Better Preach

Description

I want to share today about the surprising way God taught me, perhaps the most important lesson I’d ever learn about the call and ministry of speaking to Catholic audiences.  It wasn’t the lesson I was looking for but it was a lesson that was on the lookout for me…something i really needed even though

We’ve talked about this principle in a variety of ways throughout the podcast so far and I’m excited to share the unique way God planted this truth in my heart. 

Let me know what you think about this particular format and approach. 

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join Ryan’s email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

Today and for the next few weeks, we are taking a step back and trying something new. If you’ve been listening to this podcast you know that I often ask my guests to share stories from their worst talk or their first talk.  It’s been a really fun question to ask.  And today I want to share the three lessons I learned from one of my WORST FIRST talks - like many have shared my first big talk was one of my worst talks - so I’m combining the two! 

Also looking back, like many have shared in the podcast, the lessons I learned from that experience made a huge impression on me going forward and still impact me to this day.

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join Ryan’s email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

This week we are doing something a little bit different! When I interviewed Br. Sam Gunn, from the Brotherhood of Hope, last week, we got into a great conversation about his answer to my question: “Why be a Brother and Not a Priest?”

And in classic Brother Sam fashion he turned it right back around on me. I think what we discuss in these 10-12 min are a really important part of the full beautiful picture of what Catholicism presents to the world.

So, if you have ever wondered “why would a man choose celibacy, being a brother and not become a Priest?” - well, you’re in good company.

If you want to learn more about Bro Sam and the Brotherhood of Hope connect with them online at brotherhoodofhope.org

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites.

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook

Join Ryan’s email list.

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

Do you have ‘canned’ talks? Like talks that you give over and over to different audiences?  I know I do. In fact, that talk that I mentioned just a minute ago “Everyday Apostles” is probably the single talk I’ve given the most.  

In my conversation with Brother Sam Gunn of the Brotherhood of Hope, he challenged me and all of us to not just pull the same concepts out of “back pocket.” but to approach each new time you give that talk for what it is: new day, new event and most importantly new people.  You see the ‘back pocket’ for Bro Sam is shorthand for ‘self reliance’ and in our convo he shares many different ways to approach the same talk you’ve given many times with fresh eyes. 

Brother Sam Gunn is a popular Catholic speaker and the author of the 99 Day Novena, an image-based approach to hearing and responding to God's voice. Drawing on 30 years of walking with college students and young adults, Brother Sam combines artistic creativity with traditional spirituality to help young people open up a lively conversation with their Lord and God who always has good things to say. Brother Sam is a member of the Brotherhood of Hope and currently serves as Director of Mission Content for SPO. 

If you want to learn more about Bro Sam and the Brotherhood of Hope connect with them online at brotherhoodofhope.org

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join Ryan’s email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

What motivates you to speak to Catholic audiences?  Is it part of a job?  A calling or gifting?  Would you do it for free?  Do it for fun?  

In today’s episode my guest, Connor Flanagan, asks me straight up: Do I write talks for fun? And after stammering a bit, and being caught off guard I realized he was onto something.  Do I love the craft, the art and science of sharing about Jesus, do I love the people I am speaking to - Is SPEAKING to CATHOLIC AUDIENCES simply a means to an end (a paycheck, a line in a job description) - OR IS IT SOMETHING that is worthy of my best effort - even if I was speaking to an audience of one?  Is it something I work on because God gave the gift and I want to always give God and others my absolute best OR am I tempted to mail it in, share the minimum viable product and move on?

Connor Flanagan is a hip-hop artist passionate about encouraging others to step into God’s dream for their life. In a world where people are crippled by fear, scared of the unknown, and longing for purpose; Connor desires for his career to serve as a witness of what can happen when you don’t settle for what the world offers, and instead allow God to breath life into your gifts. From a small farm in Richfield, OH (where he performed multiple “back-deck” lip sync concerts with his siblings) to opening for David Crowder and having two records debut in the top 10 on the iTunes chart; Connor knows first hand the hard work, hustle & unshakeable faith it takes to step out and pursue a career in music.

Over the past 5 years, Connor has been working side by side with DJ/producer Ric Robbins (who has worked with DC Talk, Grits, Kelly Clarkson) to make music that adequately expresses the joy that he has found in & through Jesus. 

If you want to learn more about Connor or connect with him online - check out connorflanaganmusic.com or @connoflanaganmusic on Instagram or TikTok. 

And for a an audio-visual explosion check out the DJ/Video mentioned in the episode: Ben Bohmer live in Cappadocia over Turkey. 

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join Ryan’s email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

Where does my authority as a speaker come from?  Experience? Education? Certainly those influence my ability to speak confidently and accurately about my subject matter.  But is there something deeper - something embedded into the very fabric of who I am as a son or daughter of God and my unique sphere of influence? 

Well, in my conversation today with Jason Simon, zero punches were pulled. And he goes right for the jugular, to use one of his phrases from the podcast, on this really important issue of “authority” in preaching and teaching in the Church.   

