Pastors in Recovery

Episode 65 — STEP FOUR | Taking Honest Inventory + Original Song “In Your Eyes"

In this episode of Pastors in Recovery, Jon Hammond walks through Step Four — Taking Honest Inventory. It’s the moment when pastors and ministry leaders stop performing and start allowing God to search beneath the surface.Through powerful stories and personal reflection, Jon shares how honesty replaces performance, how confession becomes a process, and how true freedom begins when we finally write the truth down and share it with someone we trust. 

This episode features Jon’s original Suno song, “In Your Eyes,” a tender, acoustic reflection on God’s loving presence — the One who sees us fully and still calls us His own. 

📖 Psalm 139:23–24 — “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support.

 Connect :

🌐Pass It On: https://pastorsinrecovery.com/share/
🌐Join FB Community https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18aL9GxZ7N/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
🌐Website: www.pastorsinrecovery.com
🌐Facebook: Facebook.com/pastorsinrecovery
📧Email: [email protected]

Find the Podcast:
▶️ Youtube.com/@pastorsinrecovery
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) search for Pastors in Recovery

Podcast Music:
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) under Crashing Lyrics
▶️ Youtube.com/@crashinglyrics -> Pastors in Recovery Playlist 

Also on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn

Episode 64 — STEP THREE | Laying Down Control: Surrendering Ministry Outcomes and Personal Image + Original Song “Lay It Down Again”

In Step Three of The Twelve Steps for a Pastor in Recovery, Jon talks about one of the hardest steps in ministry — laying down control. For many pastors, surrender doesn’t mean giving up—it means giving God back what was already His. In this honest and personal episode, Jon shares real stories from his years in ministry, the struggle between vision and surrender, and the peace that came when he finally released control of outcomes, image, and expectations. You’ll also hear how even great leaders like Moses wrestled with this step, and how learning to trust God’s leadership can lift the weight we were never meant to carry. “Letting go doesn’t mean giving up — it means giving God back what was already His.” If you’ve ever felt worn out trying to hold everything together, this episode will meet you right where you are. 

🎧 Key Themes:

• The progressive nature of recovery — why you can’t skip steps
• The illusion of control in ministry leadership
• How to trust God with your image, plans, and outcomes
• A practical tool for surrender: The Surrender List

📖 Scripture References:
Proverbs 3:5–6 · Isaiah 6:8 · Psalm 37:5 · Jeremiah 10:23 · Matthew 11:28–30 🎵 Original Song: “Lay It Down Again” — a soulful, country-inspired anthem about surrendering ministry control and finding peace in God’s leadership.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support.

 Connect :

🌐Pass It On: https://pastorsinrecovery.com/share/
🌐Join FB Community https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18aL9GxZ7N/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
🌐Website: www.pastorsinrecovery.com
🌐Facebook: Facebook.com/pastorsinrecovery
📧Email: [email protected]

Find the Podcast:
▶️ Youtube.com/@pastorsinrecovery
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) search for Pastors in Recovery

Podcast Music:
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) under Crashing Lyrics
▶️ Youtube.com/@crashinglyrics -> Pastors in Recovery Playlist 

Also on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn

Bonus: Praise That Changes Us | When Worship Opens Our Eyes

In this short devotional, Jon Hammond reflects on the power of praise—not as something God needs, but as something that transforms us.

When we praise, our eyes open to see God more clearly. Doubt shrinks. Faith rises.
And we discover that inviting His presence isn’t about summoning Him—it’s about awakening our own hearts to the reality that He’s already here.

Reflection Questions:

• What does it mean to invite God’s presence?
• Does He really need an invitation?
• Isn’t He already welcome?
• Can’t He do whatever He wants to do?
• What happens to us when He takes us up on that invitation?
• What happens to God relationally in that moment?

💬 Closing thought:

“Praise doesn’t make God bigger—it makes our hearts more aware of how big He’s always been.”

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support.

 Connect :

🌐Pass It On: https://pastorsinrecovery.com/share/
🌐Join FB Community https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18aL9GxZ7N/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
🌐Website: www.pastorsinrecovery.com
🌐Facebook: Facebook.com/pastorsinrecovery
📧Email: [email protected]

Find the Podcast:
▶️ Youtube.com/@pastorsinrecovery
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) search for Pastors in Recovery

Podcast Music:
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) under Crashing Lyrics
▶️ Youtube.com/@crashinglyrics -> Pastors in Recovery Playlist 

Also on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn

Episode 63 — Letting God Be God Again (featuring “I Can’t Fix It, But He Can”

In Step Two, Jon opens his heart and shares the real struggle of trying to fix what only God can heal. Through honest stories—from ministry comparison to personal recovery, and even a life-and-death moment with his wife—this episode reminds us that surrender isn’t weakness; it’s worship.

Jon also debuts his new folk-rock revival song, “I Can’t Fix It, But He Can,” a heartfelt anthem about letting go and letting God be God again. 🎵

🙏 Step 2: We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support.

