What if the life you’re protecting is the very thing keeping you from truly living? We open Matthew 16:24–26 and get honest about denying self, taking up the cross, and following Jesus when comfort, titles, and fear pull in the other direction.
With Pastor Lee and Erica at the table, we explore how sin bends us inward and how the gospel lifts our eyes to a bigger joy. We talk through the ancient weight of the cross—shame and suffering in plain sight—and why Jesus “despised the shame” for the joy set before Him. That lens changes how we handle work promotions, public pressure, and the temptation to keep our faith quiet to avoid ripples. You’ll hear practical ways to witness with courage, from a simple daily prayer—Lord, who is my one today?—to gentle, Spirit-led questions that open doors: How can I pray for you? Did you find your joy this morning?
We also look at the heart-level meaning of “lose your life to find it.” Identity shaped by the world frays under pressure; identity rooted in Christ holds. Titles aren’t the enemy, but they’re not the treasure. We reflect on Jeremiah’s calling as a picture of the hard, faithful road: predictable paths can be good, yet the narrow path is often the obedient one that glorifies God. If you’ve wrestled with silence at work, spiritual hesitation in public, or the pull to keep the waters calm, this conversation offers clarity and courage to put God first—every room, every decision, every day.
If this spoke to you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs boldness today, and leave a review so others can find it. What one step will you take this week to be salt and light?
Episode Transcript
What's going on, everybody?
I am Pastor Lee, and I pastorChrist Family Outreach Church,
located in Amelia, Virginia.
And today at the table, as Ipromised you last week, we do
have a guest, and it is mybeautiful bride, Erica.
How are you doing?
SPEAKER_00 (00:25):
Doing well.
SPEAKER_02 (00:26):
So it's been a couple of weeks since you were
last on the show.
And I know that the listenersare glad to have you back.
Today's episode is going to getgoing in Matthew chapter 16.
So if you got your Bibles, goahead and turn there with us.
Matthew chapter 16, verses 24through 26.
And it is a tough topic, or atleast it can be.
(00:47):
Erica, today we're going to betalking on this episode about
denying self.
And that could be really hard todo.
SPEAKER_00 (00:54):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (00:55):
Matthew 16, 24 through 26.
I'm going to read it to you, myfriends.
Here we go.
Then Jesus told his disciples,If anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself and take uphis cross and follow me.
For whoever would save his lifewill lose it.
But whoever loses his life formy sake will find it.
(01:16):
For what will it profit a man ifhe gains the whole world and
forfeits his soul?
Or what shall a man give inreturn for his soul?
So let's stop right there.
There's there's a whole lothappening.
Just in that first verse, Erica,in Matthew 16, 24, when when
Jesus tells his disciples, ifanyone would come after me, let
(01:37):
him deny himself.
So we want to live a life thathonors God.
If we want to be Christians,then we've got to deny
ourselves.
We've got to take up the cross,and we have to follow Jesus.
I mean, there's there's a lotpacked right there, but but if
you're if you're gonna comeafter me, Jesus says, deny
yourself.
We're gonna talk about that.
(01:58):
In other words, if you want tofollow me, if you want to be
where I am, you are going tohave to deny yourself because
I'm going places that your fleshjust won't want to go.
The Holy Spirit is gonna goplaces and want to use you, my
friends, in places that yourflesh at times is gonna become
(02:20):
really uncomfortable in.
So in order to follow Jesus,we're gonna have to deny
ourselves.
Because Jesus is gonna go placesthat your flesh just don't want
to go.
SPEAKER_00 (02:34):
Yeah, I love here how this uh Jesus' proposition
addresses, first of all, whothis offer is for.
And here it says, anyone, anyonewho wants to come to me, right?
SPEAKER_02 (02:45):
That's good news.
SPEAKER_00 (02:46):
So it's an invitation for all of us um to
follow Jesus and become hisdisciple, but the proposition
has two clauses.
