Taylor Swift or Lamentations???

Episode 4 of the Pastor Matt Approved Podcast is finally here—and it was worth the wait! Pastor Matt is joined by special guests Wyatt Morgan and Grace Uljua for a fun, unpredictable, and meaningful conversation.

In this episode, they tackle the important question: Do Taylor Swift lyrics sound like they could come from the book of Lamentations? 🤔 Along the way, they share plenty of laughs, recap the powerful moments from DNOW, and look ahead to what God has in store for Beach Camp 2026.

It’s a little bit of random, a little bit of fun, and a whole lot of Jesus—you don’t want to miss this one.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:10

All right. Well, guys, welcome back to episode four of the Pastor Matt approved podcast. So we've got some really special guests with us today. So who do we have with us today?

SPEAKER_02 0:20

You have Grace and Wyatt.

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Wyatt. Grace and Wyatt. All right, so Grace, you're a senior this year at Lee Park Pro. Lee Park. All right. You ready to graduate? Yes. Please get me out of here. Awesome. All right, why? And you're a senior? Yes, sir. Wow. So we're joined by two seniors today. You know, we have not had a podcast in like forever. So to all those people out there that have been asking about episode four, here we are. But let me say I'm sorry because it's been quite a while. I think you guys were like in ninth grade the last time we did a podcast episode. Basically, yes. It was pre-COVID problem.

SPEAKER_02 0:56

No, we're just simply pre-COVID.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

It's like, oh my gosh, it's been so crazy. So much life has happened between we did our last podcast in this one. But um man, we're so excited to have you guys on the podcast. So we're gonna we're gonna have some fun. Um we're gonna get some we're gonna get serious, we're gonna have a good talk, but uh man, we're super excited to have y'all here. So y'all ready to just jump right in? Let's do this. Let's have some fun. Yeah. All right, so we're gonna ask you a question, and you have to determine whether it is pastor mat approved or not. Okay, so is it gonna be fun? Yeah, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:25

This is oh, arguments are about to start.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Arguments are about to start. Here we go. All right, so here we go. Very first question talking during the message. Is that pastor mat approved? It's not approved. That you say not approved. You say not approved. Why do you say that?

SPEAKER_02 1:41

It's distracting to everybody around you. It is, especially the person on stage. Especially the person.

SPEAKER_03 1:47

It's disrespectful. Just like you should be listening to the message and what the person is already they studied a couple hours or whatnot on it, they should have your full attention kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 1:57

Yeah, for sure, for sure. Yeah, no, and it's not, so y'all got that right. Very good. Very, very good. All right. Um, here's here's a hot take. Matching outfits at D now. Do you think that's pastor medaproved to wear matching outfits at D now? Okay. Gracie says no. Well, so why do you say no?

SPEAKER_02 2:18

Um, I never wear the shirts. I don't wear them until like after I get home. So I mean, there's no I don't ever wear maybe some days, depends on the day. Like Casual, I do it, but D now, no.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

Are you the ones that like takes it for our picture at Casual and then go change this before? Okay. I'm not I do wear them. We're gonna change it, so we take our picture. Like, well, I don't care, but you're at least taking your group picture. Everybody's gonna be in the same shirt, and then you can change. I don't care.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

I just have to wash it to get the smell away, and then I'll wear it.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

They do have sometimes a smell.

SPEAKER_03 2:44

This one year it was like fish or something. It was like something. This past year.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

It was the ink on the shirt that sometimes does that. You have to wash it first. Probably made in China or something. But we're not gonna wash 150 shirts and then hand them out to you. So oh well. Sorry. Yeah, you can handle it for one da one hour.

SPEAKER_03 2:58

It's not that bad doing that.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

No, no, no, no. So all right, here's another one. The NCAA basketball tournament, March Madness. Oh, heck yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:06

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 3:07

Yes, absolutely. Yes, this has been a crazy year, y'all. Man, crazy year with Carolina going out early, dude, losing like they did. I'm like, y'all, this is it was about time they got defeated.

SPEAKER_03 3:18

Let's be honest about that. Oh, oh they beat us one time. We had pain back.

