Every Christian parent aches to see their prodigal child—or any lost loved one—come back to faith. We long to see hearts healed, eyes opened, and lives restored. But in that longing, we should wrestle with a difficult and sobering question:

👉 Could my well-meaning efforts to speak truth actually be pushing them further from God?

It’s a question I tackle in this week’s episode of Christian Parent/Crazy World with a very special guest: Michael French. Michael’s story and ministry are like no one else’s I’ve encountered. A former attorney turned pastor, Michael now leads over 200 ministries in 12 countries with Patria Ministries—but he has a personal ministry reaching people who have been rejected by the Church.

And when I say rejected, I mean it.

Michael ministers to people the church has often avoided or cast out—witches, warlocks, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and even zombie impersonators. Yes… zombie impersonators.

And he doesn’t reach them by preaching at them.

He reaches them by loving them first.

💡 Key Takeaways from this Episode:

❤️ Relationship Before Evangelism

Michael and I unpack how Jesus consistently led with establishing relationship before speaking truth. He didn’t start by condemning sin—He started by sharing meals, asking questions, healing wounds. He earned the right to speak truth by first showing compassion.
If we want to reach the lost, we must be willing to go where they are, sit in their stories, and love without an agenda.

“Jesus didn’t clean the fish before He caught them. And neither should we,”  Michael says.

🔥 Truth Without Love Is a Weapon

This is one of the most powerful insights from our conversation:

“Love without truth is a lie. But truth without love is a weapon.”

If our truth comes out angry, controlling, or prideful—if it shames, blames, or alienates—it will not produce the fruit we’re praying for. It might win the argument, but lose the heart. Truth is never optional—but it must always be soaked in grace.

🌱 When Love Leads—Transformation Follows

Michael shares moving, real-life stories of transformation that began not with preaching, but with friendship. He tells of a young man estranged from faith who started his journey back to God because someone befriended him without conditions.

In one case, God even used a zombie apocalypse roleplaying game (yes, really!) as a divine setup for breakthrough. 

Why?

Because when people feel safe, seen, and valued, they become open to truth. That’s when the Holy Spirit begins His work.

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🛠️ Practical Advice for Prodigal Parents

If you’re walking through heartbreak with a prodigal child—or a loved one far from God—here are a few tangible ways to approach the journey differently:

• Drop the Christianese. Speak plainly. Be real. Don’t feel the need to wrap every sentence in a sermon.
• Model humility. If you’ve handled things poorly in the past, say so. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me.” That one phrase can soften even the hardest heart.
• Be patient with the process. You might not bring them all the way home, but you could help them move from “–6 to –5” on their spiritual journey. That movement matters.
• Let Jesus handle the heart change. Your job is to love. God’s job is to transform.

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✨ There’s Hope. Don’t Give Up.

Your prodigal or lost loved one  is not beyond God’s reach. And you’re not alone.
This episode is full of hope, insight, and practical wisdom for the long road of loving someone back to faith.

🎧 Click here to listen now.

Or you can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please consider giving CP/CW a 5-star rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify. That would make my day! 

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❤️ A Loving Challenge for This Week

Take a moment to reflect:
🔹 Are you leading with truth at the expense of love?
🔹 Is there a relationship that needs repair before rebuke?
🔹 What conversation—or even apology—needs to happen to restore trust?
Where might God be asking you to follow Jesus’ example and lead with relationship—before truth?

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🙏 A Prayer for our Prodigals and Lost Loved Ones
“Heavenly Father… Thank You for loving us with a perfect, patient, relentless love. Help us to reflect that same love to our lost and wandering loved ones. Give us wisdom to speak truth with grace. Give us courage to reach beyond our comfort zones. And give us Your heart for those who are far from You. We trust that You are always working, even when we can’t see it. Soften hearts, open eyes, and draw our prodigals back home—to us, and most of all… to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

About Michael French: A former attorney and long-time pastor, Michael now leads Patria Ministries, a global network of 200+ ministries across 12 countries. He is widely known for ministering in unconventional spaces and loving those who feel deeply rejected by religion. His work is a masterclass in how to hold truth without weaponizing it, and how to love without diluting it.

EPISODE LINKS:

Patria Ministries

The Danger of Speaking Truth without Love by Catherine Segars

📚 For free resources and Catherine’s Prodigal Bundle, visit catherinesegers.com.

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