First one is what he must denyhimself, right?
The second one is he must alsotake up his cross and follow me.
Those are the two requirementsof being a disciple.
And to deny oneself means to setaside one's own interest in
(03:11):
exchange for God's interest.
In Philippians 2, 3 through 4,it says, do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vainconceit, but in humility
consider others better thanyourselves.
Each of you should look not onlyto your own interests, but also
to the interest of others.
So denying oneself is to puttingto death one's own ambitions and
(03:34):
desires, which is hard to do,right?
SPEAKER_02 (03:36):
Absolutely, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (03:37):
And then the second requirement for being a disciple
of Jesus is to take his crossand follow him.
And a cross was a Roman publicmethod of executing criminals.
It was physically torturous andsocially humiliating.
Its victims were often strippednaked and nailed to a cross and
(03:58):
left to dehydration andsuffocation as its death.
And they would just be putoutside city walls for people to
see.
A cross was an instrument ofpainful death and great shame.
So the image Jesus is puttinginto the minds of his disciples
is for them to embrace thesuffering and shame from the
world to the point of rejection,loss, and even physical death.
SPEAKER_02 (04:24):
Take up our cross.
Yeah.
Here's the thing about sin.
Because Jesus says that we'vegot to deny ourselves.
And the truth is all of us areliving in these flesh shoots
that like the pleasure of whatsin can bring at times.
So here's the here's the thingabout sin.
Sin causes us to beself-centered.
(04:46):
Would you agree with that?
Yeah.
It causes us to beself-centered.
It it takes our hearts, it takesour focus away from God.
And what sin likes to do is sinplaces our heart and our focus
rather than on God, on ourself.
And that's what gets sodangerous, right?
Because we're to die to self.
(05:08):
We're to deny ourselves.
And this is the dangerous thingabout sin.
When we get saved in Christ,denying self is all about focus
no longer being on self, butfocus being on God the Father.
And we see the ugliness, we seethe ugliness of pleasing self at
the very beginning in the gardenwith Adam and Eve in Genesis
(05:31):
chapter 3.
Eve knew God did not want herand Adam eating nor touching
fruit from the tree that was inthe midst of the garden.
But they did it anyway.
Why?
Because the sixth verse tells usthat when she saw the tree was
good for food and that it was adelight to the eyes and that it
could make one wise, she ate ofthe fruit and gave some to her
(05:53):
husband.
Now here's the deal Adam and Evebecame self-centered, and they
were not God-centered in thismoment in the garden.
And because of it, sin and deathenters into the world.
SPEAKER_00 (06:06):
Once again, denying oneself is putting to death
one's own ambitions and desires.
SPEAKER_02 (06:13):
Let me just say this too, right?
God didn't just say don't eat ofit.
He said, Don't touch it.
And oftentimes Christians liketo, and we've been there
ourselves, we all have, let'sjust be honest.
Christians like to say, well,well, you know, I'm not going to
partake in it, but I'll getclose enough to still be able to
be pleased by it.
unknown (06:32):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (06:32):
It's like, no, no, no, no, no.
Look at what God is is tellinguh Adam and Eve here.
Don't don't eat it and don'teven touch it.
Don't partake in it.
Have nothing to do with it.
Have nothing to do with it.
And we have to remainGod-centered.
SPEAKER_00 (06:46):
Yeah, I I love Hebrews 12, 2 through 3.
It says, Let us fix our eyes onJesus, the author and perfecter
of our faith, who for the joyset before him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, andsat down at the right hand of
the throne of God.
Consider him who endured suchopposition from sinful men, so
(07:10):
that you will not grow weary andlose heart.
And right there, when it says heendured the cross, scorning its
shame, that word scorning alsomeaning despising the shame.
When you despise something, itmeans you give it no value.
And when the followers of Jesusdenied themselves and took up
their crosses, they weredespising the things this world
(07:34):
values.
