Tag Archives: Satan

Ep99 Dividers and Uniters

April 3, 2024UncategorizedAnger, Catholic Church, Christ, Coeur D’Alene Idaho, Communal Prayers, Division, God, Hatred, Holy Communion, Holy Eucharist, Injustice, Insecurity, Jesus, Lord’s Prayer, Love, Narcissism, Pharisees, Prayer of St. Michael, Priestly Prayers, Satan, Self-Esteem, Shame, Sign of the Cross, Social Capital, Sun Valley Idahowrestlingwithgodshow

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:02 — 41.2MB)

Father Len grapples with the causes, effects and solutions to the anger and division present in our country, our churches, and our families.

Support Wrestling with God Productions: https://www.GiveSendGo.com/WWGProductions

Highlights, Ideas, and Wisdom

Dividers are often inspired and motivated by their own psychological needs.
Dividers are judgmental.
People with a deep desire for division make up their own rules and condemn others for not following their made-up rules.
In the Bible, the Pharisees made up hundreds and hundreds of rules. They condemn Jesus and others for not following the rules they made up. They love to proclaim how much more religious and holy they are than everyone else.
People who seek division are the enemies of Christ and true religion.
How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks
Father Len shares the story of a guy who lived much of his life as a divider though he was very religious. His sense of religion was very legalistic and judgmental, critical of everybody. Remarkably and unconsciously, at the age of 50, he experiences a remarkable deep conversion to his faith and becomes a disciple of love with a desire to unite everyone.
Some people accidentally and unconsciously end up working for division in a community out of their own sense of anger, insecurity, or pain.
Division or unity is a fundamental choice. At some point in life, we must decide between division and unity, hatred and love.
Father Len tells the story of a woman who experienced an awful childhood of rape and incest, yet she devotes her life to helping the wounded and broken of the world to reject shame, heal their souls and feel loved.
It’s not what happens to you in life that matters. It’s how you react to what happens that matters.
Saint Paul warned people to keep away from those who cause division and put obstacles in their way because they don’t serve the Lord.
Satan loves division. Satan loves to dress up as something good, but the only fruits he offers are not good, just more division.
Bowling Alone: Revised and Updated: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert Putnam
Social capital is a sense of unity and solidarity, the need to take care of others and build up an entire community or nation.
The United States was built on and succeeded because of social capital.
Division is where injustice and hatred grow.
Higher social capital tracks with more justice, more societal success, and more happiness.
Societies that are more narcissistic, about me, me, me, are less happy and have more crime, corruption, and injustice.
Social capital is connected with holiness.
“Let’s move away from the current plague in our country and our church that we need to attack each other. We can build a great country and church with social solidarity. We can’t build anything putting each other down constantly.” – Father Len

We welcome your questions and comments:

Email: irish@wwgproductions.org
Text or voicemail: 208-391-3738

Links to More Podcasts from Wrestling with God Productions

Life Lessons from Jesus and the Church He Founded: http://LifeLessonsfromJesus.org
A Priest’s Life: https://idahovocations.com/resources/video-podcasts/

Ep95 Encore: Pride is a Demon

July 12, 2023UncategorizedAlbert Einstein, Arrogance, Bishop Sylvester Treinen, COVID-19, Doctors, Egotistical, Envy, God, Humility, Instagram, Isaac, Jack Schafer, Lucifer, Nurses, Pride, Richard Dawkins, Satan, Ulysses S Grantwrestlingwithgodshow

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:59 — 35.7MB)

Father Len reveals that pride is damaging lies we tell ourselves about ourselves.

Support Wrestling with God Productions: https://www.GiveSendGo.com/WWGProductions

Highlights, Ideas, and Wisdom

Pride is a cancer that often goes undetected until it’s too late.
“The Truth Detector: an Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide for Getting People to Reveal the Truth” by Jack Schafer
The moment you tell a lie about yourself you are owned by the lie.
Happy people don’t need to feel superior.
The fall of humanity began when Adam and Eve were enticed by pride to define for themselves what is moral.
The prideful lie is always about portraying yourself as superior in some way.
Pride produces a damaging ripple effect on us and everyone around us.
Father Len compares Albert Einstein and Richard Dawkins to illustrate the damaging effects of pride and the positive effects of humility.
“I am not an atheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. We are in a position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows somebody must’ve written those books.” – Albert Einstein
The prideful are not open to truth because they feel compelled to defend the lies they tell about themselves.
The prideful are always defensive and feel the need to posture, provoke, pick fights and bully because they fear wrestling with the truth.
Confident and humble people don’t fear grappling with the truth and allow themselves to be challenged, probed, and questioned.
The prideful can never be happy because they make their insecurities and flaws the center of their identities.
The prideful don’t recognize or appreciate their self-worth.
Lies about who you are, what you know, what you’re good at, and what you’re not good at are sure signs you have a pride problem.

