Pirate Monk Podcast

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: "After the Miracle: Building a Life of Positive Sobriety", the Samson Society National Retreat, is scheduled for August 19–21, 2016. Click here for more details and to register. As of 6/11/16, only 48 spaces remain. Nate, Aaron, and Mark welcome a pastor, Robert Campbell, to the microphones for a conversation about building community, creation care, and shepherding Christians towards discipleship that is all the way down to the dirt.   What is the fruit of a redemptive life?   How do Jesus's life, death, and resurrection make a substantial difference in your own backyard?   How is community built differently in a large city than a small town? Find out more or purchase a copy of Robert's book here. Music on this Edition of the Podcast: "King of the Road" by Roger Miller "Space in Between Us" by Building 429 Our listener survey is still open. We'd love to have your comments. If you haven't left us your opinion yet, please do so. Subscribe to the Pirate Monk podca

To listen to this episode online, please scroll to the bottom of the notes to see the player. REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: "After the Miracle: Building a Life of Positive Sobriety", the Samson Society National Retreat, is scheduled for August 19–21, 2016. Click here for more details and to register. We open our conversation with a mini-meeting about "Disappointment." We'd love to hear your observations. Use the tools at the bottom of this post to leave us your thoughts and feelings about "Disappointment." Our first question: Is there a common source for pain for men that drives us to pornography? How do we find healing from the source? Our second question: Maybe this is so unique to each individual, but what is real sobriety like? Can it be defined qualitatively or quantitatively? What are the intangible aspects that you have wlaked through? The Music on This Edition of the Podcast: "Short Attention Span" "American Tune" by Paul Simon Our listener survey is still open. We'd love

If listening online, please scroll to the bottom of this entry for the player. You asked for it. We delivered. One of the most commonly asked for additions to the podcast line up is: "Can we hear from other Pirate Monks?" Today on the podcast, we sit down with two Samson brothers who have never met Nate. Paul Maxwell (@paulcmaxwell) is a PhD student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and philosophy professor at Moody Bible Institute. He writes more at his blog, and pretends to like coffee. Paul wrote the article "Seven Things to Do After Watching Pornography" for Desiring God and included a shout out to Samson Society. He was first invited to Samson Society by his friend Ryan Gibson. Ryan started his professional life in ministry as a youth minister. He received an undergrad in theology and pursued an MDiv at Westminster Seminary where he met Paul Maxwell. He didn't complete his MDiv, instead pursuing a new career in web development and has been doing that for the past five years. He has done a l

Our own Renaissance Man, Aaron Porter, takes us on a guided tour of one of his life's great passions—applying the Gospel to the great why questions of our lives. Every week, Aaron coaches several Christ followers on the path to greater understanding of their selves and Abba God using the material in his latest book, Soul Architecture: Building Your Story on a Gospel Foundation. Using the ancient enneagram as a tool and the Scriptures as the roadmap, Aaron helps us understand:   we need more than just a personality inventory that examines behavior which part of the Body of Christ we function in what "planet" we are on—how we process our surroundings and interact with others   Our Guest Aaron Porter makes coffee mixed with Red Bull look lazy. When he's not being a husband and father, he helps lead Vintage Community, a fellowship of Christ followers in central (San Luis Obispo/Templeton) California. Somehow he finds time to write and perform music locally [download], write books, coach others in Soul Architec

ANNOUNCING: Nate Larkin is hosting a national Samson Society weekend intensive focused on positive sobriety. Interested? Click here to provide your email address. You'll be the first to know all of the details when price and schedule are announced. All of the podcast Buccaneers will be there. Click here to sign up for information.   Certified marriage & family therapist and author Ramon Presson takes us into the darkest days of his life and helps us all look out the window at God's answer for guilt and shame. Our Guest Ramon Presson is a clinically certified marriage and family therapist for over 20 years and the founder of LifeChange Counseling and the Marriage Center of Franklin. From 1989 to 2004 Presson also served as an ordained minister and assistant pastor in churches in North Carolina South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. A native of North Carolina, a teenage Ramon first met Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, at Chapman's Winston-Salem church. After graduating from Wa

