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Most of what Jesus did in the Gospels did not happen in a temple or synagogue. It happened in someone's home. Allan Wright joins Jim to unpack what it truly means to bring Christ into the everyday life of a Catholic family. Drawing from decades of teaching, writing, and his own experience as a husband and father of four, Allan offers practical, accessible ways to live the faith at home without needing a theology degree or a perfect plan.

What’s in this episode:

• The biblical case for faith lived out in the home, not the temple
• Why faith is more caught than taught in family life
• Screen time and the rise of "screen ages" in today's families
• Simple practices to weave faith into everyday routines
• The intergenerational power of grandparents in faith formation
• Forgiveness in the home as the doorway to real miracles
• A Middle Eastern perspective that brings Gospel parables to life
• The New Catholic Bible for Youth with 25 inserts addressing teen issues
• Stories of unexpected witnesses that shaped Allan's own faith
• How patience reshaped his approach to teaching and evangelization
• One resource every Catholic family should know: iThirst, a spiritual initiative for addiction recovery
• Book he is currently reading: Jesus' Last Days by Bishop Arthur Serratelli
• Advice to his younger self: Don't force doors open that are locked
• Final wisdom for listeners: Start with scripture; one chapter of the New Testament takes just 2 minutes and 38 seconds

Resources Mentioned:

Allan Wright’s Website – Books, speaking engagements, and resources from Allan Wright

NJFPC – New Jersey Family Policy Center

iThirst – A spiritual component for addiction recovery developed by Keaton Douglas, accredited through Seton Hall University

Jesus' Last Days by Bishop Arthur Serratelli – A scholarly and accessible reflection on the final days of Christ

New Catholic Bible for Youth (Catholic Book Publishing Company) – Allan's Bible edition with 25 inserts addressing teen topics from a Catholic perspective

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What if the most effective tool for faith formation in a distracted world is a catchy song? Jim sits down with Justin West to explore how digitally created music and sharp apologetics are drawing souls to the faith across social media. As the creator of Peter's Barque, Justin has produced over 60 songs in just three months, reaching more than a million views with content that resonates with Catholics, non-Catholics, and even atheists alike. With wit, conviction, and a marketer's instinct for what cuts through the noise, Justin is building the kingdom one song at a time.

What’s in this episode:

• Justin's journey from agnostic to Catholic revert at Benedictine College
• The origin of Peter's Barque and the production house Hemlock and Honey
• How a three-second attention span is reshaping faith formation online
• The viral song showing science and faith are not in opposition
• Stories of people returning to Mass after encountering Peter's Barque
• The Gunslinger Saint Ballads and how saints come alive through song
• Why fathers living the faith raises children's retention rates significantly
• Peter's Barque content used in OCIA, middle school, and high school classes
• Upcoming songs planned for Lent, Easter, and the feast days in between
• One resource every Catholic family should know: Catholic Answers
• Book he is currently reading: Sola Scriptura Doesn't Work by Joel Peters
• Advice to his younger self: Live your faith and don't be afraid to fail
• Final wisdom for listeners: Learn your faith, learn it better, and then learn it again

Resources Mentioned:

Peter’s Barque Music – Justin's hub for Peter's Barque music, content, and listener testimonials

Catholic Answers – The largest lay Catholic apologetics association in North America

Sola Scriptura Doesn't Work by Joel Peters – A defense of the Church's authority and Sacred Tradition

How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization by Thomas Woods – Referenced for the Church's foundational role in modern science

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Finding your yes to God as a young adult is not always a dramatic moment. Sometimes it starts at a line dancing night. Jim sits down with David James, a 24-year-old Mission Service Associate at Heritage retreat center in Sharon, Georgia, who is weeks away from entering the Catholic Church at Easter Vigil. A former Baptist from South Carolina, David shares how frustration with a Sunday social culture, a Catholic young adult community, and 210 acres of sacred Georgia ground became the unlikely path to his yes. His story is a compelling window into why young adults today are turning toward the Catholic Church in growing numbers.

What’s in this episode:

• David's journey from Baptist church life to OCIA and Easter Vigil
• The role of a vibrant young adult parish in welcoming new questions
• Why young adults are turning to the Catholic Church in record numbers
• The sacramental life as a daily structure for devotion and belonging
• Heritage Retreat Center and its roots as Georgia's first Catholic settlement
• The MSA program and what a year of service and faith formation looks like
• Radical hospitality as ministry and offering work to God
• Saint Carlo Acutis and using technology for the good of the Church
• How witnessing guests arrive worn out and leave renewed shapes a young person's faith
• The glowing rectangle problem and why real encounters with God require presence
• One resource every Catholic family should know: The Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Book he is currently reading: Confessions of a Mega Church Pastor by Allen Hunt and Rome Sweet Home by Kimberly Hahn & Scott Hahn
• Advice to his younger self: Find the Catholic Church a lot sooner than I did
• Final wisdom for listeners: Don't be afraid of your faith; be Christ to others through your faith

