God is Not Complicated with Maria & Justice Coleman

This is a special episode because it involves my pastors Maria & Justice Coleman who have ultimately healed my relationship with God and the church. If you’re like me, been hurt by the church or its leadership, have been back and forth understanding God, while others complicate it, then this episode is for you. Maria and Justice have led a life & church of keeping God uncomplicated and remind me, us, the heart of God. I pray this episode touches you and heals you in a special way.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome back to the Overcover Podcast. I am your host,
Jedda Kalopez. Thank you guys so much for choosing to
watch and listen to this episode. Today, I have very
special guests which I'm excited to share with you. Guys.
This might be a little bit more personal. I don't
know exactly where this conversation is going to go because
I just want to be as vulnerable and honest as possible.

(00:25):
But they are my pastors Justice and Maria Coleman of
Freedom Church. To be honest, I've kept Freedom a secret
from people in general, and maybe that's a bad thing,
and I'm sorry, but because I've like, I find it
such a sacred space and a home that I would
like to keep it protected. I don't keep it away

(00:48):
from my friends because you know, everybody needs salvation. I
don't have a selfish and I'm like, I don't want
the whole world to know where I'm going or you know,
follow me. But last week I talked about it with
the person that actually invited me, to not invite me,
but showed me freedom. His name is Dom and he goes.
He's part of whatever you do on Mondays with the boys.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
Oh we call it man code Monday. Yes, we have
a boot camp Forgot.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yes exactly. He says that he's been going there whatever.
But anyways, it has been an amazing space for me.
And as like I talked, prior, finding a church and
calling it a home has been very traumatizing. You know,
grew up in Hispanic churches. Like how I explained, it

(01:36):
is very and I have a very dominant Latin community
watching and I know you're Latina too, and you.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
Know, get a little street. I have three kids and wife.
When I get up from the seat, they can take
my seat, how's it? And they go and I go,
give my seat and they go, Dad, that's the Mexican rule.
They take my seat and I and I have nothing

(02:05):
to say because I guess I'm not allowed to just
take seats and they can take my seat. It's the rule.
It's the rule.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
But it is like and I'm sure you guys are familiar,
and I'm sure that people that have gone to Freedom
to have shared their experiences in Hispanic churches. But long
story short, it is very hard to connect with pastors
and for you guys to be in my home and
my space today means a lot to me.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
So thanks what an honor.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
You guys have busy schedules, so honored, and you know,
you guys have a whole church to run, manage and
all that, Like I get it. But sometimes growing up
it felt like they were unreachable, like they were the
celebrities that you couldn't go and talk to them, or
that they wanted something.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
From you, you know, and the two opposite vibes that
Jesus would put out exactly, like if Jesus was the
pastor of the church, or if he was leading a
community of faith, he would be the most approachable person, right,
and he wouldn't be trying to take from you who
be trying to get exactly right. He wouldn't try to
be served, He would try to serve right like the
two opposite vibes tend to be associated sometimes with pastors.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
Which exactly which is why I feel so comfortable and
safe with you guys, even with the minimal conversations that
we've had, Like you guys have made it so relatable
and so again comfortable to be in a church and
to be I don't want to say, like like you
can you don't have to be the most holiest person

(03:29):
in that room, like you like, it's you guys, don't
shove it down. Their throats are like tithe, tithe, tithe
either like or you know, demanding certain things like you
guys just make it a safe space. And I want
to know, like, as pastors or even as your guys'
experience is opening up a church, have you made that
a point intentionally or was it just kind of how

(03:50):
it flowed or you know what, what was the main
thing that you guys wanted to make a difference for freedom?

Speaker 2 (03:57):
Well, so I was trained in a Hispanic church. So
my wife's dad was.

Speaker 1 (04:02):
The past He really wants to be Hispanic.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Okay, guys Africa. Jeez, guys, my back hurts because someone
give me some vapor rub I need to see. Yeah,
well are you want to say correctly? Yeah? Yeah, So
I was trained at Hispanic church. I was like, I
was really, I think, the only white guy in the church.