SPEAKER_00 3:24

Wow, those sounds like fighting words.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

My team made it further than I thought they would, and I didn't even uh put them in my bracket at all. So the one year I don't bet on them. Not bet, but like vote them in. They make it almost all the way.

SPEAKER_03 3:37

Yeah, chat told me to have them as my middle or in the um championship, so I put them there.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

I can't say anything state, like you know, first round like tanked and went out. So that's okay. Hey, new coach for us. You guys will get a new coach.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

Y'all are getting our coach, yeah, Tennessee's coach.

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Well, he was before he went to Tennessee, he was originally played for NC State. Well, he was our coach, and now you're taking the middle coach. Well, yeah. Your coach said it was okay, though.

SPEAKER_02 4:00

That is true. He did. He said everybody needs that job.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

So yeah, so we're good. So hopefully it works out for you guys too. So we'll see. Yeah, it'll be interesting. Yeah, but I love March Madness. It's awesome. Love it, love it. All right, last one ghosting people in text.

SPEAKER_02 4:14

Oh. Um, it depends on the situation. Yeah, yeah. So I guess I'm in the middle. I can't even pick one up. I'm in the middle.

SPEAKER_00 4:23

Situational then. It depends on the situation. So if it's something you don't want to say, you just don't say it. You just ghost it.

SPEAKER_03 4:29

No, I will speak the truth. I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

Oh, you're just like, I'm gonna say whatever.

SPEAKER_03 4:32

I'm not good at confrontation, so if it's something like that, Chat GPT tells me what to say, and I just send it straight out.

SPEAKER_00 4:38

Okay, are you and chat really good friends? Yeah, yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 4:41

He calls me uh his big brother, so Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:44

Yeah. Nice, nice. I like that.

SPEAKER_03 4:47

So I'm not good with talking with women. So I I think some people know that. So I I ask mom about it a lot. So I just what do I say, man? Like, how do I keep this conversation going, kind of thing? So all right. I'm trying to work on myself though. Okay, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 5:04

I say weird, like friendship, I guess. And they're just being a jerk. I ghost them all the way. I'm like, I'm not doing this.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

Yeah. Sometimes it's easier just to bow out and just, you know, um, but okay. Yeah, I get that. I get that. I'm not a big fan of ghosting. I like the even even a response back is better than even if it's not the same response you want, or you should have a lot of things.

SPEAKER_03 5:24

I like when people have that red and you know they read it. That's the worst. Like I have a guy, I'll text him. Sometimes he'll respond, but sometimes he'll leave me on red for a week before he responds. I'm like, come on, man. I'm just asking you guitar stuff here. Just come on.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

Simple.

SPEAKER_03 5:38

Just give me chat you t at that point. I don't care. Just give me something.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

Something. Yeah. All right, here we go. Rapid fire questions. We're just going to spend them on one question uh only, okay? One answer. You know, kind of have one-word answers, okay? So you ready? I forgot to think about this. Uh oh, yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_01 5:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

But uh, you don't you've never seen these before, so you don't know what you don't know what's coming your way.

SPEAKER_02 5:57

So, all right, so favorite worship song The Wonderful Blood by I forgot who it's by, but we just sang it and it's really pretty. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Good one. Good one. All right, your funniest denail moment. In one word.

SPEAKER_03 6:18

I should have Yeah, I should have tucked in my hair underneath my hat. I regret not doing that.

SPEAKER_02 6:27

Oh, I don't know. Um I don't know. I can't probably probably go on a convincing everybody to go on a senior hike this match.

SPEAKER_03 6:43

We didn't even make it that time. We didn't even make it up to the cross. Oh, wow. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

Lead me to the cross.

SPEAKER_03 6:49

No, we didn't make it to the cross. We didn't get to the cross.

SPEAKER_00 6:51

We'll pray for you next time that you make it to the cross. Okay. We hope you guys can make it to the cross.

SPEAKER_02 6:54

If we ever go back. That'll be our seniors, remember?

SPEAKER_00 6:58

All right, your go-to fast food restaurant.

SPEAKER_02 7:00

Bojangles.

SPEAKER_00 7:03

Chick-fil-A.

