From bringing kids to RCIA to feeling guilty about a paycheck, we talk about balancing family life, parish life, full-time jobs, and time on the road.

Snippet from the Show
“The life of a professional traveling speaker is not what most people think it is.”

SHOWNOTES
Money and Guilt

• Charging for a talk isn’t about making money off the gospel, it’s about providing for time spent away from family.

Family Values

• Being on the road makes your spouse temporarily a single parent. It’s a huge strain on the family and the spouses are the ones who really have it hard.

Missional Continuity

• What is the mission with the audience? The speaker is there to continue the work that is already happening, not to have a singular affect that probably won’t stick.

Five Practical Takeaways

1. Pray for your favorite Catholic speaker.
2. Read Marcel’s article, “Why You Probably Don't Want To Be A Catholic Speaker!”
3. Evaluate your most recent event and ask yourself about the impact it had weeks later.
4. Critically examine your money and fame motives.
   
5. Community: try to learn something new about someone already in your life. Try Patrick Lencioni’s opening question: what life event from your childhood affected you the most?

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Today’s totally made up middle name for Dave is brought to you by listener Lina., who also asks the questions that we are answering in this show - thank you Lina!

We’re talking about the vine, the branches, and the backyard … (Dave bought a new house). We start with how to open your home to engage the culture and build community and then get to a question from Lina who asks, “What are the practical steps to stay grafted onto the vine when you’ve been sent to work out in the vineyard?”

In other words, how do we keep Jesus as the defining characteristic of our life when we feel called to go off and do great things on our own or within our parish?

Snippet from the Show
“The presence of suffering and persecution is the way that God makes you better, stronger, and woven even tighter with Christ the vine.”

Check out the shownotes for today's episode at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow

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Spiritual warfare and evangelization go hand-in-hand. Turns out the devil doesn’t like it when you try to win souls for Christ. Acknowledging the reality of spiritual warfare is an important first step. Once we realize that we’re fighting battles everyday, we can use these principles to guide the way.

Snippet from the Show
“Spiritual warfare is more than a metaphor for the spiritual life, it’s a reality ... We’re all at war with the world, the flesh, and the devil.”

10 Practical Principles of Spiritual Warfare

1. By his passion and death, Christ won a definitive victory over Satan and the kingdom of darkness and any personal victory we have is a participation in the victory Jesus won and gave to his church.
2. The devil and the fallen angels play a mysterious role in the drama of salvation. The battle that they wage against us is a test of God’s elect.
3. While powerful, the devil is only a creature and if we stay close to Jesus Christ and his Church we should not fear the actions of evil.
4. The way we participate in the victory of Jesus Christ is through personal faith, moral living, and prayer.
5. The devil should not be given too much attention but his actions should not be ignored.
6. The Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Michael, and all the saints and angels are our allies in this battle.
7. Any spiritual warfare you conduct for others is first won in the battle for your own heart.
8. Humble submission to God and the Church is a powerful weapon against evil.
9. True holiness as witnessed in the lives of the saints is what destroys the kingdom of darkness.
10. The devil despises: A sure knowledge of the sonship that comes from baptism, knowledge of the abundant mercy of God, authentic Christian community, and a clear knowledge of, and courage to speak out about, what is good and evil.

1 Practical Tip
If you’ve never thought of yourself as a spiritual warrior, take some time to see how you have entered into the spiritual battle.

See more at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow

We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave.

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They explain how fellowship is not socializing and why the Church comes before the individual in the plan of God.

“Our love for Jesus and for our neighbor impels us to speak to others about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith.” (CCC 166)

Snippet from the Show:

You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life. The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others. (CCC 166)

5 Practical Tips
1) Meet someone at your parish that you have never met before. It can be as simple as introducing yourself.
2) Read 2Timothy 2.
3) Read CCC 176-184.
4) Pray for the staff of your parish all week long.
5) Look at the four steps of the kerygma below and compare them to your personal testimony. (You can also go to the shownotes on at ascensionpress.com/everykneeshallbow.) Pencil in what parts of your testimony line up with the kerygma. This will help you make the kerygma center stage of your testimony and not your personal story.

4 Steps of the Kerygma:
1) God has a plan for your life.
2) Sin interrupts that plan and separates you from God.
3) Jesus Christ died and rose so that you could be forgiven of these sins and be united to God in heaven.
4) Through faith and his Church, you can be united to God forever.

Recommendations
1) Fr. Spitzer’s book New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy
2) Rev. Timothy Keller’s book The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
3) C.S. Lewis’ book Mere Christianity
4) Dr. Peter Kreeft’s book Fundamentals of the Faith: Essays in Christian Apologetics
CCC #166

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