Just A Guy In The Pew Podcast

Most men don't have a problem admitting that life is hard.

The problem is admitting they can't fix it on their own.

That's exactly where so many of us get stuck.

This week on the Just a Guy in the Pew Podcast, Victor and I continue our Power Made Perfect series by talking about the second step in the process of healing and restoration: Humility.

Humility isn't thinking less of yourself. It's finally seeing yourself truthfully.

It's recognizing where pride, self-reliance, and the need to stay in control have kept you from experiencing the freedom God wants for you.

In this episode we discuss:

🔹Why vulnerability naturally leads to humility.

🔹The difference between humility and shame.

🔹Why pride is often disguised as strength.

🔹How self-reliance quietly keeps us from God's grace.

🔹Why admitting you need help is one of the strongest things you'll ever do.

🔹The truth about your dignity—even in the middle of your struggles.

🔹Five practical steps you can begin taking today to grow in humility and move toward healing.

The reality is this: You cannot heal yourself.

The good news is...you were never meant to.

If you've ever felt exhausted trying to carry everything on your own, this conversation is for you.

Follow this link to order your signed copy of our new book, Power Made Perfect: https://store.justaguyinthepew.com/

Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk where Jesus walked with John 👉https://selectinternationaltours.com/product/pilgrimage-to-the-holy-land-with-john-edwards-and-fr-james-clark/

Launch a Life Changing Group for Men in Your Parish! ⛪️

http://www.justaguyinthepew.com

Become a Partner in the Pew! 🤝

http://www.donorbox.org/pew

DOWNLOADS📚

Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! http://JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK

Most of us have spent our lives believing the same lie:

Real men don't struggle. Real men don't ask for help. Real men keep it all together.

But what if that's exactly what has been keeping us stuck?

This week, Victor is back in the studio as we begin a brand-new seven-part series based on the process of healing and restoration in my new book, Power Made Perfect: Finding True Strength in Christ. In this first episode, we dive into the very first step of the restoration process: vulnerability.

The truth is, vulnerability isn't weakness. It's courage.

It's the moment we stop pretending everything is okay and become honest with God, and ourselves, about where we really are. It's the place where shame begins to lose its grip, where masks begin to fall, and where the journey towards healing and restoration can finally begin.

In this episode we discuss:

🔹Why vulnerability is the birthplace of true strength.

🔹The lies that keep men trapped behind walls and facades.

🔹Why pretending you're "fine" keeps you from freedom.

🔹How vulnerability opens the door to humility, surrender, and lasting restoration.

🔹Why every journey back to God begins with honesty.

If you've been carrying something in silence... if you've convinced yourself that no one could understand... or if you're simply tired of pretending you're okay, this conversation is for you.

Freedom begins the moment we stop hiding.

Follow this link to order your signed copy of our new book, Power Made Perfect: https://store.justaguyinthepew.com/

Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk where Jesus walked with John 👉https://selectinternationaltours.com/product/pilgrimage-to-the-holy-land-with-john-edwards-and-fr-james-clark/

Launch a Life Changing Group for Men in Your Parish! ⛪️

http://www.justaguyinthepew.com

Become a Partner in the Pew! 🤝

http://www.donorbox.org/pew

DOWNLOADS📚

Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! http://JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK

Most Christians love to talk about God's mercy.

Far fewer want to talk about His judgment.

But Jesus spoke about it constantly. Not to scare us, but to prepare us.

In this powerful conversation, John sits down with renowned Catholic author and evangelist Ralph Martin to discuss his new book, The Coming Judgment: Are We Ready? Together they explore why the Church has grown quiet on one of the most important teachings of the Gospel and why recovering it may be essential for our spiritual lives.

This conversation isn't about fear.

It's about hope, repentance, and learning to live every day ready to meet Christ.

In this episode you'll learn:

🔹Why judgment is actually Good News for those who follow Christ.

🔹The danger of presuming upon God's mercy.

🔹The difference between God's justice and His mercy.

🔹What Scripture and the Church really teach about heaven, hell, and purgatory.

🔹How to know whether you're truly following Jesus or simply going through the motions.