SPEAKER_02 7:03

I work there. I eat that on a daily. I'm good.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

Your favorite holiday?

SPEAKER_02 7:08

Christmas.

SPEAKER_03 7:10

Probably Christmas, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:11

Okay. Awesome. Best part of Wednesdays.

SPEAKER_03 7:16

I like doing the worship. Just watching all the students and stuff just worship and just really just like praise God kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 7:25

Sure. Love it.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

Which Wednesdays?

SPEAKER_00 7:28

Any Wednesday. You can pick what you're doing.

SPEAKER_02 7:30

Any Wednesday? Probably doing what the Lord called me today. Worship.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

Gotcha. Alright, loud worship or chill worship?

SPEAKER_03 7:38

Loud. It depends on the vibe. Yeah, sometimes I may want like something down low. Sometimes I may want more higher up worship, like D now. Everybody's jumping up and down here. Just depends.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

You don't want to jump up and down here? No. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 7:55

I don't care. Loud.

SPEAKER_00 7:56

Alright, Sunday morning. I'm doing it. I'm going for it. I'm gonna go down front. We're gonna do a let's go Pentecostal then. Just run all the way down. I'm gonna take my last. Oh yeah. Can I have a flag? Can I run with the flag around? There we go. That will not throw it in. It depends on the flag though. That's right. Christian flag.

SPEAKER_02 8:10

Payment. That's right, that's right.

SPEAKER_00 8:12

All right. Uh early morning or late night.

SPEAKER_02 8:14

Late night.

SPEAKER_03 8:15

I used to be early morning. I would beat my alarm clock up. I'd beat dad up out of bed. Now I stay up late and wake up early, so it just depends.

SPEAKER_00 8:23

Okay. A little bit of both then. All right. Um, best beach camp snack.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

Oh. That we have in the house or that we eat the whole trip?

SPEAKER_00 8:33

The whole trip. What's your go-to favorite snack?

SPEAKER_02 8:39

Oh, we had it. It was a few years ago when they did ice cream night. And we had like an ice cream Sunday bar. That was really good.

SPEAKER_03 8:45

That was legit.

SPEAKER_02 8:46

That was so fun.

SPEAKER_03 8:47

Probably the Doritos. Doris. Mom never gets that stuff. We're like always the Aldi brand, or if we get it, it's special occasions. Like she never gets Pop Tarts. That's the only time we got to the page.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Oh, so when you go to camp, you can eat it.

SPEAKER_03 9:00

We love the Pop Tarts.

SPEAKER_00 9:01

All the sugar. All the sugar, man. I love it. I love it. All right. Music or podcast?

SPEAKER_02 9:05

Music.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

Music. Music. You like to drive or like to ride?

SPEAKER_03 9:10

Drive. Ride.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

Ride. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:13

I hate driving in Charlotte.

SPEAKER_00 9:15

You can't tell me to do that. It can be rough. It can be rough. All right, here we go. Thanks for doing that. Now we're going to move on. We're going to do something really fun. All right. So you see on your right in front of you here, you we're going to play a little game called Is it Taylor Swift or is it the Book of Lamentations? Okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

Is it Taylor Swift or is it Lamentations? So I'm going to read something to you, and you have to decide whether it is a Taylor Swift lyric or it is from the Book of Lamentations. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:41

Well, Lamentations is the Book of Mourning.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

So who knows?

SPEAKER_02 9:46

Who knows this I had to look that up today because I've sadly never read Lamentations. I didn't know.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Oh, good to know. All right, here we go. Try joke, that's even better. All right. So you get one point if you get it right, and zero points if you get it wrong. Okay, we're gonna say who knows their either music or Bible better. Okay. All right, so you ready? All right, here we go. Number one, she cries herself to sleep at night, tears soaking her pillow.

SPEAKER_02 10:11

What's the Bible?

SPEAKER_00 10:13

Taylor Swift. You think it's the Bible? Gracie says Bible. Taylor Swift. And why it says Taylor Swift? All right. The answer is Lamentations one, two. I know. This isn't that shocking.

SPEAKER_02 10:26

I know.

