Beyond Sunday
Beyond Sunday is a podcast where we dive into what our Church is up to, what's happening in society, go deeper into topics from Sunday mornings, and hear leadership talks from Pastor Greg Griffith. This is a podcast of King of Kings Church in Omaha, NE. Learn more at kingofkings.org.
Beyond Sunday
What Do You Do When Your Fear Interrupts Obedience?
In this Beyond Sunday episode, Dina, Pastor Zach, and Maryann continue the Pardon This Interruption series with a conversation about how fear disrupts our lives and faith pushes back. Looking at Mark 6, they unpack the risks of discipleship, the ways fear can be passed down to others, and the freedom that comes when we trust Jesus fully—without clinging to safety nets.
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Thanks for listening!
Welcome to Beyond Sunday the King of Kings podcast, where we dive a little bit deeper into our sermon series and see what we are taking beyond Sunday. My name is Deena Newsom and I'm excited to have some great guests One I haven't seen for a while and one brand new guest today. Go ahead and introduce yourselves, guys.
Speaker 2:Well, I think I'm the one you haven't seen in a little while. I'm Zach Zender, a pastor here at King of Kings, and get to help with the multi-site side of our ministry, which is super fun.
Speaker 3:And I am Marianne. I am the new kids ministry director here at King of Kings.
Speaker 2:Do we have sound effects? Can we do like an applause sound effect?
Speaker 1:I don't know what's connected to what. So I'm scared the students use the same setup for their podcast. I'm not sure what will happen if I hit some buttons.
Speaker 3:Some of those sounds might not be pleasant.
Speaker 1:All right. So, in light of part of what Zach talked about in his message has inspired my opening question to you.
Speaker 2:Wait what I talked about, or Seth I?
Speaker 1:mean Seth sorry.
Speaker 2:I was like wait, did I preach? I'm looking right at you and yeah, you didn't remember that it's so foggy Part of what Seth talked about.
Speaker 1:he kind of quoted some stats from a Swedish survey at the start of his message. And in doing so he impersonated the Swedish chef from the Muppets. I don't want to repeat the impersonation because I just couldn't do it justice. Watch it if you haven't yet. But in light of that, I wanted to ask what's your favorite Muppet? Did you watch the Muppets when you were younger, and who is your favorite Muppet?
Speaker 3:I did not watch the Muppets, but I do remember a song where they come out and it's like that's all I remember from the Muppets. That's a great song.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I am not a Muppet guy, believe it or not. So was Kermit. Was Kermit the frog a Muppet? Okay, then I'm going to go, kermit, give me Pig and.
Speaker 1:Piggy and Ralph the dog, okay, and the two old guys in the balcony and the eagle, the Swedish chef Beaker.
Speaker 2:It sounds like you're a Muppet. Why don't you take all of our favorites and you just tell us your three favorites?
Speaker 3:We're going to have to do a Muppet 101 with Dina.
Speaker 1:They were classic movies of my time, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, kermit's got to be the. Is he the most famous, or do you think Piggy?
Speaker 1:I would think Kermit.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I think Kermit has done a little bit more.
Speaker 2:Changed the world.
Speaker 1:His repertoire is a little larger.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nice.
Speaker 1:I really liked. My favorite Muppet was Animal, who was the crazy drummer for the band that was on there. And I can't remember what the band was, except the singer was like Hot Lips McGee or something I don't even remember.
Speaker 3:But all he would say was animal, animal, wasn't he the like pink one, fuzzy one, he had like a black collar on? Yes, I remember that one and my older brother had an animal puppet and he would just torture me with walking around following me with that.
Speaker 1:But I loved him because Animal was very passionate about whatever he was doing, which mostly was drumming, but then he'd just get really into it and that was exciting to me. That he was just really excited about what he was doing Was it Jim Henson.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, so I never was a Muppet guy, but the cool part of the origin story that I do remember was like Kermit the Frog was the first that he created and it was like out of a piece of like fabric that was basically trash. He came up with this Kermit the Frog with like just some, really some, rubbish and put it together and like to think of what came out of that franchise. Through. That is a pretty, pretty cool thing, like what, what's, you know, what do we have that might be easily disposable, that in the hands of the right person the architect, the visionary, the designer like what things might be, and so that's inspiring to me. I think that's pretty cool.
