Plus: What we can learn from Taylor Swifts leaked text messages, revisiting Michael Jackson's music, and Archbishop Fulton Sheen finally gets his due.

Every year there is a Super Bowl. 

Every year there is a half time show. 

For the past ten years, they have basically all sucked except for Justin Timberlake, and The Weekend.

But, as time goes on, everyone becomes more and more divided, and culture continues to spiral, everything begins to feel like a giant magnet for outrage, fighting, and yelling. 

Enter the Half Time Debacle of 2026. If you didn’t like Bad Bunny’s show, you’re a racist. If you weren’t into Turning Point USA’s half time show, you’re not a good Christian. 

So, here is my question. Is it possible to get to some truth? Is it possible to plant our feet on the ground, quit yelling, and try to figure out what God cares about when it comes to our culture. 

Is this important? YES!!! The culture is the water we swim in. If it’s poison, we will be poisoned. 

So let’s dive in. 

I asked you, my audience what you thought about the half time shows, and your answers were all over the place. 

While I am not a middle of the road person, and I don’t always think “both sides have a point.” There were some things that were positive about Bad Bunny’s half time show, basically ALMOST everything but him. And it was a very good thing that TP USA pushed back against the NFL and Apple Music even if I’m not Kid Rock fan. 

God has something to say here! So let’s dive in.

Also in this episode:

Can Taylor Swift’s leaked texts messages challenge you to be a better person? You better believe it. 

One of my favorite Catholics is finally getting beatified!!! Archbishop Fulton Sheen, thank you for how you lived for your savior and made the world a much better place because of it. 

And last but certainly not least. If you would like to financially support the show, that is now and option to you, and I would be so grateful if you did! For $8 dollars a month, you can help free up some of my time to write bible studies, podcast episode reflections, and start audience conversations. Interested? Become a paid subscriber on my Substack page. 

If you want to dive into my other work you can purchase my book Rekindled, or one of my Bible Studies.

Also, if you need a refresher on the Gospel message, check out the first episode of this podcast.

Did this episode speak to you? Please share it with a friend so we can grow the show!

Also, if you would like me to speak at one of your events, email me at [email protected]

I’m starting with the woman in the mirror today, thanks Michael Jackson for hte reminder,

Mallory Smyth

Personality Types based on Scripture, plus a glance back at 2016 and a connection between Mark's Gospel and Psalm 23.

Since we’ve all decided that 2026 is the new 2016, what personality test was most popular back then? Was it the Myers-Briggs? The Enneagram? My personal favorite, the DISC? 

Regardless of what it was, most of us know our Myers-Briggs letters and our Enneagram numbers. For better or worse, we want to know who we are and why we act the way we do. 

But, what are those personality tests based on? Because the best way to understand how we were made is to consult the One who made us. 

Enter Kristy Malik. She and her business partner, Thomas Kavanaugh, are the founders of Jonah Company. They want you to know specifically what it means for YOU that you were made in God’s Image. And so, they launched a website, a book, and a personality test based on the scriptures and Christianity’s eternal truths. 

During this podcast, Kristy and I discuss her journey back to Jesus, why she and Thomas started Transcendental Types, and how their content can help you to understand who God made you to be. 

Make sure you connect with them at their: 

• Website for the free ebook and free t-type quiz: transcendentaltypes.com

• Instagram: transcendentaltypes

• Facebook: transcendentaltypes

• Kristy’s personal website: kristymalik.com

AND if you want to take there full assessment use code: gospelandfans for 50% off of $25. 

Also in this episode:

• What I learned from reading the Bible on my own this week

• How 2016 served as a second conversion for me when I visited Italy.

  
  

If you want to dive into my other work you can purchase my book Rekindled, or one of my Bible Studies.

Also, if you need a refresher on the Gospel message, check out the first episode of this podcast.

Did this episode speak to you? Please share it with a friend so we can grow the show!

Also, if you would like me to speak at one of your events, email me at [email protected]

Headed to find out if I am Truth, Beauty, Goodness, or Unity,

Mallory Smyth

Also, my SEEK 2026 recap, a new food pyramid, Knives Out perfect portrayal of God's forgiveness, and Only Fans provocateur Lily Phillips gets baptized.

Happy 2026 everyone! If you already feel like the year is crazy, that’s because it is! 

