Lights On with Carl Lentz

Want to submit questions? Email us at [email protected] this raw episode of Lights On, Carl and Laura tackle the question every married couple avoids: What is my spouse not telling me—and what am I afraid to ask? The answer will challenge everything you think you know about knowing your partner.Drawing from 23 years of marriage and their own journey of rebuilding trust, Carl and Laura expose an uncomfortable truth: the moment curiosity dies, assumptions take over. And those assumptions are quietly destroying more marriages than the fights ever could.Laura shares what she discovered when Carl checked her phone algorithm—and why the things we linger on reveal more than the things we say. Carl delivers the challenge most couples avoid: if swapping phones with your spouse sends a jolt through your body, that's not about technology. That's about distance and secrecy.From the power of staying curious about someone you've known for decades, to why the unsaid things don't disappear—they just show up in ways you don't want—this episode delivers practical truths for couples who want to stop assuming and start connecting.This episode will challenge any couple who believes they already know everything about each other.Follow Carl at: https://www.instagram.com/carllentz/ Follow Laura at: https://www.instagram.com/lauralentz/Supported by Plana https://plana.org/ Supported by God Behind Bars https://godbehindbars.comCHAPTERS: 00:00 One Way To Shift Your Marriage Fast01:57 The Gift Of Not Fully Knowing Your Spouse03:45 Laura's Australian Childhood06:05 When Curiosity Dies Assumptions Take Over07:00 God Behind Bars Partnership07:45 The Algorithm Discovery That Started It All10:17 The Phone Swap Challenge13:15 Why This Game Scares People15:01 The Thing You've Never Said Out Loud17:04 What The Unsaid Does To Your Marriage19:14 How To Create Safety For Vulnerability21:08 Why Men Struggle To Open Up22:17 Falling In Love With The Work23:16 Plana Partnership25:00 Why You Should Fight More Not Less27:28 Fighting For Clarity Not Victory29:24 Final Thoughts For Couples Ready To Go DeeperSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Want to submit questions? Email us at [email protected] this solo episode of Lights On, Carl Lentz challenges everything you think you know about New Year's resolutions and personal growth. The secret to a powerfully peaceful year is not doing more. It is doing less.Drawing from his own experience in rehab, Carl shares the moment a therapist told a room full of successful men one simple instruction. Make your bed. If you cannot do that, book your ticket back. That one idea reveals the truth about keystone habits and why one small thing done consistently raises every area of your life.Carl delivers three powerful shifts anyone can make right now. Pick one habit to build. Pick one avoidance to embrace. Pick one grievance to release. He unpacks the neuroscience showing that approaching feared things reduces anxiety by 70 percent within days, and why holding bitterness only punishes you while the person you resent has already moved on.This episode will challenge anyone who believes real change requires a hundred new commitments.---Follow Carl at https://www.instagram.com/carllentz/Follow Laura at https://www.instagram.com/lauralentz/---Supported by Plana https://plana.org/Supported by God Behind Bars https://godbehindbars.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this brutally honest episode of Lights On, Carl Lentz sits down with Blaine Bartell for round two of a conversation that sparked hundreds of messages from pastors in secret crisis. Blaine, a former megachurch pastor who led one of America's largest youth ministries, reveals the unspoken rule destroying leaders from the inside: "Thou shalt not get caught." For the first time, he shares the shocking moment when a well-known pastor looked him in the eye after his exposure and said, "You know what the difference is between you and me? You got caught." They dive deep into a buried Focus on the Family study revealing 68% of pastors struggle with porn, why that number is likely closer to 85% today, and why the church has created a system that disciplines men into secrecy rather than healing. From the identity shift that finally broke his 23-year addiction to why porn is never the real problem, this conversation exposes the epidemic nobody in church will talk about. Whether you're a pastor hiding in plain sight, a man who can't break free no matter how hard you try, or someone who loves a person trapped in secret shame, this episode offers a roadmap to the freedom of having nothing left to hide.Follow Carl at: https://www.instagram.com/carllentz/Follow Blaine at: https://blainebartell.com/Supported by God Behind Bars - https://godbehindbars.comSupported by Plana - https://plana.org/CHAPTERS:00:00 - INTRO: "Thou Shalt Not Get Caught"01:08 - Blaine's Story: 23 Years of Secret Addiction Behind Ministry Success05:10 - Good Friday 2010: The Day Everything Was Exposed09:50 - "You Got Caught. I Didn't." — What a Megachurch Pastor Told Him14:52 - The Buried Study: Focus on the Family Found 68% of Pastors Struggle20:26 - "When We Punish Honesty, We Disciple Secrecy"23:45 - God Behind Bars Partnership25:33 - How Jesus