Shows
The Gospel &... with Mallory SmythThe Gospel & Marriage and Family with Jospeh GruberIs marriage and family worth having today? Many Zoomers, and Millenials are choosing to opt out. Marriage is often seen as a something likely to end badly, and kids are often seen as a barrier to freedom. Joseph and Crystal Gruber, however, are on a mission to tell a different story. After spending many years serving the Church as FOCUS missionaries, Joseph and Crystal are now running their own marriage ministry in the midst of raising seven children. When they got married, they were excited for life to be an...2025-06-2751 min
A Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberLife on Mission with Mallory Smyth // Episode 236Mallory Smyth, author of Rekindled, joins us again for a dive into her story and lessons learned while on mission! You can find Mallory's work here: her podcast, "The Gospel &": https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gospel-with-mallory-smyth/id1800051958her substack: https://malloryasmyth.substack.comher instagram handle is: @malloryasmyth people can email her at: mallorybueche@gmail.com
As always, check out our work, and join our email list, at https://ouroutpost.org/join our free resource library platform herecatch our other podcast, Love Your Marriage, by clicking here: https://ouroutpost.org/podcasts/see what we have...2025-06-2553 min
A Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberCatholic Dating Part 2-- Leading up to a First Date // Episode 66Beginning anything can seem intimidating, especially if we don't really know where we're going or how to get there. In our three-part series on Catholic marriage and the apostolic life, we tried to describe where romantic relationships should be leading to. In this series, we're trying to talk about how to get there. And the first step to beginning is, well, in this case, all the work that precedes beginning. We talk about how important it is to be living a full life before we start seeking out a romantic interest. We talk about what to do when romantic...2020-08-2036 minA Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal Gruber2nd Q&A with the Grubers // Episode 45We had enough fun with our first Q&A that we decided to do a second one! The second question of the podcast addresses some of the issues concerning the papacy, bishops, scandal, infiltrating ideologies, and our trust in the institution of the Church, which is a great topic if you want to practice conflict-resolution skills at your church!We address the following questions:"What is one 'life dream' you've had to let die due to the reality of sharing your life with others? (Marriage, kids, etc)"-- Answer at 2:20"Why should a...2019-12-0435 minA Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberQ&A with the Grubers // Episode 44We asked a few listeners to submit questions, and we answer a random assortment of them!"If you had to describe Hope to an alien species who were unfamiliar with the concept, knew nothing of religion, and your description had to fit on a single post-it note what would you write?" Answer: 1:36"Any tips for accompanying friends/family who are pulling away from the church?" Answer: 2:06"How do you find good, unbiased news media? " Answer: 9:35"Do you foresee a rise in Catholic homeschooling as more Catholic private/parochial schools close...2019-11-2632 minA Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberTranscendent Friendship // Episode 43What's the difference between a useful or pleasant friendship and a virtuous friendship? And what's a practice that aids us in growing virtue whether we're the givers or the receivers of it? These two questions, and maybe others, are answered in this podcast...We reference Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (again), and John Cuddeback's True Friendship, as well as St. John Paul II's Love and Responsibility (I'll give the actual quote right...now):"This is what is called unrequited love, which as everyone knows is fraught with pain and suffering. If a love of this kind persists, as...2019-11-1258 minA Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberRepent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand // Episode 41Repentance gets a bad rap, as it is so often preached without reference to the great goodness that repentance is. Both John the Baptist and Jesus preached repentance, and when they did so, it was accompanied by the fact that the Kingdom of Heaven really was at hand, that God really was drawing close to His people, and that real change was possible. We talk about the great gift of confession, the transformation of repentance, and great good of sharing these things with others.We talk about many things, but two things that are referenced are here:...2019-10-2552 minA Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberChastity: Window to Beauty // Episode 40"Beauty will save the world," says Prince Myshkin, in Dostoevsky's less-famous novel, The Idiot. We talk about how chastity is the virtue that chooses the beautiful over the merely pleasant, the icon over the spectacle, the person over the object. When we see others rightly, as ends unto themselves, we become as we ought to be. When we become pure, as we ought to be, then we can see God (cf. Matthew 5:8). We reference Thor: Ragnarok, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Truman Show. And Lego Movie 2. If you thought we'd be pulling in a lot of JPII, L...2019-10-1646 minA Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberThe College's Duration // Episode 35While it seems a matter of course to many that college should last approximately four years, it's worth wondering if there is something more to the degree than 8 semesters (or 12 quarters) worth of classes. The inherent inequality of seniors and their accummulated experience rubbing shoulders with freshman who have the disadvantage of less experience gives the opportunity for the handing on of knowledge, understanding, wisdom, skills, and traditions. Seniors can become benefactors and those more junior can become beneficiaries in a system that keeps cycling people through it, teaching the values of first following and then leading.