World events are unfolding at the speed of light, and the stores are putting out…wait for it… EASTER stuff. We’ve barely had a snow in Denver meanwhile, Target wants me to plant my spring garden, and rush through Valentine’s Day and get to Easter. 

I say NO! Absolutely not. We were not made to move this fast and I won’t do it. 

Which brings me to today’s topic. 

While you are making plans, and thinking up New Year’s Resolutions, I would like to offer you another idea.

This year become someone who can just pick up the Bible and read it. If you are in a Bible Study, AWESOME! Keep doing it. I always link Walking with Purpose Bible Studies because I wrote some of them and think they are life changing. 

That said, while Bible Study did change my life (I’m looking at you Beth Moore), it’s really what it led me to do, pick up the Bible on my own, that enabled me to genuinely hear God talking to ME through His word. 

He wants to do the same for you. 

Many people are intimidated by the Bible, but once you get familiar it’s really not that scary and as you read through it on your own, certain verses will stick out and become bastions of truth for your life that you will return to repeatedly. In His Holy Spirit filled pages, God will tell you who you who you are, who He is, and give you what you need to fight the devil and discouragement in this very fraught life. 

So, dive in with me today! 

We will talk about John the Baptist and where He got His identity. I will also share with you some verses that have sustained me over the years!

We will also chat a bit about RJK Jr.’s new food pyramid, Millenial cultural staple Spencer Pratt and his announcement that he is running for the mayor of Los Angelos, the new Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man, and Lily Philips baptism. 

I’m so glad you are here! Buckle up, it’s going to be one hell of a year.

If you want to dive into my other work you can purchase my book Rekindled, or one of my Bible Studies.

Also, if you need a refresher on the Gospel message, check out the first episode of this podcast.

Did this episode speak to you? Please share it with a friend so we can grow the show!

Also, if you would like me to speak at one of your events, email me at [email protected]

Putting down my phone so I can pick up my Bible,

Mallory Smyth

If you spend any amount of time on the internet at all, you are most likely aware of the hurricane of drama surrounding Candace Owen’s, Turning Point USA, and Erika Kirk. 

For months, Candace Owens has been diving into the details of Charlie Kirk’s assignation. Everyday millions of people tune into to listen to her ask questions, and make connections that no one else seems to be asking. She is good at it, and entertaining as hell. 

But for those who hoped the tension between Candace and the rest of the conservative movement by way of TPUSA would cool down, their hopes were dashed on Wednesday when Erika Kirk finally addressed Candace’s theories and behavior. It seems now, like we are just getting started, so buckle up. 

I have been a Candace fan for what feels like an eternity. I have always admired her courage and ability to go up against any one. I have followed her down many rabbit holes, and through hours upon hours of different series. 

Recently, however, I had to break up with Candace. In this episode of “The Gospel &…” I talk about why. It IS possible to go too far, and while she can do what she wants, we as media consumers have a responsibility to discern well not only the information we consume, but the spirit of those we follow. 

Whether you like or dislike Candace, or whether you don’t care at all, the Gospel has something to teach us in this topic! 

If you want to get my full take on the Meghan Markle situation, check out this earlier episode of the podcast. 

If you want to dive into my other work you can purchase my book Rekindled, or one of my Bible Studies.

Also, if you need a refresher on the Gospel message, check out the first episode of this podcast.

Did this episode speak to you? Please share it with a friend so we can grow the show!

Also, if you would like me to speak at one of your events, email me at [email protected]

Wishing Charlie’s assignation never happened,

Mallory Smyth

It’s not uncommon for me to get my kids to bed and then feel like I can’t even move. And I KNOW I’m not alone because I talk to women all the time who tell me the same thing. 

They are just so tired by the end of the day that all they can bring themselves to do is scroll on their phone, which doesn’t help them feel rested, only more frazzled. 

Well, I’ve been struggling with this for a while. With young children, a part time job, and thinking I can “do it all,” I’ve not only not been “doing it all,” but I’ve been exhausted, discouraged, and resentful. Basically, I’ve not been in a good place mentally, or spiritually. 

SO, noticing this I’ve done two things: prayed about it, and FINALLY decided to change some things. So here is my reflection on what the Gospel has to say about why we are all so exhausted and some ideas that might help you find a bit of refreshment. 

Also in this episode:

I’m SELLING you something! Emily Stimpson Chapman is a prolific writer and a gifted gatherer, as I will call her. She has a wonderful take on hospitality and just released a cookbook, “Around the Catholic Table.” Don’t forget to pick it up in time for the Holidays. 

