In this solo episode, host Dave Quak opens up about faith, mental illness, and what it means to live a life that’s “unideal” yet deeply loved by God.

From a story about Tony with Tourette’s in church to reflections on his own bipolar journey, Dave explores how God meets us in our brokenness—not despite it.

This episode tackles the stigma around mental health in the church, the reality of unanswered prayers, and why God’s power is often made perfect in weakness.
Whether you live with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or simply feel “less than ideal,” this episode is a reminder that you are seen, loved, and called.

📘 Podcast Notes & Key Sections

00:00 – 02:00 | Introduction to Sunburnt Souls and Tony’s story of Tourette’s in church
02:00 – 04:00 | Understanding Tourette’s and how mental illness isolates people
04:00 – 06:00 | Introducing the idea of “unideal” as a better way to talk about mental illness
06:00 – 08:00 | Why everyone is “unideal” in some way—Jeff Bezos’ eye, the weird toe, and the grace of God
08:00 – 10:00 | The “bucket of brokenness” metaphor—how life’s brokenness affects us all
10:00 – 12:00 | Seeing mental illness as part of living in a fallen world, not a lack of faith
12:00 – 14:00 | God doesn’t give mental illness, but He redeems it for good
14:00 – 17:00 | Why not everyone gets healed—Jesus at the Pool of Bethesda
17:00 – 20:00 | Living faithfully even when healing doesn’t come
20:00 – 22:00 | Is talking about mental health “dwelling on it”? Dave’s honest answer
22:00 – 24:00 | Inviting God into your mess—anger, anxiety, parenting, and grace
24:00 – 27:00 | Twofold solution: peace with God and healthy relationships
27:00 – 29:00 | Encouragement and prayer for listeners walking with mental illness
29:00 – 30:00 | Call to share, pray, and help Sunburnt Souls reach more people

Quote Highlights

• “Just because life isn’t ideal doesn’t mean it can’t be full and amazing.”
• “We all walked past the bucket of brokenness—something stuck to each of us.”
• “God didn’t give me bipolar disorder, but He’s not wasting it.”
• “His power is made perfect in my weakness.”
• “Faith and mental illness aren’t enemies—they’re often fellow travellers.”

CONNECT

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🔗 Facebook | 🔗 YouTube 🔗 Instagram

BRAND NEW ONLINE COURSE!
🧠✨ Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

28 days. $28. A practical, hope-filled course to help you:
✅ Embrace your identity in Jesus
✅ Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
✅ Navigate mental health with honesty and faith
👉 Start your 28-day journey today

💌 Join Our Community

Get weekly encouragement, bonus content, and resources in your inbox:
👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

🙌 Support the Mission

Help us keep creating free, faith-filled mental health content:
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🎙️ Sunburnt Souls is proudly produced by Pretty Podcasts

At just 18 years old, Indigo Rogers has already published her first book The Indigo Psalms: Volume One—a raw and beautiful collection of personal psalms written since she was 14. In this episode of Sunburnt Souls, host Dave Quak sits down with Indigo to talk about faith, mental health, worship, and what it means to bring your whole self before God.

We explore:

• How writing psalms became Indigo’s way of processing emotions and worshipping God
• Why lament and honesty matter just as much as joy in the Christian life
• What her generation is facing with anxiety, depression, and the search for hope
• How she sees teaching, worship, and writing as ways to live out her calling
• The transforming presence of God in everyday struggles, from loneliness to long-term frustrations

Whether you’re a young person navigating faith, a parent wanting insight into Gen Z spirituality, or someone carrying mental health battles of your own, Indigo’s story and words will encourage you.

👉 Buy The Indigo Psalms: Volume One on Amazon
or through major online bookstores.

CONNECT

Follow Sunburnt Souls for raw stories of faith, mental health, and hope:
🔗 Facebook | 🔗 YouTube 🔗 Instagram

BRAND NEW ONLINE COURSE!
🧠✨ Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

28 days. $28. A practical, hope-filled course to help you:
✅ Embrace your identity in Jesus
✅ Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
✅ Navigate mental health with honesty and faith
👉 Start your 28-day journey today

💌 Join Our Community

Get weekly encouragement, bonus content, and resources in your inbox:
👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

🙌 Support the Mission

Help us keep creating free, faith-filled mental health content:
👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls

⭐️ Leave a Review

Love this episode? A quick rating or review helps more people find hope.
👉 Rate us on Apple Podcasts | 👉 Rate on Spotify

PARTNERS

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In this Sunburnt Souls episode, Dave Quak welcomes back Tomas Heligr-Pyke — a man of God living with schizophrenia who’s also a software engineer, consultant, and startup founder. Tom gets real about navigating hallucinations at work, recognising what’s real, and how prayer and gratitude ground his mental health and faith.

