Just A Guy In The Pew Podcast

The journey continues as John and Victor dive deeper into the 7 Deadly Sins. This week's focus is Lust, the "disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure" (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], paragraph 2351). According to Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the key word is inordinate. God Himself associated pleasure with the flesh. Pleasure becomes sinful when we use it as a means instead of an end. Lust distorts the gift of sexuality and causes us to gaze only upon ourselves and our desires. What is the remedy? "The only real escape from the demands of the flesh is to find something more than the flesh to love" (Archbishop Fulton Sheen). Scripture passages to pray with: -Matthew 5:28 -1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 -Romans 8:6 -Psalm 51:10-12 In this episode: -Lust is selfish or perverted love -Acknowledging the gift of our sexuality -Chastity,"the successful integration of sexuality within the person" (CCC 2337), is the virtue that combats lust -There is hope! Call on Jesus and His Mother, turn your gaze from yourself to the ones you love, & view temptation as an opportunity to choose the good

Join John and Victor as the Lenten journey continues on the 7 Deadly Sins. This week's focus is Gluttony, or overindulgence of food and drink. How we live and the way we treat ourselves matters. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Scripture passages to pray with: - Romans 12:1 - Romans 13:14 - 1 Corinthians 10:31 - John 4:13-15 - Matthew 6:25 In this episode: - "A Glutton does not eat to live, he lives to eat." ~Archbishop Fulton Sheen - Addressing the places in which we live in excess - Learning to practice temperance (the virtue of moderation)

"Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." Matthew 6:21 Join John and Victor in the Lenten journey on the 7 Deadly Sins this week as they discuss the sin of Greed. Our possessions, time, and talents are gifts from the Lord and how often we allow our attachments to these things to control us and rob us of our joy and living a life of freedom with the Lord. Hoard not the things of the world, but virtue, prayer, time with Him. How do we combat greed? Charity. Generosity. Seeing everything as a gift. "The greedy man is really not rich, but poor. He does not control his money but is controlled by it. He does not possess his wealth but is possessed by it. He may have many things, yet for him he has all too little." ~ St. Anthony of Padua Scripture passages to pray with: -1 Timothy 6:10 -Matthew 6:19-21 -Luke 12:16-34 In this episode: -Letting go of fear and grasping for possessions and turning in trust to the Lord -Not letting our possessions possess us -"Everything is disappointing except the Redemptive Love of our Lord." ~ Archbishop Fulton Sheen -No one can serve two masters...you cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24) BECOME A PARTNER IN THE PEW! www.donorbox.org/pew START A MEN'S GROUP IN YOUR PARISH! www.justaguyinthepew.com JOIN US IN ITALY! rb.gy/ue800 DOWNLOADS Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK

“Run as to Win” - 1 Corinthians 9:24 John and Vic continue their Lenten Series on the 7 Deadly Sins this week by focusing on Sloth. All of us struggle with sloth both physically and spiritually at times in our lives. If we aren’t careful though, giving into comfort and putting down our crosses can lead us far away from the Lord. It doesn’t take long either. Listen in this week as John and Vic discuss the dangers of becoming slothful and share tips on how to run the race as to win. In this Episode You’ll Hear: Thoughts from Archbishop Fulton Sheen on Sloth Christ example as a determined intentional man Parables that Jesus used to convey his warnings about sloth The dangers of a lazy spiritual life How to run as to win BECOME A PARTNER IN THE PEW! www.donorbox.org/pew START A MEN'S GROUP IN YOUR PARISH! www.justaguyinthepew.com JOIN US IN ITALY! rb.gy/ue800 DOWNLOADS Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK

“In your anger do not sin” - Ephesians 4:26 This week John and Victor continue their Lenten Series on the seven deadly sins and how they impede us from being able to "return to God with our whole hearts" ( Joel 2:12). The sin of the week is Anger. Many of us struggle almost daily with anger. Sometimes our anger is just and sometimes it is unjust. So how do you know the difference and if your anger is actually a sin? If your anger is festering and is bad for you then how do you rid yourself of it? Listen into this week’s episode as John and Victor seek to find the answers to dealing with anger in a healthy way and discuss the methods in which we can utilize charity and forgiveness as a remedy for unjust anger. In this episode: John and Vic cover the catechism and Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s definition of anger If anger is really a sin The two types of anger The remedy for unjust anger BECOME A PARTNER IN THE PEW! www.donorbox.org/pew START A MEN'S GROUP IN YOUR PARISH! www.justaguyinthepew.com DOWNLOADS Get a copy of my new eBook, “12 Ways Guys Can Get Closer to Jesus”! JUSTAGUYINTHEPEW.COM/EBOOK JOIN US IN ITALY! rb.gy/ue800

