How Real Faith Grows | Trinity Talks Podcast

Hello, my name is Kyla and welcome to this week's

episode of Trinity Talks. My name is Amalvel.

I'm Melissa. And I'm Ben. And we are here to

continue our conversation about Growing Season,

which is this teaching series that we're undergoing

here at Trinity, where we're going back to the

farm to learn what the farm has to teach us all

about faith. And today we are talking about...

intergenerational sort of farms intergenerational

faith practices um and how often when you think

about like a family farm you'll like sometimes

see this is you know five generation family farms

like it's passed down from like great -great

-grandfather to great -grandfather to grandfather

to father to son so on and so forth um And I

think the same thing sometimes happens in our

faith. Not always, but sometimes it is that sense

of like, you know, we are families or at least

somebody told somebody who told us, right, that

we don't do this life of faith all alone. Yeah.

And so just as you think about that concept of

faith being passed down, as you think about sort

of the sermon, are there any pieces that really

sort of stand out to you? Well, for me, when

Rob was talking about the different type of links

in the chain, he talked about one of them being

the first link, which would describe my situation

for sure. I didn't grow up in a Christian family

or a Christian household. Even though with my

dad's side of the family, they grew up in the

Baptist church. one of my uncles came to christ

by the end of his life you know and and obviously

with my mom's side of the family they're all

muslims so that's not christian at all right

so so yeah i mean it You know, I definitely relate

to being a first link. Yeah, sure. And I think

that that that's a really maybe not like entirely

unique experience, but it's a it's a really sort

of different experience than being sort of the

second link or even like, you know, the fifth

link or whatever. In a way, it's all it can be

a lot more. In some ways, it can be a bit more

challenging. Sure. You know, yeah. But then again,

I mean, praise God, I was never fully. into Islam.

I didn't fully connect with it, you know? So

it helped, you know, the fact that I was sort

of, you know, I had this period, uh, between

leaving Islam and finding the church where I'm

like, well, I believe in God, but I'm don't follow

organized religion, you know? So it definitely

helped because I know it's like, if you're like

a developed Muslim, that's a very hard road to

break. That's a very, That's a very difficult

thing to break. Sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What

about for you guys as you think about that? I

think going straight off, my thought process

went straight to the links as well. But I had

the different link. I was the strong link that

was being passed down. I grew up in a very Christian

household with loving parents who were amazing,

supportive and great brothers. So with all that

kind of like privilege and really nice starting

points. my process that i felt like responsible

for is how do i carry that on how do i shoot

this good chain going and not break it off or

let it just kind of sure rot in the dust yeah

yeah yeah what about you honestly i also thought

of the links as well which i think is really

cool that we all kind of um had that in our minds

and um kind of similar to your story i So my

family is also not very Christian. My mom and

dad, they did not grow up in the church. However,

the person who did tell me, you know, will start

bringing me to church when I was very young,

actually is my aunt. And she learned about Christianity

and about Jesus from her mother as well in China.

However, it's not a. that that's on the rare

side essentially um well it was then and um and

because of that like even though she told me

about you know let's go to church she loved just

being around the people she loved volunteering

in kids church um I felt like I still felt very

alone kind of in the process but I still do kind

of see her as the link as well and then I do

kind of relate to uh, being a first link as well

for, um, my family and hopefully for my future

children, God willing. Um, and just like you

said, it's a hard, it is, it can be really hard,

right? Sure. Because sometimes it feels like

if a link together, um, with lots of like those

little circles, I forgot what it was called.

Um, it's so strong, but sometimes when it is

just one, it feels kind of weak and it kind of

feels like, sure. you know what is it going to

hold up right and um but sometimes i just remind

myself that if god has made you to be the first

link there's a reason for that sure and ultimately

in a way god is the first link and then yeah

absolutely yeah that you're maybe like the first

bit of the link like in your immediate family

or maybe even in your extended family sometimes

but that yeah you're not you didn't come out

of nowhere yeah yeah right like your your faith

was fed into by someone right and and i think

that also then reminds me like when we think

about our family context of like the importance

of being linked as part of this chain outside

of our like biological families as well right

that being connected into christian community

um also helps to strengthen that chain and gives

us yeah spaces like even like for people you

know we as we think about Passing on faith. And

like if folks have mentioned, you know, coming

from like parents to kids or grandparents or

whatever. Right. Like that's great when that

happens. But not everybody has biological children.