 Connect :

🌐Pass It On: https://pastorsinrecovery.com/share/
🌐Join FB Community https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18aL9GxZ7N/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
🌐Website: www.pastorsinrecovery.com
🌐Facebook: Facebook.com/pastorsinrecovery
📧Email: [email protected]

Find the Podcast:
▶️ Youtube.com/@pastorsinrecovery
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) search for Pastors in Recovery

Podcast Music:
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) under Crashing Lyrics
▶️ Youtube.com/@crashinglyrics -> Pastors in Recovery Playlist 

Also on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn

Episode 62 - STEP ONE | Facing the Mirror

In this first episode of our 12-Step Series for Pastors in Recovery, we begin with Step One: Facing the Mirror. Jon Hammond opens up about what it means to be honest before God — to stop pretending, stop performing, and start admitting what’s really going on inside.

As pastors and leaders, our closeness with God often mirrors the closeness of our relationships with those we love most. When that connection weakens, everything else follows. Jon shares a personal story about a barista who reminded him what genuine love in Christ looks like — the kind of love we can’t manufacture on our own. Through this story, we’re reminded that God sometimes uses unexpected people and moments to wake us up and draw us back to Himself.

This episode challenges us to stop running from the truth, face our pain, and invite Jesus back to the center of our ministry and marriage. Because without Him, it’s all performance — but through Him, it becomes transformation.

📖 Key Scripture: “We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” — 2 Corinthians 3:18

🎵 Song Featured:
"Face the Mirror (See Jesus in Me)" 

🧭 Series Roadmap:
Episode 62 begins our 12-Step Series for Pastors in Recovery:

1. Facing the Mirror
2. Letting God Be God Again
3. Laying Down Control
4. Taking Honest Inventory
5. Confessing, Not Preaching
6. Being Willing to Change
7. Heal the Pastor, Not the Performer
8. Owning the Fallout
9. Making It Right
10. Honest Awareness
11. Staying Close to the Source
12. Leading from the Overflow

🎙️ Next Week:
Episode 63 – Letting God Be God Again
We’ll talk about what it really means to trust Him to restore what’s broken — in our hearts, our marriages, and our ministries.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support.

 Connect :

🌐Pass It On: https://pastorsinrecovery.com/share/
🌐Join FB Community https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18aL9GxZ7N/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
🌐Website: www.pastorsinrecovery.com
🌐Facebook: Facebook.com/pastorsinrecovery
📧Email: [email protected]

Find the Podcast:
▶️ Youtube.com/@pastorsinrecovery
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) search for Pastors in Recovery

Podcast Music:
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) under Crashing Lyrics
▶️ Youtube.com/@crashinglyrics -> Pastors in Recovery Playlist 

Also on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn

Episode 61 — The Twelve Steps for a Pastor in Recovery (Overview) + Original Song “No More Fakin’ It”

Pastor, when did ministry become the place you hide your pain?

In this special kickoff episode, Jon introduces The Twelve Steps for a Pastor in Recovery — a simple, honest path from pretending to freedom.

You’ll hear how these twelve steps bring healing to those who lead others but struggle in silence.
This week’s bonus track, “No More Fakin’ It,” delivers a hopeful, early-2000s-style hip-hop rhythm that reminds every pastor: it’s time to stop pretending and start healing.

Join Jon as he shares stories, Scripture, and encouragement for pastors ready to face the truth and walk in grace — one step at a time.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support.

 Connect :

🌐Pass It On: https://pastorsinrecovery.com/share/
🌐Join FB Community https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18aL9GxZ7N/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
🌐Website: www.pastorsinrecovery.com
🌐Facebook: Facebook.com/pastorsinrecovery
📧Email: [email protected]

Find the Podcast:
▶️ Youtube.com/@pastorsinrecovery
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) search for Pastors in Recovery

Podcast Music:
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) under Crashing Lyrics
▶️ Youtube.com/@crashinglyrics -> Pastors in Recovery Playlist 

Also on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn

Episode 60 – Social Media: Perfect Feed

Social media can feel like a crazy animal for pastors. It makes everyone else’s life look perfect, while magnifying your insecurities. As pastors, we live in the tension of the pedestal—where ministry is always on display—and the reality of personal life, where things aren’t always picture perfect.

In this episode, Jon shares his own story of being deep into Facebook, the toll it took on his heart, and why he barely posts anymore. We’ll talk about the benefits of social media, the dangers of comparison and cancel culture, and how to find peace in a world of likes, shares, and followers.

Whether you avoid social media, dive deep, or feel burned by it, this conversation will help you approach it with wisdom, authenticity, and freedom. Your worth isn’t in your follower count—it’s in Christ.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support.

