Podcast

Fr. David Aufiero grew up in a troubled home, and after losing his father and grandmother, he reluctantly met with a local priest to talk through his difficulties. That one conversation led him to become the man he is today.

Fr. David knows well the struggles that men face and that the only way to overcome them is to bring the things we hide in the dark into the light. But it’s hard for men to open up and be vulnerable. How do you even begin to reach a whole parish?

That’s when he came across Just a Guy in The Pew. We were able to provide him with the tools and resources to get started, and even go in person to his parish to help launch this group for men. Now, more than a year later, Fr. David testifies to the positive effects that come from creating a space for men to support and challenge each other to grow in holiness.

Join John and Fr. David this week as they talk about the fruits and transformations they have seen firsthand from developing strong men’s groups.

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We know what the world considers greatness for men; if you’re rich, famous, piling up accolades and running your life on your terms, you’re great in the eyes of the world. As men, we have a deep desire for greatness, but at the end of the day, if we’re not careful, we can look at our lives and think, “Man, my life is kind of irrelevant.”

Now, God bless the guys who can achieve those things. But the Church looks at that and says, “That’s good, but it’s not true greatness. That’s not what is celebrated in Heaven for eternity.” True greatness looks like Jesus, taking the position of a slave, emptying Himself on a cross so that we might have eternal life.

Join John and his guest, Renewal Ministries executive vice president Peter Herbeck, as they talk about how to pursue the greatness God values.

And be sure to check out Renewal Ministries and the awesome ways they’re helping folks pursue true greatness. https://www.renewalministries.net/

Learn more about our pilgrimage to Greece & Turkey

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If you’ve ever been to a Christian conference or a really inspiring parish mission, you might’ve had a moment of encounter that set you on fire for Jesus, only to grow discouraged a little while later when you don’t see progress in your spiritual life right away. We’ve had that experience too, but it’s not always the way God works. It’s what we’ve grown to expect in our culture. Think of it this way: The device you’re using to watch or listen to this can find information for us that would’ve taken hours to do only a decade or two ago. The devil loves to lean into the discouragement that comes from expecting instant growth. It’s a slow process, and it’s easy to forget how beautiful this long process of spiritual growth is.

Join us in the pew today as John tells us how to play the spiritual long game.

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Here’s something you can count on: When you step away from the world, the flesh, and the devil, they’re going to want you back. We just finished our series on True Transformation, and the sort of radical changes to our lives that happen when we grow closer to the Holy Spirit through fasting, prayer, and the Sacraments. Those changes are sure to draw the enemy’s attention. Our growth in holiness angers the devil, and he’ll do whatever he can to try and slip you up. But no matter how hard he might try, we don’t need to fear him or anything he throws at us. The truth is that the devil has no authority over us — unless we give it to him.

Join John and Victor in the pew this week as they talk about the realities of spiritual warfare and how to avoid dancing with the devil.

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The Holy Spirit is at the heart of everything we’ve talked about so far in this True Transformation series. It’s the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength to fast, the desire to pray, and every grace that flows from the Sacraments. And yet, when we decide we want to make a change and seek to be transformed by God, we so often try to take it all on ourselves, and we can become self-reliant. Jesus didn’t want that for us; He told us He’d send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to give us the power and peace that we need — if we let Him.

Join John and Victor as they talk about the ways in which the Holy Spirit has ushered true transformation into their lives, and how you can do the same.

Learn more about our pilgrimage to Greece & Turkey

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Over the last few episodes John and Victor have been discussing the habits we need to build, and the gifts of the Church we need to engage in to find true, lasting transformation in our lives. This week we turn our attention to the most effective way to receive God’s grace in our lives: the Sacraments.  The Sacraments are an outward sign of God’s grace and they are crucial to maintaining the transformation we desire.  They are gifts that Jesus died for us to receive. They are available to us each and everyday. The question is, do we make ourselves available to them?

Grab a seat in the pew with John and Victor as they dive into the Sacraments, discuss how they have provided sustained transformation in both of their lives, and how they have the power to do the same for you.

Learn more about our pilgrimage to Greece & Turkey

Transcript coming soon!