ANNOUNCING: Nate Larkin is hosting a national Samson Society weekend intensive focused on positive sobriety. Interested? Click here to provide your email address. You'll be the first to know all of the details when price and schedule are announced. All of the podcast Buccaneers will be there. Click to receive more information.   Nate Larkin's own Silas, worship pastor and author David Hampton, climbs up into the treehouse for episode 171. They guys talk about what happens AFTER the pink cloud of early sobriety disappears. How do you maintain passion for recovery? How do you deal with those around you who either aren't used to the new you or keep expecting you to revert to the old you? Our Guest Though the first bullet point on his resume would include almost two decades as a worship director at a prominent Nashville mega church, the greatest impact of David Hampton’s career and narrative isn’t summed up so neatly. David’s life story is certainly highlighted by his prodigy-like talent at the pia

In Episode 170, Nate, Newton, and Mark welcome Englishman Joshua Jones to the microphone. He discusses how we can build genuine relationships with the opposite sex that DON'T threaten marriage. Is it possible? Is it wise? The Book Forbidden Friendships: Retaking the Biblical Gift of Male-Female Friendship Forbidden Friendships presents the case for why Christian men and women not only can but need to engage one another in deep friendship and how to do so. In the name of integrity, walls are being raised that keep us from meaningful brother-sister friendship in Christ. While personal boundaries can be healthy, these generalised divisions are not Biblical nor these rules in line with Church History at its best. Contrary to their promises, we are not safer from sexual immorality by adhering to them - we are more at risk.     Movie Referenced Music Used The Official Motion Picture Soundtrack, When Harry Met Sally We'd love to hear from you. Please take a few minutes and answer questions on o

In Episode 0169, Nate, Aaron, and Mark attend a mini-meeting then answer some questions from our listener survey. (1) Is there such a thing as casual porn use, like casual drinking? (2) How do I handle going to the beach? Watching TV? Mini-Meeting If you're looking for resources to start a Samson Society meeting in your area, check out these resources. Feel free to comment or leave a voicemail with any questions you have. Chess Aaron told a great story about his son, Elijah. Check out this picture. Super Samson Nate and Aaron mentioned a funny video of things that can go right... and oh so wrong... at a Samson Society meeting. When this video resurfaces, we'll post it here. Changing Lanes Nate mentioned this movie in his checkin during our mini-meeting. Stream or download here. [iTunes] [Amazon] Watch the clip mentioned here. Music Used "In the Light of the Common Day" by Phil Keaggy   We'd love to hear from you. Please take a few minutes and answer questions on our listener survey. You'll be entered for a

Do we have your feedback yet? Please take a few minutes and answer just a few questions in our listener survey. On episode 168 of The Pirate Monk Podcast, the guys welcome author, speaking agent, and fellow struggler on the path, Wes Yoder, Our conversation may meander, but we will touch on confession, sorrow, lament, healing, fathers, and Elvis. Show Notes Bond of Brothers by Wes Yoder   Wes Yoder is the founder and President of The Ambassador Agency in Franklin, Tenn. He is also the local representative for The New Canaan Society which has groups across the nation. Click here to find a group meeting near you.  Quotes Used Wes referred to The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. In this novel, Lewis paints broad pictures about our entry and existence in heaven. It's worth the read. A third-party summary of the section on heaven is:In The Great Divorce Lewis paints a picture in which the closer we get to God, the more real everything gets. Hell (the farthest place from God) would only be the size of a pebble on earth

We long for your feedback. Please take a few minutes and answer just a few questions in our listener survey.   On episode 167 of The Pirate Monk Podcast, Nate and Mark go for a virtual walk with microphones on to discuss the first step of the 12 Steps.   Show Notes Nate brought up three books worth having in your library. The Big Book: Alcoholics Anonymous [Free] [iPhone App] [Amazon] The Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions [Free] [iPhone App] [Amazon] Find Samson meetings here. Find AA meetings here. The Good Book and the Big Book [Amazon]   Quotes Used Nate quote Martin Luther from his writing called "Two Kinds of Righteousness." The full quote is as follows:There are two kinds of Christian righteousness, just as man’s sin is of two kinds. The first is alien righteousness, that is the righteousness of another, instilled from without. This is the righteousness of Christ by which he justifies though faith, as it is written in I Cor. 1:30: “whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and