Speaker 1:This is a whole sermon series. Yeah, probably I'll have to remember that's pretty cool. This is a whole sermon series. Yeah, probably.
Speaker 2:I'll have to remember that for next year. Yeah, we'll have to have Seth probably lead it, since it seems like he's maybe got a little more wisdom.
Speaker 1:I did like the Swedish chef. It was very funny. I do also know that the Muppets tried to get famous when Saturday Night Live was starting On the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. Live was starting on the very first episode of Saturday Night Live, I don't remember if they made the cut or maybe they didn't make the cut but like Jim and Kermit and like was supposed to be on that before they realized that those two genres did not really mix Like their target audiences ended up being different A little bit different yeah.
Speaker 2:Nice.
Speaker 1:All right. So that's kind of a sidetrack, but we're going to interrupt that with our switch to Pardon this Interruption. We're in week three of this message series and Pastor Seth Flick is kind of taking us through the book of Mark, where there's an interesting setup where Jesus has, like an inner story interrupted or an outer story interrupted by an inner story, and then both stories get revolved, interrupted by an inner story, and then both stories get revolved. And so we're in week three of this. And what are you guys taking beyond Sunday from this week's message?
Speaker 3:I'm going to start on that one. I guess For me it's the reflection of what fears are holding me back. What am I not trusting Him with? I like to consider myself as a brave person and that I'm willing to try pretty much anything, but when you really break down into it, there's a long list of things that I'm too scared to even try or to consider, and so I think that this weekend's message definitely spoke to me, because fear is almost one of the things that stopped me from taking this role at King of Kings. So when you break down the fear of like, how far are you willing to push against that fear? It speaks volumes as to where it'll take you.
Speaker 1:Awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that are teenagers and just kind of a love for the next generation and a belief in the next generation as well, or strong belief that you know some of the stuff that Seth talked about of how you know they're considered the anxious generation, they're nervous, they're mentally unwell, you know all these things that we've heard, you know and we've seen it.
Speaker 2:And to know that, like previous generations play in, like we can't just look at them and say they're that way because they're that way.
Speaker 2:They're in many respects that way because of how we've acted and what we've modeled and and. So I really appreciated just his uh insight in this message of how, when we live with fear or when we live with anxiety, like that gets pressed down, um and so. That that's the negative side, but the positive side, the opportunity side, which would be on Sunday side for me is I get to be a person who doesn't have to live by those things and I can and it's been modeled for me as well I can actually be a positive voice to the next generation, to my boys, to the teenagers, to the youth, speak life into them and hopefully we can reverse what we're seeing and and and so that that real sense of empowerment, of like, yeah, the things that I do, the things that I say, the next generation, my boys, like they, they listen, they learn from it, their model, like, and so let's, let's be a positive example for those things, as opposed to the opposite.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really like the phrasing that Seth Houston used it too we're pressed down. We're pressed down into that generation, just the imagery that gives of suppressing that when we want to raise up the next generation. That's a really good point.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what really spoke to me was when he referred to things as a big old bag of fear you put down your big old bag of fear and I just thought oh yeah, I'm carrying that right now and maybe I'll put down a few pieces of it this day and pick up a few pieces another day, but I don't always put down the whole bag of fear and that was my big old bag of fear.
Speaker 3:When he mentioned that like the visual of like me hugging this bag of fear and like crunched up in a ball is all I could imagine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's what really got me too. And the other thing that I really liked was when he said you can't move forward in a fetal position, and he literally like squatted down in the fetal position. I was like you're not going really fast when he's trying to move forward, and that was powerful for me. Oh yeah, it seems comforting sometimes to be in that position, but we aren't going forward, we're just standing still Okay.
