Latest / Main Thing Podcast / INSIDE COVENANT | Pastor Brent Johns

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INSIDE COVENANT | Pastor Brent Johns · Main Thing Podcast

0:02
SPEAKER_02: Main Thing Podcast with Pastor Steve, equipping you to respond and thrive in the world we live in today.
0:08
SPEAKER_02: Keep the main thing the main thing has been a saying that Pastor Steve has told for decades.
0:13
SPEAKER_02: It means no matter what is happening around us, Jesus is what we need to have front and center in our lives.
0:18
SPEAKER_02: There couldn't be a more powerful reminder for us to recall in today's divisive and dark culture.
0:24
SPEAKER_02: From foundational truths and scripture to the hot topics of today's culture, allow this podcast to inspire and motivate you on your faith journey.
0:33
SPEAKER_02: Well, hello, Pastor Brent.
0:35
SPEAKER_02: How are we doing?
0:36
SPEAKER_02: I'm doing good.
0:37
SPEAKER_02: This is a this is a different kind of episode because you have the two hosts.
0:40
SPEAKER_02: It feels a little weird sitting on this side, man.
0:42
SPEAKER_00: That's okay because I get to do I get to interview you in a while.
0:45
SPEAKER_02: That's right.
0:46
SPEAKER_02: That's right.
0:47
SPEAKER_00: It'll be fun.
0:47
SPEAKER_02: Well, you got quite a few hats to wear today.
0:50
SPEAKER_02: So I hope you're ready for that.
0:53
SPEAKER_02: You got the administrator hat, the discipleship hat, and the men's ministry hat.
0:57
SPEAKER_02: So um let's just start off.
1:00
SPEAKER_02: First of all, how many years have you been here at Covenant Church?
1:03
SPEAKER_02: I've I've been at Covenant 23 and a half.
1:06
SPEAKER_02: And that is two years less than Steve, right?
1:09
SPEAKER_00: Uh Steve would have been here three years.
1:11
SPEAKER_00: Three years.
1:11
SPEAKER_00: When I got here, okay.
1:12
SPEAKER_00: So he's he's three years ahead.
1:14
SPEAKER_02: And remind everyone how you came on board.
1:19
SPEAKER_00: So it's a it's a long story that I'll I'll try to shorten up a little bit.
1:23
SPEAKER_00: But um bottom line is when I was graduating college uh from Florida State, uh, I'm sitting in my apartment one spring afternoon, graduation's two, three weeks away, and I don't have a plan for the summer yet.
1:36
SPEAKER_00: My my degree was in education, so I've got to do something over the summer until the fall comes and I start teaching.
1:42
SPEAKER_00: And honestly, the thought in my head was I think it'd be cool to do camp.
1:46
SPEAKER_00: I didn't pray about it, nothing spiritual like that.
1:50
SPEAKER_00: Just I think it'd be cool.
1:51
SPEAKER_00: So I ended up working with the Florida Baptist convention.
1:54
SPEAKER_00: Well, unbeknownst to me, the the guy I was working for in that convention was good friends with Steve.
1:59
SPEAKER_00: And six years later, after I had uh continued to work at that camp uh every summer, uh the guy whose name was Fritz, um he he recommended me to Steve.
2:11
SPEAKER_00: Uh, because Steve was looking for somebody to do children's ministry and recreation ministry uh at the time when we were downtown.
2:17
SPEAKER_00: And so that's how I ended up here.
2:19
SPEAKER_02: And uh and so recreation ministry and children's ministry both sound like two full-time jobs.
2:24
SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, definitely.
2:26
SPEAKER_00: Definitely.
2:26
SPEAKER_00: There was a uh it's funny in the in those first couple years, there were there were times when um I was at the the Family Life Center every night of the week, you know, and so uh we didn't have kids yet.
2:37
SPEAKER_00: Uh Kelly was very gracious and patient with me at the time.
2:40
SPEAKER_00: But uh, you know, is is anything when you're young, sanity eventually rains, that's right, and you make some wise decisions, and so uh you learn to cut back some of the different things.
2:51
SPEAKER_02: Has there been any ministry fast forwarding these 20-something years?
2:55
SPEAKER_02: Has there been any ministry you haven't stepped in and led at some point?
2:59
SPEAKER_02: I have not been the senior pastor.
3:00
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
3:01
SPEAKER_02: I think that's about it.
3:02
SPEAKER_02: That's the only thing that's about it.
3:03
SPEAKER_02: So you have literally had your experience and hands in transitions and ministries through the And I haven't done women's ministry.
3:10
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
3:10
SPEAKER_00: Well I figured maybe to make sure everybody understands that, you know.
3:15
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I love that.
3:16
SPEAKER_00: And I I will say this, though, preschool and children's mission.
3:19
SPEAKER_00: Now I was the children's minister for six years, but preschool ministry, um, just when we were between uh ministers there, uh more of an overseer role.
3:28
SPEAKER_00: I didn't I never got in a rocked baby.
3:30
SPEAKER_02: So you know, man, that's that's that's too bad.
3:32
SPEAKER_02: You'd have been good at it.
3:33
SPEAKER_00: Probably been probably been the most enjoyable uh ministry there is.
3:37
SPEAKER_02: That's right.
3:38
SPEAKER_02: Tell us, I mean, tell us a little bit about your family.
3:40
SPEAKER_02: Obviously, Kelly is your wife, but um your family has grown through the years.
3:45
SPEAKER_02: Oh, yeah.
3:45
SPEAKER_00: Well, yeah, Kelly and I grew up in the same church.
3:48
SPEAKER_00: Um and so we started dating uh in college.
3:51
SPEAKER_00: I was a junior in college, she was a freshman, and uh we dated four years and got married, uh, and then we ended up moving here.
