Épisodes

  • The Culture of Death

    The Culture of Death
    Apr 22 2026
    Guest: Peter Herbeck, Executive Vice President & Director of Missions, Renewal Ministries

    After describing how God healed his father of alcoholism, Peter Herbeck explains the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us. It was his sister who first began to attend prayer meetings which created an atmosphere for God to change their hearts. Her insistence on the family’s prayerful intercession helped their father achieve lifelong sobriety.

    Peter has spent the last several decades teaching others about the power of the Holy Spirit. He is among many who believe we are at a critical crossroad. America enjoyed a Judeo-Christian world view since its inception, stressing the dignity of humanity. The last hundred years have seen a steady collapse, encouraging people to dictate their own Truth by denying sin and God’s very existence.

    What concerns Peter most is the clear trajectory down Satan’s path to hell, with the promotion of evil as good and good as evil. Beginning with the acceptance of birth control and then abortion, it was inevitable that the Enemy’s next step would be the romanticizing of euthanasia as the most compassionate option for pain. What kind of legacy will we leave our children and grandchildren if we can’t teach them how to defeat Satan’s lure under the disguise of compassion?

    Guest biography: For more than thirty years, Peter Herbeck has been actively involved in evangelization and Catholic renewal throughout the U.S., Canada, Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Peter is the co-host of the weekly television show, The Choices We Face. He hosts the daily radio show Fire on the Earth and is a frequent conference speaker. Peter co-authored the book, "Lessons From the School of Love: Cultivating a Christ-Centered Marriage," with his wife, Debbie. He has also authored "When the Spirit Comes in Power, When the Spirit Speaks," and numerous booklets and is a frequent contributor to Renewal Ministries’ popular YouTube channel. Peter and his wife, Debbie, have four children and twelve grandchildren, and reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    Resources:
    Renewal Ministries website
    Booklet: Does God Judge?
    Video "Assisted Suicide and the Culture of Death"
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    55 min
  • How to Be Bold in a Fearful World

    How to Be Bold in a Fearful World
    Apr 15 2026
    Guest: Kevin Wells, journalist, author, and speaker

    While poor role models wring their hands at the downward cultural spiral, author Kevin Wells sees an urgent need for heroic lives in the public square. Although raised in a strong Catholic family with 10 children, Kevin’s faith became lukewarm. Attending a retreat at 40, God grabbed Kevin by the scruff of the neck, convincing him the retreat was nothing more than a weekend opportunity to feel good about himself. Convicted, Kevin asked God to wake him up. Exactly one month later, he suffered a brain aneurism which should have killed him. Instead, Kevin experienced a miracle he’s convinced was expedited by the intercession of his murdered uncle.

    Spurred on by gratitude and a desire to help get the Church back on course, Kevin challenges us to amputate those things which draw us away from God. He believes Christ calls us to sacrifice, yet is convinced “the greatest disease afflicting humanity is comfort,” pointing to the widespread complacency permeating our culture. Kevin’s articles, talks, and books teach us how to lead heroic lives of virtue instead of indulgence. His book, “Coached by the Cure,’” outlines how to shepherd souls in our modernist culture.

    Guest biography: Kevin Wells is a Catholic author, speaker, and former sports reporter. He is the best-selling author of two books: "Priest and Beggar: The Heroic Life of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz" and "The Priests We Need to Save the Church," a written plea for holy priests written in the aftermath of 2018 scandals. Wells has spoken nationally for groups including the Legatus Summit, Napa Institute, That Man is You, on EWTN’s the TASTE program, as well as hundreds of other events, speaking of the urgent need for heroic lives of virtue and untamed Catholicism in the public square. His articles have appeared in Crisis Magazine, Catholic World Report, The Imaginative Conservative, The National Catholic Register, Catholic Exchange, and LifeSiteNews, to name just a few. When Kevin is not writing and speaking, he enjoys spending time with The Sisters of Mary and their 20,000 children in Boystowns and Girlstowns throughout the world. Kevin loves baseball, reading, and writing and lives in Maryland with his wife and three children.