Speaker 1:So one of the questions Seth opened with was how have you allowed fear to interrupt your life? Would either one of you care to speak to that on your own life? How has fear interrupted your life?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think fear. So I tend to like, on the spiritual gift test, faith is one of the top for me, and so I tend to think that I don't struggle with fear as much, um, and I tend to operate more on faith, and but that's also not a hundred percent true. There's times when fear has gotten the best of me. And so for me, though I think the the challenge is to know like I'm. I can be a pretty, and it's good or bad like a pretty good, like big risk taker, and you know, is that just being a risk taker, is that operating by faith? And I'm not always sure. Is it a risk? Is it faith, is it God? Is it my own selfish? So, for me, I'm trying to figure out less of like you know, I'm trying to figure out like is the things God is calling me towards? Is that God actually calling me towards that, or is that my own selfish desires and intention? And what's the boundary there? Because I tend to operate with, if I know it's from God, like cool, I'm going to go for it, I'm going to do it, do it.
Speaker 2:And so, probably in my life, the things it feels like about every three years, there's something that if life doesn't interrupt my own faith walk, I feel like I kind of have to do that to just stay engaged, if you will, and to continue to grow, because some people they get put in really difficult situations. Life hands them some really challenging things and they're forced to kind of grow in their faith, and sometimes those things happen to me, but there's other times where seasons are pretty good and my faith can actually get really stale if I just stay stable. And so what can I do to kind of press and live and operate more by faith? And so I think that's a little bit of where I'm trying to figure out what that means for me right now, because it's been a little more than three years since and my wife's probably super grateful, because every time it's like, oh, you got to do something big, it's like, oh, it's a major. But it's also led to some really cool things, like 2011, we planted a church.
Speaker 2:2014 was the year I went for a world record for the longest speech ever. 2017 was the year we came out with Red Letter Challenge. 2020 was the time we moved more fully into Red Letter and moved to King of Kings in 2021. And so it's been like every three or four years, and I feel like there's an itch there that, like again, nothing major needs to change. But what is it that's going to test my faith? If that makes sense and so that's really where I'm wrestling right now is what does that next step look like for me and my faith? To really put it on the line and not get comfortable and complacent.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I feel like like Zach on my spiritual gifts test faith is also one of my strengths, and one of the things I've found throughout the years as I've been growing in my faith is the times that I've allowed fear to intercede in my life and just stop me from doing things I've missed out. The more I grow in my faith, the more I realize that fear is one of those things that the enemy uses to stop us from experiencing the gifts that God has for us. I remember I was invited to Ecuador one day prior to mission tickets being bought and I was terrified to say yes because I was like, well, what does that mean? How do I pack? Like what do I get, you know? But I said yes. I said God, like this is something I'm going to go, we get there and we go on.
Speaker 3:I think day three or four we ended up going to a cathedral where you walk into this tower and there's this really small staircase that takes you up to this tower where there's no protection and no limit as to how many people can go up there. No, wait, like there's just no control and I'm terrified of heights and I was not going to do it. And then I kept telling myself when will I have this opportunity again to come and experience this, this view, this, this whole scenario? So I forced myself to go up there, this whole scenario. So I forced myself to go up there.
Speaker 3:I was terrified and excited all at the same time. And I came down and I was just in awe, in awe of what I saw, in awe of just how beautiful it was to be up there and then the fact that I survived it all. And so I keep telling myself that if fear is what's stopping me from trying something, then is that something that the enemy is keeping me from enjoying in life. Like you said, zach, that every time that you've said let's move forward and let's do something big, it comes with fear, but then you push past it and then even bigger blessing comes from it. And I think that's what a lot of us. We get so stuck on the little details like what if the stairs break, what if this, what if that? But if you just kind of say I'm doing it and you go, then you're in awe of what you've experienced.
Speaker 1:So my family are big Disney fans and actually I'm headed to Disneyland in California next week, so there'll be, a fill-in for the Beyond Sunday podcast.
Speaker 1:But I loved roller coasters when I was younger and I was fearless of them. I didn't like the really, really crazy ones, but I could go on them. And then it had been many years since we've been. And then when my children started to be like more adult age and we were taking trips together, we went and I realized I was terrified of some of the roller coasters and I wanted to go on them and share them, that experience, with my kids. But I was not able. Like I couldn't get over the. Nope, I can do this little, I'll go on the kiddie coaster with the little grandkids. I'll ride that all day.