3:59
SPEAKER_00: Uh, we have seven kids, uh three uh by biological methods, and uh I will say four by the grafting on the divine to use a little biblical term there.
4:08
SPEAKER_00: But we have four uh four precious little ones that have been adopted, and then we have uh three older ones, but um they range in ages.
4:15
SPEAKER_00: Uh my oldest son is 21, he's a junior at Nichols.
4:19
SPEAKER_00: Um I have a 19-year-old daughter who's a freshman, Fletcher.
4:23
SPEAKER_00: Uh my other, my next daughter is 15, 10th grader.
4:27
SPEAKER_00: Uh Ty, our middle child, she's 12.
4:30
SPEAKER_00: We have two seven-year-old twins, and then our littlest one is uh six, and he's kindergarten.
4:35
SPEAKER_02: All right, what are all their their birthdays?
4:37
SPEAKER_00: What's that?
4:38
SPEAKER_00: I'm just kidding.
4:39
SPEAKER_00: March 20th, August 30th, September 21st, uh, March 9th, uh, September 6th, and August 3rd.
4:46
SPEAKER_00: It's impressive.
4:47
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
4:48
SPEAKER_00: Good job.
4:48
SPEAKER_00: Kelly will be shocked that I was able to do that.
4:51
SPEAKER_02: Do you forget when you go to the pharmacy like me?
4:53
SPEAKER_02: I go to the pharmacy and they always catch me off guard.
4:55
SPEAKER_02: Hey, what's their birthday?
4:56
SPEAKER_02: Oh man, I didn't think I'd have to say that.
4:58
SPEAKER_00: I have to take a beat, and I always assume that when I when I have to think about it, they're like, this isn't their real daddy.
5:03
SPEAKER_00: Somebody's trying to scam us.
5:04
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
5:05
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
5:05
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
5:06
SPEAKER_02: Um, what what do you love to do in your pastime?
5:09
SPEAKER_00: My favorite thing is I love to read.
5:11
SPEAKER_00: Um, I reading is is something that's always been important to me.
5:16
SPEAKER_00: Uh I love to play golf, as you well know.
5:18
SPEAKER_00: And uh one of the things I I really enjoy uh is hiking.
5:22
SPEAKER_00: Uh that's that's uh not all the time, obviously.
5:25
SPEAKER_00: Uh that involves some travel, but uh those are probably my favorite things to do.
5:29
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
5:29
SPEAKER_00: I'm off time.
5:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
5:31
SPEAKER_02: Um what got you into reading?
5:34
SPEAKER_02: Were you always a reader as a child, or did you become one of the I think I've always been a reader.
5:39
SPEAKER_00: My my my mother, especially, she was a reader.
5:42
SPEAKER_00: And so uh I remember as a child, the library was always a big part of our lives.
5:49
SPEAKER_00: Um we my so my parents were both teachers, so we didn't have a ton of money.
5:53
SPEAKER_00: And so I it was just a regular thing that we go to the library and spend time there, and I think I just developed that that love of reading then.
6:00
SPEAKER_02: Right, yeah.
6:01
SPEAKER_02: How many, how many books do you think you've read by now?
6:04
SPEAKER_00: There's no telling.
6:06
SPEAKER_00: There's no telling.
6:06
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Kelly is patient with my my uh my book reading and my book collecting, but uh, we do have to uh you know pare things down from time to time.
6:15
SPEAKER_00: And so I'm able to keep uh we have one built-in bookshelf that I'm able to keep.
6:19
SPEAKER_00: It'll hold about 300 books.
6:21
SPEAKER_00: So that's that's where we generally keep it.
6:23
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, I love it.
6:24
SPEAKER_02: Of course, I'm in the generation now of uh audiobooks became a thing when I was in college.
6:30
SPEAKER_02: And so I have a lot of books that I've read hard copies, but I also have a ton of Kindles and a ton of audiobooks.
6:37
SPEAKER_00: So it's nice to be able to take your library with you.
6:39
SPEAKER_02: It is, you know, it is.
6:40
SPEAKER_02: I love it, especially when I'm on my phone or I need to I need to read something.
6:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
6:44
SPEAKER_02: So uh Pastor Brent, tell us a little bit about uh you shared a little bit about your call here, but um what moment in your life that did God solidify that I am calling you to the ministry and you are gonna do nothing else but this?
7:01
SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
7:02
SPEAKER_00: Um I man, I remember like it was yesterday.
7:04
SPEAKER_00: I was it was that first summer.
7:06
SPEAKER_00: I was telling, you know, when I was working for the Florida Baptist Convention at the camps there, and uh I can remember the the spot it was.
7:13
SPEAKER_00: We were coming back from the pool uh one afternoon, you know, back to the cabins, and I was crossing a bridge uh at the edge of uh the lake there at the camp we were at, and that's when I knew God had called me to ministry.
7:25
SPEAKER_00: It's awesome.
7:26
SPEAKER_00: I would love to say I immediately surrendered and and went to seminary and did it, but I didn't.
7:32
SPEAKER_00: Um I wanted to have my cake and eat it too.
7:34
SPEAKER_00: So you know how you you do sometimes, you you uh you kind of hedge your bets, and I thought, well, I'm doing ministry with camp.
7:41
SPEAKER_00: I'm still gonna teach because that's what I wanted to do.
7:43
SPEAKER_00: I wanted to teach and coach.
7:44
SPEAKER_00: And uh God was gracious with me uh and patient with me for six years uh until uh this opportunity came.
7:51
SPEAKER_00: And I knew at that time uh that that was when I definitely needed to say yes.
7:56
SPEAKER_02: Isn't he such a good God?
