Matthew Leonard is joined by John Edwards, founder of Just a Guy in the Pew, who shares the story of his journey from addiction and jail to conversion and ministry, and gives deep insights into the power of community in confronting interior and exterior isolation. This is a POWERFUL episode!
🔵 Check out Just a Guy in the Pew to find resources for starting a men's group at your parish: www.justaguyinthepew.com
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🟢 Watch my previous interview with John Edwards here: • Junkies, Jail and Jesu...
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0:00 John Edwards’ story: From drugs and jail to conversion and ministry
11:10 The most pressing problems haunting men
16:00 The mystical importance of relationship
23:47 Why prayer is so crucial
30:00 How to have a life of prayer
34:30 Becoming a disciple
40:00 Engaging men in the church
49:00 Parish groups as a way to grow and help your brothers
58:00 Forgiveness allows you to heal and grow
1:05:00 Understanding your predominant fault and being made whole in Christ
1:11:30 Why we were made to give of ourselves and surrender
1:16:00 About Just a Guy in the Pew, the ministry for men’s groups
About this Episode:
If you had met John Edwards when he was in jail for possession of cocaine, you probably wouldn't have expected him to be changing lives as the leader of the men's group at his parish a few years later - let alone founding a nationwide men's ministry.
But you would have been wrong.
Because God used that experience of hitting rock bottom to redirect John's life onto a completely different trajectory.
The healing and conversion process he underwent led him to want to help other men do the same, and that's how Just a Guy in the Pew was born.
In today's Art of Catholic podcast, John shares stories and insights he's gained from guiding countless men to a deeper relationship with Christ.
But don't think for a second this is an episode only for men.
We hit topics that affect everyone like:
-Shattering the lies we tell ourselves
-Why isolation is the Devil's playground
-The most pressing problem haunting men (Listen up, ladies! You need to hear this.)
-The beautiful power of weakness
-Why community is absolutely essential for men & women
This is a must-listen episode for anyone longing for the deep joy that comes from an intimate relationship with God and the mystical body of Christ.