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Youth Sunday 25: Conversation · Beyond the Sermon

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You're listening to Beyond the Sermon, the podcast the First
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Methodist Church in Collingswood, NJ On our podcast,
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the goal is not just to share our sermons, but to go beyond
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the sermon and talk about what we're learning and.
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What God is doing in US. And in our community, the
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conversation you're about to join was inspired by our Spring
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Mixtape 2025 non series sermon series.
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Rather than a series, this will be a collection of sermons based
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on what God is leading us to preach on this spring.
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You can find out more information about our church at
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fumccollingswood.org. Thanks for joining us for this
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conversation. Congratulations, we had over
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7000 lessons. Wow.
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Yeah. Is that like everyone?
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Like if everyone like goes back and relist, is this something or
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is it like? 7000 lessons.
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I don't know how else he would measure it.
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Like streams it or downloads it. OK.
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Yeah. And so at the pace that we were
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anticipating when we started, it should only be like 3-4
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thousand. Well.
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There's something. Sorry, Pastor Scott almost got
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killed. So for those that are just
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listening, Pastor Scott was almost beheaded by his
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whiteboard practically. I don't know if that's what that
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screeching sound was on. If you could pick that up on the
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mikes. At least it wasn't the guitar.
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Oh, that's bad. There would.
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Never. But today, on a very special
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episode of the podcast, we have with us Lydia Baudelier and
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Elizabeth Boswell, also known as Liddy and Lizzie.
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And Pastor Scott is still with us since he didn't get
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decapitated by his white board. And I've never heard either of
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them called either Lizzie or Liddy.
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Lily, because you're never in heath group.
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Lily calls me Liddy sometimes too.
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See. It's like Lid or Liz No is.
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Libby. Anyway, something the reason why
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we have y'all on the podcast today is because you guys both
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share testimonies at our Youth Sunday this past Sunday.
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I have so many thoughts and questions about the concept
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before we get any specific stuff.
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The concept of Youth Sunday in general.
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When you think of Youth Sunday, what comes to mind and what
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expectations do you have? Like for me what first comes to
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mind is just youth like running the service, which is basically
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what it is. Man.
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I really like the concept of it. I like how, especially how we do
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the first service as well, we can get some of the older people
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to like get to know the youth better, see them more involved
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in the church because I know a lot of them say stuff about
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that. They want to see the youth more
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involved. I feel like this is a really
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good opportunity to do that. Yeah, and fun facts, not all
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churches have their youth run all of Youth Sunday.
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Sometimes they just like, share the testimony time and then it's
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normal everything else. So yeah, but I love that that's
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your expectation. Yeah, I like agree with Lydia,
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but I also feel like some, like when I was like writing my
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testimony, I was really worried that people weren't going to
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take me seriously. Because I feel like some people
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kind of think of youth as like usually the kids are the church.
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They grow up to be the church, not really thinking that they
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are the church. And I feel like there's like a
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lot of separation there. And I feel like that just kind
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of brings everyone together. And like the youth do have
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something to say. And a lot of our youth are very
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grounded in their faith. And I feel like very like
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walking with the Lord. And it's just like something
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that like we should be sharing. Yeah, I went on a mini rant with
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someone on Sunday about how like, I don't want our youth to
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be viewed as like, oh, it's cute.
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Our young ones are up on the stage doing Jesusy themed stuff.
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And then we'll have like real worship next week.
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Because I think what you guys provide in example and
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leadership in this church is worth more than a lot of what
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those people that would think that offer to the congregation
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in all congregations, not just specifically our church.
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But that's a common thought process in many churches in
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regards to youth leading in church.
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And I think it's a real shame, not just because of what you
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guys bring to the table, but it's a shame for those people as
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they close off their hearts and minds to what God can be trying
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to say to them and teach them through what you guys are doing.
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Scott, what's your been experience of Youth Sunday
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through the decades? We never had enough youth to
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really do Youth Sunday or anything like that in the church
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I grew up in. So that's not something that was
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like part of my all right, the church I grew up in.
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That's true. And so after we started a
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contemporary service, for a while we had somebody who came
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in and LED worship for us, but then they were moving on to
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other things. And so I just became like the
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standard guitar player, worship leader.