(04:25):
But loved it so much, loved all the people. Didn't
love going to church for two hours though, two and
a half hours sometimes three. How long were church services
when you grew up?

Speaker 1 (04:34):
They were long. We would have these things called yes right, yes,
there all night vigil Yeah, there all night worshiping which
is great.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
No food, just fasting, praying menu though in the morning, yeah, candles,
candles pretty much.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
Candles. It was just dark worshiping, just the whole night. Man.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, so I didn't like the long services. That was
the only thing. I I also didn't like have to
wear dress clothes every week.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
So I got to do the announcements every week, which
you know in the Hispanic church, that's kind of the
big deal, right we did you give the announcements. It's
not exactly preacher from the Bible, but if you get
to say, you know, the youth croup fundraisers coming up
or And I remember I showed up and uh, I
had vans on, like checkered vans, and I gave the announcements,
and afterward my pastor called me in his office and

(05:23):
he's like, hey, you know, we're just gonna have Sister
so and so do the announcements from now on. And
I was like, man, okay, and I walked out, and
then I walked back in and I said, Pastor ca
asked you a question, is this because I was wearing
vans today and not dress shoes, And he's like yeah.
I was like, I actually went to go pick up
some kids and bring them to church on the way here,
and I was in a hurry. I was like, if
I wear dress shoes, can I still do the announcements?

(05:45):
He's like you, and then he bestowed back, He bestowed
upon me the right to do so. The long services
and the wearing dress clothes was the only other than that.
Other than that, I loved every single thing else about church.
I still love church to this day. I've seen so
many lives changed. You're just tell me about your life
being changed at church. And I just think that when
you get the right people around you, right and you

(06:05):
focus on the right things, and for us that's Jesus man,
a lot of amazing things can happen because you're going
the same direction as people. You kind of have a
goal to transform together to be this best version of yourself, which,
by the way, is how God already sees us, so
he's helping us with that. So yeah, I think I
didn't start a church with Maria saying how are we

(06:26):
not going to do things? Because sometimes people are like
they start our church, because it was like, Hey, I
love all this, but I want to make sure to
do this other version. I just wanted to have a
church where people who were far from God could come.
And we started a church in our apartment with seven friends.
I mean, Marie can tell you the story on that.
But it was not about being not about being something
that we wasn't like doing something new or better.

Speaker 1 (06:47):
I think too.

Speaker 3 (06:47):
We both grew up in church, so we were used
to certain traditions and things that were so programmed in
us that we didn't even think about them. It was
just how things have always been. Yeah, And so when
we were going to start the we were young, we
were twenty six years old, and we really went on
like a quest to just read the Bible and was like,

(07:08):
what are the things that just are true to like
the early Church, the things that like, you know, why
do we pass communion in gold plates with red felt
on the bottom?

Speaker 2 (07:17):
Like where did that come from? Gold plates that are
not real gold? Like it would make sense if it was,
Like I remember the first time the gold plate came by,
I'm like that looks heavy, heavy, and I'm like, oh,
this is this is a fake gold plate.

Speaker 3 (07:29):
So then we just started thinking, like what what's the
simplest form of the message of Jesus, And like if
we took everything elsewey, what are the things.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
That we have to get right right?

Speaker 3 (07:39):
You know what I mean, what are the things that
kind of because we grew up in churches and we
loved them, but we realize our friends that were far
from Christ, they felt like they couldn't come in, They
felt alienated, they felt like, I'm gonna burn when I
walk in, and.

Speaker 2 (07:55):
My friend's still tell me that.

Speaker 3 (07:56):
You know, the traditions just kept people away, and so
we just were so burdened. We're like, we have we
know the answer.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
We have hope.

Speaker 3 (08:05):
His name's Jesus, and we experienced him through this this
place called the church, and it's beautiful, but there's like
this wedge. So how do we get the wedge out
of the way so that anyone can come experience Jesus?
And so that was kind of like our quests in
the beginning. It's like what things are necessary and what
things aren't, what things are biblical.

