In this Season Finale, Brandon and Tim sit down with the two men who once led Brandon through the fires of Route Clearance in Iraq, his former Platoon Leader and Platoon Sergeant. Together, they revisit close calls, split-second decisions, and the kind of battlefield leadership that scars you, shapes you, and saves you.

But this isn’t just a war story...it’s a real world masterclass in servant leadership. They dive deep into humility under pressure, camaraderie forged in explosions and dust, sacrificial love that carried brothers through fire and trauma, and the tough love that corrects you before it kills you.

Through it all, the conversation keeps circling back to one truth: Jesus is the ultimate model. And if He could lead with compassion in a world that rejected Him, then we can learn to lead like Him in a world that often acts like hell.

A Veterans Day Special | The Awkward Pastor Podcast

TRIGGER WARNING: The content therein discusses real war trauma, has sounds from an actual firefight, and may be disturbing for some.

He rode the turret. Brandon drove the truck. Together, they hunted for bombs in Baghdad.

Seventeen years later, Brandon sits down with Corey Collings—the .50 cal gunner who stood over his right shoulder in the turret of an RG-31—as Tim guides them through a raw conversation of memory, chaos, and miracles.

They talk about a brotherhood forged only in the blast zone—where dark humor kept them sane, whispered prayers cut through radio static, and finding God somehow somewhere in the chaos.

This isn’t Hollywood war. This is real and raw talk about trauma. It’s being terrified... and still rolling toward the #1 killer of U.S. troops. 

It’s what happens when faith, fear, and fire share the same seat.

Before TikTok singers, fog machines, and Christian radio jingles… there was Lucifer — Heaven’s original worship leader and the first musician in history. 🎤🔥

In this savage deep dive, The Awkward Pastor unpacks the origin of music from a biblical perspective, God’s divine design for sound, and how the enemy hijacked it for pride and manipulation. From Ezekiel 28 to the modern stage, we expose how music still carries supernatural power — to heal souls or hypnotize them — and how it’s often weaponized from pulpits to playlists.

Joining Brandon and Tim is Christian Artist & Songwriter Morgan George, bringing an insider’s take from the worship world — the glory, the grind, and the spiritual warfare behind the songs.

📚 Check out Morgan’s books:Letters to the Church, Part 1

https://a.co/d/0pAFviO

Letters to the Church, Part 2

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRM1GB8L?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_mwn_dp_GWZ96605HF5YBFMX5392&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_mwn_dp_GWZ96605HF5YBFMX5392&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_mwn_dp_GWZ96605HF5YBFMX5392&bestFormat=true&csmig=1&ascsubtag=srctok-b345d64002a61c6c&btn_ref=srctok-b345d64002a61c6c

🎶 Lucifer was the instrument. Worship was his job description. Pride was his downfall. 🎙️ So the next time you sing — ask yourself, who’s really getting the glory?

This episode blends biblical theology, cultural critique, musical insight, and enough awkward truth to make a worship conference pack up early.

🎧 Follow The Awkward Pastor for more bold truth, savage grace, and awkward conviction.

Here for it: the foyer throne was taken, my “puro” got poached, coffee was lukewarm, donuts vanished, and somebody said my solo was off-pitch. Tragic, right? Or… maybe it’s not persecution—it’s pride. This episode is not about legit church hurt (that’s real and we care). It’s about the petty stuff we dress up as “spiritual warfare.” If you’ll storm out over carpet color, write a six-page letter because the pastor didn’t shake your hand, or post cryptic verses aimed at your choir director—yeah, this one’s for you.

We’re dropping 15 Signs You’re Probably a Church Drama Queen—with Bible, banter, and a mirror. Expect savage honesty, redemptive humor, and a call to unity: “that there be no divisions among you… perfectly joined together” (1 Corinthians 1:10, NKJV). If drama thrives on attention, disciples thrive on repentance. Let’s trade gossip for prayer, preference for principle, and noise for the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23, NKJV).

No pity parties—just growth. Share this with the friend who’s “normally not one to post, but…” (we love you). 

👉 Leave a rating/review—helps us reach more folks. 

👉 Join The Awkward Church on Facebook for Bible studies, Q&As, and bonus chaos (the sanctified kind). 

🎁 P.S. There’s an Easter egg at the end. If you’re mad by the credits… that might be Sign #15.

We are The Awkward Pastor. Less drama, more resurrection. Let’s go.

WARNING: THIS EPISODE MAY HURT YOUR FEELINGS.

Live Q and A with Undercover Matt

Special Follow-Up to Ep. #9: The Shot He’ll Never ForgetRetired undercover police officer Matt returns for a no-holds-barred Q&A session hosted by The Awkward Pastor.

This time, it’s not just about high-stakes operations—it’s about awkward confessions, Appalachian childhood “threats,” and even the kind of Hallmark movie plots you’ll never see on cable TV.

🔥 What They Dive Into:

Hallmark Goes Undercover: If Matt’s life were a Hallmark movie, what would it be titled and how would it play out?

Scary Situations: Which is more terrifying—busting a meth lab or surviving a church business meeting?

Scripture in the Shadows: Which Bible passages brought comfort when the nights got dark and dangerous?

Pulling the Trigger: How does one mentally and spiritually prepare for that kind of decision?

