Cultivating Lasting Devotion in Young Hearts

We journey into the heart of student ministry, exploring the profound significance of genuine devotion. It's more than just ticking off a checklist of spiritual practices; it's about aligning every aspect of life with one's faith. Through stories and reflections, we delve into the challenges faced by both students and leaders in cultivating a true and holistic commitment to God. This conversation encourages listeners to introspect and embrace a faith that resonates through careers, finances, and beyond.

Finally, we tackle the nuances of guiding youth through their spiritual journeys. By fostering a safe space for open dialogue and addressing doubts and questions, we aim to provide thoughtful guidance away from fleeting trends. From managing leadership challenges to balancing ministry demands, we share insights and strategies to help leaders and young followers of Christ navigate their paths. With engaging discussions and practical takeaways, this episode is a treasure trove for anyone dedicated to nurturing the next generation's faith journey.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:06

Hey, what's up everybody and welcome to Worship and Leadership by Life Point Creative. My name is A Homer Canyons Jr.

Speaker 2 0:14

Don't uncultivate me. What was that?

Speaker 1 0:17

Since we're going to do a cultivated intro let's keep it going. Let's go. My name is A Homer Canyons Jr and, like always, I have my friend here, william. Come on good to see y'all. My God, I'm finer than frog hair man. I'm excited to be here today. My goodness. Well, I'm glad you're here.

Speaker 2 0:36

Come on, it's good to be here, man, but you know what I'm really excited about the two people across from me that we got today in the studio. What would their name be? Their name be Pastor Jare and Jessica.

Speaker 5 0:50

Marieweather Jare and.

Speaker 2 0:52

Jessica Marieweather, I'm glad y'all were in the studio.

Speaker 4 0:56

I don't know what's going on today. It was well pronounced, the Jare, with a name like Jare.

Speaker 5 1:03

Sometimes you get Jerry, I get Jerry.

Speaker 4 1:05

I've gotten.

Speaker 1 1:05

Jared. Siri calls you Jare. Yeah, jare, jare, with a name like Jare. Sometimes you get Jerry, I get Jerry, I've gotten Jared. Well, siri calls you Jare.

Speaker 4 1:08

Jarch, jarch, jare, jare, jare.

Speaker 2 1:12

Calling Jare. Yeah, that's what Siri does for me whenever.

Speaker 4 1:16

A former job Kid. You, not I had worked there six, seven years, and there was one of our lead people at this job. For all the years that I worked there she'd been there as well. She never pronounced my name correctly. Every time she saw me, she called me something new I was Jamal. I was Jared Jamal. I was Jeremy Nice, I got every name but Jare, and I just said. Yes, ma'am, how would you like for me to set up your computer?

Speaker 1 1:49

Oh, thank you, Thomas Jeremiah.

Speaker 2 1:57

Can you put the internet back on my computer? I don't have the internet.

Speaker 4 2:00

I don't got no internet. Well, you unplugged your computer, man.

Speaker 2 2:04

Thank you, jonathan, you so sweet. Well, you unplugged your computer man. Thank you, jonathan, you so sweet.

Speaker 1 2:08

Well, we're glad, you guys are here and we love what you guys do on our team, with our student team, and today we're turning it over to you guys. This is a student takeover. So, willie and I, we're just taking the backseat, we're chilling, we're chilling, we're going to see where this goes. Okay, but backseat, we're chilling, we're going to see where this goes.

Speaker 2 2:25

We're going to have fun. I'm in a passenger seat today. I'm in the backseat.

Speaker 5 2:27

I got my snacks right now.

Speaker 2 2:29

He really does.

Speaker 5 2:31

I got my snacks.

Speaker 1 2:34

The last time you guys were on we were talking about, we did a whole quiz on if you guys knew the latest trending words and stuff. I bet you Willie doesn't, so we might need to ask him later.

Speaker 2 2:45

I the latest trending words and stuff. I bet you Willie doesn't, so we might need to ask him later. I'm up on all of the lingo. I got two kids Watch Right now. Quiz me Right now.

Speaker 1 2:50

Right now. Do you remember the words? I can't look at it.

Speaker 2 2:53

I'm telling you, I'm up on it.

Speaker 1 2:54

Go, just spit. I'm here to the game, let's go let's go you know what I'm saying I got my drip.

Speaker 2 3:03

I'm drippy today.

Speaker 5 3:03

Okay, what was the Riz? What's Riz I got.

Speaker 2 3:07

Riz.

Speaker 1 3:07

What is that? What does it mean?

Speaker 2 3:10

It's like some kind of skin condition that requires procura, cone, ointment, ointment. I know what Riz is, it's short for charisma.

Speaker 4 3:20

Oh.

Speaker 1 3:21

Let's go Okay, let's go Okay.

Speaker 2 3:24

What's a bop? What's a bop? Oh man, that means you know that's hitting. That's a song that's hitting. You know what I'm saying? Got you leaning to the side, to the side. Oh my god, what's a chuggy, a what A chuggy.

Speaker 1 3:40

Not a loogie, a chuggy, a chuggy, that's something you go To the doctor for.

Speaker 2 3:45

You take a look at these chuggies and double their size since the last time I've seen you.

Speaker 5 3:50

I still have never heard a student say that.

Speaker 2 3:52

That ain't no word.

Speaker 5 3:54

It is, is it?

Speaker 2 3:54

cringy or awkward yeah, like cringe.

Speaker 4 3:58

Cringy what's delusional.

Speaker 2 3:59

I've heard that one Delusional yeah. All right, drip Yep. That's the estilo we used to call it estilo.

Speaker 1 4:07

Stilo. Stilo, that's a Spanish word for style. Right, let's see, willie, what's a glow up.

Speaker 2 4:15

Oh, man, that's when you was a mud duck. Oh wait, wait, oh, but you didn't have a come up.

Speaker 1 4:24

But you didn't have a come up, that's when your face looked like Wait a minute, Pastor.

Speaker 2 4:33

Nick, let's go another way. A glove is. When you had a, they said you had a face that only you can make. A train take a dirt road.

Speaker 4 4:44

You can make a train take a dirt road.

Speaker 2 4:45

You can make a train Take a dirt road when you're grilling like an assembly line.

Speaker 1 4:49

Alright, let's see this. What does the word ship mean?

Speaker 2 4:55

S-H-I-P Like show for championship.

Speaker 5 4:59

No.

Speaker 2 4:59

Nope, I'd like to mail something. I don't know to send something in the mail. It's not it, friendship, relationship. I'd like to mail something. I don't know To send something in the mail. No, no, it's not. It oh, friendship, relationship.

Speaker 4 5:08

Oh, there you go.

Speaker 1 5:09

Pretty close yeah. Relationship Relationship Okay Okay.

Speaker 2 5:12

That is a new one. I'll say that's a new one. That's a new one. Oh, okay, so that's what the kids call them. I've never heard them say that to students, like on Wednesday nights. Like I've never heard a kid say that.

Speaker 1 5:28

What's a boomer?

Speaker 2 5:30

Oh, that's, let's see here. Yeah, baby boomer. Old person, product of the World War II generation, the greatest generation, those are the kids, no, grandkids.

Speaker 1 5:41

Kids Initially, but I think we would all be considered boomers, anyone that's old. I think it's just old.

Speaker 5 5:46

Oh yeah, that's true.

Speaker 2 5:47

Anybody that's old. You're the oldest one here. No, I'm not. Yeah, that's right. Jacob's the oldest one here. Jacob is the oldest one, that's right. Oh man, Praise God.