We...2019-09-0534 minA Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberThe College Clubs // Episode 34Clubs: we paid part of our tuition so that they would exist and be funded. What good are they, and how ought a Catholic approach them?
We definitely didn't and definitely could have talked about Chesterton's take on the differences between clubs and neighbors, but that doesn't have to stop you from googling it and finding out his thoughts.
As always, feel free to drop us a line at ouroutpost@gmail.com, and feel free/encouraged to talk about these ideas with people around you. Podcasts were never meant to be a replacement for discussion, but rather...2019-08-2937 minA Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberThe College Dorm // Episode 33Wherein we discuss the role of the dorm in forming communities and humans, and how we might lean into such institutions to become holy.
Other than some Chesterton quotes and a Newman quote (which I now looked up. It is: "In a higher world it is otherwise, but here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often" and is apparently from Newman's Development of Christian Doctrine and can be found here: http://www.newmanreader.org/works/development/index.html It's possible he says it elsewhere, as well, and having never read...2019-08-2146 minA Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberThe College Dining Hall // Episode 32Wherein we discuss the opportunities for Christian charity in the college dining hall, and the importance of meals with people in general.
While we usually reference worthwhile works to read to bolster your experience, today's episode is brought to you in large part through our experience of this reality. If and when Joseph publishes a book on the topic of the college campus, you'll be some of the first to hear about it, oh faithful listener.
[In the course of spot-checking, I did come across one reference, which is to Matthew Kelly's book, The Seven Levels of...2019-08-1432 minA Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberChristianity as the One True Religion // Episode 28Wherein Joseph will present on how Christians can maintain that Jesus is Who He said He is, which means the Church is who He said she is.
Chesterton is referenced a bit-- I always recommend starting with Orthodoxy with him. Brant Pitre's The Case for Jesus is an excellent reference as well. I also recommend being familiar with all of salvation history-- at some point, I'd like to write a good reference book for you for that.
Also, this is the last apologetics episode we'll do for awhile, unless there is clamor for more.
As always...2019-07-1143 min
A Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberSimplicity // Episode 15Wherein we discuss simplicity with Keith and Tracy Gatzke. Besides being a fad right now and a desire in our hearts, simplicity may also be integral to the Christian life. More than that, it may in fact be the integrating factor, as well as a gauge of our souls and a path to evangelization. Whether it is or not, we had a great time talking about it with friends.
Of things referenced, we do bring up Marie Kondo's Netflix show. We're trying to think-- we might not have referenced any books, which is doubly surprising, as Keith...2019-03-2032 min
A Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal GruberHolding Fast // Episode 14Wherein we discuss the practice of fasting. As one of the three practices associated with Lent, and the one that most people talk about when Ash Wednesday rolls around, it still seems to need some more unpacking. Or maybe, we still needed to unpack it some more for ourselves.. As usual, spending some time talking through the topic was enlightening for us, the podcasters-- we hope that the episode sparks conversations that are life-changing for you, as well!
We make two literary references: The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien, and Dune, by Frank...2019-03-1328 min
A Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal Gruber#Winning // Episode 9How do we win people over to Jesus? And can we do it in a way that keeps winning us over to Him too? Joseph and Crystal gave a talk at a parish on this topic last year; because their daughter is currently in the hospital with some respiratory issues, they're sharing one of their first forays into giving talks together with you, their listener.
Feel free/welcome/encouraged to leave us a review if you like what you hear, and if you don't like what you hear, please email us at ouroutpost@gmail.com. You can leave...2019-02-051h 01