“I knew I wasn’t supposed to do it but I didn’t understand why, because it felt like it was helping and I wasn’t hurting anyone.”

That’s how modern-day theologian, author, and speaker Brenna Blain describes her addiction. Addictions, really. Because she didn't just develop one. Even after addressing her disordered relationship with alcohol, she went on to develop a similar pattern with cough medicine and stimulants. How? Because like so many of us, she fell into the trap of justifying what she knew wasn't right.

During all of that, Brenna wasn’t running from God. She loved Jesus, she was serving in ministry, she was doing the things Christians are supposed to do. And at the same time, she was building patterns and believing lies that didn’t line up with what she believed or who she was called to be.

In this episode, Brenna shares her full story with thoughtful and radical vulnerability. From childhood trauma and an ongoing battle with depression and mental health, to a real encounter with God that changed the direction of her life, to the ways addiction and dependency still took root. She also talks openly about her experience with same-sex attraction, how she surrenders that to God, and how that has shaped her reliance on Christ.

She also doesn't hold back about how evangelical culture too often encourages silence while struggling, leaving people to navigate their sin on their own, as well as how the Church can become a place where those struggles are brought into the light and met with both truth and grace.

This is a conversation about honesty, about sanctification, and about what it really looks like to follow Jesus when things aren’t clean or simple.

Looking for a one-stop recovery resource? Learn more about the Tyndale Life Recovery Bible here.

We explore:

— The subtle ways addiction can form even in the life of a committed Christian
— How self-justification keeps people stuck longer than they realize
— Why addressing one addiction doesn’t mean the root issue is gone
— How Brenna’s struggle shifted from alcohol to other substances
— The role childhood trauma and mental health play in shaping patterns
— What it looked like for Brenna to encounter God personally
— How depression and ongoing mental health struggles intersect with faith
— Brenna’s experience with same-sex attraction and surrendering it to Christ
— Why evangelical culture often leaves people to struggle in silence
— What it looks like for the Church to hold both truth and grace
— The difference between behavior change and real transformation
— How sanctification actually plays out in everyday life

Get Brenna's book: Can I Say That? How Unsafe Questions Lead Us to the Real God
Follow Brenna: @bunonmyhead
Invite Brenna to speak here
Get addiction recovery resources and help: veritasrecovery.org
Follow me: @jonseidl
Order my new book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic
Get the Tyndale Life Recovery Bible:https://hubs.la/Q041HjWm0

