Brian Kissinger Archives - Redeemed Online

Introducing our new, daily podcast

October 11, 2018 by Andy Lesnefsky Leave a Comment

Today is a big day. Our new daily 2-3 minute podcast just launched. The idea of this new podcast is to provide you with a quick daily reflection that helps you grow in your relationship with Jesus and share your faith with others. We realize the need for great content that you can access in a short period of time.

My good friend Brian Kissinger and I developed this new podcast because like you, we know the pressure and time constraints of daily life. We wanted to bring the energy of our #ShareJesus video series to audio with daily reflections based on the readings for the day from the Catholic Mass.

It’s as easy as going to the site, listening, and being encouraged in your walk with Jesus.

The easiest ways to listen are to subscribe – you can do this through:

iTunes
Stitcher
Spotify

You can find this week’s episodes here:

We hope this resource helps you avoid plateauing in your faith and inspires you in your daily walk with Jesus. Let us know what you think and please share, subscribe, and leave us a review if you are using a podcast player (this helps people find our show).

Failing at Lent

April 7, 2017 by Brian Kissinger 7 Comments

Thought for today:

All too often, Lent becomes like most mid-January letdowns. We begin with big plans and drastic promises, convinced that this time is going to be different than every previous attempt to improve ourselves. But what if we let our failures turn our hearts back to God? What if our broken promises and our backpedaling, instead of burying us, could point us to our need for a Savior? After all, Lent is less about our strength and more about God’s unrelenting faithfulness to us in the midst of our brokenness.

Action for today:

Call to mind one way that you’ve fallen short this Lent, and offer this up to God in prayer. Recognize your inability to fix yourself and call out to the God who comes to heal and restore.

Prayer for today:

Jesus, I wish I could offer you a list of my accomplishments. But You know me too well, and You know that I fall short every day. I surrender my shortcomings, my sins, and my inability to save myself. I need You. Thank you for the opportunities to love you and for the ways that even my failures point me back to you. Thank you for loving me unconditionally.

Quote for Today:

“Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.” – 2 Corinthians 12: 8-9 (CLICK TO TWEET)

Be a Hero today – #ShareJesus:

Share with one person today how God has worked in your life, even through your own failures and shortcomings.

About the Author:

Brian Kissinger lives in the foothills of the Austrian Alps, where he serves as Director of Student Life for Franciscan University’s Study Abroad program. He has a passion for sharing the Gospel, and he emphasizes a message of hope in a culture that has lost its sense of purpose. Brian married the girl of his dreams, Courtney, in 2012, and they are the proud parents of Ellie, Francis, and another baby due in early May!

#ShareJesus is produced in partnership with Franciscan University. Begin your journey with Franciscan at franciscan.edu

The Message of the Cross

March 24, 2016 by Brian Kissinger Leave a Comment

What did Jesus actually accomplish? He claimed to bring peace, and yet our world is still ravaged by war. He claimed to bring life, and we’re still dying down here. What did Jesus bring to the world? This question was posed to Pope Benedict XVI by a non-Christian friend, and the Pope’s response was very simple. Jesus brought God. Being fully God and fully man, Jesus enters into every corner and every dark, scary place that we could ever find ourselves in. Now even death itself is known and experienced by God. No matter where we are, we have a God who’s been there.

The message of the cross is that we are pursued endlessly by Love that will stop at nothing. So desperately does the Father desire to rescue us that He would send His only Son, His very heart, to save us from sin and death. It sounds like a great idea, but do we really believe it? Is Good Friday just another story from a long time ago, or have you experienced the reality of God’s presence in the midst of suffering and loneliness? What is one step in Christ’s journey to Calvary that stands out to you and speaks loudly of God’s love for us?

Watch the video:

4 Ways to Take This Offline

Spend 5 minutes in prayer today, reflecting on just one of the sufferings Jesus endured for us
Share today’s video on social media or send it to someone via text or email
In the next few days, seek out someone you know who is struggling or lonely.
Make time Spend time tomorrow, Holy Saturday, praying and reflecting on how God has brought life and hope into your own life.