Speaker 1:But some of the big ones was just not my and my, um, my children are 18, 27 and 28. So they love to tease me about this and so when we go they just give me a hard time. Oh, are you going to ride this one this time, mom, um, or they'll try to get me on one without telling me, like what it's really like. And so I finally said my son had been hounding me and I finally was like, okay, I'll go on Thunder Road Mountain, I think, is the name of it. I'm really bad at the names, but it's not like there's no, you don't go upside down, there's not like a huge drop or anything like that, but it's a roller coaster and it was so much fun and I just remember sitting on that ride going. Okay, how can I use this and the freedom I feel right now, which seems like the smallest, stupidest thing, to translate into other things in my life where I'm scared to?
Speaker 1:step out just like you talked about. You know, if you can push through that, what's waiting on the other?
Speaker 3:side.
Speaker 1:And I, I just am still. Maybe I'll ride a bigger roller coaster.
Speaker 2:You got it. You got it, Dina. Come on Report back. Got to report back.
Speaker 3:I'll validate that though, because as I've gotten older, I'm scared of roller coasters and I'm scared of the Ferris wheel at Shields. I cannot.
Speaker 2:Oh wow.
Speaker 1:I think it comes more from my understanding now that humans built this and it's just nuts and bolts that put it together.
Speaker 2:And I do have a fear of that. Would you rather AI build it?
Speaker 1:Dina, or is that taking this conversation off track? It's just when I didn't think about that.
Speaker 3:It was just a perfectly safe structure. As a kid, you didn't think about how was this built? You're just like this is awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm not sure when we all turn lame and stop enjoying roller coasters but count me in that camp too.
Speaker 2:So actually, now that we've talked about it a little bit more, I think sometimes and this is maybe true for others, but true for me sometimes, when it's the bigger things, I'm not as afraid, but it's like the smaller things that I ought to not be as afraid that I, that 2% of the people have had two conversations or less, or 98% have had two conversations or less about Jesus with others, and so, if we're going to be sharing the good news, the fear that I have of just having a simple conversation should provide itself an opportunity.
Speaker 2:So those are things that I do struggle with. It's like why do I struggle sometimes on what feels tinier or smaller and I don't struggle at the stuff that feels bigger and larger? Does that make sense? Yes, why do I trust God for my eternity? Right, so my eternal salvation is secure, which means I walk and live differently now, and yet I trust him for that like the end, but then the day to day I don't. So I don't know if there's others that feel that way too. It's like we place these big trust in God on the biggest thing that matters, and yet for me it's the smaller things that sometimes I'm afraid of that. I ought not be.
Speaker 1:I would agree with that. I find that to be true in my own life too, and I don't know why.
Speaker 2:I don't know.
Speaker 1:I think it. I don't know. I think sometimes the bigger things it's easier to release because we have the faith that he can handle, the bigger things feel like in my my little things are bothersome to him. And that's not true, and I know that he cares about every hair on my head and every tiny worry and concern that I have throughout the day, but it feels like it's too little that I should be able to handle it myself, and I'm not willing to release those or trust him completely with those things that seem almost too small for him and that's I don't know.
Speaker 1:I'm just thinking of this as I'm talking. All right, so we're talking in this book of Mark how we have the outer story and the inner story, and so this week's was really interesting. Zach, can you kind of highlight what our outer story and inner story were this week, the two stories that highlight what our outer story and inner story were this week the two stories that, yeah, yeah, it was from Mark, chapter six.
Speaker 2:And so there were two stories.