Speaker 1 5:58

All right, one more. Yeah, I got to make sure we get to say it on. What's a? It is a clap back.

Speaker 2 6:10

Oh man, that's a Come on, it's a witty retort.

Speaker 5 6:13

A rank Like a rank.

Speaker 2 6:16

It's a witty retort to come back. To come back To roast back, didn't we used to say rank?

Speaker 4 6:22

Yeah, we did. Yeah, we used to say rank.

Speaker 2 6:24

We used to say rank. We used to say rank. Yeah, we did yeah we used to say rank or jank. We used to say jank. Okay, yeah. So for those of you who don't know, yeah, clap, I guess when somebody comes, man Will your breath's taking like oh man, your daddy left, whoa.

Speaker 1 6:38

Wait a minute, that escalated quickly oh. God.

Speaker 5 6:44

Bro, what in the world? What is going on?

Speaker 2 6:46

I'm like man.

Speaker 5 6:48

I thought it'd be like a your mama.

Speaker 2 6:50

Like man you ain't never on time. Like man you ain't never in a relationship.

Deepening Devotion Through Relationship Building

Speaker 1 6:56

Dre, you got to save us, man, let's go, all right.

Speaker 4 6:58

So this is a student takeover? I hadn't heard those conversations in a while. I think we need to call me.

Speaker 1 7:06

Sonia and Pastor O'Kare Pastor, this is a student takeover. I hadn't heard those conversations. I think we need to calm and Sonia, pastor O'Kare, pastor Willie, come in and just kind of have some conversations.

Speaker 4 7:13

We need to get into the root of some issues. Come on now, but no, so we're here today.

Speaker 4 7:20

There's so many so many things that we could talk about and I would love to talk about Just kind of pick your guys, you guys' brains on. But one of the things that I feel that we do face in student ministry or just ministry in general I won't even focus, hyper-focus on just our students, but looking at our leaders and just different people that we pastor, it's the idea of devotion. Here, recently, a lot of our messages have pinpointed or have been pointing us to the end of the message of like, hey, some action, steps and things that we should do to grow in our devotion, of reading our Bible, praying, hey, listen to worship music, and these are all great things. But I hear often hey, I'm doing this thing, but I don't see the change. I'm doing this thing and I don't like where do I start to see God more? Where do I start to sense like his presence with me?

Speaker 4 8:11

Like you talk about his presence, but I'm doing all these devotional things. I got my Bible app, I'm doing and I just I feel like we could. I would like to just put that out on the table for you guys.

Speaker 2 8:21

Hey, let's let's open this up, let's see where God takes us. Yeah, so I remember earlier in the year it was earlier this year or late last year Pastor Mike yeah, it was last year Pastor Mike was kind of wrapping up the Acts series. We was in Acts for like a decade, that's what I feel like Right, seriously. I mean you had people come to the church, get saved, get baptized and then PCS out of here.

Speaker 5 8:45

And then come back and then, come back.

Speaker 1 8:46

We still in Acts, brother, and then we dedicate their children.

Speaker 2 8:49

And we dedicate their kids In Acts, in Acts, and the kids are graduated.

Speaker 5 8:54

Oh my gosh Out of Acts, out of Acts my.

Speaker 2 8:57

Lord, we live the Great Commission. But I remember when he said in regards to devotion, because your right can become rote, it can become task-driven, it can become checklist-based, and he heard a statement and he preached so well on it that God is not after our devotion, he wants us to be devoted. Like, I don't want devotion. Devotion, that's a thing that's a task. No, I want to be devoted. That don't want devotion. Devotion, that's a thing that's a task. No, I want to be devoted. That's a heart. So now, that's relationship, that's a posture, that's intentionality, that's desire. That's before I even do anything. I want to be devoted To me. The devotion is that's the now, that's the stuff that we do.

Speaker 2 9:41

So I think we have to start with the heart first and say okay, first of all, am I devoted to God, Am I devoted to Christ? Am I sold out? Am I all in, as we say here at LifePoint, am I all in? So I think you have to start there when you're talking about devotion, a posture of the heart, like, am I all in both feet? If I plunge and jump fully in with Christ, I'm putting my hand to the plow and I'm not looking back, I'm carrying my cross, I'm not into myself. Those are heart postures and everything is not full of that. That's just my two cents. I like those two cents.

Speaker 4 10:09

Those are good two cents. Those are good two cents right there.

Speaker 2 10:11

That's really good, jess, what do you say?

Speaker 5 10:16

So I know that I feel like you know I talk to a lot of students and I I mean that is one thing I feel like students struggle with, and leaders as well, um, especially with like sometimes I feel like they're not doing enough right and I think to me, I'm like like just whatever you're doing, like keep doing it and just try, like just try to do better at what you're doing, and I think it's a journey and it's not like for some people, like sitting down and just reading the Bible is not very natural to them and so like switch it up, do something like I don't read, and do the same thing every day like switch it up and you know, as far as you're talking about like being fully devoted, like just look at your life as a whole and just I don't like I'm confusing my words here, but like just think about all areas of your life.

Speaker 2 11:13

Right yeah.

Speaker 5 11:13

And what are you still holding on that you're not giving to God? Right To where you're not fully devoted.

Speaker 2 11:20

That's it.

Speaker 5 11:21

Like and I know we always kind of focus on like you know like. Jerae said like reading your Bible and doing things like that, but sometimes I like just sit and think, cause I know for some people it's like God. I trust you in so many of these areas, but like my job like I got that.

Speaker 2 11:34

Like that's all me Right.

Speaker 5 11:43

And to me to be flip of the switch, overnight that's a great point.

Speaker 2 11:48

So that's kind of the direction I think you were going. That's just kind of how I was looking at it. No, that's great, yeah. So we can't segment this, we can't compartmentalize it yeah.

Speaker 2 11:55

So number one I've got to be all in. But then I have to be all in on everything. So God can have my Sundays, I'm here at church all day long. He can have my family, stuff, my money, lord, don't you touch it. I will spend my money, I work hard for my money. By God, don't you touch it. But then we can't say we're devoted, right, we can't say that that's devotion.

Speaker 5 12:18

And it's not just being fully devoted just because you're reading your Bible and listening to worship music, because you can do that every day worship music because you can do that every day Absolutely.

Speaker 2 12:24

And then you can drive down Wilma and flip somebody off and push somebody out.

Speaker 5 12:28

Okay, now you're not giving God your road rate. Like you know what I mean. So I mean it's so much more than I think. A lot of times for students they're focusing on being fully devoted by just reading their Bible, listening to worship music, coming to church on Wednesday serving, but it's so much more than that. So I think it's like just figuring out how to get deeper with that with students. And like how do we get them to realize it's more than that you know?

Speaker 1 12:55

That's it. Which part of it is also you know, as student leaders you could only do so much. You have only so much time with these students on a Wednesday night and just the relationship that the actual student leaders have with the kids and stuff.

Speaker 1 13:09

But the parents are really at the forefront of their development yes, yeah, and that's where you know connecting with parents and that's why we create these resources for parents, as they're listening to. You know what are things that your kids are struggling with and areas where you can help develop them, and that's the misconception of church. That here's our kids. Raise them spiritually for us, right, you know?

Speaker 2 13:32

Yeah, no, that's a great point. Yeah, and I mean it's like that in the education field. I know both of you come out of the education field, so you understand the battle there. And they say, hey, man, this child's success is going to be exponentially greater if we partner. Hey, listen, we'd love to partner with you on this and let's support the child together.