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All the things in the contemporary worship service
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that we had before, all the normal stuff started on Sunday
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morning when I was like 15 or 16.
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So kind of every Sunday was Youth Sunday in a way.
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But I love it. And I love not just getting a
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Sunday to sit in the congregation with my wife and
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worship together, but I love the opportunity to hear what God's
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doing in real time. And I think, I think it can be
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hard for people who are a little older to be as focused on what
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God is doing. And when you ask a lot of adults
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to give a testimony, they'll tell you all about how they
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became a Christian rather than, you know, here are the things
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God's been doing over the last few months, like we heard from
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these young ladies this week. And I love that.
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It's encouraging to me and I wish we could do it more often
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not, opposed to doing it more often not.
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My job description. When I got here they did Youth
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Sunday on the Sunday in between Christmas and New Year's and I
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said we we got to change this. Yeah, because they always try to
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give like, oh, we know it's going to be low attendance week,
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so we're going to give them that week so that like the pastor can
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go on vacation or whatever. Wish pastors I was just giving a
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thumbs up to. That's odd.
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But that's another reason sadly, why I don't advertise Youth
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Sunday publicly. And I've already like forewarned
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the youth about this. It's not because it's not
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something to get hyped about and very excited about.
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Sadly, people have those misconceptions about Youth
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Sunday and will just not show up.
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And so to help them not miss out on what God is doing and going
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to share through that time, I don't advertise it ahead of
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time. And since we don't do it on like
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the typically scheduled Sunday, they don't anticipate it
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happening on a specific Sunday. And so I in in my time as a
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youth and as a in youth ministry, youth Sunday has
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always been a two weeks before trying to get kids to commit to
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do something in a part of it and share and whatever it may be.
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Yeah, all the twisting arms. But because of safe sanctuary,
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we don't do that anymore either. And so now definitely got to cut
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that up. But this year, Lydia, I think
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you came up to me January, February.
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I think I remember it being early on in the year, like well
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before student Sunday. Yeah.
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So how did you know you wanted to share what you shared on
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Sunday or share it all on Student Sunday?
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I remember I shared my testimony in youth group, I think it was
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last year, but I don't know. I just felt something in me,
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like I felt led to share my testimony not just with the
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youth group, but with the church overall.
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So like it's been such a big part of my life and see how much
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my faith has changed my life. I want to share that with more
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people. Speaking of yours and specific,
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you talked about how when we did our Lent challenge, reading John
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was a big moment for you in the development of your faith.
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Can you explain a little bit about what our Lent challenge is
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and what you experienced in that time?
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So my first Lent challenge, when we started, it was my junior
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high year, so I wasn't doing the phone portion of the challenge
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yet. I was just reading John and like
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I said, my testimony is the first time I've read my Bible in
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depth. I've never like done a study
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like that before. I've just like seen verses
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mentioned in Sunday school, just read those, but I never read
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through a whole book before. Like once I started reading
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that, I read like a chapter 2 every night.
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I was so motivated to keep going.
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I was like, OK, this is right for me.
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I want to keep doing this. This is really helping me and it
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was just an amazing experience overall.
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Seeing how much that little thing even like buying a new
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Bible and how that changed it, I'm seeing how much that changed
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my faith. And you you'd mentioned that you
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came to me asking for like when I read next.
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And so do you remember? Because I always give like a
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basic lineup. Do you remember what the basic
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lineup is I. Do I have it in my Bible?
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Jeremy drove me home from youth Group One night and I asked him.
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Were we rocking out to Queen? Oh yeah, we were.
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We're headbanging for Rhapsody. I remember I asked him and then
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he gave me a whole list and I wrote it down the second I got
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home and I still have it in my Bible and I added a few more.
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So we finished John and then started on Matthew X and then
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James. And those were the ones Jeremy
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gave me. And then after that I've read
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Ephesians, Romans, Hebrews, Galatians, and I'm in
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Philippians right now. And I request.
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Yes, that's so awesome. And then I've been asking Jeremy
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a few more times, what should I read next?
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Yeah, yeah. And, and the reason I always
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say, look, you read John, which covers a lot of like why Jesus
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came and why things happened in the Gospels.