About our Speaker:

Brian Kissinger lives in the foothills of the Alps, where he is the Director of Student Life for Franciscan University’s Austrian Program. He has a passion for sharing the Gospel, and he emphasizes a message of hope in a culture that has lost its sense of purpose. More importantly, Brian is married to the girl of his dreams, Courtney, and they have been blessed with 2 kids (Ellie and Brian Francis). But most importantly, Brian has known Andy Lesnefsky for the past 16 years.

Listening to the Holy Spirit

January 19, 2016 by Brian Kissinger 2 Comments

What if evangelization was more about listening than speaking? All too often, we think of sharing the Gospel as a talk or presentation that we rehearse in advance. This is quite different from Jesus’ instructions to His disciples, when He insisted that the Holy Spirit would tell them in the moment what they were to say (Luke12:11). But listening is hard. It requires silence, and it requires trusting in the wild belief that the Holy Spirit will actually speak to me in a way I can understand. It’s much easier to prepare a talk, to memorize a list of arguments, or to share a faith-related meme.

When we spend time daily in prayer, learning to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit, we become more aware of His promptings. We learn to prioritize His agenda over our own, and we begin to ask what He would have us say rather than what we think other people need to hear.

WATCH THE VIDEO:

4 Ways To Take This Offline:

Spend 10 minutes just listening for the Lord in prayer.
Identify 1 person you believe God wants you to share the Good News with.
Spend the next few days praying that the Holy Spirit would tell you how He wants you to share Jesus.
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance before, during, and after your interactions with people today.

About our Speaker:

Brian Kissinger lives in the foothills of the Austrian Alps, where he serves as Director of Student Life for Franciscan University’s Study Abroad program. He has a passion for sharing the Gospel, and he emphasizes a message of hope in a culture that has lost its sense of purpose. Brian is married to the girl of his dreams, Courtney, and they are the proud parents of Elliana and Brian2.0

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instagram: kysengur

The Best Experience

September 2, 2015 by Andy Lesnefsky Leave a Comment

The phrase “best” is often overused. “The Best Wings,” “The Best Chicken Sandwich,” or the “The Best Thing In The World” are examples of the over use of the word “Best” that’s all around us. What really makes something the best?

My good friend Brian Kissinger is the person sharing in this week’s #ShareJesus video. Brian recently moved with his family to Gaming, Austria to be the Director of the Austrian Program for Franciscan University of Steubenville. I am definitely a little bit jealous as I always look back at those precious months I studied abroad almost 15 years ago as the best 4 months of my life. It’s a little bit difficult to sum up the Austria experience but it was a once in a lifetime adventure of experiencing Austria, Europe, friends, God and life in a new way.

Have you ever had one of these “best” experiences? It’s a moment in time that’s hard to put into words and emotions. In this week’s gospel, there’s a deaf man with a speech impediment that has one of those “best” experiences. Jesus encounters him. Jesus heals him. His life is changed by the “best” day he ever had. The “best” thing we can ever experience is God.

I believe God at his Word. He does not promise that life will be easy, but he does promise that the “best” is yet to come.

When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart” Jeremiah 29:13.

Seek him today as Brian challenges us in this week’s video. It means allowing God to use us, heal us, and work through us in even in messy ways.

Ideas for Sharing

Sharing on Social Media this week:
What does God’s healing touch look like in your life? How does God use you even in your imperfections? https://youtu.be/h_S_DJIXs9E

Taking it offline:

Take time to read over this week’s readings for Sunday. Found here.
Share with someone how the Lord has healed you in your life.
Do something tangible to share God’s love with one of your neighbors.
Seek the Lord in a messy situation in your life. Have the courage to believe that he will respond and show up.
Pray that you might be used as an instrument of God’s grace to share the good news with your friends and family who don’t know Jesus.