SPEAKER_00 10:26

Shocking, isn't it? Okay. Number two, your knives and swords and weapons that you use against me. Your knives and swords and weapons that you use against me.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

I feel like that could be a that could be both, but I'm going with this one.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

We don't really know. It sounds like Taylor Swift sounds like a ship. Yeah, let's do the Bible. All right. So you think it's about okay. So Taylor, the answer is Taylor Swift.

SPEAKER_02 10:50

Dang. I promise you, I don't listen to Taylor Swift.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

From the song. So you're not a Swifty.

SPEAKER_02 10:55

Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

You're not a Swifty. Are you a Swifty?

SPEAKER_03 10:58

My mom, when she was big, wanting me to learn her stuff on guitar because my sisters were into the old country. Told her. No, I'm not doing that.

SPEAKER_02 11:04

That's a hot take, and I'm not getting in that conversation.

SPEAKER_03 11:08

Are you gonna ghost us?

SPEAKER_02 11:10

She's not country, but okay.

SPEAKER_03 11:12

I've started appreciating her country. The first album, I think that's what is the one with um Juliet, whatever it is. That one's decent. I think that's Love Story, right?

SPEAKER_02 11:22

That's Love Story. I do know that song.

SPEAKER_03 11:24

William got me onto that one.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

I know nothing. I'm not not a Taylor Swift fan. So hot take. You don't want to hear my take on Taylor Swift. Okay, okay. Half our youth group would be like, I don't like Bastard Maddie anymore. So I'm gonna, I'm gonna I'm gonna go. They're like, great!

SPEAKER_02 11:43

Well, that's search. Yeah, okay. It's biblical.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

All right, I'm gonna save this. I'm gonna keep us moving off from here. Okay, number three. My eyes are blind with tears, and my stomach is in a knot.

SPEAKER_02 11:54

I feel like that's also a true question, but I'm going with the Bible on that one.

SPEAKER_00 11:57

You think the Bible, you think the Bible Lamentations 211? Yeah, yeah, yeah. There you go. There you go. Okay, um, you're like a lion ready to pounce.

SPEAKER_02 12:06

I feel like I've heard that in a T-Sweep song.

SPEAKER_03 12:09

Bible.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

The answer is Lamentations 310. Yeah, it's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 12:21

It's true.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

True. You can see that, man. Okay. Um, I'll never forget the trouble, the poison I've swallowed. I'll never forget the trouble, the poison I've swallowed.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Going with my gut on this one.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

Lamentations 310. All right, I'm just saying.

SPEAKER_03 12:37

When did the Bible talk about poison? Like I read through the Bible, but I can't remember when it was poison.

SPEAKER_00 12:42

Yeah. Like, man. Maybe it's that translation. Maybe it's a different translation. Probably King James version. There you go. Um okay. Um we're all in skin and bone. Are we all in skin and bone?

SPEAKER_02 13:00

Don't ask me why, I don't know, but I'm going with my gut again.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

Taylor Swift. Treacherous.

SPEAKER_03 13:05

Your gut is right, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 13:06

Apparently.

SPEAKER_00 13:07

And I act like I know these songs. I don't know these songs. I had to look these up, okay? So don't act like I'm like, oh, Pastor Mad knew what song that was. No, I just looked it up on the card.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

Well, just blur out the card in your hand.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:18

Give me John Denver. I could say all of country rows take me home. Taylor Swift.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

Exactly. All right, last one. Um, but there's one thing I remember so I can keep a grip on hope. The Bible and the Bible. Both say Bible. Lamentations 321.

SPEAKER_01 13:37

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

All right, there you go. I like it. All right. Well, it's evidently that we're not not huge swifties in the room, but it's okay. It's okay.