Speaker 2 (08:25):
This friend who had really really bad mental health struggle,
and I remember actually he called me one night when
when he had kind of come to the end of
his rope literally, I mean it was and you know,
I'm like, I gotta get this guy's life. I mean,
I just know if I can just get them in church,
you know. And so he's finally came out of like
obligation like fine, I'll come. You know, you were there
for me and my trust stuff, this moment type of thing.

(08:48):
So I bring them in like so many times, I'm
like leaning over your shoulder, like explaining what we're doing,
like this part means this and this is why we
do this. And I realized, Wow, we have made something
that's supposed to be so uncomplicated complex for people. And
they're like dawned on me because I was like God
never intended faith to be complicated. This is supposed to
be the most simple thing, not easiest thing. It's not

(09:08):
easy to follow Jesus. Being a Christian is the hardest
thing you'll ever do. But he gives you the Holy
Spirit to help because it's hard. But we we do
make things unnecessarily complicated. And like we were doing. I
remember what we were doing, and he's like, I need
a cigarette, And he got up and left and went
outside smoked. He never came back, you know, but I
remember he showed up with like because he had tattoos
all the way down to his ankle, his wrists, and

(09:30):
he had like he had like a flannel all the
way down. He was hiding all the tattoos, and like
he felt so uncomfortable. And I'm like, I wonder what
would happen if we could just get all of these
barriers out of the way and just let God do
what God wants to do when he loves somebody. I think,
I think even to this day, I'm still kind of
doing that at Freedom. I'm like, do we need to
do that? Is that? Frankly? Is that making things more

(09:50):
complicated for people? You know? So that's why our church
service is like only an hour long. Maybe because I
have add I don't know, but I feel like an
hour is good, you know what? An hour of power? Yeah,
I call.

Speaker 1 (10:01):
It, which I like and appreciate, which even like parts
of me, my little growing up. I'm like, maybe you
can go just a little bit longer, a little bit more, But.

Speaker 3 (10:11):
Then I'm like, no, then it's just like it's better
if you like want more and you have to leave
as opposed to like.

Speaker 2 (10:20):
But honestly, you guys are ladies, and I'm sure you
love to sing songs, and you know my friends that
I bring for my jiu jitsu class or from wherever
they don't want to sing. You know, I'm just like
when I'm saying next to them singing, which is awkward.
I'm just next to another dude just singing, you know.
I'm just like, hey, it's almost over. It's almost over,
like always someone we're on.

Speaker 1 (10:43):
And I like what you mentioned, and you it's constant
thing that you make it uncomplicated, because yeah, I not
only do does the Bible get a little bit complicated
for some and it's meant to be uncomplicated, but exactly
think others how everyone every other person views Christians or

(11:05):
let's say in this case me growing up pastors, they've
made it complicated, you know, like again like being unreachable
or the word like it's just when you're talking about
a preaching or one verse and then the whole preaching
is about something different about condemning you for certain things,
and it's just like it pushes people away or the

(11:27):
way that people live. And I feel like once you
can dive deep into the word and you start realizing,
like we're obviously born sinners, we're going to be sitting,
we're going to be doing this, but it's we have
God's grace, and I think a lot of people forget that,
and or there's also the ones that take advantage of
God's grace and kind of just let's just going to
keep sitting in God's use.

Speaker 2 (11:48):
Perception of pastors. Oh, this is where I started interviewing you.
I do every time, dude. The last time I was
on a podcast was like, Hey, this is not your problem.
I'm down a week. So yeah, do you think in
your that's a generational thing like older pastors and the
way they were raised and stuff, or do you think
that's a why do you think that seems to be

(12:10):
kind of the standard.

Speaker 1 (12:12):
It's generational way and honestly cultural.

Speaker 3 (12:15):
Right, So in Hispanic culture there is a culture of honor, honor, Right,
you honor? Do you respect your elders, you honor your family?
And so I think that plays a heavier hand in
a Hispanic church. Yes, I think it plays a role
in all churches. And I think that people do put

(12:35):
pastors on a pedestal. Right, they don't put themselves. Maybe
they put themselves, but some people will go like, oh,
they're God's people, or.