Resources Mentioned:

Heritage Retreat Center – Georgia's historic Catholic retreat center and home of the MSA program

Confessions of a Mega Church Pastor by Allen Hunt – A conversion story that inspired David as a new Catholic

Rome Sweet Home by Kimberly Hahn & Scott Hahn – A conversion story David read alongside his own journey into the Church

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Teen girls today are navigating a daily beauty pageant they never signed up for. Jim sits down with Brenda Sharman, former Miss Georgia USA, professional model and actress, and founder of True Beauty, a faith-centered program for teen girls in Atlanta rooted in goodness, beauty, and truth. Drawing from her background in modeling and pageantry and her own conversion to Catholicism, Brenda shares how she is equipping young women to find their identity in Christ rather than in likes, followers, or the approval of their peers.

What’s in this episode:

• The impact of social media's compare and compete culture on teen girls
• Why Brenda transitioned from Pure Fashion to the True Beauty program
• The three pillars of True Beauty: goodness, beauty, and truth
• Saints as influencers: St. Thérèse, Queen Esther, and St. Joan of Arc
• Training girls to build an intentional and virtuous online presence
• The role modesty plays in protecting dignity, mystery, and femininity
• Program sessions designed to elevate girls and help them feel beautiful
• Brenda's challenge for parents on modest clothing and dressing for Sunday Mass
• The starfish story and Brenda's vision to expand the program nationwide
• Plans for a True Beauty clothing line and online program for other cities
• One resource every Catholic family should know: Regnum Christi App and Legionaries of Christ
• Book she is currently reading: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
• Advice to her younger self: "It's going to be okay. Just keep walking, keep trusting, listening to that little voice in my heart."
• Final wisdom for listeners: Keep trusting and striving to learn more about the faith; you will never be more satisfied than within the Catholic Church

Resources Mentioned:

True Beauty – Faith-centered program for teen girls rooted in goodness, beauty, and truth

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry – A book on slowing down and living with intentional purpose

The Regnum Christi App – A free daily prayer and meditation app with a built-in prayer book

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Joy and happiness are not the same thing, and for Allison Gingras, that distinction changed everything. Allison, an author, podcaster, and Director of Digital Evangelization for Holy Cross Family Ministry, joins Jim to unpack what it truly means to live in the everyday joy of the Lord. Drawing from her own reversion story, years of ministry, and honest moments of surrender, Allison offers a compelling vision of a faith that touches every minute of every day, not just Sunday mornings.

What’s in this episode:

• The distinction between joy and happiness and what it means for family faith
• Allison's reversion story: how a Bible study invitation and good snacks changed her life
• Surrendering personal dreams and trusting God's much bigger plan
• The "grace trifecta" of prayer, sacrament, and scripture as daily anchors
• Spiritual warfare: technology failures, imposter syndrome, and territorial ministry culture
• A powerful forgiveness retreat moment and a woman returning to confession after 60 years
• Praying with hope for children who have wandered from the faith
• The rosary walk: bundling physical health with daily prayer
• Why "Coffee with Christ" can transform your ordinary mornings
• One resource every Catholic family should know: Catholic Mom and The Family Rosary
• Book she is currently reading: The Catholic Guide Through Anxiety by Catherine DiNuzzo
• Advice to her younger self: Take better care of your body, and know that it is cool to love Jesus
• Final wisdom for listeners: Start each day with "Coffee with Christ" in prayer and scripture, then carry God with you through everything

Resources Mentioned:

Reconciled To You – Allison's website for books, speaking, and more

Catholic Mom – Faith resources, articles, and free Sunday Gospel Activities for families

The Family Rosary – Prayer resources and guidance for praying the rosary as a family

The Catholic Guide Through Anxiety by Catherine DiNuzzo – A faith-rooted approach to understanding and navigating anxiety

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What if the real crisis facing Catholic families isn't just bad behavior or wandering faith, but the complete loss of a proven path for boys to become men? Jim and Meghan sit down with Jason Craig, Farmer, Theologian, and Executive Director of Fraternus, to explore why traditional rites of passage disappeared from our culture and what it's costing our sons. Drawing from his own journey as a convert who experienced both Protestant youth ministry and Catholic parish life, Jason makes a compelling case that boys don't need more programs or relevance; they need mature men who will initiate them into a brotherhood worth joining. With clarity and conviction, he challenges families to rethink everything from youth ministry strategies to how we build lasting Catholic communities.

