Several months ago, I interviewed one of the founders of ActsSocial—a faith-first Christian social platform built for believers to connect, create, and grow in community around Christ with invasive ads, toxic trends, or an algorithm built to keep you anxious. ActsSocial is all about the Word, genuine community, and people pursuing Jesus together. The idea was inspired by Acts 2:42–47, and it’s free forever for individuals, churches, and ministries.
Anyway, recently, they has me on their podcast, and it was just released, so I invite you to check out the episode, AND also ActsSocial, too. Enjoy! 😉
Podcast Notes
Most people think holiness means perfection or being set apart from real life ~ but what if it’s actually about a transforming union with God? In this episode, Ryan McKinney talks with Christina Semmens about her journey from Presbyterian upbringing, Army service, teaching, and theology into Catholic faith, ministry, and spiritual mentorship. Christina shares how a powerful encounter with Christ changed her life, why surrender and discernment matter, and how God can use every season ~ even the difficult ones ~ for good. They also dive into practical faith topics like hypocrisy in the church, identity, the Eucharist, sacred tradition, Mary, and what it means to be truly intentional in a digital world. Christina’s story is a powerful reminder that God does not call the equipped ~ He equips the called.
Timestamps:
0:00 — Introduction and what Christina does
0:53 — Christina’s upbringing and early faith
1:51 — Moving from atheism/agnosticism back toward faith
3:19 — Her Good Friday encounter with Christ
4:18 — Becoming Catholic
5:54 — Dealing with hypocrisy in the church
8:12 — Serving as a U.S. Army officer and trusting God
10:32 — Her late husband’s legacy
13:01 — What a kingdom spouse looks like
15:16 — Transition into teaching, writing, and ministry
17:37 — Discernment and being called into ministry
20:44 — How to recognize God’s confirmation
24:49 — Surrendering your own will
27:10 — A story of transformation in a student’s life
32:05 — A difficult season and God’s presence in suffering
36:54 — Intentionality in the digital world
39:17 — Identity and resisting influence
42:50 — How many books Christina has written
45:06 — Her latest book, Solving the Parish Puzzle
48:22 — Holiness, righteousness, and perfection
53:32 — Setting up the Catholic vs. Protestant discussion
54:47 — Common ground between Catholics and Protestants
56:41 — The meaning of the Eucharist
60:36 — Sacred tradition
62:35 — What she admires about Protestant Christianity
65:29 — The gift of Mary in Catholic tradition
69:07 — First steps for someone curious about Catholicism
72:00 — What God is teaching Christina right now
73:26 — Thoughts on ActsSocial and spreading the gospel online
77:45 — One thing to say yes to holiness today
79:21 — Where to find Christina online