Speaker 1 (12:43):
Like Catholics, when you walk into a Catholic church, you
know the.

Speaker 2 (12:49):
Priest.

Speaker 1 (12:49):
The priest has a whole little entrance, and like it's
just then they or in Christian ones, they take security.
They're surrounded by security, and it's kind of just like
like I don't think it's meant to be.

Speaker 2 (13:00):
Like that, well I think where that comes from.

Speaker 3 (13:03):
Sorry to get all Bible on us, but.

Speaker 2 (13:08):
You know, the Christian faith is a sect of Judaism, right.
The Messiah came out of Juicuit, right, which is eastern.
And the more east you go on the map, the
more important honor is to society. Right, So whether it's
Japanese culture, Asian cultures, or it's whether it's Jewish nature,
so everything is about honor or it's about shame. Right.
So you're like Solomon has a famous line in Proverbs,

(13:32):
your reputation, Your reputation is more important than silver or gold.
So like what people think about you, what people think
about your family. Right, So like that's why that's why
God would say he would bless to the thousandth generation
or curse to generate, right, because for them it's like
not about me, it's about my family, making my mom
and dad look good, making our family name important. So

(13:55):
it could be you could take something that like that
and put that into church and it and it have
a little bit of momentum with it because the practices
are all kind of associated with honor shame. So and
then if you look at Hispanic churches, it just kind
of fits because in Latin culture that there's already an
honor kind of dynamic there, right, or a shame dynamic,
right so, and the same thing with Catholic Church. There's

(14:17):
a lot of honor and shame there. So it all
kind of like there's a little bit of like momentum
there because of the roots of the Christian faith for
good for bad.

Speaker 1 (14:26):
So we're gonna go on a quick break and we'll
be right back with justice and Maria. Welcome back, you guys.
It makes sense. And I didn't know. Yeah, I didn't
know that the whole going I haven't going to look
into I started a Bible college, by the way, Yeah
I do online.

Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yeah no, you didn't. Are you doing the apologetics course
or are you doing the theology course?

Speaker 1 (14:43):
Theology doing my course?

Speaker 2 (14:46):
Awesome?

Speaker 1 (14:47):
You know, just not in person because I missed, I
missed the cutoff or whatever. Oh awesome, But either way,
I started, but I started learning.

Speaker 2 (14:54):
Little things and I'm just like, next TIMEE on this podcast,
when your body back, I'm gonna I'm gonna ask you.
I'm gonna ask you if you're still doing it all right?

Speaker 1 (15:01):
I got to complete all three like yes, little thing
like if not, it's gonna bother me. So I worry.
I'm going to do it and hopefully somebody else does
it like I can inspire the people. No, But the
whole point of why I started it was because if
I'm going to be in and you know, you guys
taught me this, you know, but you guys showed me that,

(15:24):
like how am I supposed to bring people more if
I don't know what I'm reading or what who God
is or understanding on And the first thing that I
learned was also in order to understand myself, I have
to understand God. And even then, like we're not wholly
going to understand.

Speaker 2 (15:39):
Him, well said, Well said? Do you feel like the
Bible is complicated for people?

Speaker 1 (15:47):
I look, and I'm gonna be honest. I would only
read it because I felt like I had to, Like.

Speaker 3 (15:54):
It's the right thing to do.

Speaker 1 (15:55):
Check it out, Christian, I got to read my Bible today,
check it off my list. But I understanding what I
was reading, and then you said this Sunday obviously the
soap method, which I have done at other churches before,
but I couldn't really just like imagine reading a chapter
and then all the whole chapter is naming all the

(16:17):
kids and everybody's kids and the son of this, and
I'm just like, how am I supposed to dissect this?

Speaker 2 (16:22):
Right?

Speaker 1 (16:22):
Whatever?

Speaker 2 (16:23):
But so I would get only there was an app
or a bible that you I feel.

