When Faith Doesn’t Fix the Pain | Brenna Blain | Ep. 66

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. Support the show: Check out merch, prints, and more at the No Longer Nomads website. Stay connected: Sign up for the newsletter to hear about upcoming episodes, live events, and more. https://www.nolongernomads.co/ Chapters 00:00 When faith meets suffering and mental illness 02:20 Brenna Blain’s story and journey back to God 05:26 Trauma, loss, and walking away from faith 10:44 Encountering Jesus and discovering purpose 14:21 Calling, theology, and wrestling with identity 22:24 Bipolar disorder, psych wards, and ministry stigma 30:13 Prayer, medication, and holistic mental health care 36:26 Why God is worth following in suffering 40:46 The lie suffering tells us—and how it shapes us 45:35 What’s next for Brenna + final encouragement If this episode encouraged you, please consider leaving a 5-star review—it helps more people find these stories. New episodes drop every Tuesday at 5 a.m. No Longer Nomads — because no one was meant to wander alone. #FaithAndMentalHealth #ChristianSuffering #NoLongerNomads #MentalHealthInTheChurch #HopeInSuffering