We unpack why films like Shutter Island and A Beautiful Mind resonate, how to handle paranoia and “hypothetical catastrophes,” the rhythm of running a business while carrying a serious mental illness, and the choice to stay open about diagnoses despite stigma. Tom shares practical faith habits that actually help in anxious moments, plus the gratitude list that keeps him steady. We close with a simple, hopeful prayer.

If you or someone you love is walking with schizophrenia, bipolar, anxiety or depression — this conversation offers empathy, practical handles, and Christ-centred hope.

Listen, share, and leave a review to help more Aussies find faith-informed mental health support.

Host: Dave Quak
Guest: Tomas Heligr-Pyke
Show: Sunburnt Souls — a Christian mental health podcast

If this helped you, share it with a mate and leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it really helps more people find hope.

CONNECT

Follow Sunburnt Souls for raw stories of faith, mental health, and hope:
🔗 Facebook | 🔗 YouTube 🔗 Instagram

BRAND NEW ONLINE COURSE!
🧠✨ Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

28 days. $28. A practical, hope-filled course to help you:
✅ Embrace your identity in Jesus
✅ Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
✅ Navigate mental health with honesty and faith
👉 Start your 28-day journey today

💌 Join Our Community

Get weekly encouragement, bonus content, and resources in your inbox:
👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

🙌 Support the Mission

Help us keep creating free, faith-filled mental health content:
👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls

⭐️ Leave a Review

Love this episode? A quick rating or review helps more people find hope.
👉 Rate us on Apple Podcasts | 👉 Rate on Spotify

PARTNERS

🎙️ Sunburnt Souls is proudly produced by Pretty Podcasts

What’s it really like to navigate Christian singleness in your 20s and 30s—while guarding your mental health and staying true to your faith? In this candid conversation, Dom and Sara join Dave to talk dating with purpose, resisting the pressure to “settle,” building real community, and cultivating what Dom calls “mental stamina” for the waiting seasons.

They unpack awkward church moments, red flags on dating apps, the temptation to fix things in your own strength (hello, Abraham and Hagar), and the freedom and Kingdom opportunity that often come with singleness. The episode closes with a short prayer for listeners who feel alone, discouraged, or stuck.

Perfect for: single Christians, pastors and leaders who want to serve singles better, and anyone curious about the intersection of faith, relationships, and wellbeing.

• The reality of being single, professional women of faith in today’s churches
• “Dating with purpose” vs ticking a Christian box on apps
• The pull to compromise and why it doesn’t satisfy long-term
• Cultivating “mental stamina” and guarding your inner dialogue
• Freedom, availability, and Kingdom opportunity in singleness (1 Cor 7)
• When church culture gets awkward—and how to keep things low-pressure
• Friendship, community, and multi-generational church as a refuge
• Trusting God without forcing outcomes (Genesis 16)

CONNECT

Follow Sunburnt Souls for raw stories of faith, mental health, and hope:
🔗 Facebook | 🔗 YouTube 🔗 Instagram

BRAND NEW ONLINE COURSE!
🧠✨ Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

28 days. $28. A practical, hope-filled course to help you:
✅ Embrace your identity in Jesus
✅ Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
✅ Navigate mental health with honesty and faith
👉 Start your 28-day journey today

💌 Join Our Community

Get weekly encouragement, bonus content, and resources in your inbox:
👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

🙌 Support the Mission

Help us keep creating free, faith-filled mental health content:
👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls

⭐️ Leave a Review

Love this episode? A quick rating or review helps more people find hope.
👉 Rate us on Apple Podcasts | 👉 Rate on Spotify

PARTNERS

🎙️ Sunburnt Souls is proudly produced by Pretty Podcasts

In Part 2 of SUNBURNT SOULS, Jess and Dave Quak continue their discussion with Maddy Mandall on women in church leadership. They explore living out a ministry calling, navigating gender-based expectations, and the joys of pastoral work, emphasizing authentic leadership and empowering the next generation.