Jason Simon is the President of The Evangelical Catholic (EC).Under his leadership, since 2007, the EC has experienced consistent expansion by equipping local Catholic leaders to not only be disciples, but disciple-makers. Jason has an MDiv from the University of Notre Dame and lives in Madison, Wisconsin with his wife, Grace, and six children.

Register for “Priests for an Apostolic Age: Conference for Priests and Deacons” at this website

And to learn more about Jason and the Evangelical Catholic, click here: evangelicalcatholic.org

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join Ryan’s email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

When I set out to do this podcast, one of the questions I was really eager to answer was: How do the strongest communicators PRACTICE their talks? And honestly except for a few different ideas here and there - it seems like people mostly don’t practice talks from start to finish.  And there are a lot of reasons for that - they often give the same talk over and over, they practice particular bits of their talks, they practice the opener and closer, but improvise a bit more based on a structure in between.  

But in my conversation with Dave Rinaldi today, I got the first really satisfying and challenging answer to this question.  He has a very particular approach that will, I think, challenge and surprise you.  We get into towards the end, so buckle up!  We’re going for a fun ride together. 

David Rinaldi is the Vice President of Mission for NET Ministries. He trains and equips NET's missionaries to bring the Gospel to 100,000 people each year. David has 20 years of ministry experience with youth and young adults and has given over 1,500 presentations to a variety of audiences and has never been run out of town. Yet. 

Please connect with David at his website catholicspeaker.org

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join Ryan’s email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

Christianity could’ve been about making a trip to outer space to search out, grope in the dark, and hope to find a God who loves us - far away from our actual lives, but in reality - the truth is - God came right to us - right into the actual mess of our lives.  

And this is where we pick up today with the inimitable Chris Padgett.  We talk about all sorts of things,  but a theme emerges throughout. In the speaker and in the audience - BE WHO YOU ARE - drop our false pretenses, get real and welcome God where he most wants to go - right into our messy lives.   

Chris Padgett is a brilliant speaker, musician, and author who has traveled around the world for over two decades giving concerts, talks, parish missions and retreats to all ages about the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. A convert to Catholicism, he has an MA in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville.  Chris has published numerous books and articles, and has been involved in video, television and radio for many years. He and his wife, Linda, have been married over 27 years and have nine children. The Padgetts live in Central New York in a nine sided home with a donkey, goats, chickens, and too many rabbits. 

Please connect with Chris and subscribe to his email list at chrispadgett.com

And check out the books he recommended at the end of the episode

The Roundhouse by Louise Erdrich - Amazon Link

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger - Amazon Link 

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger - Amazon Link 

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel - Amazon Link 

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join Ryan’s email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

It says in John 4:32 that Jesus’ food and drink is to “do the will of the one who sent me.” The one who sent him was God the Father. In my lifetime in Catholic speaking and teaching, there’s always been less of an emphasis on the first person of the trinity, God the Father. Jesus has had the spotlight, and occasionally you hear people preach and teach on the HS, especially if you are in charismatic circles, like I am.

But have you noticed, though, in the last handful of years that’s been changing. More and more people are speaking, teaching, and preaching on God the Father, and by association, who we are as sons and daughters of God. I love this move, especially as an adoptive parent myself and one who has struggled with the experience of fatherlessness in my own life. I need and the world needs so badly to know the perfect Fatherhood of God.

And in my conversation today with Brett Powell, God the Father, his words, his actions, his promptings moved right to the center of the conversation.

Brett Powell has been a leader in the new evangelization for the past 30 years serving in various roles - as a parish youth minister, campus missionary, as a senior executive with Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO) Canada and currently as the Archbishop’s Delegate for Ministries and Development in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. He has a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Royal Roads and has been a leadership coach/consultant in the Church and corporate world for several years working with Executives, Priests, Bishops and lay leaders. Brett and his wife Andrea are high school sweethearts and the proud parents of 8 children and 2 grandchildren.

Please connect with Brett and subscribe to his email list at brettpowell.org

And check out his podcast with Jake Khym “The Way of the Heart”, wherever you find podcasts!

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites.

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook

Join Ryan’s email list.

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

What does preaching look like in it’s simplest form?  I’d say if you boil it all down, it’s just two things - a person with a bible, but not just a person reading from the scriptures, but someone with the bible open having dug deep into the words, coming up for air, and sharing what they’ve discovered, uncovering it’s meaning, inspiration, and the application of the divine words to our lives.  This beautiful gift has to flow from a living relationship with God -  the one who gave us the incredible gift of this LIVING WORD in the first place.  

On the podcast this week, I’m sitting down with Rachel Herbeck, who shares her very simple, but powerful approach to preparing for talks.   It’s do-able and convicting, humble and challenging, ordinary and holy.  I can’t wait for you to check it out!

Rachel Herbeck is a lover of Jesus, good food, and finding the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. She currently resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she serves as the Director of Communities for Intentional Disciples, a young adult outreach of Renewal Ministries. Most importantly, she is the favorite aunt to 10 nieces and nephews!

Please connect with Rachel on Instagram @rherbeck or @intentionaldisciples

And learn more about her work with ID at intentionaldisciples.com or renewalministries.net

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites. 

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook 

Join Ryan’s email list.  

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.