Life of Kyle Prohaska

If you have time…watch/listen to this: http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/luke/jesus-rejoices-in-the-holy-spirit

You know what, I LOVE what I do.  I absolutely love it.  It has been hitting me harder every single day the privilege I have to do what I’m doing.  I just realized a film that gets to give God Glory, edify the believer, and possibly impact someone who doesn’t know Jesus in an eternal way.  What is more exciting than that!?  The more I get fired up about what Jesus wants me to do, the less I want what I want to be any part of it.  As if God needed my ideas!  “Hey Lord uh, I know you created the universe and all…built the atom, arranged the universe and everything that exists within it and outside of it…but I think I got some advice.”  I’m absolutely done with it all!  I want what Jesus wants and it pains me to realize I don’t always do what that is.  I just want to go out and do whatever it is he’s set for me to do.  I hope it’s creating films for His Glory and Kingdom, because (as far as I know) nothing would make me happier when it comes to a career.  You mean I get to use my artistic talents which God gave me, for God and His Purposes?  SIGN ME UP.  I get to help people meet Jesus?  SIGN ME UP.  I get to take part in Christ’s Sovereign, Perfect, and Amazing will?  Where’s the dotted line!

I’m so incredibly excited to get started with life, I can’t even tell you.  I’m 22, just released my first film and I’m watching the fruit of that begin to develop, I’m working as hard as I know how doing what I think God wants me to do and doing it as best I can with what I have, and I’m in love with a wonderful woman who I can’t wait to “push the plow” with together for a lifetime.  I hope to have kids with that woman and bring them up in the Lord and give them to Jesus to do what He wills with them.  I hope God will continue giving me ideas for films and give me the ability to write an effective and memorable script.  I hope to build a plentiful life for my family in whatever way God gives me, and provide for them…even if that means I don’t get to do what I want.  They are priority, because they’re Jesus’ family and He gave them to me.  Denise asked me the other night why I love her so much and I simply smiled and told her “because I was meant to.”  I told her that I realize that I won’t always want to, so I better have a better reason to or I will never be a good husband.  God has gifted me with her, and unless from the starting gate that is how I understand my relationship to her, I will fail her in the long term and cause more grief than I would like.  I’m excited to be with her, learn with her, help her understand Scripture and help her raise children as we renew our minds and attempt to understand God’s Will and move towards the destination that is eternity with Jesus.  I’m excited! (can’t you tell?)

Ugh sometimes I get so fired up I wanna freak out, is anyone with me on that?  Especially with being a filmmaker, I just can’t believe sometimes how amazingly privileged I am.  There’s something about creative people, the passion that can come from a person like that.  To get to point that in a direction Kingdom worthy and bound is just incredible.  I have ZERO desire to make some sort of action movie shoot-em-up film if Christ is absent.  No romantic comedies, no family dramas, no documentaries.  If you’re reading this and want to do those things you go for it, you do what you wish.  I want to exalt Christ in everything I create, and not in some backdoor, cloaked, or counterfeit manner.  I just can’t bear it, especially in the name of Art.  We can argue all day about what that means but week to week my calling and passion for this issue is amplified.  My Art will NOT get in the way of the Gospel.  I would take a weak narrative with Christ present over a great narrative with Christ absent any day of the week, but that’s me.  I’ll strive till it kills me to create a film that can personify both well crafted art and unapologetic and properly presented Gospel.  It is my calling, I have made my choice.

“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” – Acts 20:24

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” – Philippians 3:8

Hey Mr. Filmmaker…Christian Filmmaker…what if “all things” included that narrative or story you hold so dear?  The one you know could be questionable, but because you have a love for it more than your Christ, you make excuses to create it?  What if it includes your worldly integrity among men or in your industry?  I don’t expect everyone to love the films I do, especially considering the kinds of films I intend to make, and the kind I don’t intend to make.  What is worth more to you?  His Glory, or yours?  Your art, or Him?  Your story or the story He wants to tell through you?  I don’t now where to draw a line between family entertainment and strictly edifying work, and things that are a combination as well as films that combine that with the Gospel.  I just know where my convictions lie on where I should go.  I don’t want to tell anyone else going another route is wrong, that’s pompous.  I apologize if that’s the vibe I’ve put down, I’m just really passionate as I write this.  I want films with the Gospel in them, and I’ll do my best to support others who aren’t doing the same, but I won’t stand for half-done Gospel or sugarcoated Jesus.  I suppose that’s where my line is.  Do it all, or don’t do it at all.

Sales of Standing Firm continue to go well, I’m honored more and more every day to have been apart of it.  We’re now in the Top 50 DVD’s under “Religion” on Amazon.com, and even dropped into the Top 50 of the “Family Life” category today…putting us right next to a Denzel Washington movie which was hilarious, but we’ve dropped off the list since then.  God is good regardless.  I’ve gotten different reports of testimonies people are posting online in the stories section of the website, and spoken to some in person about how the film has impacted them.  What a Blessing

I have much to do…time to hit the hay!

Also, if you could please be in prayer about the next story to tell.  I think I know what that is and have already begun in recent months laying out some ground work.  I intend (if this is God’s Will that I do this) to create the best script that I can.  I’m gonna toil over this thing like I never have before.  Lord Willing, it’ll make the effort put into Standing Firm look like an hour relaxing in a recliner.  This thing has to be good…it MUST be good.  Pray for discernment, wisdom, artistic expression, and that God would rise up some great people that could advise when it’s needed on what I should do not just when it comes to the script, but production as a whole.  I’m very much alone up here in NY and that makes things difficult on many levels.  This isn’t easy, and it never will be.  Prayers appreciated.  Thanks!