Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

Kerygma and Parish Touch Points

April 17th, 2019  |  39 mins 3 secs

apologetics, catechists, catholic, catholic church, catholic education, catholicism, dave vanvickle, evangelization, evangelize, evangelizing, kerygma, mike gormley, parish, parish volunteeers, religious education, spreading the faith, youth minister

Calling all DREs, catechists, youth ministers, and parish volunteers! Have we got a show for you. (Yes, that was a VeggieTales reference.) We start off today answering some tough questions about the kerygma, and then pivot to ways you can infuse evangelization into programs your parish already has like baptism prep, marriage prep, and religious education. Our advice isn’t the only way to do it, but it is a (pretty darn good) way to do it. How do you evangelize at your parish? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave.

Evangelizing and Morality: Birth Control and Same-Sex Attraction

March 20th, 2019  |  42 mins 16 secs

abortion, bible, birth control, catholic, christ, contraception, evangelization, gospel, gospel message, holy, jesus, mike and dave, moral issues, moral living, morality, prolife, same-sex attraction, scripture, talking about god

We tackle the biggest, most complicated, stickiest moral issues–contraception and same-sex attraction. How is a Catholic evangelist to approach such a minefield when proclaiming the gospel? In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” So we know that we have to tell people about moral issues, but we need to make sure we’re doing it in a way that actually helps. We talk about when, how, and why to bring these issues up, and examples of times these strategies have actually worked (we promise we’re not using you as guinea pigs).
We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] with your story, question, or comment–or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave.

How to Share the Faith BOLDLY

March 13th, 2019  |  38 mins 35 secs

be bold, be brave, catholic, catholic church, christianity, christians, evangelization, faith, gospel message, gospel truth, how to be bold, mike and dave, share the faith, spread the good news

Mike and Dave give practical advice about how to get over that awkward feeling and share the Faith BOLDLY. Telling someone the good news about Jesus isn’t hard ... if you really, truly believe it. You’re not imposing your arbitrary morality and spirituality on someone, you are proposing to them the truth of God’s love for them and their elevated status as creatures made in the image and likeness of God. Like Mike says, “If you discovered the cure to cancer, and you kept it to yourself–you would be a monster ...We have even greater news, but so often we keep it quiet.” Mike also gives solid advice to a listener who asks about how to talk to her husband, who is a Muslim, about Christianity.

Christ and Culture: How to Be in the World but Not of the World

February 27th, 2019  |  44 mins 49 secs

ascension press, be in the world but not of the world verse, christ and culture, christian community, christian life, evangelization, evangelization podcast, every knee shall bow podcast, john 17:16-26, richard niebuhr

What does it mean to be in the world but not of the world and how does this affect evangelization?

Many people assume there are two ways to approach this notion.

On one side is the thought of Christ against culture—that to be loyal to Jesus or the Church I need to run completely away from the world.
On the other side is the Christ of culture—that Jesus is the peak and pinnacle of all culture’s greatest desires, aspirations, and hopes.

Which one is right? What balance should we strike?

Today, Mike and Dave take these two basic concepts and break them down into practical, real life situations. They explain what we should do in regards to the world around us and stress the importance of finding the distinctive Christ element that sets your life apart. We walk a delicate line being in the world and not of it, but Mike and Dave make this line a bit easier to see.

Spiritual Warfare in Everyday Christian Life

February 20th, 2019  |  40 mins 28 secs

angels and demons, evangelization, every knee shall bow, guardian angels, spiritual battles, spiritual warfare, st. michael the archangel

Spiritual warfare is more than just an analogy.

It is a reality.

Quite literally, it is a struggle between two kingdoms—a battle between man and that which draws man away from God.

This fighting and resisting evil is a common experience, yet many don’t believe they are at war. Therefore they come unprepared to fight the battle.

Today Mike and Dave approach this topic from the viewpoint of evangelists. They discuss the Church Fathers’ understanding of spiritual warfare, the context behind the Church’s teachings on the subject, and practical ways you can resist evil and equip yourself with the best possible resources.

