66 - When Faith Doesn’t Fix the Pain with Brenna Blain

In this powerful and deeply honest episode of No Longer Nomads, Josh sits down with Brenna Blain to talk about faith, suffering, mental illness, and the difficult questions many believers are afraid to ask out loud.

Brenna shares her story of growing up as a pastor’s kid, walking away from faith, navigating trauma, sexuality, bipolar disorder, and multiple stays in the psych ward—and how God met her in the middle of it all. This conversation doesn’t offer shallow answers or quick fixes. Instead, it invites listeners into a more honest, biblical understanding of suffering and what it means to faithfully follow Jesus in the midst of pain.

We talk about:

- Why “socially acceptable” struggles are easier to share than real ones

- Mental illness, faith, and the stigma still present in the church

- Whether taking medication means you’re “not trusting God”

- How suffering can quietly turn us inward—and how the Holy Spirit meets us there

- Why God is still worth following when prayers feel unanswered

If you’ve ever wondered “Why is God worth it?”, felt unseen in your suffering, or questioned whether the church has space for your story—this episode is for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

Brenna’s book "Can I Say That?" — available wherever books are sold.

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New episodes drop every Tuesday at 5 a.m.No Longer Nomads — because no one was meant to wander alone.

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