If you want to dive into my other work you can purchase my book Rekindled, or one of my Bible Studies.

Also, if you need a refresher on the Gospel message, check out the first episode of this podcast.

Did this episode speak to you? Please share it with a friend so we can grow the show!

Also, if you would like me to speak at one of your events, email me at [email protected]

FINALLY finding some rest and delight,

Mallory Smyth

Also: What is Christian Forgiveness? And the character missing from The Gilded Age.

If you are a parent, you have definitely heard of it by now. If you are not a parent, you have definitely heard of it by now. 

KPOP Demon Hunters is the most popular Netflix film of all time with 236 million views. Unreal. 

My kids watched it at a friend’s house over the summer, and of course, I didn’t like the idea of them watching something about demons. But, the more I heard about it, and the more the songs haunted me in my dreams, the more I felt I needed to watch it and so I did. 

I must admit, that as far as children’s media goes, I liked it. It’s not a Christian movie, and it certainly wasn’t created by people with a Christian world view, but the plot points are an excellent spring board for us to reflect on our own understanding of evil, and to talk to our kids about what in the film aligns with Christianity and what doesn't.

So, dive into the world of KPOP with me today, because yes, even thought I am no fan of Asian animation whatsoever, the Gospel exist even here and if we pay attention, we can learn something. 

Also in this episode, Erika Kirk forgave Charlie Kirk’s murder in front of 200 thousand people and 100 million streamers. It was unspeakably beautiful. But what exactly is Christian forgiveness, and how can we be better about forgiveness in our own lives?

Whether you saw KPOP Demon Hunters or not, I promise you will get something out of this episode. 

If you want to dive into my other work you can purchase my book Rekindled, or one of my Bible Studies.

Also, if you need a refresher on the Gospel message, check out the first episode of this podcast.

Did this episode speak to you? Please share it with a friend so we can grow the show!

Also, if you would like me to speak at one of your events, email me at [email protected]

Hoping to get these KPOP songs out of my head,

Mallory Smyth

It has been a tough week to be an American. Most of us were traumatized when multiple murders just showed up on our feeds before we could avoid seeing them, especially the assassination of Charlie Kirk. 

And if that wasn’t bad enough, we can’t seem to stop hating each other. National tragedies used to bring us together in unity. Today, it seems like unity is a thing of that past, at least for now. 

BUT! Amid such tragedy, chaos, and so many screaming voices, something remarkable happened this weekend. Thousands, if not millions, of people decided to go back to church for the first time in many years. 

Please hear my message loud and clear. Whether you are faith curious and feel pulled to church but are nervous, or whether you are a regular church goer who wants to go deeper, COME AS YOU ARE. 

In this episode, I reflect on my own journey back to faith. By now I have told it enough times to stream line it and make it sound like it was seamless. It wasn’t. 

I remember the first time I want back to church: a Protestant church, not even the Catholic mass with which I was familiar. I was nervous, unsure if I would feel like I belonged. 

I remember my unfamiliarity with the Bible, my questions, the many many times I just fell of the behavior wagon, and the moments of break through until I finally realized that I was never leaving Jesus again. 

I hope you will join me for this reflection. I hope it gives you hope, and offers you insight into what God has done and is doing in your own life!

If you want to dive into my other work you can purchase my book Rekindled, or one of my Bible Studies.

Also, if you need a refresher on the Gospel message, check out the first episode of this podcast.

If you are interested in diving into the French Revolution, here are the lectures. 

Did this episode speak to you? Please share it with a friend so we can grow the show!

Also, if you would like me to speak at one of your events, email me at [email protected]

Praying for the Kirks, against violence, and for our nation,

Mallory Smyth

I woke up yesterday excited to restart the podcast for the school year. I thought I would start with a light and fun topic, but by the end of the day, I knew that would be inappropriate. We have spiritual work to do. 

Like all of you I watched the Minnesota shooting unfold in horror. I also saw the video of Iryna the Ukrainian refugee get stabbed and the image still hasn’t left me. Not only did I see my daughters in that scenario, I saw myself. I would have done EXACTLY what she did in that situation. Why didn’t anyone help her?