Evangelization in a Post-Christian Society: The Purpose of the Church

February 13th, 2019  |  47 mins 39 secs

catholic evangelization, evangelii nuntiandi, evangelization, evangelizing in modern times, every knee shall bow, post christian society, the purpose of the church

Do you want to evangelize in a post-Christian society? There are a few things you need to know.

We all proclaim the same gospel, but we all need to use different methods. The methods that St. Paul used in Athens or Rome and the approach of a missionary in India, Southeast Asia, or parts of Africa will be different than someone who lives in a post-Christian society.

There are, however, universal principles that stand the test of time. Today, Mike and David go through three ages of evangelization, explain how to overcome four hurdles in evangelizing, and also three different types of evangelizing.

Snippet from the Show:

“No matter how opposed someone is to Christianity, you have to understand that deep down, it is what they want. It is what they most desire. It is the answer to all their questions.”

Understanding the Personal and Ecclesial Dimension of Our Catholic Faith

February 6th, 2019  |  40 mins 20 secs

catholic community, catholic faith, dimensions of faith, evangelization, every knee shall bow, fellowship, gomer, kerygma, mike gormley

Church teaching is an important part of our Catholic Faith. Today, Mike and Dave are going to show you how to incorporate the church into the kerygma.

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)

The Art of the Invitation to Christian Life

January 30th, 2019  |  35 mins 36 secs

catholic discipleship, catholic life, christian discipleship, christian life, come and see, evangelization, evangelize, every knee shall bow, invitation

When evangelizing, there comes a moment in time when you will invite someone to completely give their life over to Christ and begin living a Christian life.

How do you know what moment is right?

What does the invitation look like?

Why is an invitation to Christian life so important?

Using Scripture, contemporary faith formation tools, and personal experience, Mike and Dave explain the sometimes subtle art of inviting someone to live a fully authentic Christian life.

Snippet from the Show:

“If you read the Gospels, you are going to see constantly that the one man who could have demanded, is constantly instead inviting.”

Physician Heal Thyself: How Prayer Creates a True Catholic Evangelist

January 16th, 2019  |  34 mins 44 secs

catholic evangelist, evangelist, evangelization, every knee shall bow podcast, luke 4:23, physician heal thyself, prayer

The phrase “Physician heal thyself” (Luke 4:23) references the often forgotten truth that one must solve their own problems before attempting to fix the problems of others.

Becoming a true Catholic evangelist requires more than just knowledge of the Faith, a certain style, or even success. Your life must reflect the fact that Jesus Christ is active, makes a difference, and has healed your heart. As an evangelist, you are held to a higher standard and your personal life needs to be a fitting witness to your evangelization.

How can you do this?

The answer is simple: prayer. Prayer creates a true Catholic evangelist because the Holy Spirit is the cause of conversion. Today Michael and David share ways you can incorporate prayer into your daily life and how that prayer will make you a true Catholic evangelist.

The History of the Kerygma and the Power of the Gospel

January 9th, 2019  |  34 mins 56 secs

basic gospel message, evangelization, evangelize, gospel message, history of the kerygma, kerygma, power of the gospel, proclaim the gospel, redemption

Kerygma is a Greek word that means proclamation. We, as Catholic Christians, are called to share the gospel message as we evangelize: God loves you, has a plan for your life, but because of sin we have been separated from him, and the only one who can save us is Jesus Christ. Through our repentance and turning toward him we come back to life with him. This is the context in which all of our Catholic faith can be understood. In this episode, Michael and David provide a brief history behind the Kerygma, expound upon this basic gospel message, and give you five tips on how you can start proclaiming the gospel.

Snippet from the Show

For most of us Catholics, we think repentance is the thing you do in the confessional. We don’t realize that in the Catechism, it is repentance, the interior sorrow, that sends us to the confessional.