7:57
SPEAKER_02: Because you got to do a lot of teaching and a lot of coaching here.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: I did.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: I did.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: You know, it it's funny.
8:02
SPEAKER_00: So that was that was my hang up.
8:04
SPEAKER_00: I wanted to teach, I wanted to coach, and my dream had always been uh to be an athletic director.
8:09
SPEAKER_00: I I think there's something in me that is an administrator at heart.
8:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
8:13
SPEAKER_00: And so the last year I taught uh in Panama City, I was doing everything I wanted to do.
8:18
SPEAKER_00: I was the athletic director at the school I was at.
8:20
SPEAKER_00: I was coaching, uh teaching.
8:22
SPEAKER_00: Uh really, to be honest, really enjoyed everything about it.
8:26
SPEAKER_00: And so it was a I felt like that was a sacrifice to give that up to come here.
8:32
SPEAKER_00: Well, you know what the wonderful thing was, I always thank God is so gracious sometimes the way things work out.
8:37
SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, five years after I got here, we started a school.
8:40
SPEAKER_00: And guess what?
8:41
SPEAKER_00: They needed a coach, they needed an athletic director.
8:44
SPEAKER_00: And I got God gave those things back for a season, right?
8:46
SPEAKER_00: So I've always uh I was always very grateful about that, you know.
8:49
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
8:50
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
8:50
SPEAKER_02: So let's put on the administrator hat for a moment.
8:53
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
8:54
SPEAKER_02: What in the world is an administrator, and what in the world do you do here as administrator?
9:00
SPEAKER_00: In in a sentence, an administrative, an administrative pastor, he handles the nuts and bolts of the senior pastor's vision.
9:09
SPEAKER_00: You know, an administrator doesn't necessarily have the vision for the church, but he makes sure it that vision happens.
9:15
SPEAKER_00: You know, give me an example.
9:17
SPEAKER_00: Uh Pastor C's vision for Thibodeau campus, right?
9:21
SPEAKER_00: Um he didn't go out and and start looking for places.
9:24
SPEAKER_00: I did.
9:25
SPEAKER_00: You know?
9:26
SPEAKER_00: Uh as you know, I'm meeting with the bank.
9:29
SPEAKER_00: You know, all the all those different things.
9:30
SPEAKER_00: Uh you do the nuts and bolts of the senior pastor's vision.
9:34
SPEAKER_00: But that's a good administrative pastor is going to uh do what it takes to uh make sure the senior pastor's vision is fulfilled.
9:43
SPEAKER_02: Would you say that one of your strengths is to see something big picture and be able to organize and fit it to where it functions and works?
9:52
SPEAKER_00: I like to think so.
9:54
SPEAKER_00: Uh I think you have to be uh be able to see big picture uh in that role in a church, you know, to see all the different parts.
10:01
SPEAKER_00: Um you know, as ministry staff, every every minister has their own uh particular area of of ministry.
10:09
SPEAKER_00: And uh as an and as an administrator, you have to see how all those things work together, right?
10:15
SPEAKER_00: You know, whether it's uh financially, uh you know, building space, whatever.
10:21
SPEAKER_00: You have to you have to see a big picture.
10:23
SPEAKER_02: And uh just to to boast about what the Lord's been doing here, uh your job as administrator is tough sometimes because we run out of space in in many ways.
10:33
SPEAKER_02: Yep.
10:33
SPEAKER_02: Um and I think that's a blessing.
10:36
SPEAKER_02: It is that you have to grapple with that.
10:39
SPEAKER_02: But it gets tricky.
10:40
SPEAKER_02: It gets tricky, yeah.
10:41
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, move some chess pieces around to keep people happy.
10:44
SPEAKER_02: But um as far as it as far as discipleship pastor, because you've always I mean I don't think you've ever done as a matter of fact, when I was here with uh with our previous youth minister, um right before you became administrator pastor, you were the student pastor, right?
11:03
SPEAKER_02: And then you transitioned into because I think that was right not long after we moved in here, 2015 maybe.
11:09
SPEAKER_00: Uh actually, so I was I was a middle school pastor.
11:12
SPEAKER_00: Middle school, yeah.
11:13
SPEAKER_00: And uh January 1st is when I officially became the administrator.
11:17
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
11:18
SPEAKER_00: And we moved here in April.
11:20
SPEAKER_00: So four months at the old campus.
11:21
SPEAKER_00: Gotcha.
11:22
SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah.
11:22
SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, discipleship uh has I mean, I think no matter what you do in a church setting, discipleship has to be part of what you do, you know.
11:31
SPEAKER_02: So what is uh what's the overall vision uh over covenant church as far as discipleship is concerned?
11:40
SPEAKER_00: So this verse always sticks with me when you talk about discipleship.
11:43
SPEAKER_00: It's 2 Timothy 2 2.
11:45
SPEAKER_00: And and Paul's talking to Timothy, and and he says, uh what I've told you, Timothy, in front of faithful witnesses, you entrust to faithful men who can teach that to others also.
11:57
SPEAKER_00: And really, discipleship is you you are pouring into people so they can pour into people.
12:04
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, it I mean I I think that's what our mish statement is, right?
12:07
SPEAKER_00: Love God, love people, lead them to do the same.
12:09
SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
12:10
SPEAKER_00: Um, Hosea 4, 6.
12:12
SPEAKER_00: Uh my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because you've rejected knowledge.
12:16
SPEAKER_00: And so knowledge is the first step.
12:20
SPEAKER_00: You you've got to have the knowledge, but but what do we want?
12:23
SPEAKER_00: We want wisdom, the ability to use that knowledge.
12:25
SPEAKER_00: Because a lot of people have knowledge that's right and show no wisdom.
12:28
SPEAKER_00: That's right.