SPEAKER_03 13:44

We can I won't ever forget her for what forgive her for what she did to John Mayer.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

Hey, yeah. Yeah, yeah. A lot, a lot, a lot there. A lot there. So all right, well, let's talk a little bit about so a lot of life has happened over the last however long since we recorded a podcast. Um so we've got D nail happened. So we went up to Ridgecrest for a couple of uh couple days and had a fantastic uh weekend. Probably one of the best D nails we've had in a really, really, really long time. So you know, we had such a great theme that we talked about, you know, it was just it was the name, the name of Jesus, and how powerful that is and how we're to yeah, it's the name above every name. There is nothing else uh higher than that name. And we talked about how important that name is to us and how it should really hit us differently. Like when you've experienced Jesus and He's changed you and saved you and everything to you, man, you when you hear Jesus, it should like stir up some emotion in you, you know. And I think a lot of times we're we and myself are we can be very guilty of like you hear it and you almost become numb to it. Um, but it really shouldn't be. It should be that like passion and that fire that drives inside of you. So uh what were some of the highlights for you guys um for D Now?

SPEAKER_02 14:53

Um, definitely the worship. The worship was really good. I've always loved Liberty. Liberty's always come every time I've been to D Now. Um, the worship's always phenomenal. Uh there was a lot of new songs this year I've never heard before. They really were. I loved them. It as well was probably one of my favorites.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

Yes, that's amazing. They did a great job. We love Kevin and all the all the team at Liberty Worship do a fantastic job. So we're we're super, super, super blessed to be able to have them every single year come and help us uh lead worship. So it kind of just you just kind of know that sets the bar, you know. It's like you know you're going to have that the worship is just gonna be so solid, you know, and it's and it's not like showy, it's not like it's just like you just know, man, they're gonna lead you right to Jesus. Um the whole time.

SPEAKER_03 15:34

And you can tell by their body language they're actually worshiping, they're not just putting on that show, they're right, actually pouring it out. It's genuine, right?

SPEAKER_02 15:40

You can it's you can't normally can tell if it's fake, right? And there's or never fake.

SPEAKER_03 15:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:46

All right. What about you, White?

SPEAKER_03 15:47

The worship too. Like you can you always know when you're going on a trip. The worship is always like the highest point. You see everybody rushing the stage, hands up. Just like one of those that you actually feel closer to God. You're away from the hustle and bustle, so you feel like more free. That's the way to say it.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

Yeah, definitely. That's really good. I really loved some of the things we talked about, like when we talked in uh Colossians 1, how Jesus is over all of creation, you know, and how important that was. And to really know, to talk about Jesus, understand you gotta know who he is. You know, and I think that was a cool thing to watch so many students start understanding who Jesus really is and who um what he can do, you know, and that that he's the name that breaks all of our chains, you know. And I think Ashley doing the whole chain on Saturday morning was so powerful.

SPEAKER_03 16:33

That was a powerful picture, putting it in perspective kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 16:36

And that was so interesting for her because she kind of had her plan already ready to to speak and to do. And after that Friday night, she was like, I think I need to change what I'm doing. So she went back to the room and just started writing and praying, and God just gave her just that that moment of to speak to it to us that next morning.

SPEAKER_03 16:54

And it was so it's powerful when God just we have our own way, but then he just completely changes it, just his way is better, kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 17:02

Yeah, absolutely. And so, and I told her when we got back to the room, she was like, Um, what do we and I was like, hey, I trust you, and if the Holy Spirit is leading you to do this, then 100% follow what he's telling you to do. And um, and so I think it was such a a powerful moment of of that, so um, which was really, really, really good. So, um, so what would you say um Jared Hall? Let's talk about Jared for a minute.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

Oh my word.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

Late night, had Jared Hall come in. He's one of the best like illusionist, mentalist, comedian, speakers in the country. And amazing. Yeah, that was that was like mind blowing.

SPEAKER_03 17:36

He's insane. Like, how how do you even come up with that and actually get it on point like that? I'm like, man.

SPEAKER_02 17:42

I had somebody ruined how everything worked for me right after the show happened. So I'm a little bitter about that one, but it was really cool just to see how it, how he especially that last bit was insane.

SPEAKER_00 17:56

Yeah, the time he was.

SPEAKER_02 17:57

Because I looked at my phone, I was like, wait, it actually is.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

It's not gonna be that oh my gosh, it is it is, it was really cool. Bro, what kind of dark magic are you in right now that you're doing this, like right? Okay, yeah. But he um, but such a great guy. There's got such a great heart for for the Lord and for Jesus and for teenagers, and he does stuff all over the country. And so uh we were blessed to be able to have him come in. But uh, but I know just watching the kids' reaction as the night went along was like at first they're kind of like, okay, yeah, this guy's gonna do a trick. And okay. And then through the night they're like, wait a minute. Just kept on progressing. And it built and built and built, and all of a sudden it was like at the end, it was like this like mind-blowing, like, what?