🔹Practical ways to prepare your soul beginning today.

As Ralph reminds us throughout the conversation:

Don't be scared. Get ready.

Whether you've been walking with Christ for decades or have drifted far from Him, this episode is a powerful invitation to return to the Lord while there is still time.

"Well done, good and faithful servant." May those be the words every one of us longs to hear.

Check out Ralph's new book: The Coming Judgment: Are We Ready?

https://stpaulcenter.com/store/the-coming-judgment-are-we-ready

Check out more of Ralph's work:

Renewal Ministries: https://www.renewalministries.net/

Emmaus Road Publishing: https://stpaulcenter.com/store

And follow them on social media:

https://www.youtube.com/@RenewalMinistries

https://www.facebook.com/CatholicRenewalMinistries/

https://www.instagram.com/renewalministries/

Follow this link to order your signed copy of our new book, Power Made Perfect: https://store.justaguyinthepew.com/

Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk in the Footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II with John 👉https://selectinternationaltours.com/product/in-the-footsteps-of-st-john-paul-ii-pilgrimage-to-poland-with-john-edwards-and-fr-kacper-wojcieszko/

Launch a Life Changing Group for Men in Your Parish! ⛪️

http://www.justaguyinthepew.com

Become a Partner in the Pew! 🤝

http://www.donorbox.org/pew

DOWNLOADS📚

Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! http://JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK

The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone.

In this heartfelt episode, John steps away from the plans and simply shares what's been on his heart after a powerful night of prayer and adoration. Reflecting on the countless emails, messages, and stories from listeners around the world, he reminds us that the mission of Just a Guy in the Pew has never been about one voice—it has always been about one family walking toward Christ together.

Whether you're carrying addiction, loneliness, a struggling marriage, grief, or simply wondering if anyone sees you, this episode is a reminder that you are not alone.

Together we'll explore:

Why God saves us personally but sanctifies us together.

How isolation is one of the enemy's greatest weapons.

Why authentic Christian brotherhood changes lives.

The beauty of carrying one another's burdens.

How your prayers, encouragement, generosity, and witness are helping rescue souls every day.

Why every believer has a place in God's mission.

This is more than a thank-you. It's an invitation.

To stop walking alone.

To become part of someone else's story.

To remember that the Church is a family—and that no one has to journey to Jesus by themselves.

We're in this together.

Follow this link to order your signed copy of our new book, Power Made Perfect: https://store.justaguyinthepew.com/

Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk in the Footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II with John 👉https://selectinternationaltours.com/product/in-the-footsteps-of-st-john-paul-ii-pilgrimage-to-poland-with-john-edwards-and-fr-kacper-wojcieszko/

Launch a Life Changing Group for Men in Your Parish! ⛪️

http://www.justaguyinthepew.com

Become a Partner in the Pew! 🤝

http://www.donorbox.org/pew

DOWNLOADS📚

Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! http://JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK

Most everyone has felt stuck, that your life would be so much better if everyone else just got on your level one way or another. We know that’s a distraction by the enemy to get you focusing on the speck in your brother’s eye while you walk around with a two-by-four hanging out of your own. But what do we do to finally overcome that? How do we fight against this and win?

Long story short: we can’t on our own power. It’s only the power of Jesus Christ that can lead us to victory.

And that starts with surrendering. It starts when we decide we’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, when we go to God and claim the victory that is ours because it was His, and it was His victory that He won with us in mind and for our sake.

In today’s episode, we’ll talk about:

🔹What the enemy wants us to believe about ourselves

🔹The encouragement St. Paul gives us throughout his letters in the New Testament

🔹Some things that have helped me enter the truth of who I am more deeply that I hope will also ring true in you

God is not somewhere out there. He dwells within you. His power is within you. His victory is your victory. If anything from this episode stays with you, I sincerely hope and pray it’s that, because that’s at the heart of who you are. Not your sins, not your mistakes, but the simple truth that you are the one for whom Jesus died, rose, and conquered the grave.