Do you and I, do we despise, dowe give no value of the world,
what the world values?
They weren't afraid of hatredand punishment because it gives
for those who do not follow itsways.
And the reason they have solittle regard for the pleasures
and pains of this world isbecause they are living for the
greater joy, reward, and gloryof the kingdom.
(07:57):
You know, denying oneself andtaking up one's cross is the
small gate and the narrow paththat leads to life that the
Bible talks about.
SPEAKER_02 (08:05):
I like what you said, the greater joy.
SPEAKER_00 (08:08):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (08:08):
There's a greater joy out there.
Uh let's let's touch on thetopic found in the 25th verse
that we open this podcastreading just for a moment.
The 25th verse.
Three words if you're takingtaking notes.
Lost and found.
I'm thankful that although Iused to be lost, I'm found.
(08:34):
And I I'm grateful every Sundaywhen people choose to come
forward and give their livesover to Jesus or rededicate
their lives over to Jesus, or wesee baptisms taking place just
like last week.
We had we had 10 baptisms, andthe Spirit of God was just so
moving, praise the Lord.
They they once were lost, butnow they're found.
SPEAKER_01 (08:56):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (08:57):
This is what it says who whoever saves his life will
lose it, but whoever loses hislife for the sake of Christ will
find it.
And and so when you're walkingwith God, no matter what he
calls you to, when you'rewalking with God, you're gonna
find yourself right where youneed to be.
Even if the flesh isuncomfortable, you've got to die
(09:18):
to self, you've got to denyself.
When you follow the steps ofChrist, when you, as scripture
says that we are to be in stepwith the Spirit, the Holy Spirit
of God, when we follow God, wewill always find ourselves right
where we need to be.
You're never lost, my friends.
You're never lost when you'rewalking in step with the Spirit
(09:38):
of God.
SPEAKER_00 (09:38):
What does it mean to lose your life?
Okay, it's more than just life,right?
That word there means the inneressence or core identity of who
a person is.
It is no less than a person'sheart with all of its loves,
desires, and will, plus his mindwith its consciousness and
(10:00):
reasoning.
It is not merely the sum of allof those things about a person.
It is who or what that personis.
And so when it says here, youknow, whoever loses their life
will find it.
And um, here Jesus is tellingthe disciples that everyone who
(10:20):
seeks to save his life by meansof this world will lose it.
The world and its kingdomscannot give or preserve my life
or your life.
SPEAKER_01 (10:31):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (10:31):
It'll actually deform and erase our identities.
You know, you think some peoplethink that they'll get it from
this world, and really whatthey're gonna do is lose it.
SPEAKER_01 (10:39):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (10:39):
It'll stomp your destiny and leave no profit or
reward in exchange for giving ityour all.
The promises of this world areall empty and amount to nothing,
while the promises of thekingdom of God are guaranteed by
God Himself.
But right here, how do we saveour life?
We it's it's it's like anoxymoron by losing it for
(11:02):
Christ's sake.
That's how, that's how we findour life.
If we refuse to invest our lifein the world system and instead
we invest our life in God'skingdom, that's when we find it.
I love in Matthew 6, 19 through21, where Jesus tells us, do not
store up for yourselvestreasures on earth where moth
(11:24):
and rust destroy, and wherethieves break in and steal, but
store up for yourself treasuresin heaven where moth and rust do
not destroy, and where thievesdo not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is,there your heart will be also.
SPEAKER_02 (11:40):
Yeah, there's nothing wrong with wanting to
advance forward in life.
There's nothing wrong withwanting to be promoted at your
job or maybe praying aboutgetting a different job, a
better job.
But we've got to be so carefulthat we're always focused on
putting Christ first and what hewants in in our lives.
Yeah.
Do you know what I'm saying?
(12:01):
Like, we can't we can't get socaught up in in having titles
that we forsake the title.
Child of God, son and daughterof God, ambassadors of God,
representatives of God,messengers of the message, the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
Like, we want to make sure thatwe're not so busy in life that
(12:27):
we're not finding ourselves busyin the Lord.
SPEAKER_00 (12:30):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (12:30):
We we we've got to be really careful that our walk
with God is more than justconsisting of a Sunday morning
church service.
I mean, church service is great.
Sunday mornings, Thursdaynights, I mean, that that's
great to attend those, but butwe're supposed to take what we
hear in those services and we'resupposed to go out into this
world.
(12:51):
So as you get your promotion,make sure you take Jesus with
you.
Yeah.
Because I mean, he's there.
You just got to make sure you'reacknowledging that he is.
As you go to a better job, adifferent job, make sure that
you're acknowledging God whileyou're there.
And and you know, I mentionedthis just a few weeks ago in a
service.
If if if you work at a placewhere you're not allowed to talk
about your faith, it's time tobounce out of there.
(13:13):
I mean, seriously, honor God.
He will find you a a newlocation, a step out in faith.
But I I I would never, I wouldnever work at a place where I
had to suppress my faith, wherenot even suppress it, where I
couldn't even talk about it.
I I just I'm thankful that thatI just don't know what that's
like.
And I used to work in thepublic.
(13:33):
I mean, I used to, but I used towork um on on a at a college
campus that was very extremelyliberal, but I never allowed
that to stop me from talkingabout my faith.
The jobs are temporary.
If they needed to fire me, theyneeded to fire me.
I'd move on and find somewhereelse.
That's the way I looked at it.
But but working for my father,no matter where I find myself,
(13:57):
that's all about the eternalstuff.
So it's okay to advance, it'sokay to get titles, it's it's
okay to go to a different place,but just make sure it's doing
what God has called you to do.
And don't forget to recognizethat Jesus, who died for you, is
in the room with you.
And that's another part ofdenying self, because often,
often we think that we've got tolike conceal what we believe to
(14:19):
keep from creating waves in theworkplace or or out in the
public.
Well, what I find is that thosepeople have no problem spewing
their agendas or or their theirpolitical ideologies or or what
they don't believe in or whatthey do believe in.
So why should the Christianfaith be expected to be any less
and just sit over in the cornerof the room and be quiet?
(14:40):
I truly think that God hascalled us to be salt and light
of the earth.
And if we're going to do that,then we've got to be more than
just salt and light inside thechurch house.
We've got to go be salt andlight outside in the earth, in
the world where he's called usto be.
That we would not hide our lampunder a under a desk or a table
or a bed, but we would set it upfor all to see.
(15:02):
For all to see.
It doesn't matter what jobyou're at.
You shine that light for all tosee.
That's how Christ intended it tobe.
SPEAKER_00 (15:09):
Yeah.
And it's not even at your job.
I know one thing that the Lordhas really been pressing on me
is to be bolder just when I'mout in public.
And He has given me thechallenge, I would say, of just
speaking to one person about himwhen I go out.
(15:30):
And so I'm kind of in constantprayer of who is that one person
you want me to witness to whileI'm out today?
And if I would have started thatas a young child, or if I would
have seen my parents do that asa young child, I think it would
have given me the boldness to doit as an adult.
And so by doing this, I'm hopingthat it's a testimony not only
(15:51):
to the people that I'm speakingto, but also to my children that
are with me when I'm speaking,so that they too will have a
boldness when they go out andcan talk to people about Christ.
SPEAKER_02 (16:02):
That's good.
That's good.
All right, we're gonna, we'regonna journey back into the
passage of scripture.
Let's talk for a moment about aself-centered lifestyle.
Because Jesus is telling us todeny self.
Jesus is telling us to have aChrist-centered, faith-centered
life.
And the other option to that,Erica, is to be self-centered.
(16:23):
And we know we know we don'twant that.
That that's just gonna lead tofailure to destruction.
So let's talk for a moment abouta self-centered lifestyle
because a self-centeredlifestyle is a lifestyle that
tries to keep an undisturbedday, right?
No, no waves, no ripples in thepond in the water.
Uh, I just wanted to go my way.
I'm keeping it all about me sothat I can stay happy.
(16:46):
Um, I don't want to face anytrials.
Uh there's no, again, no wavesof ripples in the water.
And a self-centered lifestylewill do whatever it takes to
keep the waters calm, even if itmeans walking away from doing
something that God Almighty hascalled them to do.
And when we live like that,here's the problem.
(17:08):
When we live like that, it doesnot bring God glory.
Uh avoiding the tough stuff,avoiding the uncomfortable
things that God may call us to.
Uh God calling us into a placethat his spirit wants us to be,
but our flesh says, no, I don'twant to go there.
Okay.
Avoiding those types ofcallings, uh, avoiding those
(17:29):
types of divine appointments, itdoes not bring God any glory at
all.
Like for the example that youjust gave, like what God is
ministering, Erica, in your liferight now.
He's discipling, his spirit isdiscipling you to talk to one
person a day, at least oneperson a day about Jesus.
And if you were to go to thegrocery store and be in line
(17:51):
behind somebody or in front ofsomebody uh that was also in
line and the spirit moves on youto witness to these uh
individuals or this person, ifyou did not do it, that doesn't
bring God any glory.
Yeah.
If if you do do it and themessage is accepted, it brings
God glory.
If you do do it and the messageis not accepted, but they hear
(18:12):
it and you give it, it stillbrings God glory.
Amen.
Because it's strengthening yourfaith.
Yeah, it's it's increasing yourfaith.
I mean, not everybody's alwaysgonna say yes at every
invitation.
Yeah.
But that doesn't mean that westop giving an invitation,
right?
So we've got to deny self whenit feels uncomfortable, and we
just got to open our mouth andtrust that God is gonna work and
(18:32):
that his spirit is gonna speakthrough us and give us the words
that we need in that moment.
And that's what we've got to do.
So we've got to be at a point towhere we're bringing God glory,
even when it's uncomfortable.
A self-centered life does not dothat.
A self-centered life is basedoff of feelings and emotions and
what I'm going through at thistime.
I just want it to be as easy aspossible for myself.
SPEAKER_00 (18:53):
I think when you're living a self-centered life, you
don't tune into the Holy Spiritand what he's speaking to you.
So, for example, when I'm out inpublic and I'm praying to the
Lord, Lord, just give me who youwant me to speak to.
And I see someone that I thinkmaybe would it would be a good
opportunity to speak to them.
(19:14):
And the Lord says, No, not them.
It's not their time.
I think it's just reallyimportant to be in tune with
what the Holy Spirit is speakingand what it's doing is it's
strengthening my relationshipwith the Lord.
SPEAKER_01 (19:24):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (19:24):
And sometimes it's not even, do you know Jesus as
your Lord and Savior?
Sometimes He's pressing into myheart to tell people, you know,
Jesus sees you and he loves you.
Um, just giving them that wordof encouragement because you
don't know what they wentthrough that day.
And maybe they're just askingthe Lord for a word of
encouragement.
SPEAKER_01 (19:44):
Yeah, yeah.
Maybe that's all they need.
SPEAKER_00 (19:45):
Just being in tune with the Holy Spirit.
But what if I'm not in tune withhim and I'm just in tune with
what I want to do that day in mybusyness of the day, then I'm
missing that opportunity to one,glorify him, to strengthen my
relationship with him.
And I am not losing my life inorder to gain it through him,
right?
SPEAKER_02 (20:04):
Yeah, one of the things about stepping out and
just kind of evangelizing likethat, because that's really what
it is, you're witnessing, you'reyou're stepping out.
It does cause you to have tolisten to the spirit of God.
SPEAKER_00 (20:16):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (20:17):
Because you want to hit it at the right moment.
You you want to speak to theright person that that the
spirit gives you a word for.
And and you're right.
It it doesn't just have to be,it doesn't have to always be a
salvation call.
It doesn't have to always be aninvitation to church.
Those things are great, and Ihighly recommend it.
And we should do those things.
But I think there's also timeswhere you just need to look at
someone and say, you know, Godmade this day for you.
(20:39):
Yeah.
Like that this day is so specialand he has included you in it.
How is your day that God hasgiven you?
How is your day going today?
Or, you know, hey, you know,God, God's word says that that
he gives us new joy thismorning.
Did you get yours?
Like, how how are you feelingthis morning?
You know, or is there anythingyou're going through that that I
could just pray for you?
Like how can I pray for you?
(21:00):
Or hey, do you have a churchfamily?
Can I invite you to a churchservice?
There's so many different waysto do it, but but we've got to
be tuned in to what the spiritwants us to do in the moment.
Because if we listen for theright topic, if we listen for
the right word, for the rightmessage for that individual, the
spirit will speak and lead Godand direct us into it.
SPEAKER_00 (21:17):
Absolutely.
And and it's just sometimesdoing the harder thing.
I know the last time I was onhere, we talked about Jeremiah,
and I'm just I've been studyingum the book of Jeremiah lately,
and we had discussed and talkedabout how his grandfather and
his father was a priest, and howreally he was next in line to be
a priest, and he probably hadalready started his priestly
(21:40):
duties.
But how the Lord, um, inJeremiah 1 3, actually Jeremiah
1 5, it says, Before I formedyou in the womb, I knew you.
Before you were born, I set youapart.
I appointed you as a prophet tothe nations.
And how the Lord had differentplans and minds.
And that was to be a prophet.
And Jeremiah had two choices.
(22:03):
He could have done the easything and stayed a priest and
followed in those footsteps, orhe could have done the hard
thing and did what the Lord hadcalled him to do, and that was
be a prophet.
Because that was not going tobe, it was going to be a hard
road because nobody wanted tohear what the Lord had to say to
them at that time.
And so, kind of circling back todenying self, you know, are you
(22:26):
and I gonna deny self when wehave an easy road to go down?
And it could even be a goodroad.
It could be a road that is thatthat's honoring, that people
could look at and say, um,that's a great choice of
profession or a great choice ofa road that you've decided to go
down.
Or are we gonna possibly choosewhatever the hard road is that
(22:48):
the Lord's called us to do?
Are we gonna deny ourselves andpick up our cross and follow
whatever he asks for us to do?
SPEAKER_02 (22:54):
Absolutely.
Denying self, I'm gonna say thisbefore I close in prayer.
Time has flown by on thisepisode.
Denying self means putting Godfirst.
It is when you recognize thatthe will of God is far more
important than your own desiresor plans.
(23:16):
Let's pray.
Father, I thank you so much forthe listeners.
Lord, I pray that this episodeof Beyond Sunday has just been
truly a blessing, something thatyou will use to strengthen them
and to refresh them, toencourage them this week, to
encourage them.
Uh Father, you your ways arealways the right ways.
Your ways and your thoughts arehigher than our ways and
thoughts.
(23:36):
And we thank you for yourpromises.
We thank you for your truth fromyour word.
Lord, I pray in the name and theblood of Jesus that we would be
focused this week and every daymoving forward of making sure
that we're not self-centered,but that we're Christ-centered,
we're God-centered.
We want to have your word at thecenter of our lives.
Lord, that we would focus onpleasing you and not our flesh
(23:58):
and seeing your will for ourlives manifested each and every
day.
And we ask all this in themighty and the precious
cleansing, washing blood ofJesus Christ and all God's
people said together, myfriends.
Amen, amen, and amen.
Amen.
Until next time on BeyondSunday, God bless.
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The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.