What’s in this episode:

• The fundamental shift from boys becoming men to extended adolescence
• Why has every society in history had rites of passage except ours?
• Jason's conversion story and the masculinity crisis in Catholic parishes
• The three essential stages of initiation every boy needs
• Why youth ministry as a strategy isn't working for Catholic families
• How Fraternus creates the brotherhood of men boys want to join
• The power of one man introducing himself to a fatherless boy
• Practical steps for fathers to begin initiating their sons
• Why building things together matters more than consuming information
• The importance of local community and keeping families rooted
• One resource every Catholic family should know: Getting offline with your family and building something together
• Book he is currently reading: The Sanctifier: The Classic Work on the Holy Spirit by Archbishop Luis Martinez
• Advice to his younger self: You don't have wisdom yet because you haven't experienced it
• Final wisdom for listeners: Cultivate your local community and stop forming children to leave

Resources Mentioned:

Fraternus – Catholic brotherhood for men and boys, including Ways of the Fathers materials

The Ways of the Fathers – Six-week experience on rites of passage and male initiation

Leaving Boyhood Behind – Jason's book on the loss of rites of passage (second edition)

Liturgy of the Land – Jason's book on homesteading and family life

Sword and Spade Magazine – Publication featuring Catholic families building culture and community

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Raising faithful Catholic children in today's culture requires more than checking the Sunday Mass box. Jim and Meghan open up about their own journey of getting involved in their parish, not just attending Mass, but actively participating alongside their kids. From praying in the car to volunteering, they share honest stories of what it looks like to lean into uncomfortable moments and lead by example. This conversation is a practical and hope-filled reminder that the small, consistent acts of faith we do with our children matter more than we realize.

What’s in this episode:

• The call to give time, talent, and treasure, not just attendance at Mass
• How Meghan brought her young kids to volunteer at parish events and mom's groups
• A powerful moment when their youngest spontaneously stopped to pray to Jesus
• The practice of praying special intentions with kids on the way to school
• Meghan's involvement in weekly mom's rosary at the kids' school
• Why leading by example at Mass matters, from singing to saying prayers out loud
• Holding hands during the Our Father as a physical touchpoint with kids
• Jim's surrender moment with Marin and saying yes to Life Teen ministry
• Remembering the baptismal promise to raise children in the Catholic faith
• The importance of being consistent, even when kids seem disengaged
• Following along with Mass readings using Magnificat or missalettes
• Treating faith formation with the same priority as sports and activities

Resources Mentioned:

Magnificat – Monthly publication with daily Mass readings, saint stories, and conversion testimonies

Life Teen – Catholic youth ministry program for high school students

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The call to reach young people often begins with one person saying yes. Jim and Meghan sit down with Randy Raus, President and CEO of Life Teen, to explore why Catholic youth ministry is experiencing what he calls a super tide moment. A convert to the faith who was challenged to pay attention at Mass by his college girlfriend, Randy shares powerful stories of priestly witness, the Holy Spirit moving in the lives of teenagers, and the critical importance of parishes investing in youth ministry now. From Mother Teresa's simple advice to lead teens to the Eucharist, to a boy who encountered Christ at adoration, Randy invites families and parishes to embrace the incredible hunger young people have for the faith.

What’s in this episode:

• The super tide analogy and why youth ministry is experiencing record growth
• Randy's conversion from the Lutheran church through a simple invitation to Mass
• Mother Teresa's advice to keep youth ministry simple and Eucharist-centered
• A powerful story of a skeptical teen encountering Christ at adoration
• The challenges teens face today with loneliness, anxiety, and smartphones
• Why 33% of US seminarians come from Life Teen parishes
• How young men are increasingly taking their faith more seriously
• The importance of relational ministry and being prayed up as a youth leader
• Frontier parent-teen camps that restore family relationships through faith
• Why parishes must make youth ministry a priority, not a sidebar
• One resource every Catholic family should know: Take advantage of local parish teen programs or find parishes with vibrant youth ministry; Frontier Camps (parent-teen experience at life teen.com)
• Book he is currently reading: Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Jacques Philippe
• Advice to his younger self: Focus more on relationships rather than putting on perfect programs
• Final wisdom for listeners: Young people matter, and the faith does matter to them; we need to bring it to them in a vibrant, Catholic way

Resources Mentioned:

Life Teen – Movement of the Catholic Church leading teens closer to Christ in over 2,000 parishes

Frontier Camps – Parent-teen retreat experiences offered by Life Teen

Randy Raus on Facebook – Connect with Randy for updates and inspiration

Raus About on Instagram – Randy's Instagram feed focused on training youth leaders

Life Teen on Instagram – Follow Life Teen's social media ministry

Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Jacques Philippe – A 90-page book on how to maintain peace in daily life