12:29
SPEAKER_00: Uh and so discipleship, I mean, that's really what we're doing, right?
12:32
SPEAKER_00: We want to uh we don't just want to give knowledge, we want our people to have knowledge, but then to move into the wisdom of using that knowledge correctly.
12:40
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, yeah, that's good.
12:42
SPEAKER_00: And so that that would be I mean, I think that's the goal of discipleship.
12:47
SPEAKER_02: Right.
12:48
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
12:48
SPEAKER_02: And uh with the overall vision uh being clearly said, how do we as a church flesh that out through the pathway?
12:57
SPEAKER_02: Oh, I think it's a progression, you know.
12:59
SPEAKER_00: Um we're in such a different area here uh in South Louisiana.
13:05
SPEAKER_00: Um I grew up in Panama City, Florida, you know, uh fondly referred to as a red n redneck rivier, right?
13:11
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, if you if you picked up Covenant uh and put it in Panama City, we would be an average size church.
13:17
SPEAKER_00: Uh Panama City is is tons of churches.
13:21
SPEAKER_00: And people aren't necessarily different in Panama City, but they they hide things differently, right?
13:28
SPEAKER_00: Uh here, uh you see a church member uh you know getting a case of beer, no big deal.
13:33
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Panama City, they're gonna hide the case of beer.
13:35
SPEAKER_00: They won't let you start.
13:36
SPEAKER_00: Go to the next county.
13:37
SPEAKER_00: That's right.
13:37
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
13:37
SPEAKER_00: That's right.
13:38
SPEAKER_00: So here we we have to start uh in a in I think a uh in a more basic place.
13:47
SPEAKER_00: We start with Covenant class where we're gonna we're gonna make sure our people know the absolute basics uh of the faith.
13:54
SPEAKER_00: You know, there there's a um a great story about John Wooden, who was a famous coach uh with UCLA.
13:59
SPEAKER_00: He was one considered one of the greatest basketball coaches ever.
14:02
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and according to his biography, according to all kinds of stories written about him back in the day, every practice uh every year, their first practice every year, uh he would literally teach his players the proper way to tie your shoes.
14:15
SPEAKER_00: Okay, so you wouldn't get blisters and all that.
14:17
SPEAKER_00: I mean, he went back to the basics.
14:19
SPEAKER_00: And I and I think that's what we have to do here is to make sure everybody understands uh those great basics of the faith.
14:26
SPEAKER_00: What does it mean to be saved?
14:27
SPEAKER_00: What does it mean?
14:28
SPEAKER_00: Why do we get baptized?
14:30
SPEAKER_00: Um and then move from there.
14:32
SPEAKER_00: You know, how do you love what does it mean to love God?
14:34
SPEAKER_00: What what does it mean to love people?
14:35
SPEAKER_00: You know, how do you grow in your faith?
14:37
SPEAKER_00: Why is it so important to study the Bible uh with other people?
14:40
SPEAKER_00: You know, and then why is it so important to reach out and start serving others?
14:44
SPEAKER_00: You know, why why is that what uh God calls us to do?
14:47
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
14:47
SPEAKER_02: So no, that's good.
14:49
SPEAKER_02: I I I think it's it's a testimony to what God has been doing in our church, but um we we have baptisms every month that come almost every month that come out of covenant class.
15:00
SPEAKER_02: And it's just a testimony to what he's doing um through his spirit here and and bringing people to the class and them learning and then moving on.
15:07
SPEAKER_02: It's it's a vital part.
15:09
SPEAKER_02: I think what we there there's like there's there's like two traps I've found in discipleship.
15:14
SPEAKER_02: And correct me if I'm wrong, but the first trap is gaining all the knowledge and not doing anything about it.
15:21
SPEAKER_02: And the second trap is just going out and doing something and not really knowing what you're doing and causing more harm than good.
15:27
SPEAKER_02: You know, you gotta have both, right?
15:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
15:30
SPEAKER_00: What what's the saying?
15:31
SPEAKER_00: Um, I know just enough to be dangerous.
15:32
SPEAKER_00: That's right.
15:33
SPEAKER_00: Some people know just enough to be dangerous.
15:34
SPEAKER_00: Well, and that's why it I think if you had to put it in into a sentence, you have to have wisdom.
15:43
SPEAKER_00: You have to be able to use that biblical knowledge correctly, but you have to have the knowledge, right?
15:48
SPEAKER_00: You know, it's important.
15:49
SPEAKER_00: There's uh there's a covenant class, uh covenant group I'm doing this spring semester uh where we're gonna talk about worldview and why our culture uh does the things it does, you know, and so I that would kind of be more of a knowledge course, right?
16:04
SPEAKER_00: But I think that's important so our people can understand uh you know, when you when you view uh a cultural issue this way, this is what you're really what belief you're really showing.
16:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
16:15
SPEAKER_00: You know, what what you're saying here sounds good, but that's not that is not a Christian worldview.
16:20
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, so knowledge is important, but like you say, too many people have the knowledge and never never step out and use it.
16:26
SPEAKER_01: Right.
16:27
SPEAKER_00: You know?
16:27
SPEAKER_00: Right.
16:28
SPEAKER_00: So I'll lighten it up before we go deeper.
16:30
SPEAKER_00: How did you get so good at playing golf?
16:32
SPEAKER_00: That's a relative term to be good at golf.
16:35
SPEAKER_00: Uh it depends on who you're playing with.
16:37
SPEAKER_00: Uh, there's many guys I've played with where I'm not good at golf.
16:39
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know.
16:41
SPEAKER_02: Um I mean, I don't know if I've ever played with you and you you not shoot in 80, 81, or 82.
16:47
SPEAKER_02: I don't know if it's ever been any different than that.
