The TrueManhood Podcast Episode 3 – The Devil’s Top 5 Lies

The TrueManhood Podcast, brought to you by TrueManhood Men’s Ministry, in Episode 3, will examine what we believe are the Devil’s Top 5 Lies to win souls. Lie #1: Pornography. #2: Decay of Marriage/Okay of Divorce. #3: Abortion/Contraception. #4: Gender Agenda. #5: Atheism/Secular Humanism

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Vince DeStefano – Movement of My Heart in Words

My friend and fellow TKM brother, Vince DeStefano, sent me this small excerpt of something he wrote while he was praying this morning.  Vince is real – he’s a TrueMan in every sense of the word, and he’s sincere.  He’s a great man, a great husband, a great father and a great friend.  He’s incredibly generous and humble.

Regardless of what your sin is, read through this and put yourself in the place of “I”.

“Lost in a deep thicket, hidden in an unknown forest, I cry out in desperation.  Christ approaches me directly,cutting through material with pure light and creating a straight path in his wake.  He reaches me, and I feel intense shame and unworthiness.  I plead to him, and though He remains wordless in reply I understand that my sins encumber me, realizing now that my feet are tangled in the brush.  Christ turns and walks back from whence He came, taking with Himself the brilliance yet leaving an illuminated path, still straight, and seeming to implore me to determine the nature of the weeds which entangle my feet in order to destroy them and then fully pursue my purpose. While of course wishing to remain in His intense light of reprieve from temporal encumbrance, I’m left with renewed Faith, Hope, and compelling Love, filled with eagerness and determination to tear myself from Satan’s thorns and run after my Savior.”

TrueMan up!

Scandal, Scandal Everywhere

Does anyone else feel like Satan is really attacking the Church hard the past few weeks?  And I don’t just mean his normal tactics; I’m talking huge attacks.  He’s shaking things up close to the foundation and doing major damage in the hearts and minds of many wayward Catholics around the world.  It seems like everywhere I look, every article that gets sent to me and every post about the Church on Facebook… it’s all slander, and scandal.  In the past day, I read about 12 Catholic priests in South America coming out in favor of ‘gay rights’, about a former Lutheran pastor (married, with 6 children) becoming a Catholic priest and about the controversial statements made by Cardinal Schonborn of Vienna, Austria.  These stories don’t shake my faith, but they spark doubt and confusion in the minds of many.

For those who don’t believe in Satan (the Prince of Lies), he exists.  You don’t have to believe in him in order for him to exist.  Actually, the more you don’t believe in him, the less you acknowledge his presence, the more work he can do in your life.  He’s attacking the Church now, I believe, because people’s faith is weak and moral relativism is at an all-time high.  Being aware of where you stand is essential in fighting Satan.

What are we to do about these attacks?  How can one man, a guy like me, do anything to ‘right wrongs’ in the Church?  How can I make a large enough impact to justify doing even one small thing?  The answer starts at home.  You MUST be living as an authentic disciple of Christ.  If you are married, you must be encouraging your wife to do the same.  If you have children, you must raise them in the faith.  This is not a faith of ‘pick-and-choose’… your faith must be solid and unwaivering.  Our faith isn’t individual to us.  It is universal, to the entire Church.  That prevents us from thinking we can make decisions of faith and morals on our own.  If you’re living the faith at home, it translates into living it in the workplace, during leisure time and on vacation (at least it should.)  If we live authentic lives for Christ, others will see and will want the joy that we have.  This may seem too simplistic for some, but the truth of the matter is that arguing with people about scandals in the Church rarely allows for conversion, and only distances their desire for God.

With all of the scandals hitting the news lately, I encourage all of us to pray heartily for the Church.  It is times such as these that we must remain faithful and firm in our resolution to defend against evil.

TrueMan up!

7 Days of Super Bowl Stuff -SBXLIV- Day 3 “Tenacity”

Tenacity… quite possibly one of the most important characteristics of a football player.  Being tenacious means that you hold fast to something, that you’re stubborn and obstinate.  Typically, in football, tenacity refers to winning.  It refers to the heart of a player, a heart that never gives up, never gives in.  A tenacious player will do anything and everything to win.  He’ll play beyond his body’s abilities, when he’s worn down, tired, beaten up.  Tenacity is a quality that a football player must possess because everyone else on the field, especially on the other team, is playing with a tenacity that won’t quit.

How tenacious are you in your faith journey?  Do you hold fast to something?  Do you hold fast to the Gospel Truth?  Are you stubborn about your prayer life?  Do you live the truths of the faith out obstinately?  The other team, Satan’s team, is tenacious in their beliefs.  His team is stubborn and obstinate.  If you come into your “faith game” weak, they’ll tear you apart.  Your tenacity must outweigh theirs.  Your tenacity  must be so overpowering that they can’t even stand to be in the same room as you.  The demons in our lives hate it, they literally hate, when we’re striving for holiness in Jesus Christ.  Being tenacious about the journey toward holiness will send them into a rage and they’ll fight even harder against you.  Your tenacity must continue to increase.  Increase it by praying daily, receiving the Sacraments and keeping your eyes on the prize!

This Sunday, the Colts and the Saints are going to be playing with incredible tenacity.  In the end, I believe the winner will be the team that holds fast to their game plan, to their strategy, to their beliefs.

This video seemed to capture some of the tenacity with which the New Orleans Saints played this season.  It sort of took me back to college, getting pumped for a game, making the big hit, tasting victory.  (I figured since I gave some Colt love on Day 1, I should send it back to the Saints today, Day 3.)  Enjoy.  (2:13)