Speaker 1 (16:30):
Like what really shifted for me was also my relationship
with God. Like I like I felt like because I
had these situations with pastors, like it was if it
was this hard getting connected with the pastor imagine getting
connected with God. So I started switching in and really

(16:50):
just I told myself this year, this is my year
of surrender, Like I'm not like in any type of control,
Like I don't know what I don't I don't know
what my plan is for work once this podcast podcast ends,
what am I gonna do? Like I don't know. It's exciting,
you know, it's yeah, it's nerve wrecking. And I'm a
control freak, Like I I micromanage. And I told myself, like,

(17:15):
you know what I'm at full surrender, and what am
I How am I gonna learn or what am I
gonna see? How am I gonna know? That the Spirit
is talking to me like if I don't.

Speaker 2 (17:24):
Do great, thank you no.

Speaker 1 (17:27):
And my ultimate thing is like, Okay, I'm not the
most perfect Christian and the most perfect I don't think
anybody is. But if I have this platform, if I'm
able to bring people to do something like, how am
I gonna teach them correctly or show them correctly if
I don't even know what I'm reading or what the
Bible tells me. So that's why I started the Bible College.

(17:49):
I'm like, I have to under that I'm a nerd,
like you know, I just I like to just I
need to know things, and for my family too, Like
that is one of the main things that I'm praying
for this year. You know, We've been surrounded by everyone
in my family's spiritual, not Christian, very two different things.

(18:12):
Do I my glad that maybe that God is like
the base the core, yes, of course, but the ideas
of like you know, the rocks and the numerology and
mentioning of like Freemasons and all this stuff. Like obviously

(18:33):
we all know, like it just doesn't it's not gonna
like it can't happen. You can't mix the two. So
that is one of the things that I'm praying for.
And it's like, you know what, like I need to
do this in order to bring it to them, you know,
the same way that my sister did it for me.
My older sister is the one that actually, you know,
me and her were committed to going to church. We

(18:53):
would spend hours there. We wouldn't get home till one
in the morning, and that would be in Woodier.

Speaker 3 (18:57):
Oh wow, so we lived where the girls are prettier there.

Speaker 1 (19:02):
Is my my uncle was a pastor there, and I'm
grateful because obviously that's where my faith started and began,
and you know, it felt like home because it was family.
But then things happen, you know, you grow up and
then just life and stuff and I just moved on.
But yeah, I was a worship I was part of
the worship team. I was part of the dance team.

Speaker 2 (19:23):
Like I would serve whoa you used to lead worship?

Speaker 1 (19:27):
I would I wasn't a leader.

Speaker 2 (19:29):
But yeah, you were on the band, but you're not
on my band. Wait a minute, an tell you we
got four services a weekend, and you're not You're not
saying we need that, we need you to need this gift.

Speaker 1 (19:40):
Okay, but let me tell you because I would go
to another church and you weren't allowed on the team
if you did X y Z outside of the church.

Speaker 2 (19:47):
Gotcha, gotcha.

Speaker 1 (19:48):
So it was like I'm not holy enough or I'm
not like it's I get.

Speaker 2 (19:54):
Eaten alive for my decision. For people are always like
pastors criticized me so much, I mean for everything, But dude,
I'm always like, I don't like I think that if
someone's got a gift, like that might be the way
that they learn how to connect with God is with
the gift. Because you said something so wise. You said
like when we get to know who God is, then
we find ourselves. Right, And that's the exact opposite of

(20:15):
what the world says. Right, Like all the advice we've
heard growing up was like go into the world and
go find yourself.

Speaker 3 (20:20):
I need a year to go find myself.

