Just A Guy In The Pew Podcast

It’s easy to follow Jesus when everything is good. It’s much harder to stay with Him when He is suffering. The question is simple but challenging: will you stay with Him, or will you move on to what’s more comfortable? John walks through the reality of Holy Week and why so many of us are tempted to skip past the cross on our way to Easter. This is an invitation to do more than go through the motions. It is a call to be present, to stay in the garden, to stand at the cross, and to walk with Jesus...

Lent is an invitation to encounter Jesus. In this episode, John and Victor reflect on how easy it is to approach Lent as a checklist of sacrifices instead of a path toward deeper relationship with Christ. If your Lenten practices have ever felt mechanical or disconnected from real change, this conversation is an invitation to refocus the season where it belongs. Lent is not about what you give up. It is about who you encounter. Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk in the Footsteps of Pope St. J...

Becoming the man God created you to be does not happen by accident. It requires intention, surrender, and a willingness to be formed. In this episode, John welcomes Fr. John Burns back to the pew to talk about what real formation looks like for men and why so many settle for comfort instead of transformation. If you have ever felt stuck, passive, or unsure of what God is asking of you, this conversation is an invitation to step forward with purpose. Get Involved with Fr. John's ministry: https:/...

The Church was never meant to thrive on priesthood alone. In this episode, John sits down with Fr. John Burns to talk about a part of the Church many people rarely think about until it is missing: consecrated women and religious life. Fr. John shares his own vocation story and the moment God redirected his life from pursuing success to becoming a priest. He shares the heart behind Friends of the Bridegroom, the apostolate he founded to help renew the Church by renewing consecrated life. Together...

Lent is not about checking a box or proving how disciplined you can be. It is about bringing your whole heart back to God. In this episode, John and Victor reflect on what real conversion looks like and why simply giving something up is not the same as returning to the Lord. Drawing from Joel’s call to “rend your hearts, not your garments,” they challenge listeners to move beyond surface-level sacrifices and into true interior change. If you have ever treated Lent as routine or felt unsure how t...

Waiting may be one of the hardest tests of faith. In this final episode of this discussion series, John reflects on what it means to trust God’s timing when prayers feel delayed and hope feels fragile. Drawing from the story of Jairus and the hemorrhaging woman in Mark 5, he explores two desperate situations, two very different timelines, and one Savior who was never late. If you are in a season where God feels slow, this episode is an invitation to refuse panic, stay close in the waiting, and s...

Sooner or later, every believer runs into a collision between what we hoped God would do and what He is actually doing. In this episode, John continues his reflection on grief and adversity by diving into one of the hardest realities of faith: wrestling with God when trust clashes with fear and our need for control. If you are in a season that feels confusing, unfair, or out of your control, this episode is an invitation to stay in relationship, pray honestly, release control, and let the strugg...

Storms have a way of exposing the questions we are often afraid to ask out loud. In this episode, John reflects on grief, suffering, and the moments when life feels like it is taking on water, leading many of us to quietly wonder, “Does God even care?” If you are walking through adversity, grief, or uncertainty, this episode is a reminder that God is not indifferent to your suffering. He sees you, He is present, and He is leading you to the other side. Stay in the boat. Learn more about our pilg...

Adversity has a way of revealing where we really turn for refuge. Reflecting on personal loss, including the recent passing of his father, John invites listeners to honestly examine how they respond when life becomes painful and uncertain. Drawing from Scripture, the Church’s teaching, and his own journey through grief, addiction, and healing, he challenges men to stop numbing their pain or handling it alone. If you are walking through hardship right now, this episode is a reminder that sufferin...

Loneliness is one of the most widespread and least talked about struggles facing men today. John and Victor name what so many feel but rarely say out loud, the quiet isolation that exists even in homes, marriages, parishes, and pews filled with people. If you have ever felt unseen, disconnected, or like you were carrying life on your own, this conversation is both a challenge and an invitation. Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk in the Footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II with John 👉https://se...

