The Ben Thomas Interview - What is it Like Growing Up in Ministry - Episode #011

Today we have our very first special guest Bro Ben Thomas - Today on the podcast we discuss what it is like growing up in a ministry house as well as his testimony, call to preach, and funny stories a long the way! Please share, and follow the podcast so you do not miss any upcoming episodes! 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to the Keep on the Firing Line Preaching Podcast. This is your host, Max Tidwell. Today we have a very special episode with our first special guest. On the episode, my best friend. He's sitting across the room from me. Ben, why don't you introduce yourself real fast?

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Hey, y'all. My name is Benjamin Thomas, and I'm a young preacher and the music director here at Southside.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Amen. Well, today we're going to talk about what it's like being a pastor's son. And your father is the pastor of our church. We both serve under him and work under him, and uh it's such a blessing. But today I want to ask you a few questions. First, I want you to just introduce yourself, tell your testimony, share your testimony, and when you got saved.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Yeah, absolutely. So I grew up in church. I've been here literally since I was two weeks old. They they brought me home from the hospital, and the next place I went was a church. And uh thank God for that. But uh yeah, I grew up here. I've been here my whole life, and you know, growing up in church, you we're always very involved and you know, uh they were serving and not necessarily in any specific ministry roles, but you know, just doing what the Lord would have them to do up to that point, and so growing up going to Sunday school and attending service and all those things, but uh I'll tell you when I was seven years old, that's when I gave my life to the Lord and didn't really understand anything up to that point. You know, I kind of I I heard the preaching and the songs and heard the messages and and the lessons in Sunday school and all those things, but it didn't really uh click until one day the Lord got my attention. As a seven-year-old little boy, we were coming home from school on a Friday afternoon, and uh I don't know exactly what what happened, what triggered it, but it was like everything that I had learned about the Lord up to that point just kind of clicked. And I realized that I was lost in need of a savior, you know, as a as a seven-year-old little boy, you know, you don't really have that much time and capacity to get into trouble, but uh as good as I thought I was, it was made plain to me by the Lord and the in the Holy Ghost that uh I was in need of a savior. Amen. And uh and so I asked my mom, I said, Mama, how do you get saved? I remember we were we were sitting in the car, just pulled into the driveway that afternoon, and I said, Mama, how how do you how do you get saved? And she goes, Well, what do you mean? And I said, Uh, I don't think I'm saved. How do you get saved? And so we went in there and I remember it plain as day. We walked in and into the house, and my dad was already there. We sat on that old couch, the old brown cloth couch with the metal rivets. I remember exactly the spot where I bowed my head and bowed my heart and gave my life to Christ. And I'm so thankful to to have parents that immediately when the question arose, they they grabbed the Bible and they they showed me how to give my life to Christ. And you know, there there's so many people that don't have an opportunity like that. And so I'm very thankful for that.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 2:50

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 2:51

Amen. Well, praise the Lord. Well, Ben, you got saved when you were seven. Yes, sir. And then the Lord called you to preach. And so tell me about that a little bit. When when did that take place?

SPEAKER_01 3:00

I'd say I was I want to say I was seventeen years old, had just turned 17, I believe. And we had actually gone out to my grandfather's church that they attend out in Hollister, and uh we were out there just singing on a Wednesday night. They had they had asked us to come sing. Their pastor was out of town, and we didn't know that, but we had just gone out there to to go sing and uh minister to those people that way. I think we had we've been singing for a long time, but I want to say that was when we first started really singing other places. And uh so anyway, it it the Lord kind of struck my heart with something. Uh, we didn't know their pastor was gonna be out of town, and so we got done singing and there wasn't really anybody to to preach or do a lesson or devotion or anything. They kind of just praised the Lord and everybody prayed and went home. And uh the Lord kind of put a little bit of something on my heart that night of, you know, what if you could have could have done it.

SPEAKER_02 3:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

You know, and I know that sounds a little bit crazy to to some people, but it's true. He really burned on my heart of like, you know, what what if it was you?

