Resignation day can sound dramatic, but for a lot of pastors it’s the quiet end of a long road of burnout, low energy, and wrestling with God about what’s next. Matt Thomas joins us to tell the truth about leaving pastoral ministry without walking away from Jesus, and why the actual moment of writing the resignation letter can feel both heavy and strangely relieving.

We dig into what happens after the job ends and the adrenaline wears off. Matt shares how separation from the church context can surface grief, exhaustion, and unexpected triggers, and why spiritual practices like prayer and reading the Bible can suddenly feel complicated when they’ve been intertwined with ministry pressure. We also talk about the gap between “I choose to forgive” and the emotional aftershocks that keep showing up, plus why venting safely to trusted people and to God can be part of real healing.

From there, we zoom out to the bigger picture: why pastors experience church differently, how “dual relationships” and shifting expectations wear leaders down, and why a season away from church can be a wise sabbatical rather than a failure. Matt also shares what he’s hoping for next, including training in counseling, healthier boundaries, and a simpler path to discipleship that doesn’t require a title to be meaningful.

If you’ve ever felt cooked, disillusioned, or just tired of carrying it all, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review. What part of recovery would you want to rebuild first?

If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health.

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Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories that heal the soul.

Burnout isn’t a buzzword when you’re staring at the ceiling for weeks with no energy to move. I sit down with Mat Thomas, a former associate pastor, to talk about the kind of ministry burnout that hits your body, your emotions, and your faith all at once. Mat shares what it was like to realise he was spent, why the aftermath can include anger and grief, and how hard it is to make sense of giving so much to pastoral ministry only to end up feeling empty.

We also get honest about the pressures that don’t show up in job descriptions: the “this is how we do things” culture of established churches, the hyper vigilance of trying not to trigger another conflict, and the exhausting reality of pushing through endless admin just to get to the parts of ministry that actually bring life. Mat opens up about spiritual practices in a dry season, how journaling became a lifeline, and why even a retreat can feel crowded when your mind keeps snapping back to problems waiting at home.

We don’t skip the personal cost, either. Mat talks about the toll on marriage, the quiet strength of a supportive spouse, and why he’s now moving toward counselling because he still cares deeply about walking with people in the thick of it. If you’re a pastor, church leader, or volunteer feeling cooked, this conversation will help you name the signs, take rest seriously, and rethink the pressure to be someone you’re not. Subscribe, share this with a leader you care about, and leave a review if it helped. What part of this hit closest to home for you?

If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health.

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

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Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories that heal the soul.

Your brain is powerful, but it’s not the whole story. Dr. Ash Moreland joins us for a Sunburnt Souls collaboration to unpack a game-changing idea for Christian mental health: the mind and the brain are not the same thing, and confusing them can keep people stuck. Ash shares how years of severe mental health challenges, a PhD in neuroplasticity, and a deep faith in Jesus led her to rethink what “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” really means in everyday life.

We talk through three common responses that pile on shame, and we explain what a biblically grounded, trauma-informed approach can look like without turning pastors into therapists. If you’ve ever felt the tension between knowing your identity in Christ and still feeling rejected, abandoned, or unsafe, this conversation names that gap with clarity and compassion.

You’ll also hear how to access Remind Institute resources through Sunburnt Souls, including free tools and optional paid courses, plus how the Sunburnt Souls Support Fund helps remove financial barriers for people who need deeper support.

If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a better next step, and leave a review so more people can find real hope and practical help. What’s one area where you want freedom to feel real, not just theoretical?

GET ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES HERE

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Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

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Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories that heal the soul.

After our first public Sunburnt Souls Unhinged night, we sit down to answer the questions we couldn’t get to live, and we do it the same way the event felt: honest, grounded, and unafraid to laugh while still taking mental health seriously.

We start with the stuff most people hide, like those “what is wrong with me?” thoughts that jump into your head on an escalator, in traffic, or in a quiet room at 2 a.m. Then we move into heavier territory: lifelong suicidal thoughts, how to keep someone safe when a moment feels dangerous, and why community can be the difference between spiraling alone and getting through the night. We also talk about practical next steps that matter, including seeing your GP and going to the emergency room when things are urgent, and why seeking medical and psychological care fits inside a Christian view of healing.

From there, we wrestle with meaning. Is suffering a worthy trade for existence? We share how faith reframes pain without minimizing it, and why Christianity insists God isn’t cold to what you’re carrying. We also get practical about overthinking and sleep, including how different brains and bodies need different tools, what rumination can look like with bipolar disorder, and skills like “closing the loop” and journaling. Finally, we address the tough question of how mental ill health and the demonic might intersect, aiming for wisdom without extremes and keeping the goal simple: real freedom and wholeness.