"Envy is the assassination of brotherly love." - Archbishop Fulton Sheen A blessed Lent to you all! This week kicks off a new Lenten Series on the 7 deadly sins from John and Victor. In this week's episode we begin our Lenten journey as John and Victor discuss envy, one of the seven deadly sins that goes unnoticed but can undermine our spiritual health. The guys share their own personal battles with envy, revealing how it has manifested in their lives and the struggles they've faced in overcoming it. They remind us that we are not alone in our imperfections and that envy is something we all struggle with in our lives The two also discuss the transformative power of genuine sacrifice and how true spiritual growth often requires us to give up not just the superficial things but also those deeper attachments, sins, and wounds that keep us from fully embracing God's will. They explore the concept of internal cleansing, drawing a compelling parallel between decluttering our physical spaces and tidying up our inner lives. Grab a seat in the pew and listen in to find out how to offer up your struggles with envy and how to combat it by living a life of gratitude. In this episode you will hear: -The difference between giving up and offering up -What the catechism says about true sacrifice -The deadly sin of envy and how we all struggle with it -How to combat the sin of envy and offer up those struggles to God this Lent -How to clean out your heart and allow God in as your offering this Lent

"The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness." - Pope Benedict XVI You don't have to look around long to see that the world needs Catholics that are willing to boldly live their faith. Unfortunately, many of us can often find ourselves retreating back into the comfort and safety of those like us. While there is nothing wrong with surrounding ourselves with like minded people, we must never close the door to those in need or become uninviting to the unchurched. Jesus never said you are not welcome in my group or at my table and neither should we. Listen in this week as John and Victor discuss the importance of fighting the urge to retreat back into the comfort and safety of the initiated while challenging us to become the missionary disciples we are called to be. It's time to get uncomfortable.   In this episode John and Victor discuss: - The need to return to the mentality of a missionary church -  Fighting the urge to close ourselves off in small groups that aren't welcoming to those in need.  - Running towards the unchurched instead of away from them. - Loving people the way Jesus did

"Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about" We all have had confrontations with strangers, co-workers, and even family and friends that haven't always gone the way we would like. Oftentimes, these interactions can leave us upset and we can move quickly to anger, premature judgments, and resentment towards the other person. As Christians, we are called to be better than that. We are called to love others, to forgive, and to turn the other cheek. While these are not easy things to do in a moment of confrontation, they are the very things that allow us to live out the Gospel in our lives. We just never know the wounds and the battles people are facing at any given time. Listen in this week as John and Victor discuss ways to meet confrontation head on with the love, mercy, and forgiveness Christ commands us to. In this episode John and Victor discuss: -Their personal experiences with out of the blue confrontation and what they learned from it -That we have a choice in how we react to others -Going to scripture to see how Jesus tells us to handle confrontation -What to do when you are blindsided by someone

Join us for a special episode this week as John welcomes his friend Hani for an interview about living as a Christian in the Holy Land. Experiencing the kindness of a pilgrim as a young child, he now devotes his life to leading pilgrims to encounter the person of Jesus Christ and the land in which he lived and ministered. With a passion for connecting the New and Old Testaments, Hani invites us into life in the Holy Land and the gift of leading others to the Lord.

All is gift! Join John and Victor this week as they discuss the power of receiving everything-trials and sufferings included- as a gift from the Lord. As St. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). The Lord desires to use every moment of our lives to draw us back into union with Him. Nothing is wasted! May this year be an opportunity of greater trust, surrender, and freedom in Christ for each of us. In this episode we discuss: -Living joyfully in all things -Receiving every trial and suffering as a way to draw closer to the Lord -The greatest opportunity in life is learning how to love