&ldquo;I knew I wasn&rsquo;t supposed to do it but I didn&rsquo;t understand why, because it felt like it was helping and I wasn&rsquo;t hurting anyone.&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s how modern-day theologian, author, and speaker Brenna Blain describes her addiction. Addictions, really. Because she didn't just develop one. Even after addressing her disordered relationship with alcohol, she went on to develop a similar pattern with cough medicine and stimulants. How? Because like so many of us, she fell into the trap of justifying what she knew wasn't right.
During all of that, Brenna wasn&rsquo;t running from God. She loved Jesus, she was serving in ministry, she was doing the things Christians are supposed to do. And at the same time, she was building patterns and believing lies that didn&rsquo;t line up with what she believed or who she was called to be.
In this episode, Brenna shares her full story with thoughtful and radical vulnerability. From childhood trauma and an ongoing battle with depression and mental health, to a real encounter with God that changed the direction of her life, to the ways addiction and dependency still took root. She also talks openly about her experience with same-sex attraction, how she surrenders that to God, and how that has shaped her reliance on Christ.
She also doesn't hold back about how evangelical culture too often encourages silence while struggling, leaving people to navigate their sin on their own, as well as how the Church can become a place where those struggles are brought into the light and met with both truth and grace.
This is a conversation about honesty, about sanctification, and about what it really looks like to follow Jesus when things aren&rsquo;t clean or simple.
Looking for a one-stop recovery resource? Learn more about the Tyndale Life Recovery Bible <a href="https://hubs.la/Q041HjWm0">here</a>.
We explore:
&mdash; The subtle ways addiction can form even in the life of a committed Christian &mdash; How self-justification keeps people stuck longer than they realize &mdash; Why addressing one addiction doesn&rsquo;t mean the root issue is gone &mdash; How Brenna&rsquo;s struggle shifted from alcohol to other substances &mdash; The role childhood trauma and mental health play in shaping patterns &mdash; What it looked like for Brenna to encounter God personally &mdash; How depression and ongoing mental health struggles intersect with faith &mdash; Brenna&rsquo;s experience with same-sex attraction and surrendering it to Christ &mdash; Why evangelical culture often leaves people to struggle in silence &mdash; What it looks like for the Church to hold both truth and grace &mdash; The difference between behavior change and real transformation &mdash; How sanctification actually plays out in everyday life
Get Brenna's book: <a href="https://amzn.to/48KLrJQ">Can I Say That? How Unsafe Questions Lead Us to the Real God</a> Follow Brenna: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bunonmyhead/">@bunonmyhead</a> Invite Brenna to speak <a href="https://brenna-blain.vercel.app">here</a> Get addiction recovery resources and help: <a href="https://www.veritasrecovery.org">veritasrecovery.org</a> Follow me: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jonseidl/">@jonseidl</a> Order my new book,&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/4opuOt">Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic</a> Get the Tyndale Life Recovery Bible: <a href="https://hubs.la/Q041HjWm0">h</a><a href="https://hubs.la/Q041HjWm0">ttp</a><a href="https://hubs.la/Q041HjWm0">s://hubs.la/Q041HjWm0</a>

Jon Seidl is the bestselling Christian author who became an alcoholic, not the other way around. It's usually the other way around. Or is it? "Confessions of a Christian alcoholic" (based on the book by the same title) is all about real stories, radical vulnerability, and remarkable comebacks of people who have struggled with alcoholism and addictions of all sorts. The show features interviews with fellow addicts and alcoholics as well as professionals in the fields of trauma, faith, and addiction recovery. Because let's be honest, we're all addicted to something. "Confessions" is a place for the desperate, the downtrodden, the destitute, and especially, the drunk. But it's also a place of hope and healing. Jon found sobriety after decades of struggling, but more importantly than finding sobriety, he found Jesus. In every episode, he gets radically vulnerable as he explores what it looks like to be on this journey of messy sanctification. Visit christianalcoholic.com for more resources.

Jon Seidl is the bestselling Christian author who became an alcoholic, not the other way around. It's usually the other way around. Or is it? "Confessions of a Christian alcoholic" (based on the book by the same title) is all about real stories, radical vulnerability, and remarkable comebacks of people who have struggled with alcoholism and addictions of all sorts. The show features interviews with fellow addicts and alcoholics as well as professionals in the fields of trauma, faith, and addiction recovery. Because let's be honest, we're all addicted to something. "Confessions" is a place for the desperate, the downtrodden, the destitute, and especially, the drunk. But it's also a place of hope and healing. Jon found sobriety after decades of struggling, but more importantly than finding sobriety, he found Jesus. In every episode, he gets radically vulnerable as he explores what it looks like to be on this journey of messy sanctification. Visit <a href="http://christianalcoholic.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://christianalcoholic.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1747239325727000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1G-752Q-1dyjq6GN5gt7xw">christianalcoholic.com</a> for more resources.

Jon Seidl is the bestselling Christian author who became an alcoholic, not the other way around. It's usually the other way around. Or is it? "Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic" is all about real stories, radical vulnerability, and remarkable comebacks of people who have struggled with alcoholism and addictions of all sorts.

Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic with Jon Seidl

Theologian Brenna Blain Gets Radically Vulnerable About Her Addictions and Faith: “I Knew I Wasn’t Supposed to Do It”

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/9d40c90c-be41-4408-896a-b43400058454/transcript