If this conversation helps you, subscribe to Sunburnt Souls, share it with a friend who needs a steady voice, and leave a review so more people can find it. What question do you want us to tackle next?

If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health.

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

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Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories that heal the soul.

The very first Sunburnt Souls Unhinged event!

This is where it all started. Faith, mental health, comedy, storytelling and a whole lot of mayhem, recorded live with the people who supported Sunburnt Souls from the beginning.

From a honeymoon sleep terror that nearly turned into a disaster to wild confidence, impulse buys, crushing lows and eventually being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, we get into the real stories behind what it's like when your brain doesn't always play by the rules.

We also get into mental health in the church. What happens when anxiety and depression are met with a Bible verse when someone actually needs someone to listen? Can you love Jesus, take medication and see a therapist? Why does the church often know exactly what to do when someone is physically sick, but struggle when the pain is invisible?

We talk about bipolar disorder, OCD, ADHD, eating disorders, depression, stigma, faith and what it actually looks like to support someone who is struggling.

This was the first ever Sunburnt Souls Unhinged event and the beginning of a new era for the podcast.

Raw stories. Real faith. Mental health. Comedy. Mayhem.

This is Sunburnt Souls Unhinged.

If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health.

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.

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Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories that heal the soul.

We sit down with New Zealand artist and worship leader Omega Levine and go behind the lyrics of “All Things New,” the song that’s helping people reconnect with Jesus when they feel lonely, numb, or one step from giving up.

We talk honestly about faith and mental health: growing up in a strict Christian home while carrying deep trauma, being bullied for his appearance, and hitting a suicidal breaking point. From there the story moves into life on the road with the Parachute Band, the pressure of public ministry, and the private spiral that turned into a double life of anxiety, alcohol, and drugs. If you’ve ever wondered why “coping” can feel like it works until it ruins you, this conversation puts language to it.

Omega also shares what changed, not through hype but through real life: a timely friendship, a house filled with early morning worship, long walks where he started talking to God again, and the slow work of counseling and healing. We dig into why authenticity matters, why Christian radio and churches shouldn’t be afraid of truthful lyrics, and what he and his wife Talia are praying for as new doors open and new music drops, including his upcoming single “Waiting.”

If this story gives you hope, subscribe, share it with someone who needs a way back, and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about trauma, addiction recovery, worship music, and real faith. What part of Omega’s journey did you relate to most?

If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health.

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.

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Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories that heal the soul.

Chest pain at your desk is terrifying. Getting rushed to the hospital, spending days in coronary care, and then hearing “your heart is fine” is disorienting. Hearing “it was a panic attack” can feel even worse. Christine Wood joins us to share the moment her body forced an honest conversation about stress, anxiety, and the hidden cost of a life that looks faithful on the outside but is collapsing on the inside.

We talk about years in vocational ministry, the pressure to keep everyone happy, and the surprising shame that can come with a mental health diagnosis, especially when you’re the one who usually supports others. From there, Christine tells the story of the circuit breaker she and her husband chose: selling up, resigning, buying a caravan, and taking the long road around Australia. As the pace slows, sleep improves, laughter returns, and the soul starts to breathe again.

At the center is Matthew 11:28-30 and Jesus’ promise of rest for the weary and burdened. Christine unpacks the idea behind her book The Burdens We Carried and names several burdens many of us normalize: busyness as virtue, body image pressure, guilt and shame on replay, and the deceitfulness of wealth that crowds out faith. If you care about Christian mental health, faith and anxiety, burnout recovery, Sabbath rest, and practical discipleship, this conversation offers both clarity and hope.

Subscribe for more honest conversations, share this with someone carrying too much, and leave a review so more listeners can find it. What burden do you need to hand back today?

Get Christines book here

If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health.

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.

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Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories that heal the soul.

We talk with our longtime friend Dan Patterson about what it takes to keep serving God when criticism gets loud and personal online. We share practical boundaries, spiritual habits, and grounding rhythms that protect mental health while staying faithful over decades.
• Dan’s library artifacts as a window into the historical roots of Christian faith
• the slow, faithful work behind “overnight” growth and why evergreen content matters
• why comment sections can distort reality and magnify the loudest critics
• repaying vitriol with love and turning negative prompts into prayer
• keeping a prayer list for repeat offenders and what it does to your heart
• resisting pride and letting the closest voices carry the most weight
• staying anchored through local church, real friendships, Scripture, worship, and unplugging
Mate check out the video content on our YouTube blesses you that’s where we’ve got hundreds of things that speak to so many different topics

Subscribe and Follow Questioning Christianity

If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health.

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.

• Listen and Rate on Apple Podcasts
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Sunburnt Souls is produced by Pretty Podcasts — a Christian mental health production where faith meets real life through stories that heal the soul.