We welcome your questions and comments:

Email: irish@wwgproductions.org
Text or voicemail: 208-391-3738

Links to More Podcasts from Wrestling with God Productions

Life Lessons from Jesus and the Church He Founded: http://LifeLessonsfromJesus.org
A Priest’s Life: https://idahovocations.com/resources/video-podcasts/

Ep89 Encore: The Real Christmas Story and Its True Meaning

December 14, 2022UncategorizedAdam and Eve, Book of Exodus, Book of Genesis, Catholic Church, Christmas, Incarnation, Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Milton, Salvation, Satan, Sin, St Paul, St. Irenaeus, St. Pope John Paul II, the Devilwrestlingwithgodshow

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:46 — 20.8MB)

Father Len reveals the real “reason for the season” is us.

Make a financial donation here: https://www.GiveSendGo.com/WWGProductions

Highlights, Ideas, and Wisdom

“When I look at the world upside down, that’s when it seems right to me.” – Jeret “Speedy” Peterson
Father Len tells a story about geese to illustrate why God became a human being.
Christmas is a revelation of who we are meant to be.
To be good is to become a true human being.
Our true humanity is to live like Christ.
“Christianity is the attitude of amazement at the dignity of the human person.” – Pope John Paul II
“The glory of God is a human being fully alive.” – Irenaeus
“Paradise Lost” by John Milton
“Faust” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Sin is the temptation to stop being a true human being.
Evil is the no to human goodness. Evil is the no to all that is good.
Satan is not one who hates God. Satan is one who believes that God can’t love him or us.
The good news of Christmas is that God became one of us to show us how to become true human beings and discover the goodness of being a true human being.
Salvation is not the story of God rescuing us from an evil universe. Salvation is the story of God coming as one like us to teach us what true goodness looks like.
Absolute love will embrace death.
Absolute love cannot be contained by the tomb.
Sin is anything that deprives us of our full humanity.
Christmas is the beginning of the journey to our true humanity to love and to be connected.

We welcome your questions and comments:
- Email: irish@wwgproductions.org
- Text or voicemail: 208-391-3738
Links to Podcasts from Wrestling with God Productions
- Wrestling with God Show: http://WWGShow.com
- Life Lessons from Jesus and the Church He Founded: http://LifeLessonsfromJesus.org
- A Priest’s Life: https://idahovocations.com/resources/video-podcasts/

Ep73 Encore: The Real Christmas Story and Its True Meaning

December 6, 2021UncategorizedAdam and Eve, Book of Exodus, Book of Genesis, Catholic Church, Christmas, Incarnation, Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Milton, Salvation, Satan, Sin, St Paul, St. Irenaeus, St. Pope John Paul II, the Devilwrestlingwithgodshow

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:55 — 19.1MB)

Father Len reveals the real “reason for the season” is us.

Highlights, Ideas, and Wisdom

“When I look at the world upside down, that’s when it seems right to me.” – Jeret “Speedy” Peterson
Father Len tells a story about geese to illustrate why God became a human being.
Christmas is a revelation of who we are meant to be.
To be good is to become a true human being.
Our true humanity is to live like Christ.
“Christianity is the attitude of amazement at the dignity of the human person.” – Pope John Paul II
“The glory of God is a human being fully alive.” – Irenaeus
“Paradise Lost” by John Milton
“Faust” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Sin is the temptation to stop being a true human being.
Evil is the no to human goodness. Evil is the no to all that is good.
Satan is not one who hates God. Satan is one who believes that God can’t love him or us.
The good news of Christmas is that God became one of us to show us how to become true human beings and discover the goodness of being a true human being.
Salvation is not the story of God rescuing us from an evil universe. Salvation is the story of God coming as one like us to teach us what true goodness looks like.
Absolute love will embrace death.
Absolute love cannot be contained by the tomb.
Sin is anything that deprives us of our full humanity.
Christmas is the beginning of the journey to our true humanity to love and to be connected.

Ep71 Pride Poisons Everything

October 27, 2021UncategorizedAct of Contrition, Alexander the Great, Atheist, Bible, Coppa Magna, CS Lewis, Defensive, God, Humility, Marriage, Meekness, Nebuchadnezzar, Pride, Respect, Satan, Self-Deprecating Humor, Spiritual, Status, Temptation, Vulnerability, Yahwehwrestlingwithgodshow

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:46 — 28.2MB)

Father Len explains how pride can poison everything in life from relationships, to religion, to marriages, to organizations and companies.