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And then I would say pick one of the first three to figure out
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what happened because there's a lot more of what he did in his
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ministry in the first 3. And if you want to hear like the
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continued story of the apostles, you go into Acts, which is what
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you did. And then if you want a good,
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less metaphorical way of how we're supposed to live as
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Christians, James really does a good summary.
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And I always push our youth, our young adults, anybody that asks
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me, I'm fully convinced and I would love to have anyone come
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on the podcast and argue me, argue with me because I love
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arguing with people. Scott's lining up to argue with
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me that if you believe and live out what you read in one of the
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first 3 gospels, John and James, you are better off than 99% of
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Christians in the church today. Scott signing and said yes.
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So if you would like to argue that listener, come on, I would
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love to because it's it's the cores of the Christian faith.
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It's the cores of how we live out our faith.
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So when you know Jesus, you follow what he's calling us to
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do and you have a little more practical guidance and James of
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what that can look like in the daily life instead.
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Because people get really overwhelmed withholding the
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entire Bible and thinking in order to live the fullest of
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Christian life, I need to go beginning to end.
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And there is purpose and reason for reading every single book of
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the Bible. And we talk about that at other
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times. And those are not the books I'd
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mentioned, are not the only ones we study at youth group, but as
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a core starter set. And like you really embrace
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what's in those books, it sets you up for success.
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And so I'm so glad that you've been continuing in your word.
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And those aren't all the books she listed, aren't ones that
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we've been reading as a youth group.
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She's been doing it on her own time.
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But my favorite epistle, specifically from Paul, is not
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on your list, and it's Colossians, so.
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That's on my list. I want to read that after fans.
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That's really good to know. I didn't know Colossians was
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your favorite epistle. I mean, they're all great, but I
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don't know. But it gets like, it starts out
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with this beautiful picture of who Jesus is and, and what God
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has done for us. And then it moves into, OK, so
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now because of all this, this is how you live and gets into like
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relationships. You know, Paul gets very
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specific about like, you've got to clothe yourself with love and
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compassion and kindness. And I just, I love.
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I mean, it does get a little more metaphorical, like you were
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saying. But that idea that, like, we
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don't just get dressed once and live in it for the rest of our
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lives. Like there's this daily aspect
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to it. And it's the same in our faith.
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And so, yeah, I love. Cautions.
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Well, now that you summarize it, you don't have to read it.
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Problem solved. All that's got to go.
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But shortly after you came up to me, I was like, oh, Lydia is
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like set. So now I'll just wait till like
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the month before and I'll start putting feelers out and see if
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anyone you know would be willing to share.
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But then within a couple of months, because I think it was
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maybe April. I think it was March.
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No first week of April. It was April.
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Is that something that I picked? Yes.
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Yeah, yeah. First first week of April is
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when Elizabeth shared hers and I think it was like a week or two
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after where you were like think I want to share it in on Youth
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Sunday. And so why did you think what
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you shared at Youth Group was worth sharing with the whole
14:23
congregation? I don't know, I think like even
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before I share that youth group, I've been like, I felt like God
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wanted me to share something. I don't know, I just felt like
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being a senior and then not be having an opportunity and or
14:34
like miss an opportunity. And then like youth group, I
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think we talked about seeing how that went, how long that was and
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seeing if I like wanted to do at church.
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And so then then like it went well.
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But like, I don't know, I felt like I was rambling half the
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time, but I felt like could be used in a different way, not
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just like with my friends who had already heard the story like
14:55
three times, if not more. So neither of you just wanted to
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hear your voices on a bigger stage.
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Oh heck no. No, thank you.
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Not a fan of my own voice through a microphone so.
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Yeah, public speaking. All relate to that in this room
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people can't hear the eyebrows anyway.
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But with that, it's one of those things like whenever I like joke
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with someone about like them preaching or sharing on Sunday,
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they're like, oh, that's not me. Oh, that's not me.
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And I think at any point if I asked like, oh, are you one of
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those people that would love to get up and go and preach on
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Sunday or go and share a testimony on Sunday?
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We're like, right. There's an air of hesitance of
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doing it, but you felt called to do it and you wanted to be
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faithful in doing it and share. And we're already seeing the
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fruit of you guys sharing on Youth Sunday.
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And so I hope that other people can see be encouraged by your
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example in speech in action and purity.