Follow this link to order your signed copy of our new book, Power Made Perfect: https://store.justaguyinthepew.com/

Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk in the Footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II with John 👉https://selectinternationaltours.com/product/in-the-footsteps-of-st-john-paul-ii-pilgrimage-to-poland-with-john-edwards-and-fr-kacper-wojcieszko/

Launch a Life Changing Group for Men in Your Parish! ⛪️

http://www.justaguyinthepew.com

Become a Partner in the Pew! 🤝

http://www.donorbox.org/pew

DOWNLOADS📚

Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! http://JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK

Most of us were taught how to work hard, provide, and solve problems. But very few of us were ever taught how to truly love, communicate, or lead our families the way Christ calls us to.

That leaves a lot of men frustrated. We work harder, say less, withdraw emotionally, and wonder why our marriages keep drifting further apart.

This week, I sit down with Dr. Greg Popcak, the founder of CatholicCounselors.com and host of EWTN’s More2Life program, to have one of the most practical conversations we've ever had on marriage, fatherhood, communication, and authentic masculine leadership.

In this episode we discuss:

🔹Why leadership and control are not the same thing.

🔹The biggest communication mistakes husbands make.

🔹Why your wife often wants your presence more than your solutions.

🔹How emotional shutdown slowly damages a marriage.

🔹What healthy Catholic counseling looks like.

🔹The surprising habits that help families pass on the faith.

🔹Why your children need to see you pray through life's struggles—not just solve them.

🔹How small daily acts of care can completely change the culture of your home.

🔹Why it's never too late to begin rebuilding trust.

If you've ever felt like you're trying your best but nothing seems to change... or you've wondered how to become the husband and father God is calling you to be... I think this conversation will encourage you.

Check out more of Dr. Popcak's work:

https://catholiccounselors.com/

https://www.ewtn.com/radio/shows/more2life

And follow him on social media:

https://www.instagram.com/catholiccounselors

https://x.com/DrGregandLisa

https://www.facebook.com/DrGregandLisa

Follow this link to order your signed copy of our new book, Power Made Perfect: https://store.justaguyinthepew.com/

Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk in the Footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II with John 👉https://selectinternationaltours.com/product/in-the-footsteps-of-st-john-paul-ii-pilgrimage-to-poland-with-john-edwards-and-fr-kacper-wojcieszko/

Launch a Life Changing Group for Men in Your Parish! ⛪️

http://www.justaguyinthepew.com

Become a Partner in the Pew! 🤝

http://www.donorbox.org/pew

DOWNLOADS📚

Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! http://JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK

Tell me if you’ve ever said something like this before:

“If my boss wasn’t such a jerk, I’d like my job.”

“If my wife would just listen to me, we’d be able to be happy.”

"If only my friends would stop doing x, y, or z, I’d be able to be myself.”

This blame game is a favorite tool of the enemy going all the way back to Eden. As long as we’re focused on what other people aren’t doing right or how they’re hurting us and waiting on them to change, we’re not facing ourselves and becoming the saints we’re called to be.

In this episode, we’re talking about why so many of us feel stuck. The simple answer is that we fall into this trap that says happiness and freedom depend on other people changing their behavior, and that’s not at all the case. We’ll get into:

🔹What stories we tell ourselves about the struggles we face

🔹The responsibility we have to choose our responses to the things that happen to us

🔹Where the search for freedom and happiness truly starts

If we know something someone’s doing isn’t right, of course we hope and pray for a change. But whether or not they do is between them and God, and only God has the power to change their hearts. It does us no good to tie our happiness, our freedom, our calling to what they’re doing. That plays right into the enemy’s hands. If you find yourself in this place, I hope this episode encourages you to chase after the freedom God has for you, no matter what everyone else is doing.

Follow this link to order your signed copy of our new book, Power Made Perfect: https://store.justaguyinthepew.com/

Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk in the Footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II with John 👉https://selectinternationaltours.com/product/in-the-footsteps-of-st-john-paul-ii-pilgrimage-to-poland-with-john-edwards-and-fr-kacper-wojcieszko/

Launch a Life Changing Group for Men in Your Parish! ⛪️

http://www.justaguyinthepew.com

Become a Partner in the Pew! 🤝

http://www.donorbox.org/pew

DOWNLOADS📚

Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! http://JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK

How do you stay true to Christ?

