Jake and Brett, joined by their friend and ally Sean O’Brien, start a three-part series that unpacks a powerful homily that was given by Fr. Joe Fitzgerald at the Men’s Retreat in September 2019.

Key Points

  • Sean O’Brien is a special guest on the podcast
  • Fr. Joe Fitzgerald gave a homily at The Men’s Retreat: Grit & Grace
  • The presence of man is important and worthy of reflection
  • Taking the time to think about how we show up as men is valuable
  • People won’t forget how they felt in your presence
  • How a man “shows up” is important. Each man has a decision to make about the way he shows up.
  • God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called
  • Men often struggle to actually know what to do in life
  • Every man is called to be a husband and father
  • Despite our mistakes, it’s important to keep hope and keep growing
  • No matter what, we can always learn and grow. The question is whether or no we will engage in the trial.
  • A powerful lie men are assaulted with is that we are disqualified
  • Unqualified is different than disqualified
  • We all have sinned and could be disqualified but Jesus in his mercy addresses that
  • The way to get there is grace and mercy
  • A noble challenge is to take our experience of God out into everyday life
  • “The true saint burns grace like a 747 burns fuel on takeoff.” (Dallas Willard)
  • “Think well enough of Jesus to trust him…Do you trust him enough that each day you do the things that he taught? … To trust the real person Jesus is to have confidence in him in every dimension of our real life, to believe that he is right about and adequate to everything.” (Dallas Willard)
  • We are called to move ahead and engage trusting in God’s grace
  • There are some key heart principles when we are choosing to operate in trust. 1) We can’t base good/bad simply on emotion. 2) Take time to think and prayer about what the Father is asking/wanting. 3) Be willing to risk/engage. 4) Be humble. 5) Be careful not to magnify or minimize.

Discussion Questions

  • What struck you from this episode?
  • What struck you from this episode?
  • Where do you struggle to show up?
  • What is your presence like? How does you presence impact others? (Consider asking a trusted friend the impact you have on them and others).
  • Where do you feel disqualified?
  • Do I think well enough of Jesus to trust him with every part of my life? Why or why not?
  • What are some practical steps/tools that you find valuable when you need to take a risk in life?

Resources