16:49
SPEAKER_02: And I've played with you quite a bit.
16:51
SPEAKER_02: So you are very consistent.
16:52
SPEAKER_00: You know, I just like to say I'm I'm smooth and relaxed.
16:56
SPEAKER_00: Consistent, Brent.
16:57
SPEAKER_00: You just catch me on good days, I think.
16:59
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
17:00
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, I love it.
17:02
SPEAKER_02: Um out of all the years of ministry, Brent, there's been a lot for you.
17:06
SPEAKER_02: I mean, you've you've you've gotten to the place in ministry where there has been some wisdom gained through experience.
17:13
SPEAKER_02: And so out of all the years, what is one moment or two moments that you can think of that really shaped you to be the pastor that you are today?
17:21
SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, I I I've thought about this uh because I I think there's a lot of moments, but I'll I'll tell you one of the moments that had a profound impact on me, and it and it came out of just some immaturity and stupidity on my part.
17:35
SPEAKER_00: Uh, when I was still the children's minister, Bradley, my oldest son, was was born.
17:40
SPEAKER_00: He was um he was born two years after we got here.
17:43
SPEAKER_00: And I can remember taking myself so seriously back then.
17:46
SPEAKER_00: It's like I thought this is the most important thing that has ever happened in the history of the world, right?
17:52
SPEAKER_00: You know, when you're a young minister.
17:54
SPEAKER_00: And I remember one time Kelly bringing him in uh during a children's service and me getting irritated because that ruined the vibe of the children's service.
18:03
SPEAKER_00: And I look back at that now and I think, oh my gosh, what a what an arrogant donkey's rear end you are, you know?
18:11
SPEAKER_00: Um because let's be honest, my child coming in and me acting irritated, what does that tell him?
18:19
SPEAKER_00: Thank, thank the Lord, he was too young to really understand, you know.
18:27
SPEAKER_00: And so I I think that led uh to me not taking myself so seriously, understanding that we can do the ministry God calls us to do, but we can't create the change in people's lives.
18:40
SPEAKER_00: We can't we can't make somebody grow in their faith.
18:43
SPEAKER_00: That that's God who does that, right?
18:45
SPEAKER_00: And so we gotta be careful with taking ourselves so seriously.
18:49
SPEAKER_00: And I and I think that was a I think that was an important moment for me uh to realize that.
18:53
SPEAKER_00: And I'll give you one more.
18:55
SPEAKER_00: Um Judy Calais, who was my secretary when I first came, uh, in her office uh was a was a a formal picture, like an Olin Mills formal portrait.
19:05
SPEAKER_00: There's a whole bunch of people in it.
19:07
SPEAKER_00: And I'd seen that picture forever.
19:09
SPEAKER_00: And I remember asking her one day, what's that picture?
19:11
SPEAKER_00: When when did y'all take that?
19:12
SPEAKER_00: Because I recognized some of the people in there.
19:14
SPEAKER_00: I knew it wasn't all family.
19:15
SPEAKER_00: And she said, Oh, that was our children's ministry team, uh, you know, about 15 years ago.
19:20
SPEAKER_00: We went to a children's conference, you know, uh, and all that.
19:23
SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, you're young.
19:26
SPEAKER_00: I thought I was the only one who had ever figured out taking people to children's conferences and the only one who ever done children's ministry.
19:31
SPEAKER_00: Well, I realized I was just fortunate enough to get to be the next uh next part of that that journey for First Baptist Home.
19:39
SPEAKER_00: I was just lucky to be a part of it.
19:40
SPEAKER_00: And it made me realize, too, you know what, in a hundred years, uh Covenant, unless the Lord comes back, Covenant Church will still be here.
19:48
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and nobody will know who Brent Johns was.
19:51
SPEAKER_00: You know?
19:51
SPEAKER_00: And uh I'm I'm just realizing through all that, I just am fortunate enough to get to be a part of this in this time period.
20:00
SPEAKER_00: You know, that's a good thing.
20:01
SPEAKER_00: And I hope that uh that God will use me to help the church move on to the the next yeah, you know.
20:08
SPEAKER_00: And then one day they'll look back and say, Oh my gosh, they only had two campuses.
20:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
20:13
unknown: What?
20:13
SPEAKER_00: You know, I mean I love that.
20:15
SPEAKER_00: It's amazing it's we have no idea what guys are gonna do here.
20:18
SPEAKER_00: That's right.
20:18
SPEAKER_00: We just had a we had a portion in it.
20:21
SPEAKER_02: No, that's a good word.
20:22
SPEAKER_02: I I I want to press in a little bit about the family because because I too have you know more than three kiddos.
20:27
SPEAKER_02: So yeah.
20:28
SPEAKER_02: Um uh being a ministry family, you live in a glass jar.
20:33
SPEAKER_02: Not so not as bad here as other places, but it it happens.
20:37
SPEAKER_02: Like people are watching your kids, they're watching the way they act, the way the way they respond.
20:42
SPEAKER_02: And um you know, you shared that story with me many years ago, and it's it it stuck with me because I want to make sure my kids have the ability to be free in their worship of the Lord and what their experience is at church, you know.
20:56
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they shouldn't.
20:57
SPEAKER_02: I I try so hard not to make them go through an experience where uh they're gonna regret that later, I'm gonna regret it later.
21:05
SPEAKER_02: And that's hard sometimes, you know, in the in what we do day to day.
21:09
SPEAKER_00: I don't I don't ever want to teach them the Christian faith because your dad's a pastor.
21:13
SPEAKER_00: Right.
21:14
SPEAKER_00: That's right.
21:14
SPEAKER_00: This is this is why we do this, is because we love the Lord Jesus, not uh because I don't want to be embarrassed at church.