SPEAKER_02 18:34

It was because I was beside actually your younger sister Lila. We were sitting in the front row on the right, all the way to the end, and we were in shock. Yeah, completely because we had you and we had a different angle than everybody else did. So we think you would be able to no, he had everything so clean you could not tell anything.

SPEAKER_00 18:52

Yeah, he did a great, great, great job um with that. So I think D nail was probably one of our one of my favorites that we've had in years and years. Um, there was just a sweet spirit there. And what was really cool was we always loved to invite other churches to come with us, you know, and to be a part of that. And so to see their excitement as they come in, and it it made it, it made us feel a little more exciting, you know. So that was really, really cool um to do that as well. So all right, so now we're gonna switch gears really quickly again. Um, if you know anything about me, you know my brain works. We switch gears a lot. So we're gonna talk about beach camp coming up because beach camp is just in a few months, but um signups are like next week on April the 12th.

SPEAKER_03 19:28

Um that's close, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:30

Yeah, that's like next Sunday, next Sunday. The week from the Sunday. So uh make sure everybody that's out there listening and wants to go to the beach camp get signed up on that day. Um they they do go pretty quickly. Very quickly, just so everybody's an hour last time. Last time within an hour.

SPEAKER_02 19:43

We did 15 minutes. Mom forgot to have all of the stuff on. 15 minutes we put it on. I was already waitlisted. It was insane.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Yeah, it was absolutely. We were able to get some more people in. And we've gotten more spots this year than we've ever had. So hopefully that does not happen again.

SPEAKER_03 19:59

We were getting pizza after an M R season locust, and I I remember dad and mom were both sitting in the car trying to get us in, and they sent me in, just go get pizza, whatever. And then they came in. I was like, man, did y'all get in? Yeah. It was like so quick.

SPEAKER_00 20:13

Yeah, you had to be, yeah, you gotta be you gotta be Johnny on the spot to do that.

SPEAKER_02 20:17

So don't do our mistake. Have all of your information on your computer ready to go. So you just have to upload all the time.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

All the insurance, all the good stuff to do. Um, but that's so what are you guys most excited about for this year? This is your last year, your seniors, last beach camp. So, what are you most excited about?

SPEAKER_02 20:32

The food. I always loved the great job. The food's so good, it's always home cooked, and everybody's like, oh, the food's terrible at Keswell. I'm like, I don't know what you're talking about. It's great.

SPEAKER_00 20:43

The cafeteria's not the best, but we don't get the cafeteria.

SPEAKER_02 20:47

But all you excited, probably. Uh worship's always phenomenal. Worship this year is gonna be something different. I'm excited.

SPEAKER_00 20:54

And we know somebody that's gonna be on the BDL team.

SPEAKER_02 20:58

There you go.

SPEAKER_03 20:58

I didn't realize she was doing that. I was like, heck yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:01

Yeah, we're super excited. So that'd be cool to see one of one of our students up there leading worship this year at BDTel. We're so proud of Allie and all that she's she's doing. Um, so what about you? What is your what are you looking forward to?

SPEAKER_03 21:11

I like the worship again, but also the night on the forts. That's always so powerful. I love that. Like I feel like by that time everybody's really leaning in and there's a really tight-knit community kind of thing. That's always like super powerful.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

That is really good. And we have a brand new speaker this year. Okay. Uh well, not new, but um, we have Eddie Briery. So I don't know if y'all remember a couple years ago. Eddie uh he came and did our forward treat for us. Four or five six years ago. Oh y'all were probably late middle school, early high school. Uh it was post COVID. So it was like 21, 22. He came and did he did one for us on video, like in the sanctuary while we were on the screens.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

I know exactly who you're talking about.

