About the show
“Jesus himself drew near.” (Lk 24:15)
God takes the initiative to draw near to us out of a deep and personal love for each one of us. This movement asks each of us for a response. There are so many beautiful ways we can respond to the work of God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. This is a journey we share together, drawing near to Christ as we draw near to one another. This shared journey toward Christ, rooted in the Catholic faith, is the focus of our podcast. Our goal is to be authentic, honest, humble, faithful, loving, passionate, real and vulnerable in each episode. We also like to keep it lighthearted. We are two best friends, sharing life together with our families. We invite you to join us as we Draw Near. Let's grow towards sainthood together!
Hosts: Fred Shellabarger and Kara Kardell
Learn more at: www.drawnear.me
Draw Near on social media
Episodes
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Coping with Feelings of Failure
October 13th, 2021 | 48 mins 58 secs
calming the storm, failure, feelings or failure, gospels, overcoming failure, prayer, scripture
We have all wrestled with discouragement, thoughts of our own failures and shortcomings. Where is God in the midst of our failures? How do we overcome these feelings. Fred Shellabarger and Kara Kardell cover the topic of failure in this episode of the Draw Near podcast.
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Praying the Catechism and God's Incredible Love for You
October 9th, 2021 | 7 mins 40 secs
catechism of the catholic church, draw near podcast, fred and kara, prayer, reflection, scripture
In this Shorty, Fred Shellabarger shows us how to not only pray with Scripture, but also how to pray with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is itself filled with Scripture. This book, a summation of the Catholic faith, is not merely a reference book. The Church teaches Truth, and we are invited to not simply learn this truth, but pray with it! Fred presents a method for praying the Catechism, and reflects on the profound truth and beauty that is revealed in the process.
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The Word is Alive
October 7th, 2021 | 28 mins 30 secs
bible study, draw near podcast, fred and kara, jesus in the bible, prayer, scripture, word of god
Scripture is the Living Word of God. It is there, in Scripture, that we encounter Christ. It is through study and prayer of the Word that we walk with God and speak with Him.
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Mary: Ark of the New Covenant
October 5th, 2021 | 16 mins 34 secs
ark of the covenant, assumption, blessed mother, catholic, draw near, fred and kara, mary
It isn’t uncommon for Catholics to hear that we put too much emphasis on Mary... or, “She’s not that important…She’s barely even in scripture.” Well… Mary is ALL over scripture.
This "shorty" teaches on Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant.
What is the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament? How does Luke's Gospel present Mary as the New Ark? What does this have to do with the Assumption? Find out in this shorty! -
Life Lessons from Assisi
September 29th, 2021 | 52 mins 50 secs
catholic, francis and clare, life lessons, saints
St. Francis and St. Clare have become profound intercessors in our lives who have turned into great friends!
There are many assumptions or misconceptions out there about these Saints... This episode shares the lives of Sts. Francis and Clare, while pulling five life lessons we can all learn from them! We hope by the end of this episode, they may hold a place in your heart and become friends of yours, too! -
Virtuous Friendship
September 15th, 2021 | 55 mins 3 secs
friends, friendship, holiness, virtue
We have many "friends," or more accurately, "best acquaintances," but we often lack the meaningful relationships; the friendships we long for that are characterized by love, vulnerability, mutual encouragement and accountability. What does friendship look like? Find out on this episode of Draw Near as Fred and Kara discuss all of this and share from their own close friendship!
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Ask a Priest
July 12th, 2021 | 1 hr 3 mins
On this week’s episode of Draw Near, we are joined by our good friend Fr. Patrick Behm. We explore a variety of topics as we discuss what greatness looks like TODAY, how the past year has impacted Father, a trend toward new age spirituality, and more.
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Episode 19: Chit Chat and Banter
May 26th, 2021 | 43 mins 58 secs
In this episode of Draw Near, we step away from being hosts and turn the microphone over to our friend John Paul, as he asks us questions from listeners. In this fun, light hearted discussion, you will learn more about us, our favorite movies, why we alw...
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Most Humble
April 28th, 2021 | 15 mins 41 secs
For all of time God had a beautiful and perfect plan for salvation. And St. Joseph was always a part of that plan! That is something to be particularly proud of, and yet he is one of the greatest examples of humility.
May 1st is the Feast of St. Joseph t... -
Made For Greatness
April 14th, 2021 | 40 mins 45 secs
St. Francis of Assisi, in hearing God say "rebuild my Church," began rebuilding himself in holiness... the people are the Church! The people are called to be rebuilt. St. Francis gave up worldly greatness to be great in the eyes of the Lord. He gave his ...
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For You
March 31st, 2021 | 41 mins 4 secs
Holy Week is a time to celebrate and remember all Christ has done FOR YOU! His deep and endless love is shown in his willing sacrifice upon the cross. He did this all for you.
"I Thirst" reflection link
Prayer at the end of episode: “To Be A Disciple of... -
Discernment and Decision Making
March 3rd, 2021 | 42 mins 51 secs
If we are trying to love and serve the Lord, and interested in growing in holiness, we always want to make sure to make decisions according to the will of God. However, it is not always easy for us to make decisions. We can be tempted to become anxious a...