These two unspeakable tragedies are too many, but as we all know that tragic news didn’t stop there. As I was walking upstairs to film a video asking people on social media to pray with me, my husband told me Charlie Kirk has been shot (he later passed away). After I filmed the video I learned that there was another school shooting in Evergreen. 

How does the human heart process such tragedy and death? How do we make sense of it? How did we get here?

Today’s podcast had no script. These are thoughts I have been processing for a long time and if I’m honest, this is a bit of an off the cuff rant. Therefore, there will be more filler words and it will definitely feel more “stream of consciousness,” than my other ones. 

My hope, however, is to offer you a different take. Mental illness is a real thing, but what we aren’t discussing is a spiritual problem first and foremost. Whether we as a society believe in God or not, does not change that fact that He and the devil exist. He loves us and wants us to walk in His ways so that we can experience abundant life. The enemy wants to steal, kill and destroy us. It is time for us to open the eyes to the reality we live in and stop flirting with evil personally, and as a society. 

Join me as we dive into scripture, talk about this valley of tears, but then also rediscover the unfathomable power of the cross. Because in the end, death will be defeated, and God will win. In the mean time, He longs for us to return to Him with our whole hearts. 

If you want to dive into my other work you can purchase my book Rekindled, or one of my Bible Studies.

Also, if you need a refresher on the Gospel message, check out the first episode of this podcast.

Did this episode speak to you? Please share it with a friend so we can grow the show!

Also, if you would like me to speak at one of your events, email me at [email protected]

Grieving with you,

Mallory Smyth

Whether or not you are a Billy Joel fan is probably a coin flip. 

Regardless, the new HBO Plus documentary about his life and career, “And So It Goes,” is worth the watch. Seriously, if I could, I would give everyone my Amazon Prime log in so you could all go watch it. Even still, a month’s subscription to HBO Plus would be worth it because there is so much depth, history, nostalgia, and entertainment that comes through during the five hours in which Billy and the people who have loved him talk about his life. 

Billy Joel has been a household name in the music industry for fifty years, and during that time he has achieved the American Dream of fame and fortune. His music is well loved and unceasingly played, and yet, throughout the documentary, we meet an accomplished man who has struggled, and still claims to be searching. 

In this podcast, we will dive into what Billy says about his own life, what his loved one’s say, and how the Gospel is just BURSTING through. Billy is a well known secularist with a fraught relationship to religion. Yet, it might be that good ole time religion that he wrote about too much for a non believer, that might give me the rest and peace he wants. 

You don’t want to miss this episode, if only that my deep love for this man and his music ignites a passion in me that I know comes through on the microphone. 

If you want to dive into my other work you can purchase my book Rekindled, or one of my Bible Studies.

If you want to check out my favorite podcast of the summer, its called “Heaven Meets Earth”

Also, if you need a refresher on the Gospel message, check out the first episode of this podcast.

Did this episode speak to you? Please share it with a friend so we can grow the show!

Finally, if you would like me to speak at one of your events, email me at [email protected]

Keeping the Faith,

Mallory Smyth

Is marriage and family worth having today? Many Zoomers, and Millenials are choosing to opt out. Marriage is often seen as a something likely to end badly, and kids are often seen as a barrier to freedom. 

Joseph and Crystal Gruber, however, are on a mission to tell a different story. After spending many years serving the Church as FOCUS missionaries, Joseph and Crystal are now running their own marriage ministry in the midst of raising seven children. 

When they got married, they were excited for life to be an adventure. It definitely is an adventure, but not the one they thought it would be. 

In our conversation, Joseph shares genuine wisdom that the world, in all its desire for comfort, glamour, and ease, has left behind. I hope you will listen to all of it as we talked about Joseph’s faith journey, he and Crystal’s unique family life, and how they teach married couples to take practical steps to get better at being married and enjoy the great gift of married life.

I promise, you will get great nuggets from the entire conversation!

If you want to follow Joseph, Crystal, and what they are doing you can connect with them: 

Attend their upcoming workshop: Speech Creates Our World

Listen to their podcasts: Love Your Marriage and A Word From Our Outpost

Email them at: [email protected]

If you want to dive into my other work you can purchase my book Rekindled, or one of my Bible Studies.

Also, if you need a refresher on the Gospel message, check out the first episode of this podcast.

Did this episode speak to you? Please share it with a friend so we can grow the show!

Also, if you would like me to speak at one of your events, email me at [email protected]

Working on being a better wife,

Mallory Smyth