God Gave Me Homework | #003 | Not A Perfect Christian

What if God is teaching us something through the ordinary moments of life?

In this episode, I share what I learned this week, how I struggled with it, and what God is showing me along the way.

Because following Jesus isn't about having all the answers.

It's about taking the next step.

One day at a time.

Transcript

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Welcome to Not a Perfect Christian, the podcast for people who love God, have questions, make mistakes, and occasionally have no idea what's going on. Including me. I'm still figuring it out. Let's begin. This week has been interesting. I'm still training for my first marathon, still playing tennis, still playing pickleball, still trying to understand the Bible. And apparently now I'm helping someone start his life over. That wasn't on my bingo card for 2026. Last week I talked about why I came back to church. How God reminded me that church isn't for perfect people, it's for broken people, people with struggles, people with questions, people trying to figure life out, people like me. Well, this week I think God decided to test whether I actually believe that. Because it's easy to say, broken people are welcome. It's harder when broken people is standing right in front of you. And that's where this story begins. A few weeks ago, my friend Casey introduced me to someone. I call him V. Not his real name, just enough so you can follow the story. Because his story belongs to him. But V had recently gotten out of jail. And honestly, I didn't know what to expect. And if you're listening, V, don't worry, I didn't use your real name. Mostly because this is a Christian podcast. And also because I don't want you suing me later. I'm kidding. Mostly. As I got to know V, I learned more about his story. And it broke my heart. He grew up around abuse, around addiction, around unhealthy relationships, around people who should have protected him but did it. The more I listen, the more I realize something. Everybody has a story. And sometimes we judge people before we know that they've been through. Then I came across a verse that surprised me. And my reaction was, wait, that's in the Bible too. Because if I'm being honest, most of us look at somebody's past first. Their mistakes, their failure, their reputation. But God looks deeper than that. And honestly, I'm glad He does. Because if God only looked at my mistakes, I'd be in trouble too. One day, I needed to renew my driver's license. Reading normal stuff, adult stuff, that kind of stuff nobody gets excited about. Unless you enjoyed waiting in DMV lines. And if you do, we should probably pray for you. So Casey asked if V could come with me because he wanted to find out what requirements he would need to get his identification and driver's license. He didn't know what documents he needed. He didn't even know his driver's license number. So we figured we'd go together, ask questions, and see what information we could get. Not because we thought everything would get fixed that day. We just wanted to help him take one step forward. But when we got there, we found out how difficult things were. And on the drive back, we started crying. And honestly, I didn't know what to say. So I just gave him a hug. Sometimes people don't need advice. Sometimes they don't need solution. Sometimes they just need to know. Somebody cares. And in that moment, I think that's what V needed. I remember thinking, I've complained about a lot of things in my life. But I've never had to start completely from zero. Listening to V story also reminded me of my move to California. Now, don't get me wrong, our situations were completely different. But I remember what it feels like to start over. New place. No family nearby. Very few friends. Trying to figure things out, trying to find where I belong. And maybe that's why my heart hurts for him. Because starting over is hard. No matter what your story looks like, I told him, don't give up. There's always a way. Just keep taking the next step. Funny enough, that's the same advice I keep giving myself. The next day I found out sometimes that broke my heart even more. I had bought him food, giving him some money, dropped him off so he could take the bus home, but he never made it home. He spent the night at the bus station, borrowing phones from stranger, trying to figure out what to do next. And that's when I realized how easy it is for us to take things for granted. A phone, a place to sleep, transportation, friends, family, things we don't even think about. Listening to his story made me realize how blessed I am. Not because my life is perfect, trust me it's not. But because I have things I rarely stop and thank God for a place to sleep, friends, transportation, people who care about me. Then I came across another verse. One Thessalonian 5 18 says give thanks in all circumstances. And my reaction was wait, even all circumstances, that's a difficult verse because it's easy to thank God when things are going well. It's harder when life is messy. But maybe gratitude isn't about pretending life is perfect. Maybe it's about recognizing God's blessings even when life isn't. Then I came across another verse. Galatians 6 2 says, Carry each other's burden, and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ. And my first thought was, wait, this carrying somebody's burden means fixing all their problems? Because if that's the case, I'm definitely not qualified. But more I thought about it, the more I realized. Maybe carrying someone's burden doesn't mean carrying all of it. Maybe it just means helping them carry it for a little while. Maybe it means reminding them they don't have to carry it alone. And honestly, I also learned something from Casey through all of this. Casey is one of the most generous people I know. The funny thing is, Casey isn't a Christian. I remember one time we were at a birthday party. Before we ate, somebody prayed. Pretty normal church people behavior, right? Not for Casey. After the prayer, he started asking questions. Lots of questions. Why do we pray? Why do we ask God for things? Why do people thank God for food? Honestly, he asks more questions than I do. And that's saying something. Sometimes I think if Casey ever walked into a Bible study, the pastor would need an extra hour. Because Casey doesn't just ask one question. He asks a question about the answer to the first question. Then another question about that answer. And somehow, 30 minutes later, we're talking about something completely different. Casey helps people without asking what they can give him back. He doesn't care about your background. He doesn't care where you came from. If he sees somebody who needs help, he helps. And honestly, that challenges me sometimes. Don't worry, Casey has flaws. I just won't mention them because I still want another boat ride. One thing that always stood out to me is how much he trusts people. It's actually the reason I got to experience driving and operating a boat for the first time. And not just any boat, a really big yacht. Now, let me be clear. Giving me control of a yacht was a risky decision. I barely trust myself choosing