Right. Not everybody has kids in their household.

Right. But who are the people that we can pour

into anyway? Yeah. It's also to say that we don't

have to just pour into the people closest to

us necessarily in a direct household, but you

can pour into anyone you're around, whether you're

around them often, whether it's your friends,

whether it's your coworkers, it can be anyone.

Yeah. Yeah. And then like, sometimes it's also

not like. generational or like age related really

like like sometimes i'm pouring into people who

are the same age as me sometimes i'm pouring

into people who are older than me and sometimes

you know older folks are pouring into me sometimes

younger folks are pouring into me right like

there's something about just like getting all

of these different experiences and people together

in a space that really builds our chain so that

it's more of like A web, I guess, than like a

single line. I think about actually the first

person who ever told me about Jesus. And it was

at a Chinese church that me and my parents went

to because we were looking for a community. I

think I was like four years old, but it was actually

the staff that was working in the kids church.

And she told me about Jesus. And I was like,

oh, this feels so lovely. Right. And then I just.

I think we just maybe didn't go back moving forward.

But I always remember her. And you're right.

It's like in my immediate family, I think of

myself as the first link. But actually, she was

the link that connected me. And then my aunt

built on that onto that. And then someone told

her. And I think it's just a testimony to how

cool. god is and the way that he works is just

really really cool yeah yeah and that's not to

like negate like if you feel like an individual

link in a chain like that is still really hard

and there are still like unique challenges that

come with that yeah um right and we get to be

part of this web of chains exactly yeah yeah

so as As you think about your sort of faith story,

are there people that you can think of who have

like taken that time to pour into you and to

help develop your faith? And like, yeah, what

what sort of impact did that have on on your

life? I mean, personally, I mean, I do know like

there were a few family members that that were

that are or that are kind of like legit Christians,

you know, Bible believing Christians, but. I

mean, I think for me, like what started, it was

just sort of funny enough, like YouTube watching,

you know, like the algorithm can work in a great

way, you know? And it's just, I started, you

know, I was looking at one subject and then that

leads to something else and something else. And,

you know, and so by the time I found Trinity

Church, I was already watching some Christian

content. Sure. But it wasn't, you know, it was.

based off my own interests sure yeah so yeah

no that's totally valid yeah yeah what what about

for you for me i get to have the backing of a

really nice family who sure helped me grow up

christian but my mom my dad were especially always

there for me helping me build just habits and

values into my routines as well as my grandparents

who are always there to help bring it up especially

during family events sure it was easter or christmas

chocolate is good presents are nice but it was

always the reminder like there's something more

important here sure yeah those were big factors

big figures in my life sure on top of that one

of the places i always love is a camp called

fair havens where me and my family would always

go just for every summer uh basically all the

way up until covid for as long as i can remember

And we just go there and hang out with tons of

different Christians, learning more about Jesus,

but also participating together in lots of different

activities that all just have like a little Jesus

twist on it. Sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But all

those moments just build the habit of like every

day, no matter what you're doing, where you are,

Jesus is always with you and surrounding you.

And you always ask questions, whether it's people

younger than me playing with the kids who are

a lot younger and go, oh, hey, they actually

pick things up really quickly. They did that

better than I did. Yeah. Or learning from people

who have way more wisdom and experience than

me. Sure. Always just being surrounded by people

willing to give advice and support. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. And I just wanted to say as well,

like, that's really cool because I remember in

the sermon, Rob was kind of mentioning about

Camp Trinity and how, yes, it's really awesome

when the kids, you know, they're singing, they're

standing in the chairs, but faith is also being

grown in like those smaller moments, like bracelet

making. And when you mentioned like, you know,

just like your family and like the things that

your parents taught you, I think. That is an

example. It's like those smaller, more intimate

moments. Yeah. And I think that's really cool.

Thanks. I would say that for myself as well,

it's those smaller, intimate moments that we've

had with our life group, right? Like with you,

Kyla, and with Jackie and Jesse and Jordan and

Ira and all the people. I know I'm missing names.

Please don't be mad. It's just things like that.

it makes you want to keep coming back. Um, and

then it just kind of reminds you that God is

very relational. So when you are building those

relationships that you're kind of like, Oh, like

this is like kind of how it is with me and God.

And this is how, um, things get past generation

to generation or just, you know, people to people.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think about in my own

sort of life and faith, just like all of the

people, who like took a risk on me like like

we're like hey kyla you can do this thing like

go go lead this thing or like hey like ask those

hard questions and like let's have those conversations

right and like it's yeah it's those moments of

people sort of yeah just taking that time to

sort of say you know yeah because similarly like

i grew up in a faith household so it wasn't necessarily

that i needed to be presented with who jesus

is and like the basics of the gospel but like

my faith journey was a lot of like figuring out

okay how do all the pieces fit together and like

how do i want to live and what do i want to believe

and in all of this right and so just having people

to dialogue that way right and having people

um who encouraged me and made me want to keep

showing up, even when it was confusing and hard

and messy. Yes. Right? You know, just feeling

like, yeah, there is a space. where I can bring

all of that. Right. And then also, I think, you

know, like the piece that you were sort of saying

a novel about like YouTube and like different

sort of online resources and whatever, like that

also really speaks to me because I think sometimes

like I'm first, I encounter something in someone

else or like in a conversation and I'm like,

huh, that's. an interesting faith piece that

I like haven't thought about before, but then

like other resources, other people that I will

never meet face to face have become the people

that have like helped me think through things

sort of differently. Yeah. Right. Sure. Yeah.

So it's, it's so neat. I think to think about

all of the links in the chain that are, that

are family, that are friends, that are pastors

or youth pastors that are authors and. people

that i will never meet right but they're all

people who have like poured into and shaped my

faith and we're all connected somehow and i think

it's also like um like for example trinity works

um with is it united way uh with world vision

oh sorry world vision to um support nueva frontera

and even just that is like like it's like a chain

is being made there, right? And so even when

we're tithing and it's going to, whether it's

tithing to Trinity, even if you're tithing to

other organizations to support Christians, I

think that's how chains are being made. If you're

volunteering at a shelter or a soup kitchen or

just meeting with people, that's also how chains

are being made as well. I actually saw a quote

on Instagram, which kind of speaks to the YouTube

like Internet thing where it said the best sermons

are the ones where you're showing people how

you love and how you live. And I think that's

especially for people who may not be in the faith.

Like, I think that's one of the best ways to

kind of build that link is that they see it through

you. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. Yeah,

so the scripture passage that Rob read as part

of the sermon was from Deuteronomy chapter 6.

Deuteronomy 6 · chapter mention

So I'm just going to read a couple of those verses

for you. So Deuteronomy chapter 6, starting at

Deuteronomy 6 · chapter mention

verse 7. Actually, I'll start at verse 6. So

these commands I give you today are to be upon

your hearts. Impress them upon your children.

Talk about them when you sit at home and when

you walk along the road and when you lie down

and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your

hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write

them on the door frames of your houses and on

your gates. And what stands out to me about those

verses is just this, like... Just talk about

it all the time in everyday moments, right? Talk

about it when you're sitting at home, when you're

walking on the road, when you're lying down,

when you're getting up, when you're entering

and exiting your home, like just in all of these

sort of ordinary everyday moments. That's where

faith is developed, where faith is shaped, where

faith is sort of passed on. Yeah. So like, like,

what do you think about that? Like, are there

ways that you can sort of see faith being shaped

or passed on in like ordinary everyday moments?

Yeah, I think oftentimes just the little conversations

with families or friends, the main area I see

where it's just daily struggles. Hey, I went

to work and this thing happened that I don't

know what happened here. It was not my favorite

interaction. Sure. And you have to have other

people who see it from a different perspective

and can offer advice like, oh, actually, this.

As a benefit, you can actually use this as a

really cool opportunity. Sure. Or the people

who just have different perspectives to help

you view it from a whole fresh new lens. Ways

that people can just speak to you and the little

everyday things are some of the best. Yeah, yeah,

yeah. I remember growing up a little while ago

in high school, I had a bunch of guinea pigs

that were all running around my room. Okay. But

every morning it was a little routine of like

I would get up, I would listen to the Bible just

as like a daily devotional while I fed the guinea

pigs, get them water, do whatever we need to.

And I'd go down and have breakfast and then talk

with whoever's at the table. Sure, yeah. The

little things, the little ways we can always

build into each other. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for

sure. I love that. I also love that you had guinea

pigs because I have a hamster, but I won't talk

about that because that could take so long. I

also feel like just volunteering with the kids

ministry here at Trinity Streetsville and just...

The amazing work that Megan and Moende and the

volunteers do to kind of talk about Jesus with

children. Like sometimes the children, they're

coming and we don't know, you know, what their

faith relationship is like, what home is kind

of like as well, like what their parents are

saying or doing. Making that environment, like

always bringing the topic back to Jesus, always

bringing the topic back to how much he loves

us and he loves them and he created them to be

beautiful and smart and kind and just doing it

in a way that's understandable and obviously

appropriate for young children as well. Always

bringing it back and then having activities,

too, where it's like you're doing a coloring

page and you're coloring Jesus and someone made

Jesus's hair green. And it's like, OK, well,

but like, you know, you're talking about Jesus

and things are happening. And I think that's

just another way to where I'm just always talking

about him. I was incorporating. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

yeah, for sure. For sure. Yeah. Incorporating,

I guess for me, it's. just personal just making

sure that i'm always trying to pray every day

at some point sometimes it's sometimes it can

be difficult if you're not doing anything you're

not going anywhere you know like like because

it's like easy to do it like if i'm driving the

car or walking somewhere yeah you know but sometimes

it's like making it part of that everyday routine

yeah yeah yeah but i mean sometimes i see it

with just like like randomly i might pray for

somebody that i don't know but like i might feel

like i want to pray for that you know like and

not not with them but for them you know and just

sort of like i i guess i i guess it's sort of

like almost like a guerrilla style faith or something

you know kind of a thing yeah it's just like

in this moment this is what like yeah and so

being like tapped in and like listening for God's

spirit, like directing you. Like you almost feel

compelled to say something or to pray for something,

you know? Yeah. I remember, um, at one point

I was having a conversation with my partner about

like just different families and ways that families

talk and what they talk about and all these things.

Um, and one of the things that she said at one

point was like that she noticed how. easy and

how like natural it seemed in my family um for

faith to just be a lens yeah that we like had

all of our conversations through right and and

just like it just yeah it's so naturally part

of our dialogue and like i i think that that's

a huge blessing for me yeah right that's not

necessarily part of every family's story but

like So like one moment that comes to mind for

me when I think about, you know, everyday moments

and passing on faith was one summer. We were

like on a road trip and I'm sure. So I have three

siblings. So there's four kids and two parents

all stuffed into a van. It's probably super hot

and we've probably been on the road for a while.

And my parents are probably really annoyed with

us. And. My mom just like turns around and she's

like, OK, Josh, my brother, what's your favorite

Bible story? And then he says what his favorite

Bible story is. And she says, OK, now tell us

the story. And then she did that. with each of

us. Right. So we took some time on this road

trip where I'm sure she was just like, stop fighting

with each other. Absolutely. Right. But like,

it was just like, no, let's just chat about Bible

stories as we're driving along to wherever it

was we were going. I don't even really remember.

Right. But like, it was just that moment of being

like, oh yeah, we can just take some time. Yeah.

Be like in, we all, we all chat about all kinds

of really random things every day. And that's

great. But maybe some of those random things

could be, sometimes jesus -y yeah so it's like

i remember in long car rides similar for my family

we're like driving up to fair haven say or going

somewhere longer we would have audiobooks on

but usually the audiobooks that we'd have it'd

be like narnia or the screen tape letters thank

you c .s lewis yes yes but just things that can

challenge you too right they don't always have

to be the sit down philosophical of yes let's

all just think especially if you're dealing with

little kids sure But you can have little questions,

little challenges to engage people no matter

where you are. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. Okay.

And then in Deuteronomy chapter six, verse 12,

it says, be careful that you do not forget the

Lord who brought you out of Egypt, out of the

land of slavery. So God has given them all these

commands. Make sure you do like talk about faith

every day. And then very specifically, don't

forget because God knows that people are often

kind of forgetful. Yes. Yeah. But why, why do

you think it is so easy for us to forget? who

God is and what God does. And like, how do we...

sort of combat that in some way. I think it's

really easy when we get caught up in what we're

doing, what we're actually working on. So whether

it's school, whether it's jobs, whether you're

just actually like an athlete or working on a

specific skill that you're trying to develop,

we often get caught in ignoring the fundamentals

where we came from focusing on, oh, what are

the little things I have to do? Oh, right. I

need to do X, Y, Z to add on to build myself.

Yeah. And we sometimes lose focus of why we were

there in the first place. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. And

I think it's, you know, human beings like we

are floods and has entered the world and so sometimes

i think it's also just like maybe like pride

or just like things but we're just what god has

gifted us so many things and then we just think

okay well i have to work really hard at school

i have to go to work and i have to do this i

have to do this and there's a lot of like eyes

that are happening right and i think just like

as the eyes are happening you forget that like

god is doing this with you right and But I think

it's just kind of that human thing. And so I

think that is why it's so important to be linked

and to be in community because people will remind

you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's easy for

people to forget because a lot of the times when

people call on God or talk to God or want to

spend time with God, it's in their darkest hours.

Sure. It's when things are going wrong. You know,

it's like I've heard the analogy of. uh of drinking

water right you know are you drinking water just

to stay hydrated or when you're really dehydrated

when you're really thirsty okay i'll go for that

water right you know and of course jesus is a

living water so that all ties together yeah you

know but i you know and it's like i think sometimes

you know like you you look at the story of jove

and he was tested by god and the devil with you

know will you still Praise me, remember me, thank

me, be faithful to me when you have nothing,

when I take everything away. But I think God

and the devil also test us when we have everything.

Sure. Will you remember? Will you still go to

church? Yep. You know, a whole different type

of challenge. Yeah. You know, do you still? is

church still one of the best parts of your week

right do you want to still be involved with your

life group are you still gonna donate that money

you know yeah you you have all this money you

worked hard for it why why do you need to give

things like that you know it's so it's it's a

different type of test sure yep sure and it's

so easy yeah in those good moments to feel like

we are we're comfortable Right. And like I'm

able to take care of myself. And and in the dark

moments, sometimes it's easy to be like, I need

to take care of myself. I need to figure this

out all on my own. Yeah. And so then, yeah, it

just we're just so I think myself especially,

maybe not everybody else. I don't know. But like

I'm like a very. like focused on the now kind

of person. Right. I can think longterm. I might,

my recall is less good. Right. But I'm like,

okay, this is what's happening right now. I need

to like figure it out. I need to like get all

the pieces together. Let's let's just be in the

moment. And, and so then it is hard for me to

say, oh yeah. Okay. Right now this is stressy,

but remember a couple of years ago when there

was also that stressy thing, we like got through

that. Right. Yeah. And like, yeah, just to remember

that God was faithful then and God is faithful

now. Yeah. His consistency. And even when you're

successful, I mean, yes, a big part of it is

your effort and your willingness to learn and

connections and growth and all that. But at the

end of the day, all of this is God's will. Yeah,

for sure. For sure. Yeah. Yeah. So are there

some like. practical sort of tips or ways that

you can think of that like might help us to set

up reminders for ourselves in those moments where

it's easy to forget so i know for me what let's

say a situation happens that's really hard that

i'm really i'm super anxious right i my emotions

will skyrocket. And because of that, I forget

that God is in control, that I can pray, you

know, that really when these things happen, the

first thing I should do is pray and go to God.

But I'm immediately like, oh my gosh, like this

is happening. Like, what do I do? What do I do?

What do I do? And I think it's when those moments

happen, like happen, start setting up the habit

or the pattern of just being like, okay god something

happened and i'm stressed just help me or just

god help me even like and start to kind of train

that within yourself because it's not something

that's going to happen immediately it might take

years for maybe your old emotional habits to

kind of become these new emotional habits um

but yeah just being like even just doing that

like just like as soon as you feel that anxiety

being like god help me and just going to try

to manage whatever's there yeah yeah just like

making sure that that's a routine yeah yeah absolutely

yeah it's like routines for me help a ton just

like if in the mornings what do you do and having

a set routine really can help build those habits

in so when things go off it's a lot easier to

snap back into oh right i remember this yeah

yeah yeah for sure the other thing i find really

helpful especially like throughout my school

like i just have a bunch of little stuffies and

pictures on my wall they're just nearby yeah

which they're just fun cute Sure. But it's really

nice to look at some of them and be like, okay,

there's still something, even if it's just not

animated, but it's still something to remind

me, okay, pause for a second and think. Yeah.

Go back. I like to remember elementary school

or Sunday schools where they had all sorts of

things posted on the walls of like Sunday verses

or pictures like crosses everywhere. But it's

just those little reminders to look and see something

go, ah, visual cue. Take a deep breath. Yep.

pray to God, see what we can do. Yeah. Yeah.

So like I have, um, on my wall in my bedroom,

I have this like collage of pictures of different

moments and people in my lives that are really

important. But then I've written around it, this

verse from Psalms that says, return to your rest.

Oh my soul for the Lord has been good to you.

Right. And just like in those moments where I'm

laying on my bed, having an existential crisis,

right. Just to be like, Oh wait, god was good

and in each of these different moments in my

life god provided me with community god provided

me with beautiful spaces right and so i can turn

to some of those people and be okay um or even

if i'm you know that doesn't feel like the right

thing to do in that moment just remembering god

has always been there god has always provided

i am not doing life on my own exactly right and

it is that yeah just that like Thing on the wall

that's like, this is what's happening right now.

Yeah. I think one advice is, you know, when people

actually try to give you advice or talk to you,

you know, you can listen to it, but you also

got to remember, where is it coming from? Sure.

You know, if it's not coming from a Christian

perspective, if it's not coming from a Bible

believing church going Christian. And maybe it

may not be the right answer. Sure. You know,

it's like we need discernment. But we need discernment

from God. Yeah. We need godly discernment. Sure.

So if somebody is telling you a piece of advice

or you should go do this or you should do that.

Yeah. You know, I feel like it'll have more weight

if it comes from a Christian. Sure. Because we're

always trying to be Christ for it and doing trying

to live our best. life as christians right yeah

and and so therefore like surrounding yourself

with the right people sort of becomes a reminder

in and of itself right i mean often people will

have like they have good intentions or they yep

their heart is in the right place but they're

you know they're they're not they're not followers

of christ so it's like you kind of have to take

it with a bit of grain of salt. Yeah. And sometimes

we might need like just that reminder to be like,

okay, maybe that sounded like advice that could

in this situation be helpful or maybe it isn't,

but then just remembering and going back to God

and being like, wait, what did God say about

this in the Bible? And just being like, I think

even just like surrendering in that moment to

be like, God, I'm just going to do what you.

I love that you have like stuffies and like,

you know, like little quotes and things like

that. I recently got these like little tiny Jesus

figures. I take it off. I don't know if I can

say that. And then I just put him like the little

figure like on my desk so that when I'm really

stressed out at work or anything's happening,

I just see that and I'm like, okay, God help

me. And I just go in and I think it's, For a

lot of people, it's like it doesn't even have

to be like a small little figure. It doesn't

have to be a cross. It doesn't even have to be

close. It could be anything that just between

you and God, you're like, I just need that visual

reminder. And you just kind of keep it with you

or around you so that. if people can't remind

you, at least that can remind you. Yeah. There's

this story in the book of Joshua. So the Israelites

are going into the promised land. They've crossed

over this river and the command from God is on

the other side of this river that you've just

crossed over miraculously. The river has sort

of slowed so that the people could get across

it because usually it was too much water and

stuff. They get to the other side of the river

and God is like, okay, now set up a stone monument

so that when your kids are walking along this

river and they say, what is that stone monument

about? You can say, oh, that was a reminder that

God helped us across this river, that God has

been with us to bring us into this promised land.

Now, I don't know what this stone monument looked

like. It's possibly just a big pile of rocks

because they took some rocks into the river and

made a monument. it might not look like much

to anybody really. But for those people in that

moment, those rocks are a reminder of God's faithfulness.

Right. And so. Visual cue. Yeah. A visual cue,

a tangible cue, you know, like sometimes it's

like, okay, just like go like take a rock, take

a stick, a leaf, like a whatever it is, like

maybe from a special place, from a special like

moment that just is like a thing you can hold

in your hand. To say, this is a reminder that

God is with me. This is a reminder of a time

when I know for real that God is real, that God

is faithful. Yeah. It's a continued reminder

he's always walking with me, too. Yeah, yeah.

Never goes away. I can't get away from this guy.

Yeah, sure. Yeah, yeah. Thank you for a good

thing. Yeah. The world will try to make sure

that you forget that, though. Sure. And that's

why we have to. be reminded yeah we have to be

really intentional about it for sure for sure

um okay so we've talked about uh other people

pouring into us we've talked about ways to sort

of remind ourselves what about pouring our faith

into other people how do we continue that chain

um yeah are there examples that you can think

of of ways that you have been able to pour into

other people and and how that has impacted your

faith I think I get to go back to my time at

camp where it was a first. It was a bunch of

leaders, just everyday leaders who were just

a few years older than me who would pour knowledge

into me. They would talk with me about, hey,

this is what the word of God said. What do you

think about these stories and challenge my beliefs?

