Transcript

Family Time · Fostering Faith

0:00
Welcome back to Fostering Faith.
0:03
And so we are here and this is a family edition.
0:06
And so we are coming into a new year,
0:09
new season of Fostering Faith.
0:12
And so we have my husband and Gia is back.
0:17
She has a little break from school and basketball.
0:20
And so we are in a holiday quiet time.
0:25
And so she's going to be joining us on some podcasts
0:27
and we're going to record some.
0:28
And she is here to talk about how life is going,
0:33
how school is going, and what is going on in her for
0:39
basketball and volleyball.
0:40
How's life going Gia?
0:42
It's going good.
0:44
How is school?
0:46
How's enjoying your break?
0:48
It's really good.
0:50
How's volleyball going?
0:51
Um good.
0:53
What about basketball?
0:54
I'll keep asking you questions until you answer.
0:56
It's going good.
0:59
What are you looking forward to this next year?
1:01
Eighth grade night.
1:03
Eighth grade night is going to be in January?
1:06
And then what's coming up next weekend?
1:09
Your first travel volleyball tournament.
1:14
Next one?
1:15
I thought it was this one weekend.
1:17
It's next weekend.
1:18
Oh.
1:19
And then we get to travel on some weekends.
1:22
And we are going to experience that for the first time.
1:27
And then what do you have going on husband?
1:30
This is the first time that you've been on fostering faith.
1:33
Anything that you're excited to see happen next year?
1:38
Maybe winning the basketball regionals would be good.
1:43
And so he is also helping coach this year for Gia's basketball.
1:49
And so to kick off this new year with this kind of faith and excitement for Jesus.
1:55
In this episode we are going to be discussing how you have a husband and a daughter and a family together.
2:02
And how we can set spiritual goals and renew our faith together.
2:06
And to bring Jesus into every aspect of our daily lives.
2:10
And as we go into this new year to acknowledge that we are looking in for ways to grow spiritually as a family.
2:21
And so as we can go into this next year, some spiritual highlights that we had this season was 21 days of prayer and fast for me.
2:31
And so our church does 21 days of prayer and fast.
2:35
How have you grown or what some spiritual highlights for your year?
2:42
What have you done to grow closer to God, Derek?
2:45
What could be some tips for the men that are listening?
2:49
What have you started to do on your daily journey with God?
2:53
Daily devotions, reading the Bible.
2:58
Time with him every morning I spend before I go help my mom.
3:05
And do you feel like it's important that men should start their days off with God?
3:11
Oh yes, you have to. Otherwise you're just lost.
3:15
Do you feel that since you started with building your faith and walking closer to God, that starting your mornings off with him,
3:24
do you feel like it's helped you in your daily life?
3:28
Oh yes, it makes it a lot easier knowing you have him in your life instead of going blind.
3:35
Have you ever been in your life, have you ever been distant from God?
3:39
Yes, a lot. It wasn't until what, three or four years ago, I walked away from him.
3:47
And do you feel like some men that could be listening, do you feel like they could be suffering from the same thing?
3:55
I guarantee it. I know people personally that don't follow him and you just try to get them to read.
4:03
Yeah, and so I think as a husband and wife, as you have marriages and you have difficulties,
4:10
and you have a husband that walked away from faith because things happened,
4:14
and just being a wife, you just have to keep going to God and keep going to church and walking in that faith
4:22
and just keep praying because you are not in charge of your husband's heart.
4:26
You are in charge of yours and only God can change people.
4:30
And so wives, if you're listening, as you are maybe dealing with a husband that doesn't believe
4:37
or they don't know what direction to go to, you just pray for your husbands
4:42
and just keep going to church and keep just reading scripture and just praying over them and let God change their heart.
4:50
Gia, what have you taken away from 2024 and what are you looking forward to in your spiritual growth in 2025?
5:00
Seeing what God can do with me in 2025, I feel like is my goal slash what I'm excited for.
5:09
Okay, how can kids set their goals for this year to be more on fire for Jesus?
5:19
Just setting little goals will really just help and the YouVersion Bible app,
5:25
doing devotions and all that stuff and just praying is just going slow and easy.
5:30
And not to get overwhelmed with it.
5:33
Do you feel like since we go to church as a family, do you feel like that would help lead kids to a closer relationship with God?
5:43
Yeah, I feel like going to church will help them grow and the community will build on them and everything like that.
5:50
What happens if their parents won't go to church?
5:54
Does that if the kid would just ask their parents to drop them off, how do you feel like that would help lead the parents?
6:01
By just like the kids setting a role model for them and going to church and like maybe like the parent oldest one day just come and then see what it's like.
6:10
And we have seen that in our own youth group is that we have kids that come and they don't have parents that come.
6:18
The parent actually drops them off and we have got to see a couple of sets of parents actually start showing up for church now
6:26
because their child is coming and praying and wanting to get baptized.
6:31
And so kids that if you are listening to this, you can change your parents trajectory.