SPEAKER_02 4:06

Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

That could have stepped in and and given them a word that somebody needed that night. And that's that's really kind of where it started. And so I prayed about it and prayed about it and you know, didn't tell anybody, just kind of kept it to myself because I wasn't sure, you know. And over time through prayer and and seeking God's face, he just burned it on my heart so clear that he was calling me to preach his word.

SPEAKER_02 4:28

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

And, you know, I I had something in me that I I had to get out. Yeah, you know, that that fire shut up in the bones. Oh yeah. You know, there was just something in you you just gotta go tell somebody, you know, and and that was kind of a new thing. And so I'm I I told my dad and my youth pastor at the time, and we I believe we were in the Dairy Queen parking lot when I told them we were sitting in the car, and uh I I told my youth pastor, and so we got together and you know, they asked me a bunch of questions and you know what the Lord was telling me. And so we prayed together and and they've been praying for me ever since. But you know, when the Lord puts something like that on your heart, you don't forget it, you don't get over it. It's not a it's not a phase or anything like that. Sure. You know, he just he puts this fire inside of you that you can't you can't forget about. And so since then, you know, I've fought him along the way, unfortunately, to say, you know, not always been faithful the way I should, being hardheaded, but I'm thankful for his grace each and every day and and he uses me in spite of myself. And so I'm very thankful for that. But I've been I've been doing it ever since.

SPEAKER_00 5:33

Yes, sir. Amen, brother. Well, I know I know this. You're the music man here at our church, and uh we get to sit in our office and pick songs sometimes together. And uh you've told me before when somebody comes to you. Well, first let we'll get to that in just a minute. First, tell me some of the the best times that you've had as the music man. What is your favorite thing about being the music man here at the church?

SPEAKER_01 5:55

My goodness. Man, that there's so much of it that that is a blessing. And you know, we we stay busy and uh I feel like we're constantly running around, but but even that in itself is a blessing because you know you get there on Sunday and you've been praying all week and and trying to pick the the right songs that the Lord would have you to pick and you know, ask the people to sing specials that the Lord would have you to sing, and you know, so putting all that together in prayer and and just trying to do your best to serve the Lord and you get there on Sunday morning, and I don't know how it is for other music ministers, but you know, sometimes life gets crazy and you and you're trying to do your best to serve the Lord. And there's sometimes by the time you get to Sunday, you're just slap or out and you need you need some refreshment yourself. You need to you need a word from the Lord yourself. And man, something that blesses my heart is is hearing that congregational singing.

SPEAKER_02 6:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:48

And everybody, you know, singing together. You know, there's some folks I know they don't like to sing in public because they don't like the way their voice sounds or whatever, but you know, you get a group together, a choir, or you know, somebody like that, they get together and just start singing God's music, you know, and and lifting their voices up to the Lord. That's something special. And then you hear we got some youngins here that they they love to sing out. And you know, we sing, I'll fly away. And you can hear a young man we've got in the morning, just there in the back. But uh man, just so seeing seeing God use these people and them not trying to make themselves comfortable, but trying to make the Holy Ghost comfortable is a blessing to me. And and you know, seeing how God is using the music to to help these people in their daily walk, it it's a great blessing because I you know, you look at some folks and you know they're going through something. Right. You know, they just have it all over their face, and to see them be able to leave that at the altar and worship and and not worry about what what what's gonna happen Monday or not worrying about what happened last week, or you know, they just leave it there and uh just open up their hearts to the Lord and worship him. Sure. And that really is its own reward in itself, you know, outside of everything else.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Absolutely. We've sat, like I said, we talk about sometimes songs that people come and they ask to sing, or uh new choir songs that we want to sing or whatever, and you've told me about your fill filter process, your filtering process.

SPEAKER_02 8:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

And uh can you just explain that what maybe it can help somebody? What is your process on a new song comes in and somebody wants to sing it or whatever the case may be? And how do you go through and decide if that's gonna be a song that's right for not only us to sing spiritually, but also for our church?