Speaker 2:The first was Jesus sending out the 12 apostles, sending them out two by two and commissioning them to do incredible things, right, having authority over unclean spirits and being able to preach the good news and casting out demons and anointing with oil people who are sick and healing them. So some really amazing things. And sending them two by two and at the same time telling them that you don't need to take anything with you. That's where Seth brought in the bag idea that there's no bag, there's no bread, there's no money, you're not taking anything except for your sandals. And that's no bag. There's no bread, there's no money, you're not taking anything except for your sandals and that's pretty much it. And so that was the outer story of Jesus sending these disciples out and really commissioning them to do big and amazing things and to put their faith on the line and not bring anything with them. So that was the outer story. And then the inner story was a disciple, not one of the 12, but a prophet, jesus' cousin John the Baptist. A story of him actually being beheaded here was one that was sent out that was doing incredible things and actually his life ended as a martyr for Jesus. And so there's this one story. He's sending them out two by two and don't take anything, but don't be afraid. And in the very next story we're reading it actually caused the death of John the Baptist. And so Jesus brings these two stories at the same time, and I think for us it's important to look at these two next to each other, like Seth did, and to remember that, no matter what our lot is in this world, we're still called to be the light of Christ. And at times that means we're going to be going into cities and doing incredible things for the Lord, and it's going to work out. And at times it means we're going to go into the cities and it's not going to work out. And at times it's going to mean that following Jesus will cost you your life.
Speaker 2:And we've seen that in our nation in the last couple of weeks, with there's so much talk about Charlie Kirk and what happened and lots of opinions on him as a person. But he was a believer in Jesus, a follower of Jesus, and really professed a faith in Jesus, and that very well could be a major reason why he's dead now. And so this is not just 2,000 years ago, it's today as well. And to know that following Jesus has a cost to it, to know that following Jesus has a cost to it and, at the same time, the worst thing that this world could bring to us as a follower of Jesus, which is death, is the best news for a guy like John the Baptist or Charlie Kirk, like they're good right now. Now it leaves behind it a wave of just trauma and tragedy and sadness. That is very real.
Speaker 2:But for Charlie himself and for those that follow Jesus, for John the Baptist, for anyone that follows Jesus, it's going to end well and you have a really awesome future ahead of you. And so, anyway, I thought it was kind of interesting that these two are right next to each other, because it's like sending these two out two by two. You're going to be doing great things. Don't take any with you. And then here's the story, the first story. Right after that, we see one that gave his life for Jesus. And so you never know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really liked Seth kind of pointed out that the disciples when he was sending them out, you know extra provisions. If they were going to try to take extra provisions, that was weight that was holding them back. But he asked them to take just their staff and sandals because that was what they needed to move forward. I liked that analogy there that he kind of made about just keeping them forward being to move forward.
Speaker 3:Yeah, as I think about how Jesus prepared the disciples and told them just go with the staff and the sandals, I think it makes me reflective how many times we, as people, try to use a list of excuses as to why not to go, and we're constantly thinking about like, well, I still need to do this. I still, like Seth mentioned. Oh well, just one more training. Well, I still need to do this. I still, like Seth mentioned, oh well, just one more training, one more class, one more. But at what point, then, are you going to actually move and go? Because that's what he calls us to do, is move and go. He didn't say move and go when I give you this, move and go, when I've done this for you, he says move and go and then he will provide whatever it is that you need.
Speaker 3:And I hadn't thought about the comparison of how John the Baptist was being beheaded and then they were being sent out to go and do His work. I feel like a lot of times, people think going out and doing God's work is simply just joy and spreading love and caring, but you don't think about the ugly, you don't think about the people that are going to criticize you and judge you and hate you for speaking truth. And just the comparison of the fact that that was happening to John while the disciples were going out. I'm sure they were scared at that time too.
Speaker 2:And I think the key is that following Jesus, truly doing it is dangerous work. But Jesus, the question is, is he enough Like, is he enough for you that you're willing to go no matter where he calls, and you're willing to go with nothing but him? And that's, I think, the version of Christianity that Americans really struggle with. It's like, yeah, we'll follow Jesus, but we want to make sure we have our bank accounts in good order and we've got a house and a shelter and our 401ks and you name it like whatever 15 things. That's what I love so much about. When the disciples followed Jesus, they immediately jumped left the boats and followed him.