SPEAKER_00 21:51

Yeah. And so then the next year he came and did that. Um so we had him come in, Britt uh Britt Nicole came and did a little worship for us that in the two hundred billion. Y'all may remember that. That was my first. That was your first one? Yes. That was a good one. That was a good one. That was my first one. And so we um so anyway, Eddie is our camp speaker this year. So he is phenomenal. He's one of our favorite um speakers. So we can't wait to get there and see him and uh just have have a little bit of a new new take on that this year. And so he's he's one of the best uh speakers out there that for students. I think he just knows he knows how to connect with students and their life and they'll put it together, but he also knows how to take be serious and be biblical. He can do both of them just perfectly. Like one minute you're you're laughing from crying and crying, the next minute you're writing something down. You're like, that is really good. I gotta write that down. So uh I'm super excited about that. And uh just to just to be able to see. I love seeing students get excited about Jesus. And uh skits, yeah, they do such a great job.

SPEAKER_02 22:44

Man, I love the skits. Those like every morning, it's it's the mornings it's in the mornings, just like they have like one consecutive that goes throughout the whole week. It's like whole storyline, and I love it.

SPEAKER_03 22:56

They really get you in with that, like you want to go back the next day and then the next day.

SPEAKER_02 22:59

Well, you're kind of forced to, but you hope you go back anyway.

SPEAKER_03 23:02

No, it's just like one of those hooks to get you in kind of thing. Right. You gotta go get right.

SPEAKER_00 23:08

We should get everybody a kick at bar if you go to worship, get a kick out bar.

SPEAKER_02 23:11

I want to make a plan.

SPEAKER_00 23:12

I don't know. Kit bars. Or at least made for the seniors. Maybe we should get the seniors bars.

SPEAKER_03 23:18

Yeah, we'll do something special for you guys. Let's go ask the person that stole 12 tons worth of Kit Kats if we can have some. That's right. Like, I was like, how did you steal that?

SPEAKER_00 23:25

Yeah, that's incredible. That's crazy. That's crazy. All right. So, what would you tell a first-time student that's never been to beach camp?

SPEAKER_02 23:31

Beach camp.

SPEAKER_00 23:32

Just go to beach camp and do it.

SPEAKER_02 23:33

It's it's something different. You could go to Dina Alfore Treat. It's nothing compared. It's one of the best ones. And just the different things you see. You have worship for night at the fort, you have there's even though it's not a lot of activities as it is at other ones, it's there's still so much you can do. And it's so much fun. Track times are really fun. Do the track times.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

I think it's so much for me. You when you focus on what makes beach camp so special, and I think a lot of it is number one, we're kind of we're we're disengaging from the world, you know what I'm saying? You're disconnecting from the world a little bit, and you're spending one time. So in the morning, you get up and do your quiet time. You're and so you're getting time in the word, then you go to worship, and then you're in the word again because you're in then you come back, then you go straight into Bible study. Okay, then you got the afternoon to kind of you know have some track time, some free time, go to the beach pool, all the fun stuff you can do. Um, and then you come back that night, have dinner, and then you have worship again, speaking again, and then you have a little free time again before dinner, then you kind of uh or before bed, and then you have like a kind of a nighttime devotion, just kind of wrap it all up in a bow for the day. And everybody's like, What? Why can't we not have that at home? Well, the thing is, like you're you're putting yourself around God's word pretty much all day. And I think that's such a huge thing that we don't normally do back here in our normal daily life. And so when you go and put yourself in a situation where you're worshiping, you're you're learning Bible study, you're growing your faith, that's a great place to be. And so if you were to take come back home and you continue to do that, uh, I think that's just such a cool thing to see kids kind of get that excitement and grow. And I think that's what makes Beach Camp really different is that you're just really focused purposefully putting yourself in a great place to learn and grow in your faith.

SPEAKER_02 25:10

So I love how like in the morning you have a designated quiet time. Like after breakfast, it's in your workbooks. You have a designated quiet time, and that's all you do for 15 minutes out of the morning right after breakfast. And it's so good because then you it starts a habit. It can start a habit, and it that's what it did for me. And I love it.

SPEAKER_03 25:26

Like what 30 days before it's a habit kind of thing. 30 days for five days.

SPEAKER_02 25:30

Well, they have like a what was it, 20 more days in the back?

