Asceticism, Self-Examination, and Danger

Zach, Al, Christian, and John Luke dig into why unanswered prayers can feel like personal rejection from God—and how faith survives that silence. Zach surprises everyone first with his unexpected knowledge of cosmic anomalies, then with an embarrassing middle school dance rejection story he’s clearly still not over. The conversation turns to C.S. Lewis’s struggle with loss, doubt, and the “sincerity spiral” that nearly drove him from faith. His journey becomes a hopeful illustration of how to move your prayer life beyond fear and into something both deeply sincere and thoughtfully rooted in Christ.

In this episode: Romans 12, chapters 1–2; Romans 8, verses 18–27; Genesis 1, verse 28; John 1, verses 1–2; John 1, verse 14; John 5, verse 39; Luke 24, verses 13–35; Colossians 2, verses 20–23; 2 Peter 1, verse 4

Today’s conversation is about Lesson 5 of C.S. Lewis on Christianity taught by visiting Hillsdale professor Michael Ward. Take the course with us at no cost to you! Sign up at http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/.

More about C.S. Lewis on Christianity:

Encounter the faith & wisdom of C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis’s writings bring the great questions of the Christian faith to life. Through his imaginative and invigorating style, Lewis answers these questions in ways that are compelling to those outside Christianity and energizing to those within the Christian faith.

In this free, seven-lecture course, Professor Michael Ward—a leading scholar of C.S. Lewis—will explore Lewis’s:

• argument for objective moral value in response to the rise of modern subjectivism;

• bittersweet path to conversion and the role of enjoyment in the Christian life;

• advice regarding the proper way to pray and read the Bible;

• teachings concerning the purpose of pain and how to confront suffering and loss;

• insights about the nature of heaven and hell.

This course examines these fundamental topics not only through his classic works—including Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Abolition of Man—but also through Lewis’s personal experiences with doubt, conversion, suffering, grief, and joy. Through this course, students will discover Lewis’s core lessons regarding the truth and goodness of the Christian faith and how to apply those lessons to one’s life. 

Join us today in discovering C.S. Lewis’s enduring lessons about the meaning and practice of Christianity. Sign up at ⁠http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/

Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts!

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Chapters:

00:00 Prayer Pushed Lewis to Atheism

03:02 Losing His Mom & Losing His Faith

07:48 The Sincerity Spiral

13:10 The Union of Wills

18:42 Romans 8 & Wordless Groans

24:08 Breaking the Self-Imposed Spell

30:05 Stop Standing in the Corner

36:20 The Word Made Flesh

41:15 Reading the Bible by Genre

45:12 Christ Unlocks Scripture

48:22 Hearts Set on Fire

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