Key Moments

• Introduction and Recap (00:00:00 - 00:01:47): Dave recaps Part 1, focusing on women’s callings and mental health, and asks what it’s like to live out one’s calling post-hurdles.
• Living Out the Calling (00:01:47 - 00:04:36): Maddy is grateful to minister as dreamed, despite some churches excluding her due to gender. Jess appreciates not justifying her presence but struggles with tokenism.
• Navigating Tokenism (00:04:36 - 00:09:08): Jess addresses being invited for her gender, not qualifications, and fights cynicism. Maddy advocates for broader inclusion to ensure women’s voices are valued.
• Empowering the Next Generation (00:14:42 - 00:18:45): Maddy notes Project 11’s young leaders respect her, and hopes for more women to lead authentically, despite few solo female senior pastors.
• Authentic Leadership Styles (00:18:45 - 00:23:56): Maddy’s collaborative style, shaped by early challenges, fosters team ownership. Jess values freedom to lead authentically, serving unique communities.
• Women in the Church (00:23:56 - 00:28:30): Maddy cites historical female-majority church attendance, with shifts among Gen Z males. Dave and Jess push for creative, diverse church structures.
• Joys of Pastoral Ministry (00:28:30 - 00:33:17): Maddy loves empowering young women and seeing community transformation. Jess finds joy in people’s moments of revelation.
• Closing Prayer (00:33:17 - 00:35:17): Maddy prays for diverse callings, grace in tough questions, and alignment with God’s purpose.

Key Insights

• Gratitude Amid Challenges: Fulfilling a calling is joyful, but gender-based barriers like tokenism persist.
• Authentic Leadership: Women should lead as God designed, embracing collaborative or nurturing styles.
• Breaking Stereotypes: Diverse giftings, like Jess’s strategy and Dave’s hospitality, enrich ministry.

CONNECT

Follow Sunburnt Souls for raw stories of faith, mental health, and hope:
🔗 Facebook | 🔗 YouTube 🔗 Instagram

BRAND NEW ONLINE COURSE!
🧠✨ Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

28 days. $28. A practical, hope-filled course to help you:
✅ Embrace your identity in Jesus
✅ Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
✅ Navigate mental health with honesty and faith
👉 Start your 28-day journey today

💌 Join Our Community

Get weekly encouragement, bonus content, and resources in your inbox:
👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

🙌 Support the Mission

Help us keep creating free, faith-filled mental health content:
👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls

⭐️ Leave a Review

Love this episode? A quick rating or review helps more people find hope.
👉 Rate us on Apple Podcasts | 👉 Rate on Spotify

PARTNERS

🎙️ Sunburnt Souls is proudly produced by Pretty Podcasts

In the first of a two-part series on SUNBURNT SOULS, Jess and Dave Quak are joined by Maddy Mandall to discuss the unique challenges and rewards of women in church leadership. Following last week's episode on women in leadership, Maddy shares her journey as a female pastor, her experiences with burnout, and her role in mentoring emerging leaders. The conversation explores the intersection of faith, mental health, and navigating structural barriers in ministry.

Key Moments

• Introduction (00:00:00 - 00:00:36): Jess introduces the show and the two-part series, noting the positive response to last week's discussion. Dave welcomes Maddy Mandell, praising her insights from the previous episode.
• Maddy’s Kay Warren Interview (00:00:36 - 00:02:44): Maddy recounts her impromptu interview with Kay Warren at the Baptist World Congress in Brisbane, highlighting Kay’s humility and Dave’s lighthearted jealousy.
• Maddy’s Role (00:02:44 - 00:03:26): Maddy works with Queensland State Baptists in leadership development, supporting pastors and emerging leaders across the state.
• Women in Ministry Challenges (00:03:26 - 00:11:19): Maddy shares her calling to ministry as a young woman and the "not yet" resistance she faced, contrasted with opportunities given to male peers. Jess and Maddy discuss the emotional toll of theological debates about women in leadership and mentoring young women facing similar issues.
• Project 11 and Mental Health (00:11:19 - 00:14:52): Maddy describes her work with Project 11, a leadership program with a balanced gender ratio, and the mental health challenges young women face, including theological scrutiny and power dynamics.
• Structural Barriers (00:14:52 - 00:19:58): Jess and Maddy reflect on overcoming imposter syndrome and biases as young women in ministry, emphasizing the importance of grounding their identity in faith.
• Burnout and Recovery (00:19:58 - 00:24:37): Maddy opens up about her burnout experience, driven by ministry pressures and lack of full community support. She sought professional help, including medication, and rebuilt her health holistically.
• Maintaining Well-Being (00:24:37 - 00:30:45): Maddy and Jess share strategies for mental health, including support networks, professional supervision, and personal rhythms like solitude, exercise, and prayer.
• Looking Forward (00:30:45 - 00:32:41): Dave notes Jess

CONNECT

Follow Sunburnt Souls for raw stories of faith, mental health, and hope:
🔗 Facebook | 🔗 YouTube 🔗 Instagram

BRAND NEW ONLINE COURSE!
🧠✨ Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

28 days. $28. A practical, hope-filled course to help you:
✅ Embrace your identity in Jesus
✅ Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
✅ Navigate mental health with honesty and faith
👉 Start your 28-day journey today

💌 Join Our Community

Get weekly encouragement, bonus content, and resources in your inbox:
👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

🙌 Support the Mission

Help us keep creating free, faith-filled mental health content:
👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls

⭐️ Leave a Review

Love this episode? A quick rating or review helps more people find hope.
👉 Rate us on Apple Podcasts | 👉 Rate on Spotify

PARTNERS

🎙️ Sunburnt Souls is proudly produced by Pretty Podcasts

In this episode of Sunburnt Souls, Dave sits down with his wife, Pastor Jess Quak, to talk candidly about the realities of being a woman in church leadership — and the unique mental health challenges that come with it.