 Connect :

🌐Pass It On: https://pastorsinrecovery.com/share/
🌐Join FB Community https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18aL9GxZ7N/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
🌐Website: www.pastorsinrecovery.com
🌐Facebook: Facebook.com/pastorsinrecovery
📧Email: [email protected]

Find the Podcast:
▶️ Youtube.com/@pastorsinrecovery
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) search for Pastors in Recovery

Podcast Music:
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) under Crashing Lyrics
▶️ Youtube.com/@crashinglyrics -> Pastors in Recovery Playlist 

Also on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn

Episode 59 - Food Feelings and Finding Balance

Food is one of the most socially acceptable ways pastors medicate their pain. Nobody questions you when you go back for another plate at the potluck, but for many of us, food has become the comfort we reach for instead of God. In this episode, I open up about my own story of gaining weight later in life, battling cravings for ice cream and baked goods, and struggling to keep consistent with exercise. We’ll talk about why food is such a powerful temptation, how stress and medication can add to the struggle, and why food addiction is uniquely difficult in recovery circles. You’ll also hear relatable stories about pastors:

• A potluck that turns into pressure to overeat.
• A late-night drive-thru run after a stressful meeting.
• A traveling pastor hiding behind “conference calories don’t count.”
• And a young pastor using Pop-Tarts and sugar as a substitute for deeper temptations.

But more importantly, we’ll look to God’s Word for hope. Scriptures remind us that the Holy Spirit is our true Comforter (John 14:16–17), that God always provides a way out of temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), and that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). This isn’t about perfection or six-pack abs. It’s about honesty, progress, and surrender. If you’ve ever used food as medication, you’re not alone — and God has a plan for your body, your health, and your recovery.

👉 Reflection Question: What role does food play in your recovery story — and what step could you take this week to invite God into it? 



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support.

 Connect :

🌐Pass It On: https://pastorsinrecovery.com/share/
🌐Join FB Community https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18aL9GxZ7N/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
🌐Website: www.pastorsinrecovery.com
🌐Facebook: Facebook.com/pastorsinrecovery
📧Email: [email protected]

Find the Podcast:
▶️ Youtube.com/@pastorsinrecovery
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) search for Pastors in Recovery

Podcast Music:
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) under Crashing Lyrics
▶️ Youtube.com/@crashinglyrics -> Pastors in Recovery Playlist 

Also on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn

Episode 58 - Criticism Without Crumbling

In this episode of Pastors in Recovery, I share what may be one of the most Spirit-stirring messages I’ve ever felt led to record. Criticism can sting, and for many of us, it sticks—echoing in our hearts for years. As pastors and people in recovery, it’s easy to let harsh words define us, but Christ calls us to something greater.

We’ll look at how Jesus Himself faced constant criticism without letting it derail His mission, how leaders today wrestle with the weight of public opposition, and how everyday criticism—from friends, family, or church members—can cut deeply. I share a personal story of how memory struggles and fibro fog have brought painful criticism from those I love, and how God used even that to teach me not to run from hurt, but to anchor my identity in Him.

Together we’ll dive into Proverbs 27:6, Isaiah 51:7, and Romans 8:1, unpacking how to tell the difference between helpful wounds and toxic words, how to root our confidence in God’s presence, and how to remember that in Christ there is no condemnation.

If you’ve ever carried the sting of unfair words, if you’ve ever been tempted to let criticism define you or derail your calling, this episode is for you.




Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support.

 Connect :

🌐Pass It On: https://pastorsinrecovery.com/share/
🌐Join FB Community https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18aL9GxZ7N/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
🌐Website: www.pastorsinrecovery.com
🌐Facebook: Facebook.com/pastorsinrecovery
📧Email: [email protected]

Find the Podcast:
▶️ Youtube.com/@pastorsinrecovery
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) search for Pastors in Recovery

Podcast Music:
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) under Crashing Lyrics
▶️ Youtube.com/@crashinglyrics -> Pastors in Recovery Playlist 

Also on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn

Episode 57 – Shame - Part 2 - Shame, Sin, and the Way Out

In this continuation of our series on shame, Jon addresses one of the most difficult and secret struggles pastors face: masturbation. This episode explores:

• Why masturbation often becomes a form of self-medication for anxiety, loneliness, or boredom.
• How dopamine, secrecy, and the cycle of shame entangle leaders and believers alike.
• Why this sin produces such deep shame — from breaking God’s design for intimacy, to grieving the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.
• Six example stories (pastor, missionary, teenager, husband, pastor’s wife, and leader) that illustrate the real-world struggles many face.
• The dangerous escalation from hidden habits into affairs — and how sin can spiral out of control.
• A reference to Jon’s Crashing Lyrics song “Song For All Time” — which illustrates the theme of infidelity across decades — and the upcoming song on faithfulness.
• Most importantly: how to stop in the “heat of the moment,” and why the path back to grace is the same for every believer — whether you’ve been free for a day or a thousand days.

Masturbation promises rest but delivers shame. Jesus promises rest and delivers peace.
You don’t need a secret elevator. You need the same Savior.



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pastors-in-recovery--6262503/support.

 Connect :

🌐Pass It On: https://pastorsinrecovery.com/share/
🌐Join FB Community https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18aL9GxZ7N/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
🌐Website: www.pastorsinrecovery.com
🌐Facebook: Facebook.com/pastorsinrecovery
📧Email: [email protected]

Find the Podcast:
▶️ Youtube.com/@pastorsinrecovery
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) search for Pastors in Recovery

Podcast Music:
🟢 Spotify and Apple Music (and all major streaming platforms) under Crashing Lyrics
▶️ Youtube.com/@crashinglyrics -> Pastors in Recovery Playlist 

Also on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn