Glimmers of Faith and Hope with Trevor!

Discover how a surprising realization led to finding community and faith. Our journey started with a simple plea to God and evolved into a beautiful masterpiece, shaping who we are today.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Um always glimmers. Oh, it's a cool one.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Hey, welcome back to uh another episode of Glimmers of Faith and Hope. My name is Rob Stafford. I'm here with my friend George, and I want to introduce you to uh Trevor. Um, as you might have noticed, that we've uh taken a little summer break. We had a lot of stuff going on, but we're back. And so let's get it rolling. Okay, George. What's going on, man?

SPEAKER_02 0:50

Invited my friend Trevor. Stamp. Hold on. You know it. I just froze it up on the camera.

SPEAKER_03 0:58

If it makes you feel better. I couldn't pronounce your last name even if I tried. I know it starts with a thinking M, but that's about the extent of it.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

I don't know why I can't think you're like. Why don't you just call him Trevor? Sorry. He's a really good friend.

SPEAKER_03 1:12

Sandberg. Sandberg. Yep, Sandberg. Remember that name. Swedish. Yeah. Remember that name. Swedish?

SPEAKER_01 1:17

That's cool. Yeah, I'm not sure. So we'll just call you beatball.

SPEAKER_02 1:23

Trevor, me and Trevor met at uh the young men youth group kind of thing we do on Sunday nights. Um we talk about, we like read books about Jesus and faith, and we talk about it, and we read the Bible and pray and really open up to each other. It's been really um helpful for me to talk about feelings and like open up to my brothers and you know, learn what's going on in their lives and try and help help them with my experiences and everything, which is why we're doing this podcast as well. So yeah. So Trevor, you want to tell us a little bit about your journey and just like what do you what do you think of me?

SPEAKER_03 2:13

And well, I think you're amazing, dude. This guy, best prayer I know. He's totally on top of things. It's like a poem every time he goes out there. It's like Mozart. Like he is just genuinely the best prayer I've ever seen.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

That's very kind. Appreciate it, man.

SPEAKER_03 2:27

Yeah. Um, well, all my life I've been a Christian. Like, I grew up going to church, I grew up going to Sunday school every weekend, and I knew all this stuff. But it's like, when you actually sat me down and you went, Do you believe in Christ? I would go, Yeah. And then if you went, do you follow him? I'd go, No, I'm I'm doing things my way. And that was an issue. I mean, it's it's an issue in general, but like it led me to a very lonely life. I felt like I could never fit into fen friend groups. I felt like I could never find people that wanted to be with me and genuinely chose me and knew me. And liked you for who you were. Exactly, yeah. And so it became really hard. I bec it it became a very lonely life, and I'd constantly bounce around different friend groups trying to find people, my people, you know? Like I think in elementary school I bounced around six different friend groups in the course of the six years I was there. And it's just like it was hard. It was really, really hard, and it took a toll on my mental status. And in eighth grade, and this is crazy, but in eighth grade, I was just sitting in the car, and I was talking to my mom, we were talking about whatever, and I fully believe it was the voice of God. He literally went, What are you doing, dude? You're not following me. You believe in me, you're not following me. You need to start going to church. Those are gonna be your people. I'm your people. We need you need to get this on the road. Like, you need to start doing good and following me. And I literally looked up my mom and went, I need to go to church. I'm messing up in life. I need I need to go to church. I need to start following God. And she went, Who are you? Did her his like head spin around or a little bit, yeah. She was like, Where's this coming from? You you don't you're not a churchgoer. You hated going to church. We had to pay you to go to church as a kid. Yeah. What is happening? And I went, I have no idea, but I have this strong inkling just to go. And so I started going. Next the next Wednesday I went to the uh high school group and I loved it. And I finally, like, I had people coming up to me and be like, hey, how are you? What's your name? And it was the best feeling I've ever had. And I fell in love with the church and I fell in love with Jesus. Like it was utterly beautiful. You found your people. I found my people. And it was like, it was just a masterpiece. It was like, it was totally God's fingertips were all over it. It was exactly what I needed. And it was just like those people encouraged me to be the person I am today. I have such a strong faith now. Like it was just amazing. Like that's great. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 4:54

That is amazing that you know God really called you and you still remember it. And I think I can recall quite a few moments where I've heard God's voice and heard him calling me to high like better standards, and but I don't think I really like put it together that like you can really find a beautiful community at church and that is like will draw you to Christ and everything. And it's definitely true now that you say it, it's pretty mind-blowing to me because it's very true. And oh what do you think? Would you agree with that?

SPEAKER_01 5:38

Oh yeah. And you're still uh hanging out with those same things.

SPEAKER_03 5:43

So people, yeah, yeah. Man, they're amazing. I I would never want I mean you too. I mean, you're part of that. I mean, I'm in the younger adults group, along with uh being a leader at the high school group, but it's like, man, you guys are my people now too. Like it's like you guys are one of the biggest influences of my life. And it's like, I forget who said it, but there's this one quote where it's like the like show me your people, and I'll show you your life. Your people are a direct results of what your life is gonna look like. Kind of like they're they're influence, they're gonna influence you whether you want them to or not. And so it's like if you pick good people, you're gonna have good influences and your influences in your life. If you have bad people, you're gonna be led astray, you know, and it's just like it's like that. He's one of the best influences I know. That's great.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

Trevor Burrus is a great influence too. He's got a great heart. That's why I wanted him to come share. And uh that's a beautiful story, and it makes me think because I know like a lot of people have bad experiences with church sometimes and with people that they see as religious. And what would you say? Sorry, I I don't know where I was going with like a question there, but I think it is a fact that you know you had a good experience with meeting a good group of people at church, and I I have had that as well. And then sometimes, you know, how can I guess what I'm going for is how can like we be open and how can we like accept people? What are we supposed to show them, you know, it as like who we are, how do we reflect Christ it and accept people rather than like turn them away because we judge or something like that. Like I feel like people s have a misconception that Christians at church are very clicky and like it takes a while to get into the community and for people to accept you and that they might be judgmental and you're like scared to open up about your past and what you're going through. But y you'll hear Pastor Dave and he'll say, like, church is about sharing and we all need to talk about what we're struggling with and be a community and support each other. So I kind of answered my own question.

SPEAKER_01 8:07

Was that a rhetorical question?

SPEAKER_03 8:10

Get yourself thinking, right? Yeah. Um, I mean, I I have I have three parts to that. Um, I've been really talking to people and trying to get them to go to church and stuff, and one person I know, they're like, okay, well, I don't want to go, and then these people like don't accept me because of the life I lived. And to what I said to them was, you just gotta give it a try. People suck, like people are imperfect, you know. People make mistakes. The church is a hospital for broken people, and yeah, they're gonna some people are gonna shun you away, but some somebody else is gonna go, hey, how are you? How was your day? What are you up to? I've never seen you here before. And that's how we should be. We should be going up to people and and treating them as God would. Going up to them and be like, hey, I saw you I haven't seen you in here before. What's your name? What do you like to do? Just treat them with love, you know?

SPEAKER_04 9:00

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 9:00

Um exactly. The main motto or the main like mission of Montra's church is to make people feel known, loved, and chosen. And I mean, I think I think Montreal Church does a pretty good job of that personally. I mean, especially with me, and I mean you two are saying that.

SPEAKER_04 9:13

Yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_03 9:14

But I also know people that have gone to Montreal's church and like they're like, I don't fit in here, I don't, I don't belong here. And it's like it's hard because it's like there's different reasons for that, you know? For some people, it's just not what they're looking for. Like their Montreal Church is for as much as I love it, we're not the type to go dancing and like with our hands up in the air and worshiping on our knees and stuff. Yeah. And it's like some people really need that, and then some people don't, some people don't like that. So it's it's kind of yeah. I mean, the message is always good, but there's just different little things that some people need and some people don't like, and that's okay, like there's nothing wrong with that, but yeah, it it becomes hard, you know.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Yeah, a mantra's church is very inclusive in my opinion. They it whatever your cup of tea is spiritually, I feel like it's very accepting and open to that. And you know, whether you're a whether you're a very like outgoing person or like you'll you'll definitely thrive at Montrose Church. And even if you don't want to talk that much and you just kind of want to ease your way into things, there's like definitely people who are there for those same reasons, and it's just a a beautiful atmosphere. Uh, one of my favorite things is like we open up with worship as a lot of churches do, but we sing songs and and gather in all of us in our spirits are you know uniting to worship God, and it's if you don't feel something, you you need to open up your heart, in my opinion, because it's really hard to not feel something. I feel like we set up barriers before we like come to love and believe in God, and the tr like I'm just gonna say it, the truth is there is a creator of the universe. There is a hundred percent. Science is what like shows us that there's a creator of the universe. We have science because God allowed us to learn about what he did.

SPEAKER_03 11:19

100% of everything because of God.

SPEAKER_02 11:21

If once you like let yourself believe in God, you can try like all these different things, but you can also like allow yourself to be open to feeling what calls to you, you know? And like you s you weren't a churchgoer and God spoke to you. Yeah, so it's crazy. Yeah, and it's on his timing. You didn't choose that, you know.

SPEAKER_03 11:45

I mean it literally was. He was like, you need to go right now. And I was like, okay.

SPEAKER_01 11:51

You got convicted and right on the spot.

SPEAKER_03 11:54

Right on the spot, just like that.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

So uh I heard you mention that like you're involved with a youth. Uh so that means that you're working with Colton.