On episode 166 of The Pirate Monk Podcast, Nate shares a personal challenge and we take two phone calls from listeners like you.   Show Notes Aaron shared a quote by his co-pastor at Vintage Community Church. Nate also said, "Don't go toward isolation to get out of a cycle." If you feel stuck in a cycle, Nate offers these four ideas: Tracking your sobriety and serenity. Some groups use chips. Some individuals use a Sobriety Counter app [iOS] [Android] to track their "one day at a time." Keeping a Gratitude List. Write down everything—big and small—you're thankful to God for. Service in Obscurity. Nate told the story of a man who picked up trash in the Walmart parking lot as a way to serve without anyone patting him on the back. Get your butt to a meeting. Find Samson meetings here. Find AA meetings here.  Scripture Used Romans 1:21   Music Used "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and the Papas "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" by Relient K Subscribe to the Pirate Monk podcast Click here to take the listene

Nate Larkin and the guys welcome Erik Guzman, Vice President of Communications from Key Life, to discuss transformation by the gospel even in the midst of recovery. Show Notes Read more about Erik Read Erik's article series on addiction Drunk Believers Pain is Your Friend Beauty from Brutality The Gift of AddictionOrder Erik's new novel, The Seek: A True Myth   Resources Discussed TED Talk: Everything You Think You Know about Addiction is WrongJohann Hari Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves Key Life Network Steve Brown's Daily Thoughts: You Think About That

Listen back to clips from the top three listened to podcast episodes of 2015. The number three most popular episode of 2015 was #161, "Cross Road" featuring Ken Snyder. Click here to listen to the entire episode #161 "Cross Road." Find out more or order Ken Snyder's book, Cross Road. In this clip, Ken addresses the spiritual benefits of recovery and how he brings the Gospel into the process. Nate, Aaron, and Newton talk about community and the standards in their recovery program. The number two most popular episode of 2015 was #153, "The River of Denial" featuring Nate Larkin. Click here to listen to the entire episode #153 "The River of Denial" Subscribe to the Walking Lessons podcast by Nate Larkin. In this clip, Nate addresses ten strategies we employ to deny our problems and addictions. Ten Strategies for Denial Minimizing Comparison Create a Diversion Distraction Blaming Working Pick Another Area in which to Succeed Fantasy False Repentance Absolute Denial The most popular episode of 2

Show Notes:In this episode, a look at Stage 4 of The Path as expressed in the charter of The Samson Society. (Download the Charter here.) Encouraged by my Silas and others, I develop the daily disciplines of prayer, study, and self-examination. I abandon self-help, asking God instead to do for me what I cannot do for myself. Nate shared an article by Tim Challies. Read the article here. Download Psalm 23 in several translations here. Special Request:The guys are taking a break for Christmas and New Year’s, so we want YOU to be the guest on the next podcast. Will you please call us and tell us: What did you see God do through Samson Society or your recovery this year? and/or What was the best tip or quote about recovery you heard this year? Call (615) 807-0476 and leave a voice mail. We'll choose as many as we can to feature on the next podcast. Note for Men Living in Tennessee:The Samson Society Spring Retreat is scheduled for April 15–17. Let us know your thoughts to help us plan. Click here to take a

Nate, Aaron, and Mondo are back after a too-long hiatus and welcome a new member of the team, Mark. On this Episode:1. What happened to Aaron in the hot tub?2. How can a man make sure he is fully known?3. What does Positive Sobriety look like?4. Should we go to the pub for the "meeting after the meeting?" Show Notes:Nate quoted this passage from the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book. We began practicing a positive sobriety, taking the actions of love to improve our relations with others. We were learning how to give; and the measure we gave was the measure we got back. We were finding what none of the substitutes had ever supplied. We were making the real connection. We were home. Related to Positive Sobriety, Nate mentioned these resources:Book: The Cure by by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNichol, and John LynchWorkbook: The Cure WorkbookVideo: The Two Roads Bible Passages Discussed:Philippians 2:12–13Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work ou

A conversation with author Ken Snyder.

An inspiring conversation with Kurt Graves of Warehouse 242.

Greg Oliver of Route 1520 and Adam Calvert, a certified sex addiction therapist call in to chat about the nuts and bolts of addiction, what diagnosis looks like, and what some first steps towards healing could be.

A refreshingly frank conversation about authenticity with Rod Tucker, author of Uncovered: The Truth About Honesty and Community.

A cubit is a measurement from biblical times, roughly the distance from one's fist to their elbow, which is roughly the distance from your brain to your heart. Today Bill Delveux and the boys explore the journey to trust God's truths beyond the head until it sinks into the soul.