21:20
SPEAKER_00: Right, you know, and uh I uh there's a wonderful story James Dobson uh told in one of his books years ago.
21:26
SPEAKER_00: If you're familiar with James Dobson, he he did a lot of parenting stuff.
21:30
SPEAKER_00: And he talks about being uh at a church doing a uh parenting conference, you know, where he's the main speaker and everybody's you know, he's signing books at the end.
21:38
SPEAKER_00: And he looks up, and his two children are just being absolute lunatics in the church, like widen up bulletins and throwing them each other, you know.
21:46
SPEAKER_00: And so he's he's he says in his book, you know, I'm sitting there supposed to be this, you know, parenting expert, and my kids are acting like lunatics, you know.
21:54
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and um he it just reminds our kids are gonna act like lunatics at all.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: Times.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: I act like a lunatic at times.
22:02
SPEAKER_00: And I don't ever want them to think they have to act a certain way because I don't want to be embarrassed.
22:07
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
22:07
SPEAKER_00: You know, that's right.
22:08
SPEAKER_00: And I and I think that's one of the things it's so interesting.
22:11
SPEAKER_00: I've really had two uh two seasons of parenting.
22:14
SPEAKER_00: You know, I was younger when our oldest three were growing up, and now I'm older as our youngest four growing up.
22:20
SPEAKER_00: And so it it's it's been interesting.
22:23
SPEAKER_00: I like to think I'm a little more mature now than I was.
22:26
SPEAKER_00: Uh and I think it's an interesting place to be, to be okay when your kids don't act exactly the way you think they should.
22:33
SPEAKER_00: Right.
22:33
SPEAKER_00: You know, and uh knowing that those most important bedrock things are what you're focusing on.
22:39
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, amen.
22:40
SPEAKER_02: I just recently started uh such this is a very, very side note here, but um, whenever we're talking about something spiritual at the kitchen table, I'll ask one of my kids why?
22:52
SPEAKER_02: Why do you believe that?
22:53
SPEAKER_02: And uh eventually they get to the place where they're like, I don't know why.
22:57
SPEAKER_02: And so we it gives an opportunity to kind of talk about the why.
23:01
SPEAKER_02: Because if you can learn all the Bible stories, you can know all the Bible characters, but if you don't know why you believe what you believe, there's no there's no relationship there with the person of Jesus Christ, you know?
23:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
23:13
SPEAKER_00: You know, uh Riley, uh my 15-year-old, when she was a little girl, probably four or five years old, she came to me one day, very serious, and she goes, Dad, do we live at home or do we live at church?
23:26
SPEAKER_00: And I said, babe, we live both places.
23:28
SPEAKER_00: Was that when we were moving into the building?
23:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
23:31
SPEAKER_00: You know, because her in in her world, yeah, yeah, she was at church most of the time.
23:37
SPEAKER_00: She was at home most times.
23:38
SPEAKER_00: She she's very serious.
23:39
SPEAKER_00: Which one do we really live at?
23:40
SPEAKER_00: You know, trying to figure this out.
23:42
SPEAKER_00: And that's a sobering moment too, right?
23:44
SPEAKER_00: And your kids, I'm sure your kids have have felt the same way, you know.
23:47
SPEAKER_00: And so if we're if we're not careful uh as parents, you know, uh our kids are gonna think church is just something we do.
23:56
SPEAKER_00: That's the way daddy makes us live, and that's why uh that's how we eat.
24:00
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, and not that it is a a living, breathing, almighty God that we serve.
24:06
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, and so we are just people that are blessed to be able to serve him in that way.
24:13
SPEAKER_02: Amen.
24:14
SPEAKER_02: You know, amen.
24:16
SPEAKER_02: Uh what excites you most about where our church is headed?
24:20
SPEAKER_02: The vision of our church, Covenant Church?
24:21
SPEAKER_00: Oh man, that's a that's a good question.
24:23
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
24:25
SPEAKER_00: What excites me the most is the direction we're moving in.
24:34
SPEAKER_00: And I would also say the people here.
24:39
SPEAKER_00: I I think that we are absolutely blessed to have the people that are here at coming to dress.
24:47
SPEAKER_00: You know, um you hear stories all the time uh from ministry buddies about all these crazy things that happen, you know, and the church members who uh, you know, have trashed them on Facebook.
24:59
SPEAKER_00: And let's be honest, we don't have those stories here.
25:01
SPEAKER_00: Right.
25:02
SPEAKER_00: That and I think and I say that because I think the people we have here are ready to minister to others.
25:10
SPEAKER_00: You know, I think about all those people you have with Living Water Ministry, man, that can't wait to get out on Wednesday nights to go minister.
25:16
unknown: Right.
25:17
SPEAKER_00: You know, can't wait to go share the gospel with people.
25:19
SPEAKER_00: Um the people willing to uh to make sacrifices for us to move across town and add another camp Centodeau.
25:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
25:27
SPEAKER_00: Uh I just I just see with the way we are growing, um, I I I just feel like God is is moving in such a way that all we've got to do is be obedient.
25:38
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
25:38
SPEAKER_00: And and He's gonna move.
25:39
SPEAKER_00: And I'm I'm I'm excited about that.
25:42
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
25:42
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
25:43
SPEAKER_00: This is a this is a fun time to be a part of covenant.
25:46
SPEAKER_02: It is, absolutely.
25:48
SPEAKER_02: What is something that um that God has been growing you in personally lately, say within the last couple of years, a few years?
26:00
SPEAKER_00: So I think in the area of prayer, um as a believer, I've always prayed, right?
26:09
SPEAKER_00: As a minister, I've always prayed.
26:11
SPEAKER_00: Um that I feel like over the past year or so he's impressed upon me more the urgency of prayer.