Speaker 2 (20:22):
And always telling people you're not as lost as you think,
Like you don't need to go somewhere to go find yourself.
When you encounter God, you when you get to know God, right,
you are made in his image, all of us are.
So you get to know more about him, you start
to realize, oh, he's designed me for something, Like I
was made for a purpose. He says in Proverbs that

(20:42):
God makes nothing without a purpose. Everything God makes has
a purpose. So when we start to get to know God,
we start to realize, oh, wait a minute, I'm here
for a purpose. He's designed me for something. These gifts
that he's given me, these interests, he's given me, the
things that I'm good at, even the things that I'm
not good at. Right, my personality, a lot of these
are all things that God is like put together for
his purpose. Right. But what we do is we start

(21:05):
going like, what's God's plan for my life? And what's
my plan and my plan? And we forget that, Like
there's no quicker way to get lost than to start
focusing on yourself like that exactly. But when you get
to know God, it happens faster than you know. It's like, oh,
I made in his image. He's made me for a purpose,
and everything starts to come together. So I always tell people,
don't go into the world to find yourself. Find God.

(21:25):
He's your creator, you know. It's your his image, you're
made and he will he'll help you find it. Yeah,
and that's such a great day. I've been a part
of so many people discovering their purpose. Like the guy
right now who's teaching, one of the new teachers in
our Bible college, Like he was an atheist two years ago.
Oh wow, right, and he was just like he's a
teacher and he just was so he was so analytical

(21:47):
and cerebral and like so brilliant, and he just kept
doing the search and he's like, there's got to be
more to this, more to this. And he was reading
all these anti Christian atheist stuff just trying to disprove God.
He like this, this is not satiating. I know there's something.
He winds up leading himself to the idea that there's
a creator. Okay, there's intelligent design behind this. And he

(22:09):
starts going through the Bible. He's like, man, the Bible
is trustworthy. This is a miracle. Then he gets all
the way to Jesus and he's like, man, Jesus actually
is God come to earth, you know. And he gets
the whole thing. And now he's in this purpose. He's teaching,
he's taking other people along that journey. But how many
of us like go through a tough time and then
we go, Man, if I was God, I never would
have let that happened to me. I never would have

(22:31):
let that happened to me. Where was God when that
happened to me? But it's so shortsighted of us because
we have to see that God can take even the
worst things that happened to us and he can use
those for his absolutely goodness. I agree he cannot waste
the pain. You know people are all the time is
like everything happens for a reason, and people criticize me
because I go I don't think so. I don't think

(22:53):
everything happens for a reason. I don't think because my
best friend died from an overdose when I was nineteen
that God did that or that happened for a reason.
I think that what happened at nineteen was I turned
my life over to God because I thought God can
do something with my life. And use the word surrender, right,
I surrender to God, and now I can be used

(23:16):
for a purpose, or that pain can be used for
a purpose. But to start saying that God did that
for a reason is a pretty awful thing. To tell people, right,
so everything doesn't happen for a reason, but it could
happen for God's purpose if we'll let it, if we'll
give it to God, you know. And so helping people
find the purpose oftentimes has to do with looking at
your gifts, looking at your pain, looking at these things

(23:39):
that have happened in your life, and go, wait a minute,
if God can do anything, what could he do with
all of this?

Speaker 1 (23:43):
Exactly?

Speaker 2 (23:44):
But you're not going to find that in the world.
You're not going to go out there and find that
in the world. He's a good God and you can
trust him, and we don't understand a lot of the
things of what he does. We'll get to ask him
one day. But but there's a lot of purpose, I believe.
There's the day that you meet Jesus, which is the
most exciting day in the world. It's like I'm no
longer I'm forgiven of all these things that I've done.

(24:05):
And you know, we've all hurt people, we've hit ourselves,
you know, and you're like, wow, like I'm forgiven. But
then there's the day that you find out why He
saved you. Like there are big things and there's great
purposes in store.

Speaker 1 (24:17):
For your life, which I feel like I'm in that
space right now where like I'm like I've told you guys,
I've been Christian since I was twelve. I remember the
day that I was saved. But I feel like I'm
there's like levels each time. Yeah, like I'm getting to
know God in like different areas, like okay, cool, my
mom passes away and that same day I still let worship.

Speaker 2 (24:40):
Stop it at fifteen, fifteen years old, did your pastor know?

Speaker 1 (24:45):
Yeah? That was the pastor was my uncle, my mom's brother.