Speaker 2 13:49

Same with spiritual formation, and I love the fact that you create resources. We have the podcast. But then I love how you guys are again, as a parent whose kids are benefiting and blessed by your ministry, you don't want to get emails hey, here's what's happening, here's what's going on. But then you're resourcing hey, here's a cheat sheet that you can matriculate with your kid through. So I love the idea of hey, listen, we're going to lead you to the water, but you got to drink. And that's really what the bulk of your ministry is. I mean, you get a couple of hours once a week with them and then they have the world telling them you know, hey, what's true? Hey, this is what's important. Here's your identity.

Speaker 2 14:30

And the parents are still going to be the prevailing authority in their life, and I love how you just kind of again put the ball back in their court. You're still the prevailing, even over their teachers, over their pastors. You're still the prevailing, but God called you to that. Teachers over their pastors you're still the prevalent, but God called you to that. God called you to that. So let me ask you this how have you found, when you do have the kids under your care. How have you found yourselves having success with expanding their view Like you were talking about devotion, it's not just doing this thing how have you found success with helping to expand their view and their vision? Again, not all kids are going to get it, but how have you seen that take root? Because there's a lot of fruitfulness in the kids' and students' ministry.

Speaker 4 15:10

You want to go, you want me to go, you want me to go. Okay, so I'm loving everything y'all are saying. First of all, there's something like right now my mind is like pew, pew, pew, just bouncing off the walls right now, of just just some of the ideas and thoughts of where this takes me. The first thing that I want to start with is um, willie, you had said the difference between devotion and devoted, right? Pastor Amel, you just said something, too, about relationship, and I'm, as Jess and I are doing this together, one of the things that I think has really helped us or that we've really benefited from is developing the relationship to be devoted.

Speaker 4 15:49

I feel like being devoted and having the relationship. They have to go hand in hand. So one of the key elements that's missing in devotion is their misunderstanding of who they're devoted to. So, as we come alongside them as student pastors, leaders, counselors, just worship and serving next to some of our students, so just doing life, church life with them, it is truly you have to develop and be devoted to the relationship.

Speaker 4 16:19

When you see what Jesus did in his relationship with choosing the 12. Come on, he was devoted to their relationship, he built them up, he did life alongside them, he brought them in, he told them stories, he did the illustrations and parables and all of those things. So one of the things that I feel like has really benefited us is those students that I'm able to build that rapport with. They get those conversations with me. That's like where they asked a crazy question that's off the wall or they're trying to get me tripped up on a word and I'm like what do you think? Hey, let's read this together. Hey, let's go discover this in the word together. So you're reading this in this chapter. Hey, did you think about reading, like head of this verse, that's great, hey, let's go up here to this verse.

Speaker 4 17:05

Yeah, yeah, so now they've come alongside me in reading this chapter, john, let's say John 15. They've come along with me and they're reading John 15. And we started at chapter 15, verse one, and we read all the way down to the verse that they're like, they're hung up on. That's great, and now we're able to give them context, I can give them a full story. Yeah, and I feel like that's what our leaders are able to do to bear that fruitfulness in our ministry. That's great To create that space for them to grow alongside.

Speaker 2 17:35

Yeah, so you had mentioned. I love how you said the devotion starts with who they're devoted to, not what, what. So let me ask you this, Jess what are some false perceptions that you and Jere have had to pass their kids through in regards to God? Okay, I'm devoted to God, but I don't know him or I have a misconstrued view of him. So what are some ways, what are some perceptions that the kids have that y'all have had to pass them? Case in point, I'll give you so like I think God's mad at me Right, like as an example. So what are some other misperceptions about God that you've had to, you know, pass their kids through so that they can be devoted to you?

Speaker 5 18:15

Yeah, that's funny. You said that I literally just talked to somebody the other day that had taken a scripture and off the top of my head.

Speaker 4 18:28

I don't remember what the scripture was Um.

Speaker 5 18:29

yeah, she had felt like she was blasphemous toward God and you know, and the Bible says that can never be forgiven. And she was like, and I said it and I didn't even mean to say it, and like God's never going to forgive me. And I'm like, well, you just said you didn't mean to say it, so like we just kind of had to talk through, like do you think God is not going to forgive you?

Speaker 5 18:51

because, you just said something Like what is your? She's like but I love Jesus and I love God and I love the church and I want to serve, and she's going through all these little things, all these things. And I'm like, okay, like you don't think God sees that about you. And you just think, like this one thing, and she's like but the Bible says, and I'm like but is that how you really feel? And she's like no, and I'm like okay, it's like I just have conversations and just ask questions and I mean that's just.

Speaker 5 19:18

it's just funny that you said that, cause that's like I literally just talked. I was just telling Dre about this, like hey, I talked to somebody the other day and we just had to just kind of ask questions and just talk it out. And I think sometimes it's you know. They get stuck on like one thing and it's like the end, all be all and I'm like God is so much bigger than that yeah, you know what?

Speaker 4 19:40

I mean Absolutely.

Speaker 5 19:41

Yeah, that's great Like you're telling me you love God, but you're thinking he can never forgive you because you said something off the wall Come on. You know and then, as I feel like sometimes, I just need to talk it out.

Speaker 2 19:53

Yeah, and as we're talking it out.

Speaker 5 19:57

Oh yeah, oh yeah, ok, and I mean that's what we're here for.

Speaker 2 20:00

Yeah, you know, come on, that's awesome, that's what we're here for. Yeah, you know, come on, that's awesome. Pastoral moment, but and again, it's so clear, reading a scripture, excuse me, reading a scripture, misconstruing it and then that leading to this downward spiral.

Speaker 2 20:14

Oh yeah, which ultimately, and again, that's the enemy's goal. Oh for sure it's to cloud our view, distort our view of God. I mean, it's the oldest trick in the book Genesis three. Did God really say is God trustworthy? I mean, I thought he loved you. Why would he hide this from you, man? Maybe he's secretive, maybe he doesn't really want you? And again, so the enemy is working in this young lady's mind. Oh, my God, I thought, okay, listen, jesus yes, the cross yes, but his blood didn't apply to this man. And now that leads to fear. And so for you. I love how you challenged by asking questions. Do you really think?

Speaker 5 20:46

that God can't forgive you. Once you think about it, she's like oh yeah, you're right, right.

Speaker 1 20:51

I think, if you think of how the enemy works, he's very deceptive, and so I just looked at Matthew 18. He's telling us Jesus is telling us that we must have childlike faith. And when you think of leading students and leading adults, adults already have been through so much in life and they've developed, you know, strongholds and different things and ideologies and all these things that you have to undo as an adult, just different ways of thinking and learning things. As a child, as a student, the greatest tool of the enemy is fear, because they don't know, they don't have the experience, they don't have the experience that adults have, but they have so much faith. So you guys are in this season leading students where it's so formative, from 11, 10-year-olds, 12-year-olds, whatever, 6th graders to high school. Nowadays, you don't know.

Speaker 1 21:56

You don't know 6th grader to high school. So much happens in those six years. Absolutely, that can determine a lot of their future and what they're going to pursue, who they're going to pursue, what they want to be, who they think they are. All this stuff and all of these years are driven by fear. Like, well, do my friends like me, am I good enough? It's a lot of fear tactics from the enemy. Yeah, that we, that we keep as we, you know, get older as adults. But when you confront them with, when you can confront it with love, like you guys are tearing down these walls of fear that the enemy is like intentionally trying to build up in front of them.