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All the things that you see in Timothy talk about for our
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youth. Is there anything that if due to
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the fans and the sanctuary because we did have air
16:12
conditioning issues on Sunday. If people maybe or maybe they
16:17
were zoning in and out as they were focusing on fanning
16:21
themselves or whatever it may be.
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What are like some of the key messages that you or most
16:27
important takeaways you hope that someone had walking away on
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Sunday? God.
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And you know how God's going to impress on them may be different
16:37
than how you thought he would or how you intended, but what's
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something that you hoped that they would take away from?
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What I should say, like the verse I mentioned, Jeremiah
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2911, like I know it's a common verse, a lot of people know it,
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but it just really stuck with me, especially writing my
16:54
testimony, seeing how like God knew I was going to come to
16:58
Collingswood. He knew that's going to be the
16:59
right place for me. Like, He always knows where
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you're going to go, where you've been, and how that will affect
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how you see him. And especially how, like, the
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community here at Collingswood, how much that has impacted my
17:11
faith. Like, God knew I needed that.
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Like, he knew I needed to come to the youth group, especially
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since I never went at Trinity. Jeremy had to bribe me on Sunday
17:20
mornings trying to give me to go.
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I memorized Hamilton for you and still nothing.
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But yeah, just like seeing how much that impacted my faith, I
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love to like for people to know that how much community can
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benefit you, especially since God knows how much will benefit
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you. He knows, like everything.
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I loved almost how like yours LED into Elizabeth's because
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like time placement, God having a plan and then hers connecting
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with the Romans 828 of like knowing the plans of God is for
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the good of those who love him according to the purpose of his
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will. I thought they complemented each
18:04
other very well because sometimes when you do like
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various testimonies, they're either like complete different
18:11
worlds and they don't connect whatsoever, or they feel like
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the same message but like in a different way of sharing it.
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But it felt very much like your yours complemented each other's,
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which was really nice. And So what?
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What's something that you were hoping people would take away
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from yours? Eliza, Beth.
18:30
Learning to surrender everything in your life and the difference
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between like not caring what happens and just being like
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leaving up to the universe. And I'm in quotation marks up to
18:40
the universe, but like, I don't know, like surrendering is just
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like entrusting God, like knowing that like what you're
18:47
doing is for him. So like having that mind set up,
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like, is this glorifying God? Like am I doing this for myself,
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for others, the way they view me or for the way that like God's
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going to view me or people are going to view God through what
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it is? And I feel like sometimes it's
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just hard to miss that unless you like hear it like directly
19:07
to you because like, it's taking this long for me to figure that
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out. Yeah.
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And I think I mean people much longer times in their lives.
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I think it's one of those things you made such an important
19:18
distinction of sometimes when people hear like, Oh yeah, I'm
19:21
just trusting God with it, that it means like, oh, I don't care
19:24
what happens or whatever happens is just going to happen.
19:27
But like with the, we care what's going to happen.
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The stuff that we don't understand, we entrust with the
19:33
one in control and we care about those involved and, and that
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kind of thing. And, and it's so important.
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At the end of your testimony, you shared about like, you're
19:42
going away to college and what you hoped our church would be
19:47
like in the future of being more loving, being more united,
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growing and transforming more into the image of Christ.
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If that stuff didn't happen, what would our church look like
20:00
in six months or eight months when you come back from college?
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If we just say like where we were now, yeah, I guess I would
20:06
just kind of walk in. Like, I guess there would just
20:08
be a big difference between like the feel and like the
20:12
atmosphere. Because sometimes I feel like
20:13
sometimes you just walk in places and you can just feel
20:16
God's presence. And then when people get like
20:18
stuck in their routine of this is Sunday morning, I go to
20:21
church, then it kind of loses its I guess like I don't know
20:26
how to describe this. It's just like, I just feel like
20:30
I wouldn't get much out of it anymore.
20:32
I just wouldn't feel as connected with the body of
20:36
Christ together. And I think that's not that
20:39
necessarily it's, it would be palpable to everyone that walks
20:43
in necessarily, but especially if you're going away to school
20:47
and you're being intentional about your relationship with
20:49
Jesus and trying to grow in that environment.
20:52
And you come back and you've grown so much in your faith and
20:56
then you come back really excited about what God's been
20:58
doing in your life. And then things are the same for
21:01
those that are here. Then it feels like you're not on
21:04
the same page maybe necessarily. And so that we all grow towards
21:10
Christ almost in conclusion, but in conclusion for you ladies,
21:13
because you've already done so much and.