SPEAKER_01 8:35

Right, absolutely. So I'm very particular when it comes to our music, not for myself, but because I believe that, you know, as a music director, you are held accountable for what music we do sing. And obviously there's there's pastoral authority and all those things. But when it comes to, you know, you following the Lord to pick the music and what songs he would have us to sing as a body, you know, I'm responsible for that being in this position. So I'd say, you know, kind of my my process when it comes to picking a new song, I'll I'll always give a song a chance for sure. I don't I don't hear something and just say, no, it's that's not for us. You know, I always listen to it and uh go through that process. And and really it's a few things. So obviously if the song is not scripturally accurate, it's automatically, you know, not not gonna go through because I believe all our music needs to line up with the word of God. If it doesn't, it just it just needs to move on. Yeah. And then if you know, if it goes through that, if it's scripturally accurate, I'm I really just follow the Lord on it. And there's some songs, they're great, wonderful songs, but they're just not for us in that season.

SPEAKER_02 9:45

Right.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

And, you know, I was I was reading something today that, you know, in that that hymn we were talking about earlier, you know, listening to all sorts of music and and different songs and making sure that it's lined up with God's word. And so there, you know, especially for choir songs, because we kind of have a schedule that we have to go with that, but I I kind of just hold on to them until the Lord says it, you know, now's the time. Yeah, it's the right time, or this would be a good one to do coming up, and really just follow the Lord on it and uh do the best I can to follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost when it comes to that. And and there's just some songs that you know, that style for our body doesn't necessarily work. And man, we're very blessed to have the the God-given talent that we have here at Southside. We've got like five, six piano players, you know, multiple guitarists and drummers, and so it's just a great blessing that, you know, maybe it's a song that we want to do that's not necessarily our style. We can change it up and and change the music to to really line up with with how we sing and the type of music that we do. So that's a great blessing. But but yeah, man, my biggest thing is, you know, is is the Holy Ghost on it and is it scriptural? Right. And is it our time? Right. I mean, that's that's kind of the the biggest thing. So really just trying to follow the Lord's lead on it.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Yes, sir. And one more question about you, and then we'll get into what it's like growing up as a pastor's son.

SPEAKER_02 11:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:12

Um I know we we joke around that you can play absolutely anything. You can play any instrument. We can put a put a random instrument in your hand that you've never seen in your life, and you'll grab it and start playing it. And so what would be what would be your number one favorite instrument that you play? And number two, what would you say the first one that you learned how to play? What's your favorite? And then what's the easiest to play?

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Okay, man, okay, all right. So first instrument to learn how to play was the drums. Okay. So when I was let me see, I believe it was 2015 or 2016, I can't remember what year it was. My uncle Rex passed away, and he had been the former drummer here at Southside, and I love my Uncle Rex. And I've always loved the drums. I mean, it's one of the few things that can actually sound good by you hitting stuff. Right. And I was always drawn to that as a as a kid. But uh, you know, he he never got the opportunity to actually teach me how to play uh due to his his health and everything going on at that time. And so he passed in 2016, and we never got that opportunity. But I'll I remember at his at his celebration of life, my Aunt Sham, which is his daughter, gave me his drumsticks. And man, that meant the world to me. Sure. And so, you know, it's it's actually kind of part of my testimony in regards to to music ministry. From his celebration of life service, almost one year exactly, I had taught myself how to play by the Lord's help, you know, just listening to other people, watching YouTube videos and things like that. And I didn't realize it was almost a year to date, but I woke up one Sunday morning, about a year after his celebration of life, and uh there was just something different that morning. And it's almost like the Lord said to me, You're gonna play the drums this morning. And keep in mind I was only like 13.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

Right, and this is a Sunday morning service.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

Right, right, right. Also, nobody knows I played the drums. I didn't tell anybody.

SPEAKER_00 13:08

So you just ran up and jumped up there.

SPEAKER_01 13:10

I did, I did. So now to to my folks now, please, as the music director, tell me if you're gonna do something like that.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

Do as I say, not as I do. Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 13:20

I I kind of put uh our music director on the spot that morning. Nobody knew that I even my own mom didn't know that I I had been practicing for a year to play, but the Lord, I I knew what he had told me to do that morning. I I remember waking up getting dressed, and man, it was plain as day. You're gonna play the drums this morning.

SPEAKER_02 13:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

And I didn't know that it had been a year, almost a year exactly after his going home. But uh but yeah, man, so I I hopped up up there and our guitar player, but the casey at the time kind of was a little shocked, but but he was he was alright, very welcoming. And my mom looked at me from the choir and and whispered, like, what are you doing? And I was like, I'm playing the drums, mom. And so it it was definitely a shock to me and everybody else. And we played that first song, and it was a little rough, you know, but we hadn't had a a drummer for a couple years up to that point, like I said, new to my my uncle's health. But uh, you know, so it was it was new and you know, we hopped up there and by God's grace, hey, we made it. And I I played the drums for four or five years after that at Southside. And so, you know, just just to see what the Lord did with all of that and that introduction into into music, you know, we had always grown up singing, but you know, music was never really my thing. And I remember as as a twelve-year-old young man, I I prayed that the Lord would give me variability, and which is which is a very different kind of prayer. But really that's that's what I prayed as a young man was Lord, i if there's anything you can give me, give me the gift of variability to be able to to to play different things and to do whatever needs to be done to pro proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so Man, I can't play everything, but I can play a few things, and uh you know that that all comes from the Lord. Yeah, and I'm very thankful for that. So uh but what was the other one I can't remember?

SPEAKER_00 15:12

So what that was your first one that you learned. What's your favorite instrument that you play?

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Goodness.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

I'd have to say do you even know how many instruments you play?

SPEAKER_01 15:21

So the main ones that I can play, I'd say somewhat decently.

SPEAKER_00 15:25

Somewhat decently. We can hand you a song and you have it done in five minutes. Somewhat decently is is now let me pop the balloon and pull you back down the earth a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

There you go, there you go. But uh yeah, the drums and the guitar and the piano, I'd say I have the most experience. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:42

And then but you play all three of them for our church sometimes and lead the choir.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Sometimes, sometimes, yeah. And and I I want to really hit home. It it really is the Lord. I mean, obviously. We as musicians we practice and all those things, but it is absolutely of the Lord. I'm not a person that likes to advertise that. You know that.

SPEAKER_00 16:01

Yeah, but well, it's gonna be out there now.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

I I know, I know, but you know, I I don't really advertise that kind of thing because it's it's all the Lord. But um So yeah, I'd say experience-wise, the drums, the guitar, and the piano, but you know, you'd be surprised how similar a lot of instruments are that you can kind of translate certain things over to other instruments. So yeah, but I I'd say uh my favorite is probably the piano. Really? Okay. Uh my brain just works that way. I love playing the guitar, don't get me wrong, but I feel like my mind understands the piano a little bit better. Just the the layout and how it's set up and everything. But yeah, that's I'd say the piano is probably my favorite.

SPEAKER_00 16:43

Amen. So you're a man of many hats, definitely. Something like that. Then you have your day job also. I do, yes. So you've got a lot of stuff going on. Well, Ben, we uh obviously I'm your best friend, so I know a lot of the answers to these questions. But I do want to ask you just a few questions about what it's like growing up as a pastor's kid and a pastor's son. And I know Pastor Sean, your dad, he hasn't always been the pastor of the church since you were born, but before he was he's been a pastor here what now, nine years? Is that right?

SPEAKER_01 17:13

Yeah, going on nine years.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

Nine years, and then he was the youth pastor for eight before that, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:18

I believe so.

SPEAKER_00 17:19

And so pretty much all of your life, as far as you can remember, he's been a pastor in this church to some capacity.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

And so what is it like? What wasn't like? Obviously, you're about to get married in September, so you won't be in the house much longer, but what has it been like growing up as a pastor's kid, as a as a PK, as they say? What has it been like?

SPEAKER_01 17:39

Man, I'll tell you, it's it's been amazing. Praise. You know, I I see this all the time, you know, being a PK, it it shows up on my feed a lot and things like that. You know, there's so many pastors' kids out there that all they do is complain right about what what the ministry has done done to them and you know what what their parents not being there has has caused problems for them. And man, I can't speak for everybody. I can only speak from my own experience. Right. But man, I've loved every second of it. I have. And uh, you know, is is it perfect? No. But brother, it's life. Life isn't perfect. Right, that's the truth. But I'll tell you what, when you do life with Jesus, it's so much better than doing life without him. And so, you know, it's it's just been amazing. And, you know, we we've gotten to know so many people over the years, and you know, you see people come and go, and and that's that's with anything, but man, just the amount of love that we have been shown by God's people over the years, man, and just to see what God is doing. And you know, you you see so many people, their their parents are gone a lot, you know, if they have a very demanding job and things like that. And and being in a pastor's house, it it can be like that sometimes, you know, late nights, hospital visits, all those things. But man, the just how God's people have loved on us through through moments like that. And you know, I I say it all the time, you've heard me say it, we have a very full life.

SPEAKER_02 19:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

The reason we run around so much and uh and are doing so much is because just our life is so full. Right. And God has blessed us with that, man. And uh so yeah, I'd say growing up in a PK's household, man, it's been great. Amen. Uh youth pastors household, you know, it's it's been amazing, and I've loved every second of it.

SPEAKER_00 19:27

Amen. And then what if you I know you've probably got tons of memories.

SPEAKER_01 19:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:31

Tons of good memories. But if you could pick what would be your favorite memory as to do with growing up in a in a in a ministry home, we could just say ministry home, what would be your favorite memory that you could think of?

SPEAKER_01 19:43

Wow. You didn't give me these questions before, so I gotta think about it. Maybe not one specifically, but seeing so many people give their lives to Christ. Yeah, and I know dad's got that altar next door with with all the people that have gotten saved over the years, all their names over there. But man, even in in youth group, so I basically grew up in the youth group. I was in the youth before I was supposed to be in the youth. Because I just like being around the the older kids. And my dad was never my youth pastor because the Lord called him to to be in the associate pastor right before I had officially joined the youth. Okay. And so he was never my youth pastor, but he he basically was. Right. And man, just to see how the work that he has done, and my mom, of course, too, the work that they've done for the ministry has affected so many lives. Man, that that's probably my favorite. Every time, every time somebody gives their life to Christ, it's a new favorite memory. Amen. Amen. And uh especially with these young guys.

SPEAKER_00 20:47

Yeah, I was gonna say, we we just had two young guys, what, two weeks ago, get saved. And explain that a little bit. We we I've never talked about it.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

Okay, so I have to tell you, and we we've talked about it a little bit, you know, TJ.

SPEAKER_02 21:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:00

We me and him went to school together, and I've gone to school with a lot of these young guys that have come and given their life to Christ. And, you know, I'll just say this growing up going to a secular school, being being a Christian, there was a point in as a young teenager where I just kind of not loathed people like that, but just like was bothered by people like that because it it's just I didn't get it, you know. And so not to say that we didn't like each other, but you know, we we just didn't get along. Right. And unfortunately, I'd have to say there's some people I've seen get saved recently that as a younger person I would have thought would have never gotten saved. Yeah. And just to see them give their lives to Christ, man. And you know, when they first came, I was like, oh my goodness, what are they doing?

SPEAKER_02 21:46

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:47

You know, and now it's like these are some of my best friends in the world. Like, you know, we we just started that young men's group and we we meet every B I C the B I C yeah, and we meet every week and to hear these guys go. give their testimonies of how God has just totally done a 180 in their lives. Yeah. And, you know, they're not doing the things that they used to do. And they they've given that all over to Christ. And, you know, even the things that they're still dealing with and battling with, God is is taking, you know, that place in their lives step by step by step each and every day. Man, I just love to see it. They encourage me. Oh, yeah. You know, because I I've been saved since I was seven years old. And, you know, unfortunately as Christians, we get kind of forgetful of of the miracles that God does every day.

SPEAKER_02 22:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

And to see these guys rejoice and say, guys, I I woke up this morning, you know, I remembered what I did last week. Right. Like, you know, I know what I'm going to do today. Like God is just blessing and the sun is shining. And you know, it it's just to see these guys and their testimonies and how God has done a miraculous work in their life. Man, to be a part of that.

SPEAKER_02 22:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:56

And for your parents, I'll tie those together for your parents to be a part of that. Right. Man, that's amazing. Yeah. I mean for somebody who has parents that work, you know, crazy hours and for a job, that that's wonderful. But man, they're they're chasing a dollar. Right. I have the wonderful privilege to say that yes, you know, are my parents always home? No, not exactly. But at the same time, they're doing stuff that lasts for eternity. Right. Right. And very few people can say that their parents do something that lasts for eternity. And so I joy in that man. I I really do. It's it's a blessing to my heart every time I look at it.

SPEAKER_00 23:34

Yes, sir. Well, I know sometimes there's some pressure when you're a pastor's son or a pastor's kid, especially for you, because at 17 years old you surrender the call to preach yourself. And so there's that pressure from the world obviously that's trying to push you to conform to the world. Right. But also there's that pressure of it's like almost like you're living I call it live we've said before it's like living in a glass house. I've said the same thing. And so what are some things that you have some challenges maybe that you faced in that area of where it's the pressure from the world but not only that the pressure of the like microscopic life almost.

SPEAKER_01 24:09

Yeah. Yeah. I'll kind of say this and I don't I haven't really talked about it a whole bunch even even with y'all you know something that that nobody really talks about and I know it's a very very specific case but you know somebody who's a young preacher whose dad is is the pastor you you kind of feel a pressure to to kind of fit into the same mold if that makes sense. You know like when I when I really surrendered to the call to preach people were going to be like well you're following in dad's in dad's footsteps. You know you're going to be exactly like your dad. Right. And I know they meant good by it but that that kind of can lead to a pressure that I put upon myself of like I I if I don't pray like he does if I don't preach like he does if I don't do everything the exact same that he does you know then I'm just not not up to the mark. Right. And uh you know for a young man if you're not careful that can be kind of discouraging. But I I had to come to the the point and my dad helped me with this you know we're not supposed to be identical. Right. You know if if God wanted me to be Sean Thomas then he would have made me Sean Thomas. But he didn't he made me Ben Thomas. And I I don't preach like he does and I hope I get to the point where I pray like he does. Amen. But you know I I'm just a different kind of preacher and that's okay. Right. You know we we're not meant to be identical. But uh I am very thankful for his wisdom and experience and man to be able to sit underneath him and his ministry and just sit here and soak it all up and grow.

SPEAKER_02 25:43

Right.

SPEAKER_01 25:43

And to see you know how God is using him and his ministry man that's that's a great blessing. Yeah. So is there some pressure there? Yeah yeah and everybody's looking at the pastor's kids and making sure they behave and everything.

SPEAKER_00 25:56

Don't be running to my sanctuary.

SPEAKER_01 25:58

But man like I said we're so loved by our people and and if there's anything I'm very careful to say this so please hear me but if there's anything that that I would say to to any pastors who have kids that are dealing with that kind of thing, man, let them love your kids.

SPEAKER_02 26:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

Let the people love your kids. Yeah I know there's some pastors they try to totally separate their family from the ministry and you know that's that's a hard thing to do. Yeah. But man if if you've got and I can't speak for everybody's church I I I don't know. I hope I hope your church is this way but man our church growing up at Southside they have loved us so much. Yeah and my parents have let them love us and man we've had people take us out for our birthdays.

SPEAKER_02 26:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:44

You know like we've had people give us Christmas presents and not because they felt like they had to they genuinely just love us and they and they want us to feel loved. There's been some Sundays my parents have had to go on hospital visits and we've had folks in our church say hey let us take you out to lunch you know like just just the small stuff man the the everyday stuff that makes a world of difference in the heart of a of a pastor's kid that just says hey you know it's life ain't perfect but man we sure are loved. Right absolutely we sure are loved. And so that that means the world to me.