    Resources:
    Kevin Wells' website
    Kevin's weekly blog: “The Wellspring”
    Kevin's books
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    55 min
  • Open Your Heart & Receive Mercy

    Open Your Heart & Receive Mercy
    Apr 8 2026
    Guest: Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, Catholic priest, moral theologian, and Papal Missionary of Mercy

    If you were told there was a way to be totally restored from the eternal consequences of sin, would you believe it? In the Old Testament, a Jubilee Year was a ceremonial rejuvenation wherein God offered a “reboot” to His people, bringing them back into full restoration as His children. Today that same concept is offered through the Feast of Divine Mercy, celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, designated by Pope Francis as a Papal Missionary of Mercy, has made it his mission to teach, implore, and restore through God’s Divine Mercy as given to us by St. Faustina.

    We live in a fallen world that teaches the lie defining who we are by the worst thing we’ve done. Fr. Kirby challenges that, outlining how Divine Mercy reboots God’s relationship with us. Every scar, sin, and wound can be healed in such a way beyond forgiveness where our relationship is restored. Fr. Kirby says: “God doesn’t want to take us to the courtroom; He wants to hang out with us in the family room.”

    Listen as Fr. Kirby explains how Divine Mercy must be a two-way street: “What we’ve received, we are called to give.”

    Guest biography: Fr. Jeffrey Francis Kirby serves as the Pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Indian Land (Lancaster), South Carolina, and is an Adjunct Professor of Theology at Belmont Abbey College. He has authored several books and digital programs on the moral and spiritual traditions of the Catholic Church. He holds a doctorate in moral theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome and is a 2016 recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. Fr. Kirby is known for his previous vocations work in which he actively used contemporary social media, web design, and videography in recruitment efforts for the Catholic priesthood and sisterhood. He is sought out as a conference speaker and retreat leader throughout the United States.

    Resources:
    Fr. Kirby's website
    You Tube Podcast: Daily Discipleship with Fr. Kirby
    Amazon Author Page
    Our Lady of Grace Parish, Lancaster, South Carolina
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    55 min
  • Wisdom from the Cross

    Wisdom from the Cross
    Apr 1 2026
    Guest: Casey Chalk, freelance writer, editor, author

    What are the “Seven Last Words” of Christ? More than seven words, they are phrases which Jesus spoke as he hung on the Cross, naked and defiled. Casey Chalk noticed that these phrases have been pondered since the Church’s beginning. As he researched meditations from a variety of sources, including Scripture and the saints, he realized each one said something profoundly important and pointed to what a life lived well should be.

    Casey set out to gather this collection of historical meditations, discovering that Jesus deliberately gave us the roadmap to heaven. It became his book, “Wisdom from the Cross: How Jesus’ Seven Last Words Teach us How to Live (and Die) Well.” Drawing from both ancient and modern scholarship, each chapter contains various elements meant to capture the wisdom of the Cross. For example, when Jesus said, “I Thirst,” He was expressing His thirst for souls, calling us to a sacrificial love for one another. “Father, forgive them” teaches us the importance of turning the other cheek.

    Meant to become a year-round meditation companion, "Wisdom from the Cross" highlights how a life lived for others is a life lived well. Through Casey’s book, we can now study the roadmap.

    Guest biography: Casey J. Chalk serves as an editor or regular contributor for many publications, including The New Oxford Review, The Federalist, Crisis Magazine, and Religion & Liberty Online. He is the author of “The Obscurity of Scripture: Disputing Sola Scriptura and the Protestant Notion of Biblical Perspicuity” (Emmaus Road, 2023) and “The Persecuted: True Stories of Courageous Christians Living Their Faith in Muslim Lands” (Sophia Institute Press, 2021). Casey holds a B.A. in history and an M.A. in teaching from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in theology from the Notre Dame Graduate School of Theology at Christendom College. He lives with his wife, Claire, and six children in his native Northern Virginia.
    Resources:
    Casey Chalk's website where you can find his books and publications.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    55 min
  • Biblical Masculinity

    Biblical Masculinity
    Mar 25 2026
    Guest: Sean Corcoran, lawyer, husband, father, and CEO of Men For Life

    For many decades, women have led the pro-life movement, boldly speaking up for the voiceless babies and their wounded mothers. Men were told abortion doesn’t affect them, even though their genes coursed through that blob of tissue being killed. Men were intimidated into silence. No more! Emotionally destroyed when his college girlfriend aborted their child against his wishes, Sean Corcoran leads Men For Life, a group which exists to raise up a movement of men who speak life, stand for truth, and protect the unborn.