21:21
I got to cut that out. It is tell me I'm wrong.
21:28
It should not be fine listeners. Listeners come back in and argue
21:32
with me. If anyway. 7000.
21:35
Next time 1 debates cure me. Next time on reasons you should
21:39
get fired. How to get fired in 10 days
21:43
I'll. Lose.
21:45
I'll lose a. Pass for a.
21:46
Day. There you go.
21:48
No, in conclusion, because you guys have already done so much.
21:51
I'm just so blessed to be not only a part of your lives, but
21:56
to see how God is not only working in your life, but how
22:01
He's given you both the confidence to share that with
22:04
others, especially on a platform like on Sunday morning, which if
22:08
you had told either of yourselves 2 years ago that you
22:11
were going to be doing it. Yeah, usually I should have
22:13
taken a picture to see how terrified Lydia's face was in
22:16
that moment. Yes, I think it's just a lot of
22:20
evidence of how you guys have grown and matured in your faith
22:23
and that, you know, being Kingdom sighted and faithfulness
22:27
over fear and something like this is just really encouraging
22:32
to me and I know to many others. And so is there any anything
22:36
that while you have this platform of the podcast to share
22:39
with the people that are all over the world, you know, like
22:43
30 some countries? Jerry shows some of these
22:46
questions like before, Like, yeah.
22:48
If I thought of them before we start recording, I would have.
22:53
Great. And you can take time on that,
22:55
but I do have one for for mom parents perspective on seeing
23:01
them up on stage, leading in multiple aspects of music and
23:06
testimony. What does it mean to you as a
23:10
parent to all the youth but also of 1 specifically sharing her
23:13
testimony? Obviously, it makes you very
23:17
proud. You can say you're very proud
23:21
and it just kind of validates all the decisions you made, You
23:26
know, in raising your children, you know, wanting to raise them
23:30
in the church, wanting them to be involved, but also letting it
23:34
be their choice makes you feel like, I don't know, you did the
23:39
right thing in a way that sounds really selfish.
23:42
But no, it it makes you proud that they could be able to take
23:49
that path, that you were a part of it, but they also did it on
23:53
their own, if that makes sense. This.
23:56
Doesn't make sense. That makes sense.
24:00
OK. Yeah, and I think, like, my goal
24:04
for my own kids has always been that they'd be able to stand on
24:10
my shoulders that well, not literally, but.
24:17
Yeah. It's a metaphor.
24:18
I know you struggle with this. Yeah.
24:23
But that they would be able to stand on my shoulder, that
24:25
they'd be able to start at a further point than I was able to
24:30
because of what I've learned, because of what I've been able
24:32
to pass on to them. And as I've become a pastor and
24:38
moved into middle age and all that, so like seeing all the
24:44
kids up there this past day, like I felt that way about all
24:49
of them. Some I've known longer, like
24:52
Lydia, we were usually, she mentioned in her testimony, we
24:54
were at Trinity prior to coming here to Collingswood together.
24:58
So like Elizabeth, I haven't known you as long, but I still
25:02
feel that like satisfaction is not really the right word, but
25:06
maybe gratitude that it's actually happening.
25:10
Like I can see a maturity and an ability to lead and a
25:16
seriousness in their faith in in the young people of our church
25:21
that I didn't have as a teenager.
25:25
And that's such an encouragement to me in the midst of a world
25:32
where in my lifetime, up until just recently, all I've known is
25:36
the church in the West in decline.
25:39
And to see young people who are taking their faith seriously,
25:43
who I see Jesus working in and working through, gives me so
25:48
much hope for the church moving into the future.
25:52
Going back to Joanna because she's gotten settled in, one of
25:58
the things is apparent. I, I worry about for myself is
26:04
will I have the patience for when they come to faith on their
26:08
own and when they decide to take that up on their own and have
26:12
that walk? Because like we all pray for
26:15
like the five year old says the prayer and then they're just
26:18
like super all about Jesus from that point on.
26:21
And that's not everybody's testimony.