Highlights, Ideas, & Wisdom

Pride and its effects are often so subtle as to be unrecognizable.
The easiest way to manipulate people is to use their pride against them.
Father Len shares the story of how an FBI agent uses the pride of criminals to induce them to confess their crimes.
“The Truth Detector: an Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide for Getting People to Reveal the Truth” by Jack Schafer
Prideful people are always defensive because their professed self-worth and inner strength is a façade.
Father Len reveals how pride causes him to “freak out and become defensive and disrespectful” when people don’t respect his time.
Pride is seductive and addicting.
Pride is like an animal that must be fed over and over.
Pride is like a freeway off ramp that takes you off the path to God.
Father Len tells the sad story of how pride caused Alexander the Great to kill his best friend.
Father Len explains how Satan uses our pride to tempt us to sin.
“Little Shop of Horrors” Movie
Prideful people have a constant need for outward signs to demonstrate that they’re okay which ironically leads them to feeling less and less okay inside.
The prideful are always armored up and defensive.
“The ruthless, sleepless, unsmiling concentration upon self is the mark of Hell.” – CS Lewis
Prideful people have difficulty laughing at themselves because of their constant need for input on how great they are.
Great leaders share two qualities: selflessness and humility.
Leaders with excessive pride bring nothing but destruction to their companies and organizations.
“Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t” by Jim Collins
Father Len’s litmus test for a spiritual person: one who believes that pride poisons everything.
Irish shares the story of how he’s been unwittingly sucked into a corrosive game of pride by a prideful friend.
Humility and vulnerability are the antidotes to pride.

Ep70 Pride is a Demon

October 5, 2021UncategorizedAlbert Einstein, Arrogance, Bishop Sylvester Treinen, COVID-19, Doctors, Egotistical, Envy, God, Humility, Instagram, Isaac, Jack Schafer, Lucifer, Nurses, Pride, Richard Dawkins, Satan, Ulysses S Grantwrestlingwithgodshow

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:39 — 34.5MB)

Father Len reveals that pride is damaging lies we tell ourselves about ourselves.

Highlights, Ideas, and Wisdom

Pride is a cancer that often goes undetected until it’s too late.
“The Truth Detector: an Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide for Getting People to Reveal the Truth” by Jack Schafer
The moment you tell a lie about yourself you are owned by the lie.
Happy people don’t need to feel superior.
The fall of humanity began when Adam and Eve were enticed by pride to define for themselves what is moral.
The prideful lie is always about portraying yourself as superior in some way.
Pride produces a damaging ripple effect on us and everyone around us.
Father Len compares Albert Einstein and Richard Dawkins to illustrate the damaging effects of pride and the positive effects of humility.
“I am not an atheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. We are in a position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows somebody must’ve written those books.” – Albert Einstein
The prideful are not open to truth because they feel compelled to defend the lies they tell about themselves.
The prideful are always defensive and feel the need to posture, provoke, pick fights and bully because they fear wrestling with the truth.
Confident and humble people don’t fear grappling with the truth and allow themselves to be challenged, probed, and questioned.
The prideful can never be happy because they make their insecurities and flaws the center of their identities.
The prideful don’t recognize or appreciate their self-worth.
Lies about who you are, what you know, what you’re good at, and what you’re not good at are sure signs you have a pride problem.

Ep41 The Real Christmas Story and Its True Meaning

December 8, 2020UncategorizedAdam and Eve, Book of Exodus, Book of Genesis, Catholic Church, Christmas, Incarnation, Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Milton, Salvation, Satan, Sin, St Paul, St. Irenaeus, St. Pope John Paul II, the Devilwrestlingwithgodshow

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:51 — 20.0MB)

Father Len reveals the real “reason for the season” is us.

Highlights, Ideas, and Wisdom

“When I look at the world upside down, that’s when it seems right to me.” – Jeret “Speedy” Peterson
Father Len tells a story about geese to illustrate why God became a human being.
Christmas is a revelation of who we are meant to be.
To be good is to become a true human being.
Our true humanity is to live like Christ.
“Christianity is the attitude of amazement at the dignity of the human person.” – Pope John Paul II
“The glory of God is a human being fully alive.” – Irenaeus
“Paradise Lost” by John Milton
“Faust” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Sin is the temptation to stop being a true human being.
Evil is the no to human goodness. Evil is the no to all that is good.
Satan is not one who hates God. Satan is one who believes that God can’t love him or us.
The good news of Christmas is that God became one of us to show us how to become true human beings and discover the goodness of being a true human being.
Salvation is not the story of God rescuing us from an evil universe. Salvation is the story of God coming as one like us to teach us what true goodness looks like.
Absolute love will embrace death.
Absolute love cannot be contained by the tomb.
Sin is anything that deprives us of our full humanity.
Christmas is the beginning of the journey to our true humanity to love and to be connected.

Ep20 Good and Evil Are Hard to Define and Fully Understand

July 24, 2020UncategorizedBook of Job, Book of Wisdom, Coronavirus, evil, Faith, God, Heaven, Humility, Jesus, Moral Contagion, Religion, Satan, spirituality, Suffering, The Biblewrestlingwithgodshow

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:48 — 21.8MB)

Father Len explains why defining and fully understanding good and evil is pretty much beyond our ability as humans.

Highlights, Ideas, and Wisdom

The only wise reaction to evil is faith in God.
The mystery of what seems like evil to us may actually be something used by God for our good.
Father Len explains why we shouldn’t settle for cheap and easy answers for why evil and suffering exist in the world and instead humbly ask questions and more questions.
We will not understand evil until we can have the same perspective as God.
There might not be answers about good and evil that we can see and understand until we get to heaven and can look back in time.
Real wisdom is acquired through intimate experience with suffering.
What we proclaim as good may actually be bad for us.
What we proclaim as evil may actually be good for us.