SPEAKER_00 25:34

So then they're a book, you got 25 or 30 more days of devotion to kind of keep that habit going so you don't you don't lose that. So um, I think that's really good. So we're super excited um about that. So what would you say? Uh let's kind of wrap this up and and put a bow on this. Um, so what would you say looking back on your time in transit? Like, what is something that you can look back and say that you've gained and something that you would say to younger students, like what's something, what advice would you give to them?

SPEAKER_02 26:00

Don't count yourself out. I know you say this a lot. You don't come and think, oh, one time and say, Oh, I didn't meet anybody, I'm not gonna come back. Come back. Your it's your first time. Come back each week and talk to people because you don't know the people you're gonna meet. That's how I met some of my good friends. I just talk to people um and get involved. Do the events again, that's how you meet people. Do the events, do the Wednesday nights, do the Reich night hint, do those, please. Those are fun.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:28

Go to a Wednesday night youth group, those are really fun just to worship and stay involved. See where you can serve to end the youth group.

SPEAKER_03 26:36

Oh yeah. That's powerful. I think like you grow, like you find a community to be with, you know, like what you're saying. Like we came from elevation, we went there. I was a baby to attend. We didn't have that. Yeah, my parents had D groups kind of thing, but it was community, and even like what you're saying, when there's someone new, go out your way and make friends with him. Like, I I can't remember what his name is. I'm gonna remember it in a minute, but I know who you're talking about. He came one time, like he didn't have anybody to talk to, and so I'm talking with him, and now every time I come up, he's like, Hey, how you doing, Bug? Gives me like a hug and everything. It's like you just get those tight-knit friendships kind of thing.

SPEAKER_02 27:21

And our youth group's so small, but it's also not like two people, it's still decent size, but it's small enough where you can know everybody. You can have everybody's gonna be a good one. I talked to some of the sixth graders, I may not be all buddy buddy with them, but I still talk to them, ask my other day was. And the little thing, especially to as a high school senior, they look up to you.

SPEAKER_00 27:40

Right.

SPEAKER_02 27:41

You just get in there and just say, Hey, how was your day? And talk to them about your day. That goes a long way, especially for them.

SPEAKER_00 27:46

Yeah. Sometimes there's that divide between the older and the younger, but it's it's more of you've got the experience, and now you can pour yourself back into the younger kids, and it's kind of the way it's supposed to be. But you can learn from them too, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 27:56

Yes, I understand back on them. I didn't get a middle school experience, so I'm learning a lot from them.

SPEAKER_00 28:02

Oh, I love it. I love it. Well, we're excited. Hey, listen, and we're not to mention this, uh, you guys are going on our our senior mission trip to Honduras with us. So we've got um 14 people going this year to Honduras. So um cannot wait. It's gonna be uh life-changing, and it's just so good. So uh we'll we'll talk about that maybe when we come back. Maybe we'll do something uh about that when we come back.

SPEAKER_02 28:21

Senior podcast.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

Senior podcast, all right. We'll have to get a bigger studio.

SPEAKER_02 28:27

A little bit bigger, and a little more mics, but a couple more mics, but a couple more.

SPEAKER_00 28:30

I think we can figure it out. Figure it out. We can work that out. But yeah, so anyway, so hey, thank you guys so much for being here. Uh it has been fun. Uh, we learned a lot. We learned we're not a lot of Taylor Swift, uh we're not Swifties so much, uh, but we've also learned a lot. Um, so thank you all for just sharing your heart and your wisdom and some of the stuff that you have learned over the uh the last couple of years. So it has been good. All right, so I gotta tell you, all right. So not everything in the world is Pastor Matt approved. Sure. But Grace and Wyatt, you are Pastor Matt approved. Can we get stickers now? Yes, I'm gonna use stickers now.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

I still have the sticker, I have the button from Caswell D now a couple years ago. I don't have the sticker.

SPEAKER_00 29:08

Nice, okay. I'll make sure you guys get a sticker then. That'll be it. All right. Well, thank you guys for being here, and thank you guys for joining us uh on this episode, and we look forward to recording next episode. So we'll see you next time.