I hear this question so often. People are creatures of habit; when things get difficult, it’s easy for us to go back to our bad habits, our addictions, our sins. As the book of Proverbs says, we so often go back to our sins the way a dog goes back to its vomit. What I’ve discovered in my life is that the key to staying faithful to Christ is to understand the gift that He’s given you.

That’s what we’re talking about in this episode. We’ll get into:

🔹The difference between knowing what the gift is and opening it

🔹The complimentary testimonies of the Apostles who lead the way in understanding the gift

🔹Practical steps to persevere in a transformed life

We all know what it’s like to fail. We know that Jesus isn’t content to leave us in our failure. But growth and faithfulness really comes when we let that knowledge move from the head to the heart. St. John says that we only love because God loved us first. The first step to remaining faithful to Christ is also sometimes the hardest: letting it really sink in that you are His beloved son.

Follow this link to order your signed copy of our new book, Power Made Perfect: https://store.justaguyinthepew.com/

Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk in the Footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II with John 👉https://selectinternationaltours.com/product/in-the-footsteps-of-st-john-paul-ii-pilgrimage-to-poland-with-john-edwards-and-fr-kacper-wojcieszko/

Launch a Life Changing Group for Men in Your Parish! ⛪️

http://www.justaguyinthepew.com

Become a Partner in the Pew! 🤝

http://www.donorbox.org/pew

DOWNLOADS📚

Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! http://JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK

As Catholics, we treat Mary with a particular sense of reverence and honor. But sometimes it’s hard to know how to relate to her, and how to open ourselves up to a relationship with her without feeling like we’re somehow taking time away from her Son.

The truth is that she always brings us closer to Jesus, so the time we spend with her is time spent with Him. That’s what my friend John Heinen, executive director of The Catholic Gentleman, joins us in the pew to talk about. Today, we’re going to talk about:

🔹Mary’s role in our growth in virtue

🔹How to build a deeper relationship to Jesus through Mary

🔹A few concrete things you can do right now to grow closer to Mary, and by necessity her Son.

As John said, Jesus spent 30 years of His life on earth glorifying God through obedience to Mary and Joseph. If Mary is that important to Him, she ought to be for us as well. And if you're worried about giving her too much and God not enough, just remember that no matter how much you love Mary, you’ll never be able to love her more than Jesus does.

And check out more of John's work:

https://catholicgentleman.com/

Follow this link to order your signed copy of our new book, Power Made Perfect: https://store.justaguyinthepew.com/

Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk in the Footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II with John 👉https://selectinternationaltours.com/product/in-the-footsteps-of-st-john-paul-ii-pilgrimage-to-poland-with-john-edwards-and-fr-kacper-wojcieszko/

Launch a Life Changing Group for Men in Your Parish! ⛪️

http://www.justaguyinthepew.com

Become a Partner in the Pew! 🤝

http://www.donorbox.org/pew

DOWNLOADS📚

Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! http://JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK

God did not create us to have a mediocre marriage.

My good friend Paul George, the author of Rethink Happiness and Holy Grit, joins us today to discuss common ways our marriages get put on the back burner and how to make sure that our union is treated like the sacrament that it is.

In this episode we’re talking about:

🔹Different seasons of marriage

🔹How the fall of Adam and Eve contributed to our current relationship weaknesses

🔹How to model what marriage looks like to our kids.

Paul also talks about the things he’s learned in his own marriage, and how he’s helping to build up marriages in his ministries. Whether you’ve been married for years or only a little while, or are in the discernment process, there’s some great wisdom in this episode you don’t want to miss out on.

Follow this link to order your signed copy today: https://store.justaguyinthepew.com/

Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk in the Footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II with John 👉https://selectinternationaltours.com/product/in-the-footsteps-of-st-john-paul-ii-pilgrimage-to-poland-with-john-edwards-and-fr-kacper-wojcieszko/

Launch a Life Changing Group for Men in Your Parish! ⛪️

http://www.justaguyinthepew.com

Become a Partner in the Pew! 🤝

http://www.donorbox.org/pew

DOWNLOADS📚

Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! http://JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK