Holiness Archives - Redeemed Online

Is the Church Worth Fighting For?

October 7, 2019 by Andy Lesnefsky 22 Comments

It is a question that sadly needs to be asked, is the Church worth fighting for? Why? And what does this mean for me?

At some point, you’ve either been this guy or this girl in this situation or witnessed a good friend in this situation: A romantic relationship came to a crashing a halt, and you must decide do I hold out hope that this relationship can be restored? Is this relationship worth fighting for? Or is it over?

Many Catholics over the last few years have sadly felt like their relationship with the church has gone up in smoke or that they church the fell in love with looks so very bruised and broken. Some feel disillusioned with the Church on a broader level. Even more people have experienced the brokenness of the church on the local parish.

So, do we fight for the church? Why? And what does this look like?

Many of you know that my full-time job is the President of Vagabond Missions, a Catholic ministry to inner-city kids. Our amazing missionaries work alongside our mission partners to reach out to unchurched kids. In the cities we serve, we partner with the diocese and a local area parish church. The partnerships are a big part of how we operate and we are blessed that several of our youth centers are in buildings owned by a parish partner.

About a month ago, I was feeling frustrated. I don’t even remember what the specifics were, but I began to think maybe it would be easier to operate a non-profit that didn’t have to deal with the politics of church life.

I realized I was grappling with the question. Is the Church worth fighting for?

It may seem like an oxymoron, but I felt like the Lord spoke to me in a way that was both subtle and loud. His answer in my prayer was also both direct and indirect.

“I died for the church.”

I contemplate Jesus dying for me sometimes in prayer. Sometimes I may even spend some time praying about how Jesus died for the Church. He was not only fighting for the big “C” Church, meaning the Church he wanted to establish, but I felt like he was saying so much more to me.

He fought for his bride radically. He laid down his life that his bride might live. I felt like he was saying to me that he didn’t do this for a theological concept, but for the local church as well, “the parish.”

To the world, it looked like he gave up, but we know that isn’t the storyline. We can be tempted to give up on the broader idea of the church or on its expression in our local community, but we need to remember the love of the cross is his love of the church.

We can’t give up. The world needs the church. You need the church. I need the church.

She’s beautiful. She’s broken. She seems to be a mess, but we can’t stop fighting for her.

“In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course.” – Saint Boniface

The church needs you.

Let’s fight. Let’s recommit to following Christ, knowing that means taking up the cross day after day. Don’t give up on the church because Jesus didn’t. Don’t give up because Jesus didn’t give up on you.

Christ didn’t merely forfeit his life. He suffered. He endured excruciating pain.

The fight isn’t going to be easy. The fight means tough conversations. It involves exposing the darkness to the light. It means accountability and a new transparency.

The new ardor, new method, and new expression of the new evangelization are needed desperately today.

But let’s be perfectly clear. What the Church needs most of each of us, is simply what Christ asks of us: our entire lives. Our response to his love must be holiness. We need a generation of people striving to be saints who love the bride of Christ as he did who are willing to die to ourselves each day and pick up their cross.

Let’s pray. Let’s fast. We need the church, and the church needs us.

I’d love to know what you think. Please comment below or shoot me an email.

We need your help. We’ve got big plans for our Advent and Lent video series, but can only do it with your help. We are more than 1/3 of the way to the Advent series minimum of $12,500 and 1/5 of the way to our total goal of $24,100 for Advent and Lent. These series will reach millions of people with the good news through video and social media. Only your support brings this project to life. Donate today at kickstarter.com/projects/redeemedonline/faith-made-simple

The Sitcom Dad and God the Father

September 29, 2019 by Brian Kissinger 1 Comment

Today I wanted to share with you a blog article titled “The Sitcom Dad and God the Father” by one of my closest friends, Brian Kissinger. Brian is the other voice you hear on our daily podcast.

Even though I grew up with an amazingly loving and encouraging dad, I was convinced as a kid that God that Father was something like the dad from The Wonder Years. I believed that God loved me, but I was convinced that His caring for me was like a dad returning day after day to a job He disliked but felt obliged to show up for.

The Wonder Years was my favorite show as a kid. It followed the childhood of Kevin Arnold, the youngest of three kids growing up in the 1960s. The show traveled through Kevin’s experience of grade school, junior high, and high school, all the while being narrated by adult Kevin looking back on his childhood. No matter what middle school drama Kevin was going through, his mom was supportive while his dad would be angry.

The rest of the family was constantly walking on eggshells when the father showed up, and it was simply a matter of time before he would either yell at the kids or retreat to his recliner to avoid his family. I know, I know, it sounds like a great show for kids. Give me a break, I was 9.

I was somehow convinced this was what God the Father was like.

I figured that maybe I could keep God from being angry with me if I behaved well and stayed out of trouble. I thought that God found me annoying and I hesitated to ask Him for things, fearful that I would just be adding more work to an already overburdened Father.

When I was doing good things, I fell for the lie that I was somehow earning God’s approval and that I was always one misstep away from disappointing Him once again. I remained committed to the Catholic faith, but I still couldn’t shake the notion that Jesus was the friendly son sent to warn everyone about his angry dad.

I spent several years as a parish youth minister, sharing the Gospel with young people and letting them know about God’s love for them, but I still was unconvinced that God was a Father who could and would provide for my own needs. Slowly God began to heal my broken understanding of His Fatherhood, and over time I’ve come to see just how wrong I’ve been in my perception of God the Father.

My marriage and my own experience of becoming a dad have radically altered my understanding of God’s Fatherhood. I was initially scared at the prospect of being a father, fearful that my shortcomings would ruin my kids. I’m sure that’s still a real possibility, but I’m also given daily reminders that my imperfect attempts to love my kids are just a shadow of the unspeakable love that God the Father has for them.

Tomorrow we will be releasing a free e-book called Best Dad Ever. I know you are going to love it. It will also be available in Podcast form. Stay tuned for more info!

We need your help to bring our Advent and Lent Project to life.

Advent and Lent are our going to be our best series to date. We are excited to share with you today about Advent Made Simple and Lent Made Simple, a new project from our team at Redeemed Online. Over the past 5 years, we have reached millions of people with our #ShareJesus project and are excited to build upon this past success to bring this new series to life.

We are off to a good start, but far from the finish line. Go to kickstarter.com/projects/redeemedonline/faith-made-simple. Check out the project and donate today.

In the beginning it was not so…

October 4, 2018 by Andy Lesnefsky Leave a Comment

“But from the beginning it was not so…” Matthew 19:8

St. John Paul II uses this text to break open a crucial part of his understanding of the human person and the theology of the body.

This Sunday we will hear Mark’s account of Jesus’s teaching on marriage, it reminds us to go back to the basics. We need to understand marriage in light of God’s plan. The world tells us we need to understand God’s plan in the light of modern times, i.e., “we need to get with the times.”

Marriage is a Sacrament.

We understand marriage as not just about husband and wife. Marriage has a purpose and a meaning. Marriage is meant to point us to God. In fact, it’s arguably the most relevant metaphor of our relationship with God. It is a witness the world desperately needs.

God loves you wholeheartedly, freely, and faithful. He holds nothing back. Don’t forget that today.

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Overcoming 3 common excuses for growth

May 16, 2017 by Andy Lesnefsky Leave a Comment

St. John Paul II reminded us that “it is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives.” (Tweet This)

Not many people wake up and dream that they might live a boring life. Don’t get me wrong, you might feel that your life is boring or that you are stuck in a boring dream. I don’t think this is what God has in store for you.

Don’t stop. Don’t settle. I want to share some tips on overcoming 3 common excuses for growth and holding back in taking a new step in your life.

Here are a few excuses I’ve had to overcome in running Redeemed Online and the #ShareJesus campaign:

Excuse #1: I can’t.

I have a confession to make that might be surprising to you: I myself don’t know how to personally edit video. The reason that might sound strange to you is that I run a social media campaign that’s based on producing and distributing lots of video.

Sometimes we believe the lie that if we don’t know how to do something, we can’t do it. The secret to doing great things is not knowing how to do everything in life. It’s knowing how to surround yourself with an amazing team.

One of my business mentors always says he desires to be the dumbest person at the table. What he means by this is that he wants to surround himself with people who are experts at what they do so they allowed him to fill the leadership position only he can fill.

Perhaps you feel stuck in your job or that you have plateaued spiritually. Don’t settle for “I can’t.” God can and often God can through other people (Tweet This) who have different gifts than you have. Find wise counsel. Search out good friends. With the help of good friends, a business team, a mentor, a spiritual director, etc you can turn the “I can’t” into “I can.”

Excuse #2: I need to ask permission of “someone.”

When I first started #ShareJesus, one of the funniest emails I received was a note telling me to thank the many people I must have had to ask permission of to start this Catholic social media evangelization project. Feeling compelled, I left my desk and found my wife and said thank you because she was the only person I could think of that I had to ask permission.

What I found humorous in that email was the assumption that permission needed to be granted by someone or some authority. Too often we are waiting for permission when we need to just act. I am not saying that there’s not an instance where we do need permission from people like our bosses or our spouses. There’s a time and a place for that.

What I mean is that we don’t need to hear the audible voice of God to make a decision or to act. If you’ve been praying about something for a long time and feel like it’s time to pull the trigger, don’t be afraid. Go for it.

God doesn’t desire you to plateau. If you are stuck spiritually, don’t wait for “permission” to grow. Make some changes. Read a book. Go on a retreat. Get to confession. We must continue to allow ourselves to be transformed in Jesus.

Excuse #3: I don’t have the resources.

Starting a new project can be intimidating when you don’t have any money and you realize what you are endeavoring to do takes financial capital. I knew that God wanted me to make the vision of #ShareJesus come to fruition so I was committed to doing whatever it took to do that. This was risky. I knew this was going to take more than time and expertise. It would take money and resources I didn’t have.

I’ve come to realize that sometimes it’s easier to raise $2,000 than it is $20. That might sound strange, but I’ve found that if your vision is small it’s hard to get people on board. Know your vision and be able to share that with others in a way that invites them to join you.

Don’t operate from a scarcity mentality in your life. If there are investments you need to make to take your business, spiritual life, or relationships to a new level, don’t hold back. You can’t make lemonade out of rocks. You need to find some lemons.

Don’t be limited tomorrow by what you have today. If it’s time for growth in your life, it’s good to know where you are lacking. This lacking should lead you to figure out what it is you need to achieve the growth you desire.

If you are lacking in your prayer life with God, don’t believe the lie that you can’t overcome this lack of resource. God’s desire for us is to grow in relationship with him. Seek him with your heart and you will find him. Pray to be more receptive. Know that God desires you and he is enough for you.

What’s holding you back? What have you overcome to achieve spiritual or personal growth? Share below…

What was I thinking?

January 19, 2017 by Andy Lesnefsky 25 Comments

This question might sound dramatic, “What was I thinking?” However, if you told me that I would have started this new internet venture even 3 months ago, I probably would laugh. I am passionate about using the latest means of technology and communication to share the good news of the gospel. This didn’t seem to fit at first, but now I see God using it in great ways.

What is it?

I would like to introduce you to my new podcast Catholic Heroes. It’s a 10-15-minute podcast that focuses on our call to be saints, Catholic heroes, by looking to the lives of the saints as guides and inspiration.

You were created by God for great things. My hope is that this podcast will help you discover who God created you to be. Holiness is exactly that.

Now I realize reading this announcement might seem like your neighbor telling you how excited they are about getting dial-up internet. I am mean aren’t podcast old news? Are they relevant?

Consider these two statistics:

21% of Americans listen to a podcast at least monthly (and that’s a 23% increase from last year.) Source

and

Apple has surpassed 1 billion subscriptions for podcasts via iTunes Source

If you haven’t discovered or rediscovered podcasts recently, check them out. I love listening to a good podcast when driving, working out, or even doing some work around the house. I think podcasts are a great medium for learning, growing, and engaging in thoughtful conversation.

My Show Idea

We believe that every person is called to be holy and to be a saint. That call can sound overwhelming, intimidating, and even silly if we don’t understand what that means. Each week I talk about what this call to be holy means and I look at the life of a saint. The saints show us great examples of how to live out that call to be heroes. My goal is to share 2-3 lessons from the saint I am discussing that can help you on your journey in following Jesus.

Each episode normally starts off as a Facebook Live video on Tuesday afternoon and then gets converted into a podcast episode (you can join in live at Facebook.com/redeemedonline Tuesdays at 2 PM EST).

I want to invite you to check out the episodes on my website here or subscribe on iTunes Here or Google Play Here. If you like it (I hope you do), please leave a review on iTunes. This helps get the word out and helps other people find the podcast.

I would love to know what saints you would like me to talk about? Any other podcasts you would like to highly recommend? Share below- love hearing from you!