Subscribe for the full episode at the bottom of the page. Watch a free preview here: Over a year after the start of Israel’s mass-murder campaign in Gaza, what Netanyahu anticipated to be a swift destruction and short-order real estate sale has escalated into a regional war, slipping further out of his control with each attack. Elijah J. Magnier, a…

Read more

Subscribe for the full episode at the bottom of the page. Watch a free preview here: “They want world war.” This is the conclusion, after fighting in the IDF, after watching Israeli aggression expand for decades, and after watching the occupation and destruction of Gaza, of Professor Haim Bresheeth-Zabner. Haim’s latest book, An Army Like No Other,…

Subscribe for the full episode at the bottom of the page. Watch a free preview here: “I think the reasonable conclusion is that Gaza is no more. There's nothing left in Gaza.” Monday the 7th marked one full year of genocide in Gaza, the darkest era of a decades-long occupation by Israel, which has now begun to spread into the broader Middle East re…

Read more

Subscribe for the full episode at the bottom of the page. Watch a free preview here: “It's very bloody and very violent and very dangerous.” Lebanese political scientists Bashir Saade and Karim Makdisi shed light on Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, Hezbollah, Hasan Nasrallah and more. Since the situation is so volatile, news is constantly breaking: aft…

Read more

Become a Useful Idiot and support independent media – for only $6 a month

Sam Black works with churches at one of my favorite companies - Covenant Eyes. In this free ranging conversation we talk about why he joined Covenant Eyes, his book "The Healing Church" and what sort of churches provide a safe place and a safe process for healing. We are starting new finding traction groups this fall to help 5-7 guys at a time conn…

Momodou Taal is a PHD student at Columbia, traveling on a visa from the UK. So when he led a pro-Palestine protest against Columbia and their donor Boeing, his foreign status was used to attack him. Columbia University now has plans to deport Momodou. Or, as corporate media would put it: Now, more protests are erupting across campus as Cornell thre…

Subscribe for the full episode at the bottom of the page. Watch a free preview here: You know him from a hundred cartoons and a thousand podcasts – and now he’s a Useful Idiot. It’s comedian James Adomian, bringing jaw-dropping impressions of Jordan Peterson, Bernie Sanders, Elon Musk, Mike Pillow, Marc Maron, and more. And all of them have a lot t…

Read more

Ephesians 5:3 Says this "but among you there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity" Some of us have heard this verse as sort on an unattainable standard that makes us feel that we can never live up to God's standards. Today I share my thoughts on this verse that has brought a new motivation and energy to my desire to…

Today Vern explores how 2 words - delight and desire can go a long way in giving us immunity to the outside pull of porn and other distractions! If you as a pastor are looking for a safe place to turn to to talk about your sexual struggles - you can get ahold of Vern at bandofbrothers.care@gmail.com If you are looking for more free resources you ca…

This last Sunday Vern spoke on Sunday morning on how men can move from being an *ss to being good and safe men - something women, our churches and our communities desperately need more of. If you are looking for a safe person to talk about your Sexual struggles - Vern gets it - as a Pastor for 30 years Vern has battled porn as a pastor and didn't h…

Have you ever had God tell you to quit your grovelling? Today Vern explores a bible story where that happens and relates it to our recovery walk. If you are looking for a safe place to talk to regarding your struggles with porn - Vern has walked that struggle and would love to share his hope with you. His email is bandofbrothers.care@gmail.com…

In this episode Vern answers the question - what is the hardest sermon you'll ever give? I truly believe this episode is crucial to both listen to and keep in your constant awareness as a pastor. If it helpful for you - pass it on! If you as a pastor are looking for a safe place to turn to to talk about your sexual struggles - you can get ahold of …

As I talk and work with pastors I have noticed that there are 3 seasons of vulnearabilitywhere patterns of sexual brokenness seem to emerge in our lives. In this episode I lay out those seasons and take the approach to be fore-warned is to be for-armed! If you as a pastor are looking for a safe place to turn to to talk about your sexual struggles -…

This last Sunday Vern spoke at church regarding the spiritual step of self examiniation and confession. As pastors struggling with our sexual brokenness - it provides a crucial "powerpoint" that is available to us as we see to walk toward a life of healing and wholeness. If you as a pastor are looking for a safe place to turn to to talk about your …

Most of us seek to deny, hide, run from or rail agains the sin which dogs our steps. In this episode Vern proposes a counter intuitive approach that he believes will actually result in better results - sitting in our sin! If you as a pastor are looking for a safe place to turn to to talk about your sexual struggles - you can get ahold of Vern at ba…

The theme of wide open spaces is one that Scriptural writers come back to over and over again. In this episode Vern puts on his bible teaching hat and relates to how this concept relates to our desire to walk away from porn and experience the best life that God has for us. If you as a pastor are looking for a safe place to turn to to talk about you…

It has become quite common for churches to dip their toes into the stream of recovery groups. In this episode Vern explores the difference between a church offering recovery programs and a church actually becoming a recovery church where people can acknowledge and grow out of their brokenness. If you as a pastor are looking for a safe place to turn…

Are Pastors Special when it comes to porn? Are there unique reasons why pastors are drawn to porn and are there unique reasons they stay there? In this episode Vern explores that question. If you as a pastor are looking for a safe place to turn to to talk about your sexual struggles - you can get ahold of Vern at bandofbrothers.care@gmail.com If yo…

Looking back over 30 years of being a Pastor - from being an associate, to church planting and being a lead pastor, I have come up with a few overall lessons that I have learned. I think some of these lessons may stand you in good stead as you live in the crucible of ministry I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with…