SPEAKER_03 12:02

Not working per se, but like volunteering. Volunteering, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

Yeah, I mean, you know, you're yeah, you're kind of and then maybe you're getting a little mentoring from uh Colton. So where do you see your journey taking you like like uh Well, I don't know how old you are or I'm 19. 19. Okay. I know I look a lot older. No, no, I I was I wasn't sure, but you know, so uh you know, what's uh what's your plans? Like my grandson, my oldest grandson, he'll be 18 on Wednesday and he's going off to University of Colorado. Wow. And um You're gonna miss him.

SPEAKER_03 12:37

That's a far ways away.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

I know, I know. But you know, just where are you at right now? I mean, you had eighth grade, now five years later, six years later, uh, you know, what do you see? I mean, are you looking at doing something with a church or are you, you know, where's life taking you?

SPEAKER_03 12:58

I mean, the goal hopefully is law enforcement. I want to be a police officer. I love serving the community. I love going out there and just being in community, and I mean, with everything I've learned about people and stuff, it's like everybody deserves love and grace. And I want to do that in the police force, you know. Yeah, there's gonna be some hard times in there, but I think with my morals and with God, it can get me through the hard times. And if I can show love as a police officer, one, I think it'd give a better representation of police officers, but two, I think it'd make the community a separate safer place, and so that's kind of the goal. Okay. Uh, the steps in between that are a little fuzzy. I don't know what I want to do yet. A part of me wants to go into the Marines as an officer and serve for a couple years because the benefits would be super nice, and while the pay wouldn't be that good, at least I would have something on my resume to go into things. So everything's a little bit fuzzy. I don't know exactly the plan yet, but throughout the way, no matter where I'm at, I want to continue to read the Bible, continue to pray every day, continue to represent God, bring God to to uh conversations, bring people to church. Like, I mean, even at the place I'm working now, like it's a simple gym. We're having four-hour conversations about God. You know, it's like, I mean, the other day somebody asked me, Trevor, I know you believe in God, what does it mean to follow him? And we literally sat there the entire shift. Well, we'll when we weren't greeting people or like working per se, we're like you they were like, Okay, well, what does it mean to be a follower? And I was just going through the emotions. Like, you know, you follow him, you pick up your c the cross daily, you deny yourself, deny every all your your flesh, and try not to glad gratify the pleasures of this world, and just you go after God. And it's hard, like we get hit with temptation every day, but it's about denying that temptation and saying, No, I'm I have something bigger and better that I need to follow and listen to, and that's that's Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 14:55

No, I think it's great, and this is one of the things that when George and I kind of were talking and we met, is just to talk to young men and find out where they are at, because you know, you read on the news about young men this or young men that, and um, you know, that um it's just kind of fun. And one of the things that Pastor Dave would preach on is that we have to learn from the younger generations. So, like as an old boomer, you know, I just I want to hear what's going on in a young man's life, and uh so it's good to, you know, I mean it's definitely stressful, it's definitely stressful, it's definitely gets hard at times, but hey, anything is possible with God.

SPEAKER_03 15:40

You know, it's like He gets you through the hard things, He gets you through the good things, you know.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

Yeah. I want to touch on what you just said about denying yourself and denying the pleasures of this world, which I've heard some people say that these Christian values and following Christ and what the Bible says is taking away my freedom. It's taking away like it's making me like have all these rules. But I think we as believers have come to find that it's very liberating and it's it brings you true peace. Oh yeah, 100% and and love and helps you focus on the important things in life because those other things cloud your mind. And once you believe in Jesus and get baptized, the Holy Spirit lives in you and calls you to you know do better in certain things, gives you like guidance.

SPEAKER_03 16:45

Yeah. So No, I d I definitely agree with that. Like like we are called to a to a higher standard. Like we are definitely called to a higher standard than the rest of the world is. We we're supposed to live by these certain ways, and yeah, it can feel like we're not being allowed to do stuff, but when you look at the stuff we're not allowed to do, it's like, oh, I can see why this would be harmful to me. Yeah, I see I see why God doesn't want me to do this. It like, for example, lying. It's like, yeah, I could lie about a lot of things, but it's just gonna break my trust with people and it's gonna ruin friendships or relationships. Like, why would I do that? Like, yeah, I might not be allowed to lie, and that might be tying me down in some way, but it's like, and in especially in the hard conversations where it's like, oh man, I don't want to tell the truth because it's gonna hurt them, but it's like it's better because it's liberating. You tell somebody the truth, you can build that trust, you can build that relationship and work through it, you know?

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Well, and then you know, if you're gonna be a liar, you gotta have a good memory. Because you gotta remember all the lies to tell the other lies, to tell the other lies.

SPEAKER_04 17:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:50

That's true.

SPEAKER_03 17:52

Man, I didn't even think about that. That is philosophical right there.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

I hey man, I am so deep, man. So deep. No, I I when I was much younger, I found out right away that no matter how bad it looks messy, you know, whatever situation, I always have believed since I was a young kid that it'll be okay.

SPEAKER_03 18:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

You know, you can't, you don't, you know, you can't see like what's gonna happen. But if you go and you go through life and then you look back at, you know, like, oh, you went through a deep valley, you know, and you know, you were just swamped with all kinds of stuff, and then but yet you come out the other side and and if you can look back, you can see that uh you know, it's all it's all good. It's all good, it's all good. It might not be what you envisioned, but it's better than what we envisioned.

SPEAKER_02 18:53

But yeah, God is good, so yeah, yeah, there's a reason for it, and it builds your character, it helps you grow. I feel like the more challenges you overcome, and it builds your will, builds determination and strength, and cur it takes a lot of courage to do these hard things, but they're literally what Christ did and what the best leaders we've ever seen have done is do these hard things. And God is such a great person to rely on in those times because you don't know what's gonna happen, and you just know that you're going through it right now and that it's really hard, but that you have the creator of everything and your specific scenario in life has put you here for a reason, and if you trust in him and love love others and do your best to follow what he says to do with your life, then he's gonna make something beautiful happen.

SPEAKER_03 20:06

Yeah, exactly, dude. His fingerprints are all over everything, you know? It's like uh Bob Ross paint painting the painting, you know, like just making it beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

How uh if you're gonna put it in baseball terms, like what is your batting average for you know talking to other pe young people about Jesus and stuff? And I know that George here, he's he's an on fire young man, and you know, I just I'm just curious, like what what is the in the reaction when you're uh talking to people? Do you kind of wait for them to make some comment like, hey, you must you must be a Christian or or do you go up to people and say, Hey, I'm a Christian, and you know I mean I I I'm just curious, like what what the how you I mean I'm not going up to people on the street and going, Do you believe in Jesus Christ?

SPEAKER_03 20:59

You need to follow him, you know? Like and it's like there's a place for those people, but uh I don't feel myself doing that. I've always found it really easy to talk to people, like I I can have a conversation with anybody, and that is a gift that God has given me. And I'm like, okay, I need to use this for something. Let's use it to glorify God. And while I'm not necessarily going up to people and being like, Do you follow Jesus? Do you have a relationship with him? It's it's easy for me to build a friendship, and then in that friendship, start mentioning sadly, hey, what do you think about this? Or what what do you think about this? You know, and it's nice because I can build that friendship or build that relationship and then go deeper with it with Jesus, and it's like it's a masterpiece in the end. Like, I love it. I've been able to get about 20 people to go to church, and they might not necessarily have stayed, but they tried, they tried, they tried it, and to me that's that matters the most because it's like they decided I want to go to church, I want to try it, I want to see if it's for me, I want to see if Jesus is for me. And while they might not go to our church, they're Christians. Every single one of them is a Christian, and it's like I know that if if and I don't want to give myself any credit because it's it's not me, it's all Jesus. If Jesus hadn't have used me to get to them and given me these abilities to talk to people, I don't know if they would have ever gone to church. But because I was able to talk about Jesus to them, they were able to go to church, and then to me that's beautiful. It's like I'm super grateful that God was able to do that, and God was able to just get these people to go to church, and that I was able to plant seeds to help. Like, I'm so honored to be able to help.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

Well, and that's the thing is you might plant the seed and you might not ever see the result. Exactly. And that's okay. That's okay. But that's about as much as you need to do it. One interaction with somebody. I mean, like just with George and I I mean, I never known him be I mean, I met him at the men's retreat and uh we just kind of hit it off. Yeah, and now here we are. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 22:52

Yeah, one little mustard seed. One little mustard seed, dude. And it grows. That's the beautiful thing, is it just flourishes.

SPEAKER_02 23:00

Dude. You're so humble, man.

SPEAKER_03 23:03

Like No, I'm not. I'm the best in the world. Except for Jesus. No, I'm just kidding with you. But thank you.

SPEAKER_02 23:08

Yeah, man. Just thank you for like sharing your story, and that it's all Jesus, man. Like every good thing that we do is for him to glorify him, and a lot of our interactions where we're talking about him, he's working through us. 100%, dude. And just to give him the glory because there's no better feeling. No, there is not, dude. I mean, when you literally live for God, it's like you live for others and God, and that's what life is all about. Best feeling in the world. It is, dude. So thank you so much for coming on. Of course, thank you for having me on.

SPEAKER_01 23:50

It was it was awesome. Nice to meet you, man.

SPEAKER_03 23:53

Nice to meet you.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

Well, I think that'll do uh the episode for today. It's been uh great talking to you. Good to meet you, George. Thank you very much. Thank you, and thank you guys. Yeah, and we'll see you next time.