Family and Friends: Did people step closer when it got real—or back away?

Hands and Feet of Jesus: What does it really look like to live this out in the middle of chaos?

Christians and the Law: Should a believer ever call the police on another Christian?

Deep Cover: What’s the longest timeframe Matt ever stayed undercover?

Join the live chaos.

WARNING: This episode discusses disturbing and sensitive concepts.

What do you do when faith collides with gunfire? When evil shows up at your doorstep, fear threatens to take over, and you wonder if God is really near?

In this raw, unflinching episode of The Awkward Pastor, we invite you into the story of Matt — a retired Kentucky State Trooper, husband, and believer — who faced the unthinkable: a real standoff where seven rounds were fired directly at him. Matt survived, but not without scars, and he’s here to guide you through what faith looks like in the firefight.

Inside this episode, you’ll discover:

• 🚨 Facing the Villain – Drugs, violence, and spiritual darkness: why Matt calls narcotics “the devil’s best tool.”
• 🧠 Breaking the Silence – Real talk on PTSD, triggers, and why you’re not broken for needing help.
• 📖 God’s Design for Justice – What Romans 13 really says about law enforcement and the peacemakers who stand between chaos and safety.
• 🛡️ Faith & Firearms – Is it biblical to defend yourself and your family? Here’s the answer.
• 🙌 Hope in the Darkness – The gospel that brings light when the world feels unlivable.

If you’ve ever wrestled with fear, justice, or forgiveness… if you’ve ever questioned where God is in the middle of violence… this conversation is for you.

🎧 Listen now and leave this episode with courage, clarity, and the confidence that Jesus steps into the darkness with you — and brings the light.

Support us here:

www.buymeacoffee.com\theawkwardpastor

A lot of people say, “We’re all God’s children.” 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ It sounds nice, but is it true❓ In this episode, Pastor Brandon cuts through the noise with Appalachian stories 🏔️, bold truth 📖, and the gospel of adoption through Jesus ✝️. 

You’ll discover the difference between being God’s creation 🌍 and being His child 👨‍👩‍👧—and why that difference is the greatest invitation you’ll ever receive 🎉. Pull up a chair 🍽️. 

The table’s set, the porch light’s on 💡, and the Father is calling you home 🏡. 

“Church hurt” gets thrown around everywhere—but what’s real, and what’s just a bruised ego? 🤔 In this episode, we dig into both. We talk about the pain of legit wounds—abuse, betrayal, manipulation from leadership 💔—and how Jesus heals them ✝️. We also call out fake wounds—when people storm out over solos 🎤, gossip online 💻, or turn bitterness into a brand 📱.

Here’s what’s inside ⬇️🔥 Breaking down the difference between true hurt and petty offense.👀 Calling out pride, gossip, and spiritual drama.💬 Sharing stories of real betrayal—and how forgiveness restores.🤣 Roasting real church reviews (yes, even the panini complaint 🥪).❤️ Reminding you that rebuke is love, correction is mercy, and the gospel is the cure.

This one’s raw, funny, awkward, and honest. If you’ve been hurt, there’s grace here 🙏. If you’ve been dramatic, there’s a mirror here 🪞. Either way—you’ll walk away challenged.

The song at the beginning about church hurt is pretty epic as well as the Bible Blasters commercial!

If your love needs a spotlight, it’s not ministry—it’s marketing.

Real Christian love isn’t posting “praying for you” and then ghosting someone. It’s Snickers bars for people who avoid you in the hallway. It’s showing up in hospital rooms, mowing lawns for the sick, and serving without applause.

In this episode, we roast “holy-sounding uselessness,” dismantle Pharisee-level performative kindness, and tell true stories that prove love is messy, awkward, sacrificial… and worth it. From workplace feuds turned into gospel moments to front porch God-sidences, we’ll show you why genuine love changes lives—and why fake love fizzles the moment the applause stops.

You’ll laugh, you’ll get convicted, and you might just walk away looking for someone to love without expecting anything in return. Because when it’s real, love rewires you from the inside out.

This isn’t a Hallmark movie. This is The Awkward Pastor.

🎙️ Episode 5, – No Lights, No Camera, Just Action, Part 1:

Some Christians out here love love… as long as there's a camera crew, a soft piano track, and a Instagram post. Others? They haven’t lifted a finger for anybody since George W. was in office. We’re talking Oscar-worthy sob stories and Instagram-ready “servant hearts”… but when nobody’s watching? Crickets.

This episode, we’re grabbing a rope and lowering ourselves deep into the awkward, gritty heart of real Christian love—the kind that doesn’t get likes, claps, or curated reels.

🔹 We talk fake love, church seat wars, Golden Retriever theology, gas station guilt trips, and that guy who says he’ll pay you back on payday (you know he won’t).🔹 We throw shade at spotlight saints and hug the ones who serve in silence.🔹 We roast Matt from Kentucky so hard, his Apple Watch got saved during the altar call.

💀 And if you don’t follow, leave a review, or share this episode… we’ll assume you’ve been scratching lottery tickets at the front of the line while Jesus is calling you to be the line.

No filters. No followers required. Just the raw, bloody, inconvenient love of Jesus.

Let's love somebody when nobody’s watching.