From their early ministry years juggling Bible college, youth ministry, and financial strain, to navigating decades of denominational debates over women in ministry, Jess shares her story with honesty and grace. She unpacks how she has faced pressure, criticism, and double standards while also finding joy, calling, and resilience in God’s faithfulness.

Together, Dave and Jess explore:

• Why women in ministry often face different mental health challenges than men
• The cost of titles, recognition, and denominational barriers
• Stories of resilience, criticism, and moments of deep discouragement
• How spiritual practices anchor Jess when leadership gets tough
• Encouragement for young women stepping into ministry today

Jess’s wisdom, humility, and humour remind us that leadership is not about building our own kingdom but being faithful to the one who called us.

CONNECT

Follow Sunburnt Souls for raw stories of faith, mental health, and hope:
🔗 Facebook | 🔗 YouTube 🔗 Instagram

BRAND NEW ONLINE COURSE!
🧠✨ Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

28 days. $28. A practical, hope-filled course to help you:
✅ Embrace your identity in Jesus
✅ Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
✅ Navigate mental health with honesty and faith
👉 Start your 28-day journey today

💌 Join Our Community

Get weekly encouragement, bonus content, and resources in your inbox:
👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

🙌 Support the Mission

Help us keep creating free, faith-filled mental health content:
👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls

⭐️ Leave a Review

Love this episode? A quick rating or review helps more people find hope.
👉 Rate us on Apple Podcasts | 👉 Rate on Spotify

PARTNERS

🎙️ Sunburnt Souls is proudly produced by Pretty Podcasts

Unlike our usual Sunburnt Souls episodes that dive deep into mental health, this conversation takes a different turn, touching lightly on mental health while delivering an engaging and inspiring focus on faith, leadership, and purpose with Joel A’Bell’s incredible journey.

What happens when you transition from leading thousands at Hillsong to championing a global mission of hope? In this heartfelt Sunburnt Souls episode, Joel A'Bell, Oceania Regional Leader for Convoy of Hope, joins Dave Quak to share his remarkable story. From a life-changing moment at 14 to leading one of Australia’s largest churches, and now driving humanitarian efforts worldwide, Joel offers wisdom for anyone navigating life’s big transitions.

Joel opens up about:

• How a forgotten exemption note at 14 sparked his faith journey
• The unseen emotional weight of megachurch leadership at Hillsong
• Finding harmony with his wife Julia in co-leading ministry
• Why faithfulness to Jesus trumps fame or success
• His current work with Convoy of Hope, empowering communities through disaster relief and children’s feeding programs

Whether you’re leading a church, a business, or your family, Joel’s story offers practical insights and encouragement to keep Jesus at the center and stay faithful through every season. Perfect for anyone seeking purpose with integrity!

Listen now and be inspired!
🌍 Support Convoy of Hope: convoyofhope.org
📧 Connect with us: sunburntsouls.com
💬 Share your thoughts: What’s one lesson from Joel’s journey that hit home for you?

#SunburntSouls #JoelABell #ConvoyOfHope #Hillsong #Faith #Leadership #Humanitarian #ChristianPodcast

CONNECT

Follow Sunburnt Souls for raw stories of faith, mental health, and hope:
🔗 Facebook | 🔗 YouTube 🔗 Instagram

BRAND NEW ONLINE COURSE!
🧠✨ Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

28 days. $28. A practical, hope-filled course to help you:
✅ Embrace your identity in Jesus
✅ Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
✅ Navigate mental health with honesty and faith
👉 Start your 28-day journey today

💌 Join Our Community

Get weekly encouragement, bonus content, and resources in your inbox:
👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

🙌 Support the Mission

Help us keep creating free, faith-filled mental health content:
👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls

⭐️ Leave a Review

Love this episode? A quick rating or review helps more people find hope.
👉 Rate us on Apple Podcasts | 👉 Rate on Spotify

PARTNERS

🎙️ Sunburnt Souls is proudly produced by Pretty Podcasts