Speaker 2:I love the story of Elisha in the Old Testament that when Elijah tapped him on the shoulder and said, hey, let's go, he burnt his plows and killed his oxen and they had a party that night and celebrated. But he essentially left his past behind because a better opportunity for his future came and in a way that he couldn't actually get to his past because he burnt it down. And I think a lot of us are like one foot in, one foot out disciples, where we'll try something but we're going to hang on to everything. We're going to make sure that our bag, even if I'm not carrying it like, I know where it's packed and I can go get it if I need it. I can go get it right now.
Speaker 2:And so what I love about this story is that, like it really forces us to ask the question at the end of the day, is Jesus, and Jesus alone, enough for you to do what he calls you to do? It's dangerous, but it's wholesome, it's rewarding, it's fulfilling, and there's no calling like it. But it doesn't actually mean equal eternity success, sorry, earthly success. And that's the challenge, is, I think we like this. One foot in, one foot out. I'm going to keep my bags with me as I go.
Speaker 3:When I think, as people were taught to expect the reward now.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:We want the recognition now, we want everything positive to happen as soon as we do it, like give me my prize, whereas when it comes to doing this like, it doesn't come until after death. But we know that, just like we do with Charlie Kirk, like we know that he's up there and he's reaping everything that he worked so hard to sow right. And so it's just, I think, having that mentality of like, yeah, maybe right now I'm not having all of the prize, but I know that in the end and I think that's the question is it worth it for you, is he enough for you? Is what is going like being in his presence at some point going to be enough for you and for me? That's exciting. The thought of when this world is done for me, I will get to be up there and I'll get to worship and I'll get to hear all these people singing in the light and just to experience His joy so close is exciting. But that's easy to lose when you're feeling down and scared and, you know, exhausted. So that's really good.
Speaker 1:So Seth kind of talked about three different points in his message, where he talked about faith fights, fear folds and followers finish. How did those jump out at you guys, or did one of those really speak to you or made you think of something?
Speaker 2:Yeah, as a pastor, I love alliteration, so good job, seth Followers. Finish is the one that I yeah, they're all great Followers. Finish is the one that I think is so fabulous, because the same disciples that he sent out two by two that would largely in the gospels, go out and make a mess of things Um yeah, end up finishing really well for Jesus and it's super inspiring. And it's one of the best physical, evidential aspects of the resurrection is when you actually look at what happened to the lives of the disciples, this cowardly. How about let's keep on the alliteration? These fickle failures became faithful followers once they saw the post-resurrected Jesus. Like they were changed.
Speaker 2:Like Peter, the dude that denied Jesus three times by a charcoal fire, 52 days later is preaching in front of thousands of people about who God is, who Jesus is. He couldn't say the name Jesus in front of one servant girl 52 days prior. He is a changed man. He is the say the name Jesus in front of one servant girl 52 days prior. He is a changed man. He is the leader of the church, the fabulous church, and he would go on to be martyred for his faith, dying on a cross upside down because he didn't deem himself worthy to die in the same manner as his friend Jesus, and all of the disciples would end up giving their lives for Jesus, martyred early, with the exception of John, who somehow got away to the island of Patmos, which is where he wrote the book of Revelation and where we have this beautiful vision right that you were just talking about that one day we're going to be with the angels and the light of Christ is going to be enough light to light that there will be no more sun needed at that point.
Speaker 2:And so for me, I just love that followers finish. And it doesn't mean we're going to get it perfect in this world, because I certainly don't, and I struggle, but I do want to be one that finishes well, and that in Christ, I have everything I need to finish. Well, because of his grace, every time I screw up he brings me right back and so I can finish. I can have 23 bad hours of the day, but I got the 24th hour that I can turn my life around and I can start over again the next day. So followers finish is something that speaks well to me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I love that. For me it's going to be the fear fights. I've seen so many people, so many amazing leaders, that continue to fight for their church, they continue to fight for their family, they continue to fight for their loved ones, and I think the biggest reason that they fight so hard is the fear of not having them with them in heaven. Like, why would you push so hard and why would you push so hard and why would you pray so constantly? Why would you encourage someone so frequently and accept heartbreak time after time after time? It's because of that fear of knowing that if they let go of God, then they're not going to be in the presence of God. And I know that for me, that's one of the things that I know. He transformed my life and the fear of going back to what it used to be is enough to push me and say, no, I parents, as friends, we fight so hard for the people that we love because we fear not sharing that love of Christ with them.