Speaker 1 22:32

Yeah, you know, and so I, as you guys are talking, I just, I just see that how, if there's anything, the enemy wants to steal from us even as adults, is our childlike faith you know, and a lot of these kids in high school, they're still children, even when they want to act like grown-ups they're still like my kid.

Speaker 4 22:49

Some of them look like them. There was a kid that plays on the football team and I looked at him and I said, oh my gosh, he's got more facial hair than me.

Speaker 2 22:56

Yes, he does, my Lord. He got a W-9 and a W-2. He got six dependents, my Lord, six of them.

Speaker 4 23:06

Six of them, my God. Well, you get to look. Yeah, you ain't right. Oh man.

Speaker 4 23:13

But, pastor Em, exactly that was actually, that was my prayer this year before going into camp and we were going through that Build my Life and just the course of Build my Life, open Up my Eyes With Wonder. We were singing it and it just like kept hitting me and I know it's not a part of the song that you can just put on repeat. Come on, go to the six. Let's keep singing it. Open up my eyes in one, it's like what kind of song is this.

Speaker 1 23:40

You know what I mean. You can, but it's kind of weird.

Speaker 4 23:44

It's kind of weird Psychedelic drug trip.

Speaker 4 23:47

But I I started to think through that and I dug into that and a part of my my time that I was devoting to just reading my word and spending time with God. I was like, what do you mean by this? Why can't I let this go? Why can't I let this? And that's what started me again to go on this journey of never arriving. I'm devoted to you and I will never know you completely. I'll never know everything there is to know about you. Jess and I have been married 20 years. I'm so excited that I get to wake up tomorrow and there's something new I get to discover about her. Right yeah.

Cultivating Devotion in Daily Life

Speaker 4 24:27

Yep, when I, even when I look at God, I'm so excited when he pissed breath in my body tomorrow, yeah, he's going to be better than he was yesterday for me, to me and through me, Absolutely. So, as we're, as we're, we're building this up with our students. That is the excitement, that's the childlike wonder that I'm like man. I want to get back to this. I'm not imagining man. Where is God? What is God doing? I'm imagining with him and I'm joining him.

Speaker 4 24:55

We were having a discussion one day during prayer, me, pastor Willie and some of our groups. On Wednesdays, we got prayer at 12. And he made this comment what if the way that we're praying? What if the way that I mean? Because when we look at devotion, we're talking about prayer, we're talking about scripture reading, we're talking about times in worship, music, whatever it may be. But what if we're praying this thing and it's not the prayer to align us with what God is already doing in our lives? That's what our prayers are intended for. It's intended for relationship. It's intended for us to align with him.

Speaker 4 25:33

It's intended for us to you know, whatever my desires are, I want my desires.

Speaker 5 25:37

It's in Psalms. It's in Psalms.

Speaker 4 25:38

You know my desire is him. You know when I meditate on him day and night, like I'm starting to know more about him, the. And you know when I meditate on him day and night, like I'm starting to know more about him the more time I spend with him, the more I reflect him.

Speaker 2 25:48

So yeah, that's great, yeah, man. So yeah, thinking through devotion, I mean you're again starting with the heart First, the posture. Ok, like I'm going to be, I'm going to be devoted to the Lord and I love earlier you were saying, man, again, every day there's something new about God. I mean there's no bottom, there's no brim to who God is. So it's like I'm devoted and Christ, he is devotable, like he's worthy of my devotion. Devotable, devotable. I just made a word up. Is that a word? It is. Come on, look at the lexicon.

Speaker 4 26:17

Is that in an urban dictionary?

Speaker 2 26:19

Check it out.

Speaker 5 26:20

It's in the urban dictionary, the LA dictionary, we're fully devotable.

Speaker 2 26:24

Devotable. Christ is devotable, we're devoted there you go.

Speaker 2 26:28

He's devotable, so meaning he's worthy of our devotion. Yeah, so, because every day, more and more of Christ is revealed to me. He remains worthy of devotion. That's why we say devoted, because he is ever worthy of devotion. So, thinking through that, theologically, practically speaking, how do you lead students? Like, what ways have you seen have been the most effective in leading students to live out devotion to Christ? Like, what, what do you? How are you teaching them? Because Jesus says you got to teach them to obey. That's the great commission. It's not like, think about it, no, you got to teach. So how are you guys enacting the Great Commission in teaching the kids practically to be devoted to Christ? What does that look like? Go? Ahead Ray Ray, go ahead Ray Ray.

Speaker 2 27:13

You go and I got your back. I got your back. I'm doing ping pong. And the reason I'm asking is because what I love about what you guys do and your whole team is you don't just think about the theological, you think about the doxology, the practical ways. Hey guys, we got to live this out Again. The monachry is live different, but we want to show you what that looks like. And again, I've been a part of a lot of churches. But I love what you guys, I love your approach that y'all take as a team, theologically, through the mission and vision, but then practically I mean, every time I pick my kids up I'm asking, hey, what's one takeaway from the message tonight? And I love how it's always practical. It starts big and then it gets very small. It's like, no, here's one thing you can do to live it out. So how do y'all do that?

Speaker 4 28:00

I promise I'm not trying to sound.

Speaker 5 28:01

The Lord.

Speaker 4 28:03

I was going to say she said it before, I'm not trying to sound the Lord.

Speaker 3 28:05

I was going to say she said it before. She had my back, she got your back. I told you. I told you.

Speaker 4 28:07

Honestly, it is truly seeking the Lord, seeking God, as much as I like to nerd out on the Word and get into all the Greek, the Hebrew, the. Latin, and I mean it's fun for me because I'm like oh, I'm discovering more, but knowledge that's not applied, that means you're not transforming, so I'm just accumulating know-how and know-about.

Speaker 4 28:38

Whereas I want to know God, I want to grow in that, I want to be transformed by that. So a lot of it is seeking the Lord and having those conversations Like, if I'm scripting something out, I'll stop a student. We have plenty of our staff. You know, family running around here and kids running around. I've talked to my kids before. I've asked them like, hey, they don't know what I'm. You know what I'm scripting?

Speaker 4 29:02

or trying to get ready for my message, but I'll throw something out and just ask them a question. You know what I'm scripting or trying to get ready for my message, but I'll throw something out and just ask them a question. I was like hey what do you think about this? I've asked students on a Wednesday night, knowing I got a message that's coming up, you know, a couple of weeks from now and I'll ask them hey, what do you think about this? How do?

Speaker 2 29:24

you feel about?

Speaker 4 29:24

this and just even from and it's like this doesn't apply to me, right, I can't do nothing with that and that's not.

Speaker 2 29:30

God's word, yeah, yeah, his word's alive His word's alive. Yeah.

Speaker 4 29:34

His word, if his look, if he has breathed his breath of life on that word.

Speaker 2 29:40

That's right.

Speaker 4 29:40

To inspire those folks to write it. I should still be receiving the. What is it? What do you call it? The walk behind air. She calls it walk by air. I should still, I should still send some of that walk behind air Somebody that has some nice cologne on.

Speaker 5 29:56

Come on they walk by you and you get to smell their walk behind air.

Speaker 2 30:01

I felt it, so you said it, I want that when I open up his word.

Speaker 4 30:03

That's great. I want that when. I open up his word.

Speaker 2 30:05

That's great.

Speaker 4 30:06

I know I'm not Peter, yeah, I know I'm not Job, I know I'm not these characters in the Bible, but if his word is alive and it's active, when I read those words I should still sense and catch when of what he was doing. Then that's great and it should still be evident for me here today. So it is me depending on him.

Speaker 2 30:27

It's me.