    In addition to getting birth fathers to reject abortion for their child, Men For Life has begun two vital and life-affirming initiatives which can forever change a father and his family’s trajectory by offering a path to success. The group's Fatherhood program offers mentorship with good men, and an online program called “Arena” equips men with tools they will need to succeed. Whereas the pro-choice crowd had dominated the air waves with slogans castrating fathers , Men For Life invites them to take back their rightful place as protectors and restore authentic Biblical masculinity.

    Guest biography: Sean Corcoran’s life was forever changed when his first child was the victim of an abortion. The impact left him with a sense of deep loss. Incapable at the time of processing and dealing with his grief, Sean failed out of multiple colleges multiple times which led to a seven-year drug addiction and self-destructive behaviors. By the grace of God, Sean entered a treatment center, where a long and intense recovery process began. Once sober, he grabbed the chance to go back to college, then law school which allowed him to start his own business. Sean now lives in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with his wife, Dr. Michelle Corcoran, and their five young children, three of whom are adopted.

    Resources:
    Men For Life website
    "The Arena" initiative from Men For Life
    Men For Life on You Tube
    Into the Arena Podcast
    "Men For Life" episode of The Family Room with Sean Corcoran (aired Sept. 3, 2025)
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    55 min
  • The Long Way Home: A Catholic Return to Faith

    The Long Way Home: A Catholic Return to Faith
    Mar 18 2026
    🌿 Spring 2026 Pledge Drive Episode with guests Fr. Mark White, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church (Washington, Ga.) and Queen of Angels Catholic Church (Thomason, Ga.) and Jeff Lukich, writer and endurance coach

    Father Mark White and his parishioner, Jeff Lukich, share their respective Catholic journeys. Fr. Mark followed his sister from Protestantism, and Jeff returned to Catholicism after 40 years away. Father avidly declares God drew them to the “fullness of the Incarnation” found in Catholicism.

    Jeff’s story echoes that of many fallen-away Catholics. Rather than leaving in anger, he drifted away in college. Then life took over, and he became busy pursuing his dreams. Establishing a wonderful career and family, Jeff was fulfilled….yet he felt lost. Today he believes every fallen-away Catholic wants to return, but doesn’t know how. This became the motive for his book, “The Long Way Home: A Catholic Return to Faith,” which is the book he needed when he first felt God calling him back to Catholicism.

    Acknowledging he felt God’s gentle nudge for about 10 years through Catholic resources like websites or videos, Jeff feels blessed to have found Fr. Mark when he was finally ready to hear God in 2021.

    With resources like The Quest, today’s Catholics and seekers are indeed blessed with around-the-clock inspiration for their journeys. Listen as these men point the way Home.

    Guest biographies:
    Originally from Atlanta, Fr. Mark grew up as a Protestant. He became interested in religion in his 30s and briefly attended an evangelical Christian seminary to learn more. After his sister converted to Catholicism, he felt the tug of something “deep and inexplicably unique” about Catholicism. Father attended seminary for the Archdiocese of Atlanta and was ordained on June 1, 2019. His first assignment was to the Cathedral of Christ the King in Buckhead.

    Jeff Lukich is a writer and endurance coach. A graduate of Presbyterian College in South Carolina, he had a career for more than thirty years in public child welfare, retiring in 2018 as chief of staff for Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services. In 2022, Jeff returned to the Catholic Church after forty years away. Jeff and his wife, Mary Beth, live in Georgia, where they stay active in their parish and community.