what to eat for dinner. And somehow this guy trusted me with a yacht. Thankfully, nobody ended up in the ocean. At least not that day. The thing that stayed with me wasn't the yacht, it was the trust. Because trust is a form of generosity too. He was willing to teach me, patient enough to let me learn, and confident enough to give me an opportunity. Watching him do the same thing for this guy reminded me of something. Sometimes helping people isn't about fixing their problems. Sometimes it's simply believing they can do better. Believing they deserve another chance, believing they can move forward. And honestly, I think everybody needs someone like that in their life. Then I came across another verse. Galatians 6 9 says, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will rip a harvest if we do not give up. And my reaction was, wait, the Bible know people get tired of helping others because sometimes helping people is messy, sometimes it's inconvenient, sometimes it's frustrating, sometimes people don't even appreciate it. But that verse reminded me that doing good still matters, even when nobody sees it. And honestly, Casey reminded me of that this week. Casey challenged me in another way too. Because if I'm being completely honest, sometimes I expect Christians to be the most generous people in the room, the most patient, the most welcoming, the most loving. But watching Casey reminded me that kindness isn't owned by Christians. Generosity isn't owned by Christians. Compassion isn't owned by Christians. I've met people who believe in God and still treat others badly. And I've met people who don't believe in God and still show incredible kindness. And honestly, that made me think because maybe people notice our action before they ever listen to our words. Maybe that's why Jesus said in Matthew 5.16, let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. And my reaction was, wait, maybe being a Christian isn't just about what I say I believe. Maybe it's also about how I treat people. Because if someone can see kindness in me, they probably won't care what I believe. That verse hit me hard. So Casey and I keep spending time with V. I brought him to tennis practice. Which honestly might have been a mistake. Because now he gets to watch me miss AC shots. I'm trying to be a positive role model, and then I hit the ball into the next court. Not exactly inspirational. One weekend, I invited V to the church with me. And honestly, we left right after the service. We didn't stay long, we didn't meet a bunch of people, but that's not really what mattered. What mattered was that he came. Because for someone trying to start over, sometimes the hardest step is simply showing up. Then something happened that really stayed with me. Casey told me that V ask, why is he so nice to me? And honestly, that question hit me harder than I expected. Because I wasn't trying to be nice. I was just treating him like a person. I was just treating him the way I would want somebody to treat me. Then I came across another verse. It's uh it's a Luke 6 31 says, Do to others as you would have them do to you. And my reaction was, wait, that's in the Bible too. I thought that was just something parents say when you're a kid. Turns out Jesus said it first. My parents have been quoting Jesus this the whole time. I didn't even know it. That question stays with me for days because I realized something. I wasn't being nice because he had a good past. I wasn't being nice because he earned it. I wasn't being nice because he could do something for me. I was being nice because that's how I would want someone to treat me. And then it hit me. Maybe that's what grace is. Getting something you didn't earn. Because honestly, that exactly what God did for me. I didn't earn his grace. I didn't deserve his grace, and yet he gave it anyway. Maybe that's why grace is so powerful, because it changes how we see people. Then I thought about the sermon from church. Pastor Andy talked about generosity. At first I thought, great, we're talking about money. Because let's be honest, whenever a pastor starts talking about generosity, everybody check their wallet. I checked mine. There wasn't much in there anyways. But as I listened, I realized he wasn't talking only about money. He was talking about the heart. A growing relationship with Jesus leads to a generous heart. And honestly, I thought God was teaching me about generosity. Then he gave me a homework. Because generosity isn't always about money. Sometimes generosity is your time, your attention, your patience, your encouragement. Sometimes generosity looks like buying someone's lunch, giving someone a ride, introducing someone to good people, listening to their story, reminding them they still matter. And then another verse hit me. Matthew 25 40 says, Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. And I thought, wait, Jesus takes that personally because if that's true, kindness matters more than I realize. This week I learned something. It's easy to say, broken people are welcome. It's harder when a broken person is standing right in front of you. That's when grace becomes real. That's when generosity becomes real. That's when faith becomes real. And maybe that's God was teaching me all along. Because the truth is there were seasons when I needed help too. There were seasons when people welcomed me, encouraged me, prayed for me, gave me a chance. Maybe this was simply my turn to do the same for somebody else. Between Casey teaching me how to drive a yacht, helping someone start over, training for a marathon, and trying to understand the Bible, I honestly have no idea what God is doing sometimes. But I'm starting to think God teaches us in ordinary moments more than we realize. Sometimes it's true a sermon, sometimes it's through a Bible verse, sometimes it's through a friend, and sometimes it's through a stranger who's trying to start over. I don't know how his story ends, I don't know what happens next, I don't know if he'll get everything figured out. Honestly, I don't even have my own life figured out yet. But I know this. God isn't finished with B, God isn't finished with Casey, and God isn't finished with me. Maybe that's the lesson. We're all work in progress. Some of us just hide it better than others. And honestly, I think that's okay. Because we're all still learning, still growing, still figuring it out one step at a time. Oh god, this is so deep. Alright. Before we end this episode, let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding us that every person has value. Thank you for showing us grace when we don't deserve it. Help us win people the way you see them. Give us generous heart, not just with money, but with our time, patience, compassion, and love. For those who are struggling, starting over, battling addiction, feeling hopeless, or feeling alone, remind them that you have not forgotten them and help us become the kind of people who welcome others the way you welcome us. In Jesus' name, amen. Remember, we're not trying to become a perfect Christian, we're simply taking one step closer to God every day. Thank you for listening. God bless you all. I love you, and I'll see you next Monday.