Speaker 4 30:28

It's me. Look, these are the. These are the people you've given me to shepherd. These are the students you've given me to look over. These are the. This is our flock, so let's, let's talk to them.

Speaker 2 30:36

Yeah, that's great are very creative. I feel like both of y'all are creative, but your team is creative Like in, like sermon series and things like that. I was a part of the last sermon series. You did what was side effects and that was really. That was great.

Speaker 1 30:53

Did they bring you to preach or to show like side effects?

Speaker 2 30:56

Yeah, the other side effects of. God.

Speaker 5 31:02

Willie's like a walking Bible, so you just throw something at him. Like, hey, I need a scripture about.

Speaker 1 31:07

And he's like well, so that's why we ask him to come around. Hey, William.

Speaker 2 31:14

Hey, william, I appreciate that, but that was a lot of fun. And, again, I love being a part of the planning sessions and just hearing you guys and it's great because me and Dre we're brothers. Seriously, I feel like we were separate at birth. So he'll catch fire on something. I'll get excited oh, what about this, this? And then he'll say, oh man, this I'm like man, that's good and I always have to be careful. I'm like wait a minute, hold on this, ain't my department before you, brother. But it's fun to collaborate like that. But then to see it come to fruition you know that series Side Effects was great because we I told them what I loved about it. We think of side effects in the negative connotation. You take this pill and it might you know, might lead to funky toenails or something.

Speaker 5 31:58

Loss of hair. Loss of hair, oh man, oh, all of us.

Speaker 2 32:04

Well, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, It'll grow. It'll grow. Now I believe in heaven. I'm going to have a flowing mane. I'm going to look like the Soul Glow brother.

Speaker 1 32:13

Like Fabio, I sure will.

Speaker 2 32:16

Blabio Black. Fabio, I'll be having my hands raised. Lord, I thank you as I switch Shine through the night, come. Yes, I switch Shine through the night. Come on, jesus.

Speaker 1 32:24

Just snap your Lord, I bow before.

Speaker 4 32:27

I bow before the king and he's going to say you know what? That was his bad idea.

Speaker 2 32:33

I'm going to take all this back. I'm going to snatch it all back. Snatch it all back.

Speaker 1 32:36

Wow, I'm sorry, he didn't even remember what he was saying, what were you?

Speaker 2 32:44

saying he doesn't remember Side effects, side effects. I love how we again how we were talking about the side effects, the good side effects, abiding in God's word. Yeah.

Navigating Youth Guidance and Boundaries

Speaker 2 32:54

The side effects of repentance, the side effects of forgiveness. So I just love how creatively you're taking these deep, rich, heady theological truths and you're making them applicable to the context. I mean, that's what Paul did Each of the letters that he wrote. It's the same eternal truth, right, but there's a different context. Right, he's hitting the Galatians hard on faith over works. He's hitting the Corinthians over love, over pride. He's hitting Ephesians on unity over split. You know what I mean. But it's the same eternal truth, but he's making it applicable and he's contextualizing it for the audience, and I love that. Hey, you're asking kids, because they're the ones that got to receive this. Hey, I'm thinking about writing this. What do you think, dad? No, that don't make any sense at all. Kids want something like that. That's not what we're worried about.

Speaker 5 33:41

I love that. Before we started this year, I reached out to our leaders like, hey, what's going on? What do? These kids need to hear what are they saying, and I mean we got a lot of feedback that kind of would help shape you know how we're leading. And even students, will you know, stop every now and then and chat with them and like on a Sunday.

Speaker 5 34:01

I was talking to a student yesterday and she's like hey, I think we need to do this, and like, my friends at school are talking about this and I'm like, yes, like, give me more of that, Cause I, I mean, I like I don't want to, we don't want to just preach at them. Like they need to take it in soak it in, apply it like immediately.

Speaker 4 34:26

Yeah, nor do we want to.

Speaker 4 34:27

I don't want to be trendy, okay, no, yeah, I feel like even now, like we, there's so many folks that are that are putting some information out on social media Tik TOK, your, your Instagram, your YouTube stories, and so there's so many like influencer pastors that are on here, but you don't get. You're getting a minute and 30 minutes or two minutes of a sermonette with no depth. So I'm taking these words, they're coming off the screen and it's like, oh yeah, you know God going to do this. I just feel, god, I had to get onto not get onto, but challenge a student the other day because I mean, I just sense God is saying to me that something bigger, something greater, and I was like, hmm, okay, yeah, and I let them go on for a little bit, but then the next time I talked to him, it was the same thing repeated and I said, hey, listen, I'm going to stop you right here, for you to say that God has something greater or something bigger, it's not a lie. Yeah.

Speaker 4 35:18

But what is he saying to you about this? Something better, greater or something bigger? The way that you're talking about it in the context of everything that? You're saying is that you're not content with where he has you Come on. So when you're looking at, hey, God is speaking. I've just really sensed, you know, the Holy spirit is is leading me to do it. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, You're right. What does his word say?

Speaker 4 35:41

about it Is wanting or is desiring, or is it just hey, my flesh, I'm tired of being here. I don't want to work at this place, no more. I don't want to do this thing anymore. Is it that or is it that you know? Hey, okay, god, now I see these other steps that I got to go. This is the process that I need to go to go through to really receive what you're saying, that, hey, you have something greater for me. Come on. Oh, that's good. I love that man.

Speaker 2 36:06

that's good, and I just think that's good shepherding, I think that's good pastoring, when you can, lovely, tell a young person the truth and say hey, man, listen, I don't want to put the fire out.

Speaker 4 36:15

Yeah.

Speaker 2 36:16

But we got to direct this thing. Okay, the fire right now. The fire be in the fireplace Right, and that's great. That's misdirected zeal. Yeah, you know. And again I love how y'all pastor kids. I also love how, because again, you are around kids a lot, it's easy for them to cross boundaries regarding your time. And, jess, you told a great, you told a great testimony regarding night of worship. That's downtown comments. I'd love for you to share that because that was really good about some young ladies who had approached you and they were in a panic and we need to talk.

Speaker 5 36:50

Oh, that was okay, that was night of worship. Yeah, was it night of worship. It was here, okay, here, okay it was. I mean, night of worship was great. It was a Wednesday night and so we're like, okay, this is not going to be a normal student night. And we were like, hey, we want students, you know, up front worshiping that's what they love to do and bouncing around mosh pit style.

Speaker 5 37:13

Nothing crazy but you know, and there was just a couple of students that like just immediately wanted hey, I need to talk about this right now. And I'm like, okay, we're in the middle of worship. I had like several kids around me I was trying to keep an eye on and, you know, like I just there's a lot of students and a lot of them got dropped off and you know, parents aren't here and stuff, and um, it was kind of one of those like hey, I would love to talk to you. Is it an emergency? Do you need me right now? Um, no, okay, I'm like, okay, find me later. They found me later. Of course it's late. It's Wednesday night. I got kids, I got to get home.

Speaker 5 37:53

We got to get to bed, we got to go to school tomorrow and just chatting with him, like hey, let's set up a time where I can give you my full attention to whatever it is that's going on. I promise I got you Ended up meeting up with those students and they were so thankful that I didn't just immediately jump in with all the things that night, because they had time to think about it and they kind of had some questions for me and some things and it was just a really cool meeting. Like Dre, you ended up joining us for a little bit and it was just a really cool meeting with them. But again, they kind of had time to kind of process and think through and they're like, yeah, it wasn't an emergency and we just felt like we had to get it off right then and I'm like, okay, I get it, you know, but hey, let's, you know let's think this it ended up being a great conversation, and we're glad that we didn't stop right then because we wouldn't have got anywhere.