6:37
You can change the path of what your parents are doing.
6:40
So we have a saying in our small group, our church is that you are never too small to change someone's life.
6:47
And so you go to church, you pray, you read your scripture and you just have a great relationship with God and watch.
6:55
You can change your parents and your grandparents even.
6:59
I mean, because our job is to make heaven crowded.
7:03
Derek, what could you do or what could you say to some men that are really kind of struggling about going to church?
7:11
I'd say just get into the Bible app and it will guide you and just help you get to church.
7:17
I think just knowing what the Bible means.
7:22
And so and we're going to be because we're really hot, open and transparent on here.
7:27
Whenever me and Gia started going to church, did you go?
7:30
No, I did not.
7:31
How many years did we go to church before you finally came with us?
7:36
I'd say a little over a year, wouldn't it?
7:39
I was thinking almost two.
7:40
Yeah.
7:41
And so we as a family, I was a staff nurse at a hospital and so I worked weekend option and that I was became a nurse practitioner.
7:49
And I worked and was on call 24 7.
7:52
And so we I worked every Sunday and got a new job and a new opportunity.
7:56
And so I asked my daughter where she wanted to go and she picked a church.
8:00
And so we started going on Sundays and Derek did not want to go.
8:04
And so I know a lot of families out there, a lot of women that won't go to church because their husbands don't go.
8:12
And it is just so important that you just keep going.
8:19
And eventually he came.
8:22
And so how has your life changed since you started coming to church?
8:26
Developed a lot of friendships through church.
8:29
I mean, it's just I thought it'd be just awkward, but it's not.
8:33
I mean, they invited me all in.
8:35
I love it.
8:37
And we went from back row specialist to now sitting second row.
8:42
And he actually gets to sit by himself every weekend.
8:47
Does that make it awkward?
8:49
No, it does not.
8:51
And so I do have people that I ask to come to church every Sunday.
8:56
And I even tell them that they can sit with my husband because I'm actually teaching youth.
9:00
And so I he sits in big service while I teach youth.
9:04
And so he has went from not wanting to go, not having a relationship to God, to serving and being an usher and just really kind of diving in and getting his feet wet with his with his faith.
9:19
What are some practical ways, Gia, that a kid could introduce this to their parents?
9:28
What could they do as a family?
9:31
I'm just like talking about God and just like praying as like a group or like just doing a devotional together will just help bring them closer to God.
9:40
And do you think that like just the kid inviting them to do a devotion on like the universal Bible app?
9:46
Is that something that's it's free, it's cost effective.
9:49
Do you think that that would be able to help a family grow together?
9:54
Yeah, for sure.
9:55
Is there anything else a family could do to grow in their spiritual walk together?
10:02
There is many ways, but like I just feel like praying together and praying for your parents and inviting them and inviting them into Christ.
10:11
Now, if you're a follower of Christ, now, do you should we just throw Jesus down someone's throat?
10:16
Should we just make them go to church and just yell at them and just be like hateful?
10:20
Why?
10:22
Because that'll just make them like feel like it's like a chore or something.
10:26
Just like inviting them and like just don't peer pressure them into going.
10:32
And what are we supposed to act like?
10:36
Jesus.
10:37
And so just kind.
10:38
And so just being having that kind, gentle nature, just being like, OK, if you don't want to go, go.
10:44
And I know that is so hard as I kind of deal with that in my own family.
10:49
I'm just asking people to come to church and they don't want to go.
10:52
And so it is about just looking and praying and just keep asking, not forcing, but just like, hey, I'm going to church this Sunday if you guys want to go.
11:03
And it is super frustrating.
11:06
It can be if they don't want to go.
11:09
But just keep asking.
11:10
And because that one time could really change someone's life.
11:15
Do you feel like it would be awkward for men to invite another man to church?
11:23
I wouldn't think I've done it personally.
11:26
And they've showed up.
11:27
I mean, it's I mean, it's pretty easy to get to church and just sit there.
11:31
I mean, it's only an hour and you might pick up on something and it might open your eyes up.
11:37
So how can how would you invite someone to church?
11:40
If you were hanging out and you're like your friend circle, what would be a way to invite a guy to church?
11:45
Just ask them.
11:47
You see that they need it and you think it benefit, you know, you have no church to go to.
11:53
Ask them to your church.
11:55
Is there would there be anyone that would not benefit from going to church?
11:59
No.
12:01
Everybody benefit would go to church.
12:03
What do you guys look forward to as a family as we are getting closer to God in our faith?
12:13
Are you guys looking forward to 21 days of prayer?
12:18
Yes, I am.
12:20
I don't go.
12:22
It's at six o'clock in the morning at six to seven.
12:25
There is an app called Pray First that we follow here.
12:29
And so it starts in January.
12:34
There's also noon there in school.
12:37
And so six to seven would be the only time for students and they can do it a different time too.
12:42
And we do it in August.