Speaker 1:So Seth made a parental reference and he talked about how this story and the parenting of Herodias, who was Herod's wife, that basically told her daughter. When she was offered from Herod the opportunity to ask for anything that she wanted, this woman, who didn't like John the Baptist, convinced her daughter to ask for his head. That that's one example of parenting, and Seth compared that with, from the Old Testament, mordecai's influence on Esther and how that really empowered and raised Esther up to ask for things for the kingdom. How does that comparison make you think about your own parenting? We're all parents here. What does that do to convict you or or celebrate you? You know how did that jump out at you?
Speaker 3:Um, as so this, this is a season of a lot of changes for my family. Um, I was just telling you earlier that we're, you know, hopefully going to close on a house by the end of this week, and that means a move. And my daughter has told me time and time again like I'm scared, I don't want to leave this house. I'm scared. And I tell her like everything's going to be okay, like it's going to be fine, we're going to be together and it'll be great.
Speaker 3:And she's always asking me, like how do you know? I'm like, honestly, I don't, I don't know. But I do know that God is in control and we trust God and that's enough. But if I sit in it I'm like, oh my gosh, how do I know? How, like you know? And that's when I start praying like Lord, help me out, because I don't know. But I think a lot of times I, my daughter, has seen me react in fear and then push against fear, react in fear and then push against fear. And I just hope that it's more times she sees me push against it than submit to it.
Speaker 2:So yeah, and I don't think like living in this life's all about like how do we avoid fear, you know, I think I think that fear is going to come here and there and that's actually, if you're putting yourself out on the line for Christ like you should expect some fear. So I don't think it's like avoid it, you know, and that you know life's going to be perfect. No, we're going to be okay, cause Christ is in us and with us and around us and, worst case happens, we're still great Right. And so yeah, for me, when I would ask about parent, I feel better about my parenting after I read a story like this, because I'm not that bad right.
Speaker 2:But I never made the connection I thought that was really cool to Esther and Mordecai of the Old Testament and how one sort of family figure was so positive in that and of course, this one in the New Testament with John the Baptist and Herodias is so negative. And I just think it kind of doubles down what we talked about earlier that like our, our decisions matter and if we a disproportionate amount of effect in your life, positively or negatively, like it was just one thing they said and it just totally changed your life, on a positive or negative side, and like so to know that my words matter, what I say matters, what I do, especially with my two boys, like especially now when they're in high school, like it really matters. Uh, it really matters is just a really cool thing, and I'd never made that connection before with Mordecai and Esther and I thought that was awesome, that Seth made it, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I typically feel like a really great parent, until I hear a message like this and then I'm like oh well, what about this?
Speaker 1:And I really started thinking kind of earlier when we were talking about pressing those fears down. It really made me stop and think. What fears am I putting on my kids? Not necessarily through fears that I'm convincing them to have, but just things in my own life that I'm almost setting up an expectation for in them. And I'm thinking of when my ex-husband and I were first married.
Speaker 1:Early on we had no money, like we struggled financially, got married very young, had a baby right away, and we for years lived in a financial struggle. And so when my daughter, who's now married and has two kids, when she was first married, I kept expecting there to be this financial struggle because that's what I had experienced and it's kind of like a stereotypical. You know, you struggle when you first get married. She and her husband were never in that type of situation. But I was constantly asking well, are you okay on this money? And so was her father and her grandfather, like all of us had kind of pushed this fear into them. That then she was like gosh, are we okay? Like I think we're doing fine?
Speaker 1:And I started thinking of little things like that. What fears have I pushed on my kids through my own experiences, and while I think I'm teaching them all the right things and empowering them in all the right ways, what am I subconsciously putting on them? That is a fear of mine because of my experience that they've never even had to go through, and I was thinking about when I went through my divorce how I felt like I was starting over and I was in my mid-40s and starting over and the fears that I had about just little simple things that I would put on my kids through that experience that they didn't need to know or they didn't need that experience of just things that I would in my daily life, like oh my gosh, my headlight on my car is out and I don't know how to change it and I don't know who to call to change it, because that was something that my husband used to do and I would get all worked up and my kids would get worked up. Oh my gosh, mom's headlight is out.