26:23
Even if they're a pastor's kid or they're taken to church every
26:26
single week, sometimes it's into their 30s after they have kids
26:30
and all that kind of stuff. What encouraged you and gave you
26:35
just like that persistent spirit in trying to like lead them in
26:41
the right direction while also giving them the space to
26:44
experience it for their own? It's hard, I mean.
26:49
For me, I grew up in the church and my mom was my youth leader,
26:54
so and she was never persistent with me, you know, but she led
26:59
by example. And I think that that's how I
27:04
sort of looked at it as a parent, you know, you have to
27:07
lead by example. You know, if if you're going to
27:11
church and you're living your life away, then your children
27:15
are obviously going to see that. But at the same time, you know,
27:18
they do need to make their own decisions and you don't want to
27:22
push too hard because, you know, a lot of parents know when you
27:25
push too hard, then it backfires on you.
27:28
But I think you just have to lead by example.
27:31
You have to pray for your children and you just have to do
27:36
the best you can. But, you know, give them the
27:39
experiences. Like, you know, we, we went to
27:44
specific churches because they had children's programs, you
27:47
know, because they had youth programs.
27:48
You know, we relied on their youth leaders to guide them and
27:54
be a good example too, you know, and give them advice when, you
27:59
know, they don't want to hear it from a parent.
28:00
So you just have to provide those experiences and just hope
28:05
that they will continue. Yeah.
28:08
I think you, I think you know, because a lot of people overlook
28:11
the importance of the example aspect of it as the I need to
28:15
teach them the right doctrine. I need to make their schedule
28:18
revolve around Jesus things and they leave it at just those two.
28:23
And they think that that's the only aspects of spiritual
28:26
leadership in the home where I think the prioritizing your walk
28:31
of faith so that it can be an example to your kids and they
28:34
see the fruit of your walk of faith.
28:36
Yeah. And I think that authenticity
28:38
piece is so key because I think so many people raise their kids
28:45
in the church and they don't really live out that
28:52
relationship themselves. And when our kids see us saying
28:57
church is important, Jesus is important, and then we live like
29:00
jerks six days a week, 567, I mean, take your pick.
29:06
The gospel loses. Its power.
29:08
When we don't actually see it being lived out, and I think
29:13
that's especially the closer people are to us.
29:16
Yeah, because they know you guys, right?
29:17
Right. And that whole old parenting
29:20
thing of like, do as I say, not as I do.
29:22
I was like, well, if you're not living in the spirit, well, then
29:26
how am I supposed to believe that you can live in the spirit
29:28
just in general? And so that's why I'm learning
29:32
and wrestling. And so I've given the ladies
29:34
some time. I'll let you get back to the
29:36
most comfortable of seats. Thank you so much having this
29:40
platform to share with other believers in the congregation
29:44
that maybe you don't get to talk to very often or get to impart
29:48
the wisdom that God has provided you in your time here on earth.
29:52
What is something else that you may want to share, even if it
29:56
sounds like something so simple that everyone probably already
29:59
knows that you find to be extremely important in your walk
30:03
of faith? So I know I've already said
30:06
this, but just the fact that God's plan is always right.
30:09
I know it was His plan that was going to come here and
30:11
eventually be sharing my testimony on the stage.
30:14
And I'll just say it was not easy to get up on the stage.
30:18
I know Pastor Scott does it every week and for me to do it
30:21
once a week and be like all nervous.
30:24
But I still hate it. Yeah.
30:27
So do I so literally I someone talked me today that never met
30:31
me and they're like, oh, you're a pastor.
30:33
You you know, so comfortable and good on stages and people.
30:36
I was like, do you know how many I actually I've come a long way,
30:39
but because he doesn't know me from every time I spoke at
30:43
Trinity from the pulpit, I had at least a 45 minute anxiety
30:48
attack getting prepared at home, trying to find the right alpha,
30:52
get my hair just the right like the things that I was in control
30:54
of in my mind, sweating through everything, hyperventilating and
30:59
then coming back and then sweating through my clothes
31:02
before I even start preaching. And so to get from that, to
31:05
believe it or not, in the past month, one of the Sundays, I
31:10
forgot to put product in my hair before preaching.
31:13
That is how far I've. Got I still don't even like to
31:18
eat on days that I know I'm going to preach like because I I
31:24
do better if there's nothing in my stomach rather than worrying
31:29
that I'm actually going to. Vomit on the platform that.