26:17
SPEAKER_00: You know, one maybe I didn't have before that.
26:20
SPEAKER_00: Um I think that's become uh that's become more important to me.
26:24
SPEAKER_00: I think that's where he's growing me.
26:26
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
26:26
SPEAKER_00: You know, that's awesome.
26:28
SPEAKER_00: Makes me have some regrets looking back is uh that my prayer life has not always been what God desires, I think.
26:34
SPEAKER_00: Right.
26:35
SPEAKER_00: But I think that's where he's growing me right now.
26:37
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
26:37
SPEAKER_02: Praise God.
26:38
SPEAKER_02: Amen.
26:40
SPEAKER_02: Men's ministry.
26:41
SPEAKER_02: All right.
26:42
SPEAKER_02: So by the time this episode is released, we'll be in the middle of getting registration for the next men's conference and really trying to get that up and running.
26:51
SPEAKER_02: Why is it important for a church to have a men's ministry?
26:55
SPEAKER_00: Man, look, if you ask a hundred guys, do you have somebody you can really talk to?
27:02
SPEAKER_00: I bet 95 would say no.
27:05
SPEAKER_00: Us as us as men, we generally don't do that, right?
27:09
SPEAKER_00: We talk about sports, we talk about the weather, um, but that's about it.
27:14
SPEAKER_00: Do we really have anybody in our lives that we can have a deep conversation with?
27:19
SPEAKER_00: Right.
27:20
SPEAKER_00: To be honest, it's very difficult for a lot of us to have deep conversations with our wives.
27:23
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
27:24
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
27:25
SPEAKER_00: So men have got to be able to build authentic, real relationships in a church setting.
27:34
SPEAKER_00: Because God created us uh to have a desire to have deep purpose in our lives.
27:40
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
27:41
SPEAKER_00: That's why it's so hard.
27:42
SPEAKER_00: If you're a man, especially and you're working at a dead-end job that you feel no calling to, that that's a hard place to be.
27:50
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
27:50
SPEAKER_00: And I think and I I think it's been drilled into us uh throughout our lives that you want to have a career with purpose.
27:58
SPEAKER_00: And so we are designed to want to have a purpose.
28:02
SPEAKER_00: And we see that here when you when you get guys together who are working together for a specific purpose, things happen, right?
28:10
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
28:11
SPEAKER_00: You know, I I look at the the men's conference, you were talking about we're we're we're working on that now, right?
28:16
SPEAKER_00: And we know that really what we need to do is set it in motion, and we've got 50 guys that are gonna make it happen.
28:23
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, because they bought into that that purpose and vision uh of a men's conference, you know, and so that men's ministry, we have got to to help these guys facilitate uh a deeper relationship to be able to talk about uh deep things with other men.
28:40
SPEAKER_00: I I just think you you have to be able to do that to have uh to continue to have an authentic faith.
28:46
SPEAKER_00: I think I think if you are married, your wife has to be your most authentic relationship, your deepest conversations, but then I think you do need uh you do need male friends uh that you can do that with also.
28:57
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, absolutely.
29:00
SPEAKER_02: Um, and and the the way we do that, we have three major things, right?
29:03
SPEAKER_02: If I'm missing something, let me know.
29:04
SPEAKER_02: We have the men's breakfast once uh every second Saturday at 8 a.m.
29:08
SPEAKER_02: We have the men's retreat, which is usually in the fall, and then we have the men's conference in the spring.
29:14
SPEAKER_02: And um, and maybe there's some other little trips here and there that maybe groups do on their own throughout the year.
29:21
SPEAKER_02: But uh as far as connecting the men's ministry to discipleship, the reason we do that is point blank what you just said, uh, that men have to connect in order for that discipleship process to continue to go.
29:33
SPEAKER_02: And part of that is also having men and women D groups.
29:36
SPEAKER_02: Right.
29:37
SPEAKER_02: And so that that's a way to connect.
29:39
SPEAKER_02: I know your group meets really early.
29:40
SPEAKER_02: My group met really early last time.
29:42
SPEAKER_02: Now I I got a little break from that, but um, we just we do what we can, right?
29:46
SPEAKER_02: Because you you you do what you really want to do.
29:49
SPEAKER_02: And so if you're a believer and you're a man and uh you're looking for that connection, then you'd be willing to meet at what time does your group meet?
29:57
SPEAKER_00: Fox, six six a.m.
29:58
SPEAKER_02: six a.m.
29:59
SPEAKER_00: But the coffee the coffee's on when to get there, man.
30:02
SPEAKER_00: Coffee's on.
30:03
SPEAKER_00: But but you take you take that group.
30:05
SPEAKER_00: So those events are are a gateway.
30:07
SPEAKER_00: You're probably not, if you're especially if you're if you're new to this, you're probably not gonna build deep relationships by going to men's breakfast.
30:15
SPEAKER_01: Right.
30:15
SPEAKER_00: You're gonna eat breakfast with some guys, and look, um, seems like every every month when we do that, you know, you end up sent with different guys, you get to know them, but you're not gonna uh over bacon and eggs for the first time say, Man, tell me about your deepest struggles, my brother.
30:28
SPEAKER_00: You know, you're just not gonna do that.
30:30
SPEAKER_00: Um, but those D groups are, yeah.
30:32
SPEAKER_00: You know, that's where you know, tell me about who God's put on your heart.
30:36
SPEAKER_00: Let's let's pray for that guy.
30:37
SPEAKER_00: Have you have you shared the gospel with him yet?
30:40
SPEAKER_00: You know, have you have you prayed for this guy?
30:42
SPEAKER_00: Right.
30:43
SPEAKER_00: Where are you struggling at?
30:44
SPEAKER_00: That's when those conversations happen.