    RESOURCES:
    Fr. Mark White’s parishes
    Jeff Lukich's website
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    53 min
  • St. Joseph, Tender Father

    St. Joseph, Tender Father
    Mar 11 2026
    Guest: Louise Perrotta, writer, editor, wife, and mother

    It was a quirky twist of fate which led Louise Perrotta to begin investigating the mystique of silent Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary. Uncovering a small statue which had been buried in the backyard of their new home, Louise immediately felt an attachment and placed him in her line of vision on the kitchen windowsill. As a woman who married a widower with six children, she had a special affection for this man who became the stepfather to God the Son. Who was this simple craftsman specifically chosen by God? With no blueprint to point the way, how could he accept this task? And yet, he did, learning to embrace the mysterious pregnancy of his betrothed and guiding young Jesus by faith.

    Journey with Louise as she unpacks this mysterious man who has been called the “Terror of Demons” and the “Guardian of the Universal Church.” Her book, “St. Joseph, Tender Father: His Life and His Care for Us Today,” focuses on the different qualities of St. Joseph as portrayed through the Church fathers, Scripture, and the saints. Each chapter offers insight along with reflection questions and prayers to guide you through the life of this silent saint.

    Guest biography: Louise Perrotta is an independent writer and editor with many years’ experience in Catholic publishing. Her articles on saints, Scripture, prayer, and other aspects of Christian living have appeared in numerous publications, most especially in The Word Among Us magazine, where she served as features editor for fifteen years. Louise has written ten books, and, with her husband, Kevin, has co-authored five, including “Oneness: Jesus’ Vision of Marriage.” Louise lives in Michigan, is active in her Byzantine Catholic parish, and enjoys the growing family she inherited through her “surprised by joy,” late-in-life marriage to Kevin Perrotta, a widower and father of six now-adult children. Always looking for inspiration for her own life, she is currently researching a book on happily married saints and blesseds. And with Kevin, she is at work on another book, “My Beloved and I: A Seeker’s Guide to Married Love.”

    Resources:
    The Word Among Us Press website
    “St. Joseph, Tender Father: His Life and His Care for Us Today” by Louise Perrotta
    “Patris Corde: With a Father’s Heart” by Pope Francis
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    55 min
  • The Gift of Unanswered Prayer

    The Gift of Unanswered Prayer
    Mar 4 2026
    Guest: Christy Wilkens, Catholic wife, mother, nurse, and author

    Christy Wilkens was a typical Catholic in many ways, checking the boxes as she dutifully raised her growing family. In what she later describes as faith with strings attached, Christy learned that God wanted something so much deeper from her. The birth of her sixth child became a turning point when her son, Oscar, became ill shortly after birth. After hearing life-limiting diagnoses for the next year, Christy railed at God, saying “I thought you loved me! I’ve given everything to you!”

    It was an invitation from the Order of Malta ministry to attend their pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, where Christy’s candid prayers to God were answered. Rather than Oscar’s healing in the waters of Lourdes, though, Christy heard God say, “This is your cross, and I am not going to take it away from you. I will be with you, and I will help you, but it is yours to carry.” Oscar wasn’t healed, but Christy was.

    Her book, “Awakening at Lourdes: How an Unanswered Prayer Healed Our Family and Restored Our Faith,” beautifully describes how God transformed her heart and her marriage. Christy teaches us the importance of developing faith that can be at peace, no matter our circumstances.

    Guest biography: Christy Wilkens earned her bachelor’s degree from Rice University, a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and a nursing degree from Texas A&M University. Christy serves as a lector at her parish, a peer minister for Be Not Afraid, and a member of the Order of Malta's medical team and communications committee. She has appeared on Catholic Faith Network, Sirius XM's Catholic Channel, Many Hail Marys at a Time, Ave Maria Radio, and The Jennifer Fulwiler Show. Her writing has been featured at CatholicMom.com, Blessed Is She, and Accepting the Gift.

    Resources:
    Christy Wilkens' website
    Christy Wilkens' book, “Awakening At Lourdes: How an Unanswered Prayer Healed Our Family and Restored Our Faith,” published by Ave Maria Press
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    55 min