being real come from in the first place? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie answer listener questions and dive into the Sandals Church origin story.