Restored Peter: Breakfast, Relationship, Mission32:54 - Stop Raking Leaves: Why Porn Isn't the Real Problem36:55 - "I Am a Beloved Son" — The 6 Words That Changed Everything38:17 - Plana Partnership41:10 - The New Pornography: DMs, Text Threads, and What Pastors Hide47:07 - The Greatest Gift: Going to Sleep Without Secrets56:16 - 4 Steps to Freedom and Sacred RitualsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Want to submit questions? Email us at [email protected] this raw episode of Lights On, Carl Lentz sits down with his 21-year-old daughter Ava for the conversation most dads are too afraid to have. What does my daughter actually need from me? The answer will challenge everything you think you know about strength, protection, and what it actually takes to lead your daughter well.Drawing from their own journey of rebuilding after public failure, Carl and Ava expose an uncomfortable truth. Your daughter's inner world is far deeper than you realize. And two things can be true at once. A dad can be trying his best AND his daughter can be starving for real connection.Ava shares what she needed most as a little girl but never said, including the moments Carl's "strength" actually created fear instead of safety. Carl delivers the perspective most dads never hear. What it is actually like to let your daughter see you broken, and why that vulnerability became the foundation of their relationship today.From the power of the words that follow "you are" to why your best parenting will feel like friction in the moment, to the question every dad should ask his daughter, this episode delivers practical truths for fathers who want to stop performing and start connecting.This episode will challenge any dad who believes he needs to have it all figured out.Follow Carl at https://www.instagram.com/carllentz/ Follow Ava at https://www.instagram.com/avaangellentz/Supported by Plana https://plana.org/ Supported by God Behind Bars https://godbehindbars.comCHAPTERS 00:00 The Conversation Most Dads Avoid02:40 This Is Not Pressure It Is Presence 05:18 What Ava Needed Most As A Little Girl 10:07 Why Vulnerability Made Them Closer 14:37 God Behind Bars Partnership 16:02 The Worst Advice Dads Receive 19:26 Your Words Become Her Inner Voice 22:00 The Dad Mistake That Creates Fear Not Safety 25:00 When Trust Is Crushed Daughters Need Honesty 29:50 Confrontation Is Not The Enemy Of Connection 31:01 Truth 1 Her Inner World Is Deeper Than You Know 34:24 Plana Partnership 36:22 Truth 2 Your Best Parenting Feels Like Friction 38:59 Truth 3 Humanity Strengthens Leadership 43:26 Truth 4 The Power Of You Are 45:07 Truth 5 Legacy Should Always Be Growing 46:59 What Daughters Wish Their Dads Would Ask 49:49 Final Words For Dads Ready To Lead Differently 54:06 Whatever You Avoid Controls YouSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Want to submit questions? Email us at [email protected] this raw episode of Lights On, Carl and Laura Lentz tackle the conversation most couples recovering from betrayal are too afraid to have. What do we do about sex? The answer will challenge everything you think you know about protection, connection, and what it actually takes to rebuild.Drawing from five years of rebuilding their own marriage, Carl and Laura expose an uncomfortable truth. Intimacy is not a reward system. It is a connection system. And two things can be true at once. A betrayed wife can be protecting herself AND the relationship can be starving for connection.Laura shares why she chose to pursue intimacy with Carl despite the trauma, including the moment she shook so badly he had to leave the room. Carl delivers the perspective most men never hear. What it is actually like to rebuild your sexuality without any hope of intimacy at home, and why white-knuckling is not recovery.From the Gottman framework of Atone, Attune, Attach, to the 5-level ladder for rebuilding physical connection, to why compliance is not intimacy and consent is, this episode delivers practical frameworks for couples who want to stop avoiding the hardest conversation in recovery.This episode will challenge any couple who believes removing intimacy has no cost.---Follow Carl at https://www.instagram.com/carllentz/Follow Laura at https://www.instagram.com/lauralentz/---Supported by Plana https://plana.org/Supported by God Behind Bars https://godbehindbars.com---CHAPTERS00:00 The Conversation Betrayed Couples Avoid02:40 This Is Not Pressure It Is Options05:18 What Recovery Actually Looks Like For The Man10:07 Why Laura Chose Intimacy Despite The Trauma14:37 God Behind Bars Partnership16:02 The Worst Christian Advice Women Receive19:26 The Science Of Bonding Stress And Well-Being22:00 The Best Way To Stop Fighting25:00 When Trust Is Crushed Couples Need Reconnection29:50 Healthy Sex Is Not A Replacement For Recovery31:01 The Gottman Framework Atone Attune Attach34:24 Plana Partnership36:22 Attunement Tuning The Guitar Before You Play38:59 Non-Sexual Affection And The 5 Levels43:26 Relearning Touch With No Goal And No Pressure45:07 Erotic Connection Only When Both Can Say Yes46:59 Weapon Reward Or Reconnection Which Are You Using49:49 Final Reminders For Couples Rebuilding54:06 Whatever You Avoid Controls YouSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.