THIS CONTENT IS INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES. PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED.

The topic of conversation between Jason Evert and Chris Stefanick is about the dangers of pornography along with resources and practical tips on overcoming this addiction. More resources are available at Jason Evert's website chastity.com

Way to go, everyone! We got through Lent and made it to Easter!

So… what happens now?

(And I don’t mean trading fish and fasting for chocolate and jelly beans.)
You see, we’re not going back to our normal lives again. Because Jesus has RISEN from the dead.

And that’s shocking news.

Sounds like I’m overreacting? Think about it. Our world is obsessed with death. We do whatever we can to avoid it. But we can’t control the fact we’re going to die. Yet God became a man who died and then defeated death itself by rising to new life. Like… WHAT!?!

The story of Easter literally changed the entire world. And it literally changes YOUR story too.

So let’s talk about the Resurrection with fresh eyes, so you can see what it means for you right now. Because if you want to live an authentic, joyful Catholic life, you gotta start right here at the core.

We all know the Bible says to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

But here’s the funny thing: We’re usually better at loving our neighbor than loving ourselves!

Sure, we all get a little down on ourselves sometimes. But God doesn’t want you to constantly focus on what’s wrong with yourself. He wants you to love yourself – and He’s better at affirmation than anyone else!

So, if you want the joy that comes from replacing your negative self-talk with God’s Word, then this may be the most important thing you listen to all week!

A while back, I had Jim Beckman on the show, and we talked about healing from abuse.

And… wow. We got so much heartfelt feedback. (Seriously, you guys are the best.)

But a lot of you asked about hearing this from a woman’s perspective.

So, I talked to my wife, Natalie, and she agreed to come on the show and tell her story.

What you’re going to hear is a story that touched our marriage specifically. But I hope our own journey of hope and healing will give you strength in your own journey too.

If you want to know what raw faith and redemption look like in a Catholic life, this episode is for you.

We always say that conversion is a possibility for anyone. But it can be tempting to think that there’s no hope for some people.

Dr. Joseph Pearce used to be one of those people. He used to be a white supremacist neo-Nazi, and even spent time in prison.

Now?

He’s one of the top Catholic intellectuals in the world, with works on Lewis, Tolkien, Shakespeare, Belloc, and more! He also has served as an editor for the Augustine Institute, the Imaginative Conservative, and other intellectual publications.

All of this was possible because Dr. Pearce accepted the love and forgiveness of Christ. In this episode, you’ll hear about his conversion and learn:

- What initially attracted him to white supremacy
- How God rescued him from racism
- How to have a cultural identity without being hateful

And more!

We can all use some hope. Lucky for us, Pope Benedict XVI wrote a whole encyclical about it.

So in honor of his recent passing, we’re going to explore what this great pope said about the virtue of hope.

And to do that, we’re joined by Fr. Brian Larkin, who is a priest in the Archdiocese of Denver. Not only is Fr. Brian really smart, but he can also take Pope Benedict’s deep teaching and break it down into bits we can all digest.

If you’ve been inspired by Pope Benedict and want to learn more about him, then you’re in for a treat!

Vulnerability.

Sounds like weakness, doesn’t it? Because you’re opening up the wounded parts of yourself to people.

But God can create such incredible good out of your brokenness. He even says in the Bible, “My power is made PERFECT in your weakness.”

So this week we’re talking to John Edwards again, because he knows all about vulnerability. His life’s been full of it – converting back to Christ while in prison, learning to be more open with his wife and kids, and starting a men’s ministry from scratch.

If you want to find the true JOY we’re all looking for, it takes vulnerability. But don’t fear! John and I are here to explain what authentic (and life-giving) vulnerability looks like.

We live in a world where anything goes, but nothing is forgiven. (We even have a new word for it: “cancel culture.”)

Amazingly, a lot of Christians (even Catholics) believe there are people out there who shouldn’t be forgiven.

So in this episode, we reflect on:

If you’re struggling to forgive someone else or even yourself, you’ll take away a lot from this episode.

What is salvation?

If we get anything right in our faith, it should be this. And yet, most Catholics don’t have a clear idea of what salvation means. Especially when a non-Catholic challenges them with the question “Are you saved?”

In this episode, Dr. Michael Barber unpacks the Church’s teaching on salvation: what it IS and what it ISN’T.

So the next time someone asks you “Are you saved?” you’ll know exactly how to give them the Catholic answer!

Nobody likes a grumpy saint.

You could be the most pious person walking the face of the Earth. But if you're a spiritual curmudgeon, then you’re kinda missing the whole point.

Because God wants you to HAVE FUN!

Like St. Teresa of Avila once said, “A sad nun is a bad nun.”

So in this episode, we talk about how fun fits into the spiritual life: