Deep in Christ

Seeking to Pray - Deep in Christ, Episode 43

JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with step #11: “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”

They discuss different types of prayer, the journey of growing in relationship with God through prayer, and making prayer a permanent and foundational priority of the rest of your life.

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Taking Personal Inventory - Deep in Christ, Episode 42

JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with Step #10: “Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it."

Moving into the first of the final “maintenance steps” of the series, JonMarc and Brother Rex discuss making an examination of conscience, and making repentance and reconciliation with God and neighbor a proactive and ongoing party of our Christian life.

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Apologizing and Reconciling - Deep in Christ, Episode 41

JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with steps #8 and #9, which involve taking stock of one’s relationships and the ways we have caused hurt.

These steps focus on authentic apology and reconciliation, not as a haphazard or one-time thing, but as an ongoing and proactive part of our Christian life.

For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.

Humbly Asking for God‘s Help - Deep in Christ, Episode 40

JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with step #7: “Humbly asked (God) to remove our shortcomings.”

This episode focuses a lot on humility as a keystone virtue the that separates the sinners who live in despair from the sinners who know and admit their faults and ask Jesus to heal them. It is through this humility that all aspects of our life — our good works as well as our sins — can be turned over to God and made into opportunities for grace and healing.

For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.

Ready to Receive - Deep in Christ, Episode 39

On this episode, JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with step #6 “We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”

What does it mean to be “ready” and what do we do if we’re not? How do we increase our desire for healing and our trust in God, when we find ourselves precisely lacking in the needed desire and trust?

For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.

We Admitted We Were Wrong - Deep in Christ, Episode 38

On this episode of Deep in Christ, JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with step #5: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

They discuss the connections between this step and the sacrament of confession, the value of accountability and vulnerability in close friendships, and how we like Mary, “magnify the Lord” in the way we love one another despite our imperfections.

For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.

Taking Inventory of Our Lives - Deep in Christ, Episode 37

JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with step #4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of our lives.

They discuss the connection between this and the previous steps with the examination of conscience, the sacrament of confession, and the sacraments in general, and how the 12 Steps can help us to be open or re-opened in a new and more profound way to the grace and healing God wants to give.

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Turning Our Will Over to God - Deep in Christ, Episode 36

JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs with step #3: “We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”

They discuss the ways in which we so easily compartmentalize our lives and allow Jesus only limited access, and how radical honesty can be the grounds for a deeper relationship with Christ, even for seasoned Christians.

For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.

Trusting a Higher Power – Deep in Christ, Episode 35

JonMarc Grodi and Brother Rex Anthony Norris continue their discussion of the spirituality of 12 Step recovery programs.

Even for Christians who have been walking with the Lord for many years may discover that because they have never fully come to grips with their own fundamental woundedness (Step #1), they have not also fully embraced their need for God as the “higher power” that can “restore us to sanity” (Step #2).

The radical self-honesty of Step #1 leads to the possibility of a deeper relationship with and need for Jesus as savior and healer that is bound up with Step #2.
For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.

Admitting Our Powerlessness Over Sin - Episode 34

JonMarc Grodi and Br. Rex Anthony Norris embark on an exploration of the spirituality of “12 Step” recovery programs popularized over the past century, examining the ways these programs reflect aspects of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Step One is to "admit powerlessness” over one's destructive habits, and JonMarc and Brother Rex discuss how important it is to realize that it is ultimately Christ, and not our own willpower, that brings victory over sin.

We are all sinners, and apart from Him we can do nothing, but He pours out grace and healing to those who come to Him in radical honesty and humility.

For more episodes, visit deepinchrist.com.