Speaker 5 38:39

We just kind of went round and round.

Speaker 2 38:40

Yeah.

Speaker 5 38:42

Just giving them time to think through and pray about some things, and they wrote some questions down. Yeah, and it ended up being really good.

Guiding Youth in Crisis Situations

Speaker 2 38:49

That's great, see, I love that.

Speaker 5 38:50

But I mean sometimes students, like they have an emergency right away. We've got to solve this problem right away. And sometimes that's not the case.

Speaker 2 38:58

Yeah.

Speaker 5 38:59

And even trying to help our leaders, sometimes process that. Process that that's it Because I mean, I've, you know, we've had leaders that you know, or text or something. They're like hey, the student reached out and sometimes it is an emergency and if you can help, absolutely go, do whatever you need to do. Um, but you know, sometimes they just need somebody to talk to and sometimes they're emergency, like your boyfriend breaking up with you is not an emergency. We can talk about that later.

Speaker 5 39:24

Um but I. They're kids and to them it's the end of the world.

Speaker 2 39:28

Yeah.

Speaker 5 39:28

And sometimes it's not the end of the world. So just kind of helping them process through that and really trying to even teach our leaders that like hey you know, if you have time, absolutely chat with them, talk it out. Yeah, if it's not the right time. It's okay to say that. Yeah. Or say that yeah, or hey, have you talked to your mom about this.

Speaker 2 39:47

Your dad, like you know what can you.

Speaker 5 39:48

Yeah, that's good, I love that. Yeah, it's a part of me sometimes feels bad because I'm like, oh, I want to save you, save the day, like swooping superman style but that I mean sometimes that's not what's helpful right, yeah so, especially because it was I mean, it wasn't an emergency, and it was. You know, we had time to process yeah, yeah and I love that.

Speaker 2 40:06

The reason I love that testimony is because shepherding, it's leading and it's guiding, but it's not hand-holding. Yeah, and that margin, hey, listen, let's set up a time. Now you're allowing the Holy Spirit to intervene. Yeah, and that's what I love is again, I think that's all part of the shepherding. Hey, listen, I'd love to talk. You're challenging again that student. Hey, listen, what's God say about this? Hey, let's go to God's word. And I think that's just such effective shepherding where you're not the source, you're pointing them to the source.

Speaker 5 40:42

And so in a roundabout way, you Yep. But that was that's me, that was me. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2 40:48

Yeah, yeah, and that's what I love. Okay, this isn't urgent. And then, indirectly, you're saying I'm stepping out of the way, I'm allowing God to move in. Absolutely. Does that make sense? And that's why I just think it's so, so good. I'm just frightened by this listening.

Speaker 2 41:02

In any ministry, if you're a ministry leader, in any capacity, you have to be led by the Spirit. You have to be sensitive to these sorts of things. Psalm 127 is one of my favorite psalms and it says unless the Lord builds a city, the builders only build shacks. Unless the Lord watches over a house, the night watchman might as well be asleep. He says why do you work your worried fingers to the bone, don't you know? He enjoys giving rest to those that he loves. And I think that's the part about ministry you have to remember. You have work and rest, and you can actually rest while you're working. I'm resting in Christ. So I can tell a kid hey, listen, let's meet for coffee later. Or I can tell a kid hey, can I challenge you on something, instead of just immediately affirming the nonsense that they're believing? I the nonsense that they're believing.

Speaker 5 41:43

I mean and I like to ask a lot of questions. I like to ask a lot of questions, like not put it back on them, but yeah, put it back. Like do you think God really said that about you? Like I like to ask questions. I was that student? I was all about questions.

Speaker 1 42:00

That's another podcast episode.

Speaker 5 42:02

Nobody ever answered my questions. They're like just go look it up in the Bible, and so I like to ask the questions and challenges. Well, society's changed.

Speaker 1 42:11

Like society's changed so much from those times where, like hey, go figure it out on your own.

Speaker 5 42:15

It wasn't that long ago.

Speaker 1 42:16

Well, I'm just saying in general. It's changed. Like every five years things change. Like you don't even know what the word ship means. Hold on the. It's changed Every five years, things change.

Speaker 2 42:25

You don't even know what the word ship means, the word what?

Speaker 1 42:29

Ship.

Speaker 5 42:29

It used to be a boat this big boat, the Titanic, Now like oh man Most kids probably don't hear what the Titanic is, oh no, no way, what year?

Speaker 2 42:44

what the Titanic is anyway, oh no.

Speaker 5 42:47

No way. What year did the Titanic come out? I was like in middle school. Yeah, it was the 90s.

Speaker 2 42:53

Yeah, I was in high school.

Speaker 1 42:54

It was the 90s. What I was going to say is just that you know, back in the days, like we were told, hey, you need to figure it out. Yeah.

Speaker 5 43:06

And now kids are told, this is what it is.

Speaker 1 43:08

This is what you are.

Speaker 1 43:09

This is what you get to choose to be like every option is they get, they're being given options and they have to pick and like everything from their careers to like that society's telling them this is who you have to be if you're going to be successful, this is the path, this is the track. And so there there is this lack of or, or like that muscle, that formative muscle where they try to figure things out on their own, like that, that brain muscle, like they're not putting it into practice. So it's really easy as an adult, as a leader, to be like this is what you got to do, yeah, but then we're not even doing them a favor in their development as disciples yeah and j.

Speaker 2 43:44

Jesus didn't do that. No, he didn't.

Speaker 1 43:46

He taught us and he teaches us through the word, and then we have to step into it.

Speaker 2 43:50

Yeah, man, that's so good Together.

Speaker 1 43:52

Together.

Speaker 5 43:53

Yeah, together, and that's what you guys are doing.

Speaker 1 43:55

You're like hey, have you ever thought of this?

Leadership and Devotion in Student Ministry

Speaker 2 44:07

Have you talked to your not just here's your answer, here's your answer. Yeah, yeah, that's good and I love that. Back of the book. Come on now. So what advice would you give? Just a ping pong between the both of you, jess. I'll start with you. Somebody's in student ministry now young adult or young young people ministry, student ministry next gen and I mean they're. They're right now, they're in the thick of it, like right now. They're like man, they are ready to quit right now they're like man.

Speaker 2 44:26

They are ready to quit, like Lord. I don't even know if I want to do this anymore. What is just one piece of advice, encouragement, exhortation that you have for them?

Speaker 5 44:36

This is like leaders.

Speaker 2 44:37

These are leaders and it doesn't matter whether they are the pastors or their dream teamers, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter Somebody who's leading, someone who has influence in student ministry.

Speaker 5 44:46

I mean it goes back to your heart, like why are you doing like? Why are you serving with students? Why are you here?

Speaker 5 44:55

If it's about like you like, I mean Come on now Is like, you know what is your heart saying If it's about you like, oh, I'm not doing anything on Wednesday night. I can serve students, or something like that. Like, just like, why are you here? You know, I talk to leaders all the time about just like. Hey, you know, I would love to have tons of people serving. Come on, let's go, all the people, especially guys.

Speaker 1 45:22

Like, bring them on yeah.

Speaker 5 45:24

But if your heart is not for the students, like if your goal is to not help lead these students to be fully devoted followers of Christ, then maybe you do need to step away and that's okay. Just really think about your heart, like again, we can have a million people here on a Wednesday night serving that love Jesus.

Speaker 5 45:44

That's great, but if you're not fully committed to helping these students fully devote their lives, then maybe you need a break, maybe you need to step away, like you know. Look inside, look at your heart Because, again, like you're helping lead and shape these students, some of them aren't getting it at home. Yeah.

Speaker 5 46:04

I mean, you know we have so many students that those parents kick them out of the door, kick them out of the car on a Wednesday night and see you at eight o'clock, and we know, you know they're not getting those things at home. So you know, as leaders, what can we give those students for those small amount of time that we have them?

Speaker 2 46:20

Yeah, so you gotta be, you gotta be all in on that. Yeah, check your heart.

Speaker 5 46:23

Check your heart, man. That's good. Yeah.

Speaker 1 46:25

What could, what could somebody do, though? Like, so like they want to be part of student ministry. What's what's something good for them to do if they want to be part of students and like, and they don't think that way. Like what would you tell? Way that we develop people into that mindset? Because it is a way of thinking.

Speaker 4 46:48

Yep man man I think.

Speaker 4 46:55

I had to answer your question with a question when is your ministry strength? Where do you feel like, hey, you're strong and do you trust God to use you in that capacity, with this part of ministry, or any part of ministry for that matter? I know it is a hard posture, but I also believe that if God were to tell me right now, jerry, I want you to do preschool as much as I love having full conversations and not worried about, hey, did you just cut wind or is that something else, like to be able to have a real conversation and not worry about something else happening I would have to be okay, god, this is what you've asked me to do right now. Yeah, okay, let's go To that. I was actually thinking about. I've been thinking through this thought and I'm not going to bring it up all of it today, but Paul says in Colossians 1, 9, he goes through this prayer and he's praying for the Colossi church.

Speaker 2 48:12

Yep, that's right. I said it right. Come on, colossi now. Colossi, colossi.

Speaker 4 48:16

That was another debate for something else.

Speaker 5 48:19

How do you?

Speaker 2 48:19

say that name? How do you say that name? Colossi, colossi.

Speaker 4 48:22

So we were. I'm looking at what Paul says in this, but there's a part of this verse 12, it says always thanking the Father, he has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people who live in the light. And when I was reading this, or this was presented to me the first time I kept thinking about, like man, if he moved me into a space, if God is really leading and directing and guiding my life and he's moved me into a place. The Word says here that he enabled you to share in his inheritance. Mm-hmm, yeah, like I live in the light. So the way I looked at that word enable, I also saw the word empower. Yeah.

Speaker 4 49:10

And I'm empowered by him, his spirit, his strength, his words, and I'm not empowered by my strengths and my abilities, right? So when I look at my spiritual giftings and I look at how God has given me these things, we have an excellent way of helping folks discover that in our church through GrowTrack. And.

Speaker 4 49:28

I know some of our listeners out there. You might have the same system or process in your church, but if you don't just think through some of the things I mean, are you an exhorter? Are you an encourager? People need encouraging, People need encouragement. I feel like that's a missing virtue, right?

Speaker 4 49:45

now in our world Everybody's so quick to jump to the negative, or so quick to jump to everything that are you for not, or everything that, hey, the church is missing and deconstructing our church.

Speaker 4 49:55

What if your spiritual gift isn't encouraging man, it's just looking at the goodness of God and reminding people of that goodness, the goodness of God, and reminding people of that goodness. So, regardless on if it was student ministry or kids ministry and young adult ministry or just, and if you have breath in your body, you can make a difference. So, as you're fixing your heart towards this Lord, who have you put in front of me today? That's what I would. That's the question that I would ask, like Lord, who have you put in front of me today to minister to? Lord? Who have you put in front of me today to minister to? Who have you put in front of me today to be a blessing to, to encourage, to lead, to point back to you? I would ask that person to ask themselves that question and if they don't have an answer, yeah hey, who am I devoted to?

Speaker 4 50:39

am I devoted just to filling myself up, yeah, or am I devoted to like God's prompting, god's leading?

Speaker 1 50:45

That's cool man, that's a lot nicer, like I'm thinking in worship, but you can't sing. Sorry, that's it Absolutely.

Speaker 5 50:51

Hey brother, is that what you were saying to me?

Speaker 2 50:54

I tried it hey sis, listen, I love you, but sound like a cat being stuck a thousand times.

Speaker 5 50:59

It's not my ministry. Worship is not my ministry.

Speaker 2 51:03

Lord didn't know your proper chords for that.

Speaker 5 51:05

But also the cool thing about student ministry is, I mean, we don't just have small group leaders. There's so many different ways to serve, and I mean there's so many we have so many cool leaders that have so many cool strengths and I mean it's just so neat, like one of our favorite favorite leaders is Mr Fred. Come on.

Speaker 2 51:29

And.

Speaker 5 51:30

Mr Fred has such a huge impact on our students and he doesn't even lead a small group.

Speaker 2 51:36

That's true.

Speaker 5 51:37

You know what I mean Like it's, like it's, yeah, yeah, he's an encourager, absolutely.

Speaker 4 51:42

He points out like he helps guide. He calls them back to just integrity. Yeah, he calls a lot of our students back to integrity. He has those conversations. He asks them about their day-to-day man. How's your team, How's this going?

Speaker 5 51:56

Yeah, he remembers the sports they play, like if they have their school jersey on or something. He says something to them about them and he's faithful.

Speaker 1 52:05

Yeah, and our leaders, our leaders, love him and yeah, he picks with them. Right, we all love Mr Fred. He is awesome. Such a gift to our team.

Speaker 5 52:13

He is. So it's not just about, you know, being a small group leader. There's so many different ways to serve and encourage and love on students. Even I think about even on Sunday. Like you know, not everybody can serve on a Wednesday night. Even on Sundays, if you think about we, have so many students that are on dream teams.

Speaker 2 52:31

Yeah, that's true.

Speaker 5 52:32

And they have such a huge influence on Sundays Like if you look in production on Sundays, I'm like where do all these students come from? How are y'all know how to do all this stuff? I don't even know what y'all are doing.

Speaker 1 52:43

And then I think about like— Don't pray for the adults. You have to serve with them. Yes, please pray for patients.

Speaker 5 52:49

But I even think about, like you know, our daughters serve in kids ministry and they love the leaders they serve with. Our oldest, like she is diehard nursery, like she loves this nursery room and she, those one and two year olds and she was talking the other day about, um, just some of the leaders she serves with, and she was telling me about them and tell me about their kids and she's like mom, I know they're adults but they're my friends and like that's just so cool that we have other adults that are pouring into you know, not even just our daughter, but other students.

Speaker 1 53:22

And so it's just, it's amazing, it's really cool. Just our daughter, but other students, and so it's just, it's amazing. It's really cool. That's awesome. Well, we're coming toward the end of our podcast.

Speaker 5 53:29

And I did.

Speaker 1 53:32

I didn't want to bring this up because I got to sit with you guys as we're planning out 2025 and we're going over all the sermon series. And, pastor Willie, there's this sermon series that is on pastor Jerry's heart, on worship and prayer. Okay and uh and prayer. We're trying to figure out an acronym for it. What?

Speaker 5 53:49

would you call this sermon?

Speaker 1 53:50

Worship and Prayer. Oh, no, no.

Speaker 2 54:01

Where's the fade-out music?

Speaker 4 54:03

Just push the button. Please, lord, hit the button now, what you not going to do. Thanks for listening to the Life, the button.

Speaker 2 54:05

Just hit the button now.

Speaker 1 54:06

Please, lord, hit the button now, because what you not going to do.

Speaker 2 54:06

Thanks for listening to the Life Going Creative. This is our last episode.

Speaker 5 54:10

Appreciate it. Thanks guys. We are now canceled.