After that, I got to do kind of the same thing

to others when I go, hey, maybe it's hanging

out with friends or maybe it's going back to

camp, but hanging out with people younger than

me. Yeah. I would get to parrot some of the same

things like, oh, this is a good challenge. What

do you think? Yeah. And put it back onto them.

But it doesn't have to be like sanctioned times

like, hey, it's Sunday school. We're always going

to come back to this, which is still a good thing.

Sure. But it can happen at any given point. Yeah.

Just walking down the street, have a question.

Oh, I think I have a story that goes with this.

And you can link it back. Sure. But it's through

the little moments that are big. Yeah. Yeah.

For sure. I would say so. Like I mentioned earlier,

my mom and dad, they did not grow up Christian

or in the church. And I am very blessed to have

had that opportunity and to. know jesus um so

i think even just like at home like whenever

um i'm with my mom and dad i'm like i'm just

gonna pray for you guys for your health for something

um i'm just going to like sometimes we'll talk

about like world events or things like that and

then i connect it back to um what jesus said

in the bible about revelation things like that

right um and just being like how in these moments

we have to be kind we have to keep serving each

other um because that is something that jesus

um did in the gospels and so in a way i i hope

that i can pour that out to um my my parents

and i hope that i can um maybe just again like

rob said you you don't know you can't control

the soil but just like planting those seeds um

i think can be really powerful. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, at work or with friends, wherever. It's

fun to see. Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, yeah. What

about you, Amav? Like, I find, like, I'm able

to talk a lot more about my faith with my life

group. Sure. Or just doing sermon questions or

so. Yep. And that definitely is a help, for sure.

And then outside of the home, like, Once in a

while, I might say something that relates to

Christianity to my family, but it's still kind

of a dicey thing. Cause I know there's going

to be, I know there's resistance on all sides

and it's sort of like you, you almost have to

have like a numbness to it. Like, you know, that

like, you, you know, that they're not followers,

you know, that they're, they're stuck in their

ways. You know, that there's going to be resistance,

but I mean, Jesus, preached anywhere and everywhere.

You know, it's, you know, it's like, I admire

people that are bold Christians that are unapologetic

Christians. Like, you know, like they'll say,

you know, like, I mean, you look at street preachers,

they'll talk to, they'll talk to, they'll go

into the lion's den and they'll get cut and bruised,

but they'll still go. Sure. You know, I'm not

there yet. And I don't know that that's actually

like, the model for everyone i don't think everyone

is going to get there i don't think everyone

needs to get there right like i think that that

is yeah a way that some people pour in pour their

faith into other people but i think that actually

the most effective way to do it is super relationally

right it's with the people that we see every

day or that we see on a regular basis it's with

um yeah whether it's very explicit, like, okay,

I'm going to pray for you or, Oh, let's have

an actual discussion about the Bible or about

Jesus. Like that's definitely one way to do it.

That works really well for some people, but sometimes

it's just showing up. Sometimes it's just serving

and loving like Jesus loves. Um, and, and doing

those things that plant the seed. Yeah. Right.

And then being willing and ready to water that

seed as it grows. Right. But it starts, it starts

with love. It starts with being authentic and

being honest about who I am and what my faith

is and why that's important. And other people

will see that and they'll take an interest or

not, but that's not, I don't get to control that.

And sometimes you don't have to be what causes

people to turn to Christ. You can be a step to

it. Of course. I mean, I think. I think we all

want that hero moment of, oh, I was the one that

helped, you know, and I was the one that got

them, right, you know? Yeah. But sometimes it's

just, you know, you're a ripple in the pond.

For sure. And you're just, yeah. I'm just there

to help them along the way. Yeah. So I think

it's important, even if there's resistance, it's

always keeping the door open for them. For sure.

Just in case. Yeah. You might say, no, that's

totally fine. Door's here whenever you like it.

Of course. It's ready whenever you are. Yeah.

Which is why Christianity is about spreading

the gospel, not about... converting people or

changing people's hearts. For sure. Yeah. Thank

you so much, folks. I think this has been a really

helpful conversation to think about how faith

is passed on, who pours into us, who we're pouring

into and how to set up those really tangible

reminders of God's faithfulness from generation

to generation to generation. And thank you for

tuning in to this week's episode of Trinity Talks.

I pray that you have people who are pouring into

and developing your faith and that you find ways

to pour into and develop the faith of us. And

we will see you again next week.