Strength, discipline, and self-reliance are often praised as the highest virtues of manhood. But what happens when those very traits become obstacles to trust, intimacy, and faith? In this episode, John sits down with former Navy SEAL officer Sam Blair for an honest conversation about identity, surrender, and the spiritual battle beneath high performance. If you’ve been trying to carry everything on your own, this conversation is a reminder that real strength begins when we stop relying on ourse...

As a new year begins, it is easy to fall into the trap of resolutions rooted in self-reliance, perfectionism, and shame. In this episode, John and Victor talk honestly about why those approaches fail and why true renewal does not come from reinventing ourselves by our own effort, but from allowing God to convert and restore us to who we were created to be. Find a healthier way to approach 2026 by grounding life in identity, choosing accompaniment over isolation, and committing to daily surrender...

What does it actually mean to be a man of God today? In this episode of Just a Guy in the Pew, John Edwards sits down with Pete Burak, Vice President of Renewal Ministries and author of the brand new book, A Man on Purpose: 10 Rules of Life from a Faithful Father. They dive into the growing crisis of masculinity, the loss of identity and purpose for men, and the need for authentic Christian manhood. Pete shares personal stories about his father, the lessons that shaped his life, and the moment t...

The week after Christmas can feel strangely heavy. The celebration is over, the quiet settles in, and the weight of a new year starts pressing in. In this episode, John reflects on the line from O Holy Night that hit him in a new way, “a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,” and why this sacred pause between Christmas and New Year’s is meant for hope, not anxiety. He challenges listeners to make a simple “holy list” with three focus points: one thing to let go of, one thing to heal, and one...

Christmas is not about having it all together. It is the reminder that God chose to come close precisely because we do not. In this episode, John reflects on what it means for Jesus to enter into the real pressures of Christmas week, including stress, regret, loneliness, family wounds, and the feeling of not being ready or worthy. Drawing from the Nativity, Scripture, and his own story of addiction and conversion, John reminds us that Jesus does not wait for perfection; He waits for permission. ...

We live in a culture that hates to wait. Lines, delays, silence, and stillness all feel like problems to solve instead of places to meet God. In this episode, John reflects on how Advent invites us to do the opposite: to slow down, to wait, and to let the Lord work beneath the surface of our busy lives, even in seasons of suffering like his father’s recent cancer diagnosis. Waiting exposes our fears, idols, and false escapes, and how God uses it to strip away unhealthy self-reliance and grow pat...

Many men want to do better as husbands and fathers but feel lost on where to begin. In this episode, John welcomes back author and founder of the Fathers of St. Joseph, Devin Schadt, to talk about his new book The Rule, a practical guide for living the spirituality of St. Joseph in everyday life. Devin shares how the book was born out of his own discouragement and how men repeatedly asked for clear, concrete direction on becoming the men God created them to be. He and John discuss the pillars of...

Advent is a season that invites every man to return home to the Father. In this episode, John sits down with his friend Paul George—speaker, author, and founder of The Art of Living—to talk about Paul’s new Advent devotional for men, Feast, and the parable at the heart of it: the Prodigal Son. John and Paul discuss why this story hits so deeply for men, how it mirrors our own patterns of pride, failure, repentance, and renewal, and why Scripture meets us differently every time we return to it. T...

St Paul instructs us to give thanks in all that we do. But is that really possible? In this special Thanksgiving episode, Join us in the pew to reflect on how even during the times of pain and turmoil, we are called to give thanks. Gratitude is not just a feeling, it is a posture grounded in our identity as God’s beloved children. Even when life feels overwhelming, gratitude softens the heart, strengthens relationships, and opens us to God’s grace. This Thanksgiving, take a moment to recognize G...

So many men live with a quiet fear that who they really are will not be accepted. In this episode, John and Victor talk openly about how that fear shows up in two ways: changing ourselves to fit in, or pulling away so no one gets close enough to reject us. If you’ve ever felt pressure to be someone you’re not, this conversation will help you take the next steps towards remembering we are beloved children of God. Learn more about our pilgrimage: Walk in the Footsteps of Pope St. John Paul II with...