12:44
So you can do it at church.
12:46
You can do it in your home.
12:47
You can do it in your office.
12:49
And so we do really encourage people to do 21 days of prayer and fast.
12:54
And it is just about how that kind of trajectory just kind of changes your life.
13:00
What have you seen in your life that could impact someone else from getting involved in church?
13:14
What do you mean by that?
13:16
What would be someone what would be a kid?
13:18
Why wouldn't they want to go?
13:20
I mean, I think it's just peer pressure or like them not thinking, oh, I messed up so many times at the church.
13:26
I don't want me.
13:27
And so what is what could you say to a friend who thinks that they've just messed up so much that like God wouldn't want anything to do with me?
13:36
Like I've screwed up so much.
13:38
Is that true?
13:41
No, it's not true because God made you and he knew you're going to do those things and he died on the cross to save you from your sins.
13:47
And he'll forget you every single time if you accept him as your Lord and Savior.
13:53
And so it's about, you know, going to him, accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior and just repenting of what you know what you've done.
14:02
What do you feel keeps men from church?
14:07
I have no idea.
14:09
Maybe they think they don't need it.
14:12
I don't know.
14:14
Why didn't you think that you need a church?
14:17
Because I didn't even follow him anymore.
14:21
Pretty simple.
14:22
I just didn't.
14:23
I gave up on him.
14:26
Why did you give up?
14:28
Problem.
14:29
My father passing.
14:31
My mom always being sick.
14:33
So I prayed for that, you know, back in the day and I just never felt anything.
14:40
And so a lot of times people just they pray and they pray and they feel like God is not listening.
14:46
And so even just I was in Second Peter today or last week and it was talking about how he's on a different time schedule.
14:54
So we're down here praying for years and years for someone to be healed.
14:57
And it doesn't happen.
14:58
It doesn't happen.
14:59
And they end up passing and we get mad at God.
15:01
And, you know, like I prayed for this and why didn't I get it?
15:04
And so I think that we always have to remember that his ways are greater than our ways and he sees such a bigger picture than what we see.
15:12
And so as we go into this next season of 2025 and just trying to grow into our faith and just be more bold and being more excited about renewing our faith in Christ,
15:28
we want to invite families to pray together and to use just simple goals and just maybe just starting off with a prayer, a Bible app, sitting down just to pray at suppertime, just for a simple meal.
15:43
Just our church says that you can belong before you believe.
15:49
And so just walking into a church once in the morning and see if it works.
15:53
And if it doesn't go to a different church.
15:55
Just keep going until you find your home and how you walk in and you're greeted and how you just feel.
16:01
You'll just feel welcome.
16:03
And there's so many different churches that are Bible based that are out there.
16:06
Just find one locally that your people can attend to because it's about small groups are going to start happening usually in February and really how small groups grow.
16:18
Do you like your small group?
16:20
Yes, I do.
16:21
What do you guys do in small group?
16:23
We listen to everyone.
16:25
We answer questions.
16:27
And do you guys grow closer as friendships?
16:30
Yeah.
16:31
Have you guys done anything fun as a group?
16:38
We all like, not like our group, but like everyone gets together at the beginning of our group sessions and everything.
16:46
And we play games and everything.
16:49
Yeah. And you guys even got to do, you went to several youth conferences with your small groups.
16:55
And so that's a great thing.
16:59
And so as you can maybe hear dogs barking in the background, youth has some small groups experiences, Derek.
17:06
Do you feel like small groups are important for men?
17:09
Yeah, they can be.
17:10
You get to talk and it opens you up.
17:14
And so with, you know, opening up, is that awkward for men to open up and be honest with each other?
17:19
It is a lot.
17:22
Is there a way that we can not be as awkward whenever we go into small groups as men?
17:28
I think it helps to know a few of them.
17:31
That way you can, I think, just open up easier, just know who they are.
17:37
And in most churches, they will give the, you know, kind of the same rules as that, you know, it's confidential.
17:44
What you guys talk about is, you know, just stays in that room and they're, everyone's there for a reason.
17:50
And so even just leading my women's small group, I've been a leader of a women's small group now for years.
17:56
And what stays, what gets said in that room is confidential.
17:59
What stays in there and we pray together, we learn together, we grow together.
18:03
And so it's just kind of like a little small knit family that we reach out whenever we need prayer and we meet on Sundays.
18:10
And so it's just really super important.
18:14
Gia, do you want to pray us out?
18:17
Yeah.
18:18
Gia, thank you for everything you've done for us.
18:21
Thank you that we had a really good Christmas and that everyone is safe.
18:25
In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
18:27
Amen.
18:28
And so we hope that you like this family edition of Fostering Faith and there is going to be more to come from Gia in this coming up season.
18:37
And maybe Derek will join us back again and he will be less scared of the microphone.
18:42
We hope that you guys have an amazing week and stay tuned for next week and have a great week.
18:49
Bye.