Speaker 1 54:13

They're going to kick off January with 100 Likes but no Love. How to be a snack in modest drip, is that it?

Speaker 2 54:23

Oh my gosh, oh man what.

Speaker 4 54:27

Close to Rob how to be a snack in what In?

Musical Album Release Announcement

Speaker 5 54:29

modest drip In modest drip. Did you find the one that Emily wrote? Those are the ones you need to find. This is what she's sending me, emily's on Pastor Willie's team.

Speaker 1 54:39

Oh wow, this is why I've been on my phone. She's been sending me all the titles. Oh man, it's pretty bad.

Speaker 4 54:47

This is so this is what you, we don't want you to do in you, oh what about purity?

Speaker 1 54:54

that was it what about hashtag? Yeah, okay, sure, and then, uh, spiritual life matters um worth more than a bitcoin. Woke and sleeping. These are actually and this is not what people on our team are suggesting this is what happens when you go to the internet for help.

Speaker 5 55:13

Yes, okay, did you say the one? Let's be blunt, blaze it up. It's a talk on drugs and alcohol. It's a talk on drugs and alcohol. Again, she's on Pastor Willie's team, the internet.

Speaker 4 55:30

We just borrow her on Wednesday nights.

Speaker 2 55:31

Emily, I'm so proud of you. That's awesome.

Speaker 1 55:33

That is awesome.

Speaker 2 55:35

Oh, my God, oh man.

Speaker 1 55:36

But you do get creative, like Pastor Willie said, and that's an exciting thing. And so again, pastor Jordan, my wife says they're talking about me.

Speaker 1 55:45

I'm supposed to meet with him. But Pastor Jere, jess, thank you guys so much for all you do and we're praying that this next year, as we go into 2025, that God's favor just continue to be upon you guys, his anointing as you guys prepare and as you guys are leading our students, praying that we can make an even greater impact as we're expanding as a church, moving out to Tiny Town and getting that campus out there. So God's got bigger plans than anything we can imagine. Come on, it's going to be awesome.

Speaker 2 56:17

It's going to be awesome. I'm telling you and I tell you all the time I'm thankful for y'all pointing to my kids. I've seen the growth. So thank you on behalf of thousands of adults.

Speaker 1 56:26

Thank y'all Seriously. Thank you Any last words, anything.

Speaker 5 56:30

I got nothing. After that last convo, I got nothing.

Speaker 2 56:33

My Lord, I'm tapped out.

Speaker 4 56:37

I have no last words.

Speaker 1 56:39

No, last words Willie's got last words.

Speaker 2 56:42

I absolutely do. We words. Willie's got last words.

Speaker 1 56:45

I absolutely do. We appreciate y'all tuning in. Oh he's country.

Speaker 2 56:49

He didn't forget.

Speaker 1 56:49

I'll do the outro country vibe. We gotta do the outro.

Speaker 5 56:53

Y'all sound like y'all from Kentucky.

Speaker 2 56:57

Thank y'all for tuning in to today's episode of LifePoint Creative and Leadership Podcast.

Speaker 1 56:59

Yes, sir Hold on, you gotta do it over, Alright, so we're gonna do this. Oh, hold on Before we get off.

Speaker 4 57:12

We have to do this because not everyone knows and I know this is a student talk, but we just released an album oh wow, let's go, that's it.

Speaker 1 57:18

All right.

Speaker 4 57:19

Yep Left by creative.

Speaker 1 57:20

The journey.

Speaker 5 57:22

Journey.

Speaker 1 57:22

We did and my phone works. It's not working, but there's a song with Pastor Jere where he's singing in a different genre and you all hear this. You know the song. Yeah, good. Plans oh yeah, all right, but there's this section, right? Here let's see yeah. Oh, yeah, all right but, there's this section right here let's see yeah, oh yeah.

Speaker 4 58:00

No, there it is, there it is yeah, wow, my goodness. Hey, that bass player and that keyboard player was getting it?

Speaker 2 58:06

Hey, they was getting it, man.

Speaker 4 58:07

That bass player was fire. Shout out to Pastor Elmer and Pastor Willie too.

Speaker 1 58:13

Right here, right here. This is my favorite part Uh-oh. Oh man. Be on the lookout. That's a bomb.

Speaker 2 58:21

Because this is happening.

Speaker 1 58:22

I'm going to sing in Espanol In Espanol, in Espanol, in Espanol, we're going to do a reggaeton project.

Speaker 2 58:28

Yes.

Speaker 4 58:33

It's not reggaeton, it's Jamaican.

Speaker 1 58:35

It is Jamaican. What makes it Jamaican?

Speaker 2 58:38

Cross-cultural man, cross-culture. Cross the cultures For the culture. That's how I'm going to do the outro. Hey, we thank your mind, me the one going nowhere. What going on? I don't have my country to that. How Lord I got to do the country outro.

Speaker 1 58:55

You're going to do it All. Right, here you go here you go, you got it. Okay, all right, I got it on my, here we go.

Speaker 2 59:02

Bless them, Hold on hold on, I don't have an outro. Go Wait.

Speaker 1 59:09

What is that? I don't know. It said country music.

Speaker 4 59:13

Only thing I can hear is me growing up in my house. My mom used to work for a radio station and Sunday mornings it was the bluegrass country is what we played in the house.

Speaker 5 59:23

Bluegrass country worship music.

Speaker 4 59:25

It was just country gospel oh wow. The only song I can hear is One day at a time. Sweet Jesus is all I'm asking for you. That's all I can hear.

Speaker 5 59:48

When you go into a country accent I'm like man, I'm on a microphone.

Speaker 4 59:51

It's all I hear right now. If you, play that.

Speaker 5 59:53

I'm out he doesn't know.

Speaker 2 59:56

Man give me something upbeat. Man Give me upbeat honky-tonk. Man Give me Sweet Home Alabama, or something.

Speaker 1 1:00:01

Oh no, not here. I can't get locked on podcast.

Speaker 2 1:00:06

Well, once again, I want to thank y'all for tuning in and spending some time with us. Thank you for sitting to spill and kicking your feet up. If you're a guest with us and you would like to know about our church and ministry, you can head on over to the Internet machine and enter the following letters wwwlivepointchurchtv. If you're technologically savvy, you can follow us on Instagram, your smartphone devices or your mobile devices at LivePointChurch. Now, the at is a symbol. It's an A with a circle around it. You don't want to type in the word at LivePointChurch. You ain't going to get nowhere. Or follow our creation show, the Media at LifePointCreative. Would y'all do me a huge favor, if you want to, if you're so inclined, share this podcast with your friends and your family. How do I share it? Well, what you can do, man. There's a button over there. It looks like a box and it's got an arrow pointing straight up. You click that thing. I thought that was a bad box.

Sending Content and Building Community

Speaker 2 1:01:01

No, that's a good box right there. That's a good box. That's a good box. You click on it and then a menu's going to pop up Share. You can send it through the email. You can text someone, you can send a direct link. You can even do something, what they call airdropping. What in the world is airdrop? How? Do you drop?

Speaker 2 1:01:18

air on somebody. It's just in the air. You can even email us. However, we can serve you. We're here for you. We're going to leave a light on for you. I want you all to join us next week for a brand new episode Come and share this pal.

Speaker 1 1:01:31

Hey, we're glad you joined us today. We love you guys. We'll see you all later. Thank you, guys for being part of this episode. Will you be back Please?

Speaker 5 1:01:39

be back.

Speaker 1 1:01:40

Please come back. Please come back.