In this episode, John and Victor reflect on how our weaknesses, sins, and struggles reveal our shared humanity and the deep need we all have for mercy, healing, and community. Through Scripture and personal experience, they show how God can use even our lowest moments to restore us and draw us together. If you have ever felt unworthy or alone in your struggles, this conversation will remind you that God never wastes brokenness. It is not a barrier to grace but a bridge that leads you back to Him...

Grace and hope have the power to change everything. Join us in the pew this week to reflect on personal growth, faith, and the everyday choice to be an agent of grace rather than destruction. When we choose kindness over judgment and presence over indifference, we allow God's love to work through us. Hope isn't just a feeling; it's a truth rooted in Christ's promises that gives strength in every struggle. Through small acts of compassion and encouragement, we can remind others that they're seen,...

It's time to slow down and rediscover the sacred act of being present. In this part two of the Agents of Grace series, John and Victor reflect on the reality that grace isn’t only spoken through kind words, it’s lived out when we show up for one another with empathy and patience. In a culture that prizes efficiency and constant motion, choose connection over convenience, listening over fixing, and compassion over comfort. Presence is not passive. It is one of the most powerful ways to reveal God...

Words have the power to heal or to wound, to lift up or to tear down. In this episode, John and Victor reflect on how easily criticism can slip into our relationships and how speaking life and encouragement can completely change the atmosphere of a home, workplace or any environment. They discuss how men often crave affirmation but struggle to give it, and why choosing words of grace, kindness and love can break cycles of hurt that run through generations. If you’ve ever caught yourself being mo...

St. Paul urges us to “compete well for the faith.” But what does that look like in everyday life, especially at home with the people who matter most? In this episode, John and Victor open up about how easy it is to pour yourself into work or ministry while giving your loved ones only the leftovers, and how the real measure of faith is not just in what we do publicly but in how we love privately. Through Scripture, honesty, and reflection, they explore what it means to run the race with patience,...

What makes a life worth living? Fresh from leading a pilgrimage through Greece, John shares the impact of walking in the footsteps of St. Paul and how true discipleship means boldly proclaiming the Gospel no matter the cost. He and Victor reflect on courage, martyrdom, spiritual warfare, and the everyday call for Christians to live with conviction instead of comfort. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to live with real purpose and faith, this conversation will challenge and inspire you t...

Friendship is one of the greatest gifts God gives us, but too often men settle for surface-level relationships. In this episode, John welcomes one of his closest friends, Nick Roberts, for a candid conversation about faith, brotherhood, and the power of walking through life with a friend. God designed us to walk side by side. Whether it's men’s groups, accountability partners, recreational sports teams, or anything in between: you will benefit from finding brothers in Christ who will not only ma...

We live in a world of constant noise. Phones, notifications, schedules, and other distractions keep us running without rest. And yet, so many of us cry out, “Why can’t I hear God?” In this episode, John shares a personal reflection on how God speaks. Not through the noise, but in the silence, in the whisper. Drawing from Scripture, the saints, and his own story, he explains why we struggle to hear God’s voice and how we can return to the quiet places where He waits for us. If you’ve been longing...

So much of our struggle in life comes down to one question: do we know who we are in God? In this episode, John welcomes Carrie Daunt—wife, mother of nine, and speaker with the John Paul II Healing Center—for a powerful conversation on identity and family life. Carrie shares how her newest book, Beloved Son, helps parents speak truth into their children’s hearts, and why reclaiming our identity as beloved sons and daughters of the Father is the foundation for healing and freedom. Carrie and John...

Why do so many men feel like nothing they do is ever good enough? Join us in the pew this week as John unpacks the crushing weight of perfectionism, the very thing that keeps men stuck in cycles of inadequacy and self-condemnation. God isn’t asking for perfection; He’s inviting you into greatness. When you show up to Mass distracted or spend an imperfect hour with your kids, He sees your heart and effort, not your failures. If you’re tired of the voice that says “it’s never enough,” this episode...