Speaker 2:What are we?
Speaker 1:going to do Like somebody get the Google. You know just of simple things like that that didn't need to be. There needed to be no anxiety in that situation, but my fear then caused issues for them, and so I was just kind of like ticking off the list of where I thought I was a pretty good parent. This humbled me a little. Thanks, Seth, but that's where you grow.
Speaker 1:Those are the times that you grow, because then I think about how do I continue to influence them in positive ways. Like you said, words carry weight. How do I speak life into them and into my grandchildren now, like those are the next people that I'm looking to impact?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think, too, like giving them opportunity.
Speaker 2:Right, I think some of us who are older like who maybe have positions or jobs, we have opportunity to pass those on to the younger generations and to let them step into leadership roles.
Speaker 2:But it's actually our own fear that sometimes we want to hold on to.
Speaker 2:So we're holding on to something and we're afraid and at the same time we're keeping them from stepping into things that God may be designed for them. And so we still are living with that fear, and I think we've got to get better at just being more open-handed, not just with words, but what about an action to show I'm not afraid to let you lead this and to let you step into this, and I'll show you once, but then I want you to do it the next time, right? And so I think we have to be more willing to not just with our words but with our actions show especially the younger generation that you are welcome at the table, and you're welcome at the table a heck of a lot earlier than you thought. We already want you here. So let's go and let's do this together and then let's have you lead and God will take care of us who are older. We're going to be taken care of if we're letting go of these things. That's what God wants.
Speaker 1:Well, and that's our way of showing him trust Like you talked about earlier. How is it easier to trust him with the big things? That's kind of a big thing, but it's maybe still sometimes hard to let go. All right. So, as we wrap up today, what are your final takeaways from this message, or this series, as you've?
Speaker 3:heard it. What do you got, marianne? I think one of my biggest takeaways is yeah, what fears am I pressing down onto my kids and future generations? Especially working in kids' ministry, I'm going to encounter a lot of other generations, and so I want to be aware of where it is that I need to grow and trust more that. And then I think just how tightly am I holding on to my fear backpack A big old bag of fear? Am I cobbling it, or have I decided to set it down for a little bit? Yeah, decided to set it down for a little bit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really liked the halftime pep talk and where Seth even got kind of specific talking to those of you that are in the first quarter, the younger, and then those of you that are in that mid-season and those of you that are older. I really liked that and I really related to like that's what we need. We need that, but that's what we have the opportunity to get through. Something like listening to this podcast it's a little pep talk, hopefully. Or coming to worship and being with your Christ family, or being in a connect group, spending some time in the scripture those things are all little ways that God gives you a pep talk and I liked the idea of that, your little halftime pep talk.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm actually reading that halftime book with a few dads right now. It's really great. And yeah, I'm squarely in that middle section right when, yeah, I want to leave a life of legacy of significance, and so for me, yeah, it's challenging me to really do. I, god, how do you want to use me? Are you enough for me? And if you're enough, then what does that look like, um, and how I, and how I pursue you, how I follow you, and and how can I then, at the same time pursuing you and following you, um, raise up and help raise up the next generation and pour into them belief and words and opportunities. What does that look like in my life? And I feel like God's allowing me to kind of dream a little bit these last few weeks and continue to dream about what that could look like, which is really neat.
Speaker 2:I've been on such a content creation marathon that's felt like I've sprinted, and I think I just finished it, which, is fabulous, and so now I'm starting to dream, then, about yeah, what does this look like to really pour into the next generation in a deeper way, to show that you are enough? Yeah?
Speaker 1:Yeah, your content creation guide we get to kind of jump into in a couple of weeks. We've got one more week of part in this interruption with Seth, and then we're jumping into the giving challenge.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're going to get generous. There you go.
Speaker 1:Yeah we are All right Red Letter Challenge go. Okay. Thank you guys so much for being here today and until we get together again, let's keep living our faith beyond Sunday. You.