SPEAKER_00 27:18

And that hospital visits kind of leads me into my next question. I've been here as the youth pastor now almost it'll be two years in about a week and I've seen a lot how pastor and Miss Kim both are they're they're running 90 I mean 90 miles an hour all the time. They're constantly going. And one of the first memories I have of being the youth pastor of the church was getting a call at four o'clock in the morning that somebody was in the hospital. And I hadn't been here a week and a half, two weeks and Bella, your sister was staying with us and your dad called and they were trying to get a hold of us and they finally got us and we had backed Bella or we were blocking Bella in and we couldn't had to move the cars and we couldn't figure out who they couldn't figure out how to get a hold of us anyways. Long story short that opened my eyes obviously I know pastors work. Obviously I know that but I didn't fully understand before I started in the ministry what that calling was like it's a 247 365 and so tell a little bit about that like what's something that church members don't see behind the scenes stuff that's going on that they may not see I wouldn't I would say this church members your your average Sunday morning Christian I'll start there.

SPEAKER_01 28:27

Yeah your average Sunday morning Christian they probably see about five percent of what the pastor does. That's the truth yes sir. And that's why I'm so big on you know church please please please pray for your pastor no right um and I know some people would probably say that I'm biased because you know that's what my parents do.

SPEAKER_02 28:49

Right.

SPEAKER_01 28:49

But I think that's exactly why I can speak to it is is I see the late you understand right. Man there's been some times I get up for work you know I I try and wake up about 5 30 to leave out for work and I go to leave and and my parents their car's not in the driveway because they're at a hospital visit. They left out at 3 30. Right. You know so like man the average church member probably sees only five percent of what the pastor does.

SPEAKER_00 29:15

They see the message on Sunday mornings. Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:18

Well and and biblically man I mean really the pastor's job is to preach the word. Right. You know all the extra stuff he does because he loves you. Right. And so it it's so vitally important to pray for your preacher man. Absolutely and uh you know I I lift them up in prayer every day and I I would encourage you know there's some folks you know because people are people your preacher may do something that you may not like you still ought to pray for him. Absolutely and you know he may say something behind the pulpit that convicts your heart praise the Lord you better pray for him. Right. Because as we know as preachers you can't preach it unless you live it.

SPEAKER_00 29:54

Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:54

And so if he's preaching something to you he's already been through it himself. And so you pray for your preacher and man because you have no idea some of the stuff. You know there's some people I was thinking about this the other day not to take up too much time but you know most people have never seen somebody pass in their whole life. Preachers see it at least once a month. Yeah yeah you know I've had the privilege to be at some bedsides myself of some very dear people that I love and uh brother the stuff that they do for those morning families that's stuff that nobody will ever see. And I'm not saying to to pat every you know the man on the back and and to raise his ego that's that's not the purpose. But what I'm saying is that is God's man that he has chosen for that time and that place. And so you better pray for that man. Absolutely and his wife and his family. Yes. Because you know they they do the stuff that nobody else sees.

SPEAKER_00 30:48

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 30:48

That's a great blessing.