31:32
Would be terrible, so I feel that.
31:35
That's why you don't always come to fall between I'm in good.
31:40
Yeah. But yeah, like, it wasn't easy,
31:42
especially even when, like I told Jeremy I wanted to share my
31:46
testimony on soon Sunday. That wasn't me.
31:50
Like I felt like God lady me to do that.
31:53
I was like, wait, do I really want to do this?
31:55
Do I just like the idea of like sharing and like being up there
32:01
or am I really doing this because God wants me to?
32:03
And then eventually I was like, OK, God wants me to do this even
32:06
though I don't really want to. I'm a little scared to get up on
32:09
the stage, have everybody looking at me while I'm sharing
32:12
my personal life. But in the end, I ended up being
32:15
like such a blessing. I was able to get up there.
32:18
Like I was talking to Sean at Primos.
32:20
I told him it was me and God on that stage and that was it.
32:24
Like I'm just so glad. Like I followed God's like tell
32:28
me to do that and eventually came out to be such an amazing
32:32
experience. And that's in in discernment as
32:35
as Elizabeth talked a lot about discernment and her testimony of
32:40
like the things that you don't want to do for yourself and how
32:46
you feel and all that kind of stuff.
32:47
But you know that like it's good for the Kingdom and God wants
32:52
you to do it and what like that's when it really like locks
32:56
in my confidence of like this is what he wants me to do because I
33:00
know it's good for his Kingdom for him to receive glory and I
33:05
don't want to do it. That combination usually with
33:09
other factors depending on the specifics, but a general rule of
33:12
thumb for myself. That's like the minute that I
33:16
actually want to be up in front of people and feel like I've got
33:22
something to say to people, that's, that's when I need to
33:25
start worrying. You know, it's as long as I feel
33:29
this healthy amount of fear and I do it anyway because I know
33:32
it's what God's called me to, I think I'm OK.
33:36
Yeah. Elizabeth, any parting shots?
33:42
I think mom is like very similar to Lydia's, but I think also I
33:46
went to make the emphasis on like how much joy you have after
33:49
you like trust his plans. Like not even like sometimes
33:54
like it's not in the moment, obviously almost never in the
33:57
moment. But then like after it's just
33:59
like later on when you see the fruits that produce like it's
34:03
just the best thing ever. And I don't like anyone out
34:06
there who has who has like a big decision or something.
34:09
We're scared to make that jump. Just do it because tomorrow or
34:13
like even like 3 months from now, you're just going to be
34:15
like, whoa, God did that. And that's like the coolest
34:18
thing ever. And I don't know, it's just like
34:21
filled me with so much joy And it's like I, I didn't, I didn't
34:25
think I was ever going to actually like give her testimony
34:27
in church because I, I, I can't even my own food.
34:32
So. I witnessed that and that's why
34:35
I gave her ketchup packets. You can ask Liz about that at a
34:39
later time, but a song that our friend Alana, she she shared on
34:44
her story, this song called Hindsight by Van Buren, which I
34:49
will put in the show notes and essentially is talking about how
34:53
like always seeing God's faithfulness in hindsight.
34:57
Like every time I look in hindsight, I see God's
34:59
faithfulness. And so like in the times that we
35:02
don't understand things and the times that we were faithful and
35:05
never thought about, like how fruitful it would be or what God
35:08
could use it for greater than we ever thought.
35:11
That like in retrospect, we're always able to see in hindsight
35:16
his faithfulness and how he's using it and, and, and in the
35:19
times that we don't trusting the constant theme of his plan and
35:23
that he's using it for good. Anyway, all of this said and
35:29
done, is that where Scott and I are quitting?
35:32
The youth are getting full time jobs and saving college tuition.
35:36
And yeah, we can continue to have every part of the body
35:41
continue to lead the church forward.
35:45
And I'm just blessed to be a part of this congregation and
35:49
what God is doing. Well, that's our conversation
35:51
for today, but that doesn't mean the conversation is over.
35:55
We'd love to hear your thoughts on these topics as well.
35:57
To ask a question about anything we've discussed in this episode
36:00
or to join the conversation, you can head over to
36:03
fumccollingswood.org/podcast. Thanks for being part of this
36:09
conversation.