Have you ever been given simplistic spiritual advice that has proven to be ineffectual in your struggle with porn. Perhaps you have given simplistic advice. In this episode Vern talks about the proper way to approach (and give advice) about how to find a life of freedom from Porn. I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal…

One of the biggest challenges in working in the church is that there seems to be such a hesitation to talk about sexuality. In the absense of talk about healthy sexuality it seems that we are left with the idea that sexuality is somehow dirty or the "forbidden fruit". In this episode I interview Kyle. He is one of a trio of Christian podcast hosts …

Mitch Harrison is a seasoned pastor and leader who has a great gift in helping tired pastors find a new rhythm for their life. This podcast is all about helping you create a new way of living that will help find a pattern of healthy self care for your life. If you follow some of the suggestions in this podcast it will greatly increase the odds of t…

Gratitude is a huge tool in my recovery. In this episode I share some of the things that I regularly remind myself of - things that my recovery has brought into my life! I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable sexual behaviors. If you need a safe place to talk - you can reach out to me at bandofb…

In this episode Vern uses tries his hand at some allegorical preaching by sharing the parallels between God's command to drive out the enemies of Canaan and our need to drive out the enemies (such as porn) from our lives. I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable sexual behaviors. If you need a saf…

Self Care is a huge part of recovery and many Pastors think this is something less than spiritual. In this episode I challenge all those in ministry to actually practice a yearly holiday as part of a self care regimen. (I don't mean a week here or there!) I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable s…

Have you had the experience of having a family member go through a marriage breakup? In this painful episode, Vern discusses the ripples that spread out when someone you love go through a painful breakup and ask "Is there any lessons we can learn?" I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable sexual b…

Have you ever been shoehorned into a particular definition of being spiritual that doesn't work for your wiring. In this episode Vern talks about how we need to find our own rhythm of being spiritual - even if it means not journalling! I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable sexual behaviors. If …

In this recording from a Sunday morning message Vern asks the question - are you up to the task? Using the text of 2 Timothy 1:7 Vern talks about how God's spirit wants to move us from a posture of fear and timidity to one of power, love, and self discipline. I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageab…

Looking back on 30 years of pastoral ministry - there are three elements that led me to experience the best version of my pastoral self - three things, that when I strayed from, caused me to fray around the edges. I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable sexual behaviors. If you need a safe place …

What if God wanted us use our story, to leverage it for His glory - even the broken shameful parts. In this episode Vern shares how, rather than hiding our brokenness, God wants to use it in surprising ways. I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable sexual behaviors. If you need a safe place to tal…

How does the idea of becoming fully alive relate to our recovery? From a Sunday morning message, Vern takes us on a journey through Narnia, Wild at Heart and the rock group Evanescense as he explores how the God's promise of "bringing us to life" is at the core of what we all long for. I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to…

In this episode Vern interviews pastor and author Mark Denison who shares about his loss of ministry and how God has turned this loss into a kingdom gain. Mark is the author of "Broken Vessels - Restoring Broken Pastors. To contact Mark you can reach him at https://thereisstillhope.org If you need a safe place to talk - you can also reach out to me…

As we struggle with moving away from embedded porn habits, it is important to make a distinction between the presence of porn and the power of porn. Using Scripture Vern provides hope that although we may still experience the presence of sin, it's power has been broken through Jesus. I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to d…

Pastors are frequently told that they need to be above reproach (I Timothy 3) What does this actually mean? How does this relate to having a sexual struggle with something like Porn? In this episode Vern tackles that topic. I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable sexual behaviors. If you need a s…

How do we make sense of the scriptures that promise us Christian freedom when we still struggle with elements of sin's bondage? This Sunday morning message seeks to bridge that gap by providing hope for freedom - even when we are still not fully experiencing it. I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanag…

It is not uncommon to look back at a recent relapse and ask ourself "what was that about?". In this episode Vern seeks to answer that question by exploring what our relapses reveal. I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable sexual behaviors. If you need a safe place to talk - you can reach out to m…

This episode refers in part to the 80's movie the Mission. Fair warning the movie does have considerable nudity in it as it portrays the life in the tribes of the South American jungle. On the other hand, the book "All is grace" by Brennan Manning contains no nudity!' I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their u…

I believe that coaching and therapy work super well together. I am a coach not a therapist. I regularly make use of therapists and some therapists have found my approach is a great addition to what they do as well. Recently I was invited to speak to a counseling center and a group of therapists as to how my approach to sexual addictions could work …

Gerald May in his great book "Addictions and Grace" says that one of the components of an addiction is the "distortion of reality". In this episode Vern explores how an addiction to porn changes, distorts and warps our view of reality. I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable sexual behaviors. If …

Vern has been using Stephen Mansfield's book - Top Ten Signs of a Leadership Crash as the background for a number of recent episodes. In this episode, Vern is excited to interview Stephen for some further thoughts around the need for this book. I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable sexual behav…

In this episode Vern explores bitterness - one of the key elements in Stephen Mansfield's book "Ten Signs of a Leadership Crash" I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable sexual behaviors. If you need a safe place to talk - you can reach out to me at bandofbrothers.care@gmail.com You can also see s…

In this episode Vern explores "Forgetting Fun" - one of the key elements in Stephen Mansfield's book "Ten Signs of a Leadership Crash" I love to talk to Pastors - especially those who are looking to deal with their unmanageable sexual behaviors. If you need a safe place to talk - you can reach out to me at bandofbrothers.care@gmail.com You can also…