SPEAKER_00 30:49

I'll say this social media can make it out to be that growing up in a ministry home is not fun. It's that it's you know people that bash you all the time they bash your family all these different things and I know I've obviously you know this I've got two girls growing up you know in our house and I'll tell you this I've I've been saved four years now you've been saved since you were seven so a lot longer than four years I'll tell you that much fifteen years. And uh and I'll tell you this in the four years that I've I've been saved and then in the three years that I've been preaching the two years I've been here I'll tell you what I've got no regrets. And that's something that I look back on. Yes, you know my kids they're young that still and they don't see when I'm gone or those things but even when my kids get older I'll still be able to look back and say I I've got no regrets in serving the Lord. And there's you know there's these all these different groups where they try to make it sound like oh I'm recovering from being a pastor's kid and I'm recovering from growing up in the church and you know all these different things and I'll tell you this there's there's absolutely zero regrets on my end. And if you just serve the Lord and keep pushing on and I believe you'd testify to this that your parents serve the Lord you serve the Lord and your family serves the Lord. I mean all your sisters both your sisters sing in church and Liam sings in church and he's in the youth group with us and your whole family serves the Lord and what a blessing that is. And so ending it off we're we're coming up on our time here but ending it off you know those stories that you think about just randomly driving down the road and you just start busting out laughing and if there was somebody sitting next to you they'd be like man this dude has lost his mind. What is what is a what would be a a ministry story or a story about growing up in church or growing up in a pastor's house? What would be a story that you would be able to tell that would that just you'd be like I said you'd just riding around one day and you think about and you just bust out laughing. What what would be a story like that?

SPEAKER_01 32:36

Something that just makes me laugh and and it's VPS week so that that kind of plays a an impact on it. But man, something I think about is is being in the plays back a couple of years ago. And uh man just all the all the falling out that we do and you know the skits and everything and just uh being together and I'll be honest with you man when when you're in ministry, you know, in front of everybody, there's gonna be some times when you kind of make a fool of yourself. Right. You know, because we're not perfect and we make mistakes. And there's been times man I've been I've been singing and you know we I get the words wrong. I just think about it and I I look back and nobody really thinks about that but you know I I look back and just like Lord thank you for your grace and the little stuff. Because you know and and we always say you know ain't it glad that we can laugh in the house of God and have a good time and that's so true. You know so just thinking about that or messing up on the piano or there was one time I was walking up and fell flat on my face and getting ready for service and you know we're trying to you know get to that point getting ready for the message and I trip on the steps and just fall flat on my face. And so brother there's there's all sorts of stories but uh you know you just look back at it and you're just like Lord you you moved in that service too even even in spite of all that but uh you know just getting to serve with everybody and everybody can just laugh. Sure. And I appreciate all the nights that you know we've spent together you know going out to eat late at night and just having a good time and laughing.

SPEAKER_00 34:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:11

I look back on all that stuff very happily.

SPEAKER_00 34:14

Amen. Amen me too brother. It's like I said the last two years just serving as a as a pastor here in the church and just serving around everybody in our church. Our church is very special in the way of we're very close. Our whole church is close. We're just a big family. And like you said going out late at night like I was just joking with you over in the fellowship Paul I always get in trouble with you because you keep me out too late. We end up going out somewhere after service and end up staying out till we we shut places down. That's what Southside does we go and we we stay until they close and then we take the party to the parking lot and stand out there and talk for an hour and a half. Well Ben this is it's been a pleasure to have you on the podcast today and uh we're thankful that you got to come and be a part and talk to us a little bit about your testimony and what it's like going up in a ministry household and we'll definitely be having you back sometime soon. I'd like to me and me and Ben, we have discussions. We share an office and that's actually what we're sitting in today. And uh we have cross cross-desk discussions, Bible discussions all the time. And so maybe we can have you back in the future and we can discuss some Bible topics and talk about some things, have some desk talk recorded and uh yes, but thank you for coming on.

SPEAKER_01 35:22

Well I'll end it off with this you know for for those PKs that may be you know struggling with you know just the pastor's kid life and all those things man i if you're not saved you need to get saved. Right. That's that's the number one thing I would not be able to do anything if it if it were not for Christ. Right. And if you are saved yeah yeah that goes for anybody and everybody. Right. And if you are saved and you're just struggling you know with this thing or or you're a pastor and pastor's wife and you're trying to make sure your kids are you know good and taken care of man those PKs just fall in love with Jesus. Yeah that's the best thing that I can tell you just just take chase Christ fall in love with Jesus with every ounce of who you are and I promise you'll be okay. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 36:06

You'll make it well thank you brother Ben we appreciate you coming and we appreciate your time and uh we love you and we appreciate y'all listening. We will be back next week with another episode of the Keep on the firing line podcast. See you next week.