30:46
SPEAKER_00: So I I think our hope, and we've we've talked about this, is those events though lead to D groups, right?
30:54
SPEAKER_00: You know, and uh, and I know we we relatively speaking have uh not very many men involved in D groups right now, but our our vision is for that to exponentially multiply.
31:05
SPEAKER_00: And we know with men it takes a little extra time.
31:08
SPEAKER_00: It does usually it does.
31:10
SPEAKER_00: Well, look, that that first that first meeting of a D group is awkward, yeah.
31:13
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's very awkward.
31:15
SPEAKER_00: Like, what are we doing here, you know?
31:17
SPEAKER_00: But funny story, so my wife has a D-group with four women, they cannot get out of the room in two and a half hours.
31:23
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's but it should every time she'll come, okay.
31:26
SPEAKER_00: I'm on my way home, it just went long.
31:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we know our first D group for men, 40 40 minutes.
31:32
SPEAKER_00: It was a struggle, it was a struggle, you know.
31:36
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
31:36
SPEAKER_00: So, and that's just that's I think that's the way God made us.
31:39
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, yeah, absolutely.
31:41
SPEAKER_02: I love it.
31:42
SPEAKER_02: Um, I and you know, to bring to bring this full circle, uh just to see where we are as a church, I've been involved with you, Pastor Steve, and Covenant for for ever since I've been saved, which is which is going on, which is 14 years.
31:57
SPEAKER_02: And uh I have seen just in that short amount of time, so much change for the better.
32:03
SPEAKER_02: Yeah and to see Steve's faithfulness in pastoring the flock and just to see that continually to build and grow.
32:11
SPEAKER_02: And then now we're at this place where it's all it almost feels like we're about to reach another level where it's just gonna explode.
32:16
SPEAKER_02: And you know, it's a it's really exciting, like you said earlier.
32:19
SPEAKER_02: It's an exciting time to be part of our church.
32:22
SPEAKER_02: It is.
32:22
SPEAKER_00: And look, I I think revival, um, you know, when we uh when this actually broadcasts, I think revival would have been six weeks ago now.
32:30
SPEAKER_00: And I I really see that is that's gonna be another one of those watershed moments in our history, right?
32:36
SPEAKER_00: Where we look back and say, that's when God made another step for us.
32:41
SPEAKER_00: Right, you know.
32:42
SPEAKER_00: And look, I I think we always need to keep in mind, um, you know, in Galatians where Paul says, you know, that what a man sows, that he will reap.
32:51
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
32:51
SPEAKER_00: And he's talking about it in the in the sense of, you know what, if you go out and do stupid things, stupid things are gonna happen in your life.
32:58
SPEAKER_00: That's I'll call that the Brent Translation, right?
33:00
SPEAKER_00: That's right.
33:00
SPEAKER_00: But it's a it's a negative sewing.
33:03
SPEAKER_00: But in a positive sense, the actions we take in this life, the the discipleship we do, the the studying God's word, the praying, all we're really doing is sowing for God to work.
33:17
SPEAKER_00: You know, and I and I think we'll look back at this revival and said, you know what, we we sowed some things, but but God's the one who who did the growth.
33:25
SPEAKER_00: You know, we just all we did was to be obedient, to provide uh the conditions at least that we could that God would work.
33:33
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, yeah.
33:35
SPEAKER_00: Uh so I I I think this is gonna be another one of those moments in our in our church history.
33:39
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
33:40
SPEAKER_00: Uh that we'll look back on.
33:41
SPEAKER_02: I agree.
33:42
SPEAKER_02: I agree.
33:43
SPEAKER_02: And and it's a it's exciting uh to anticipate what's coming too.
33:48
SPEAKER_02: Um prayerfully, that he's not done with that watershed moment yet.
33:52
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
33:52
SPEAKER_02: Um, it's amazing, amazing time.
33:55
SPEAKER_02: Well, Pastor Brent, do you have any burning desire to say anything else to the folks listening before we before we thank you for that great question.
34:03
SPEAKER_00: Uh I don't know that I have a burning desire.
34:05
SPEAKER_00: I I'll say this.
34:07
SPEAKER_00: Um it is amazing to me the different places God will bring you in ministry and in life.
34:17
SPEAKER_00: You know, um, I I really wish I could say I have always been obedient and I haven't, but I am terribly grateful uh that God has been patient with me.
34:29
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
34:30
SPEAKER_00: You know, and and has chosen uh chosen to give me any chances, you know.
34:35
SPEAKER_00: And uh I'm grateful to be here.
34:38
SPEAKER_00: It's it's been a it's been a wonderful ride.
34:40
SPEAKER_00: And I'm expect 20 more years.
34:42
SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes.
34:43
SPEAKER_00: Pray for 20 more years.
34:44
SPEAKER_00: Who knows?
34:45
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
34:45
SPEAKER_02: Well, let me pray.
34:46
SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
34:47
SPEAKER_02: Heavenly Father, I thank you for Caden and Eden in the previous episode.
34:52
SPEAKER_02: I pray that you continue to bless them and their family, Lord.
34:54
SPEAKER_02: I thank you for Pastor Brent, Lord, and and the decades that he's been here serving this church faithfully.
35:00
SPEAKER_02: I pray for him and Kelly and the kids, Lord, that you would bless them and keep them.
35:03
SPEAKER_02: And Lord, that those that listen and watch this episode would be encouraged to know him and his family a little more, Father, and to know that this team loves this church and loves these people, Lord.
35:14
SPEAKER_02: We love you and we thank you in Jesus' name.
35:16
SPEAKER_02: Amen.
35:17
SPEAKER_02: Amen.
35:17
SPEAKER_02: Thank y'all.
35:18
SPEAKER_02: We'll catch you on the next one.