Speaker 2 (24:49):
You're well, hold on, Yeah, your mom passed away.

Speaker 1 (24:52):
In a planet on a Sunday. Yeah, and you.

Speaker 2 (24:54):
Get a phone call you're fifteen, and then your pastor
tells you to lead worship.

Speaker 1 (24:59):
No, I didn't tell me.

Speaker 2 (25:00):
I still chose to. Oh wow, that's a totally different thing. Yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no,
oh my gosh.

Speaker 1 (25:05):
I still chose to. We still because at that time
that Sunday, it was the plane is lost. We don't
know where she's at. It wasn't that she had passed
away yet.

Speaker 2 (25:14):
So why did you do that that day?

Speaker 1 (25:19):
I don't know, I just did.

Speaker 2 (25:20):
What do you think I think?

Speaker 1 (25:22):
I don't I I think that was the only I
just knew that God was the only thing that's gonna
maybe bring her back. That was the only like okay, God,
Like that was my surrender at that time, Like okay,
I mean, you know, this is it. Ultimately it wasn't that.

(25:42):
It wasn't that she you know, she didn't come back
or whatever. But I still, like I feel like now
in this space of my life, I'm twenty seven years old,
like and I feel like I'm I just got saved again. Heck,
you know, but I've been like when I'm telling you,
I've been like Christian every day. I play my worship
music every day, Like, yes, I felt like I've smoked,

(26:04):
I've drunk, I've cursed it. You know I've done I've.

Speaker 2 (26:06):
Cursed you know what I mean. Like you still curse
texta worship team. You can't sing on the worship team.
You can't sing, she curses.

Speaker 1 (26:19):
But those are things that people have said. And that's
my sister too. My sister was a worship the actual
worship leader at it at some point.

Speaker 2 (26:26):
And where's your sister now?

Speaker 1 (26:28):
My sister, Well, one of them lives like down the
street right here, but the other one lives.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
Pretty far, but she ever come to freedom.

Speaker 1 (26:35):
She went one time, but I'll share that after that.
After no, not that it was it, but you know,
I was just really excited that it was either going
to be one of you and then it wasn't.

Speaker 2 (26:49):
She came on a day when we weren't preaching.

Speaker 1 (26:50):
Yeah, yeah, but I mean it was good. It was good.

Speaker 2 (26:53):
Did she like the donuts?

Speaker 1 (26:54):
The kids did?

Speaker 2 (26:55):
Okay, we get free donuts.

Speaker 1 (26:58):
But as I was saying, like, I like, I'm like
learning again and again. Is it the same for you guys?
Like as pastors like, do you feel like your faith
and you know, you guys are growing continually continuously.

Speaker 3 (27:11):
I would say that the longer I know Jesus, the
sweeter he grows. That's an old hymn and I like
quote it all the time.

Speaker 2 (27:19):
Beautiful.

Speaker 3 (27:21):
I didn't come up with that, but my grandparents used
to pay this song like the longer I serve Him,
the sweeter he grows, and so there's always more of
God available, And the longer I serve him, the deeper
relationship gets. But the other thing that is so important
to my faith is walking with people that are experiencing
Him for the first time.

Speaker 2 (27:40):
Oh, yeah, like.

Speaker 3 (27:41):
That also reignites my faith because you know when you
were married, right, we've almost been married twenty years. That's
a long time. Yeah, you know, and like our relationship
has deepened and grown in awesome ways. But it's not
like when we first met and it was like, oh
my God, I can't I have to see him and
I you know, it's deeper than that, but it's so

(28:02):
stop anyway, So it grows. It's beautiful, there's more of him.
There's always more of God because he's so big. But
one thing that is so important to following Jesus as
having seeing people have their first moments with him, like
getting to be with people when they're baptized or them

(28:23):
encountering Jesus for the first time. It like almost makes
me like fall in love with him all over again,
you know. And so yes, and then paired with like
getting to see you know, we get a front row
to people seeing you know, getting to see people encounter Jesus.
And that's why we started the church. We were like,
we have friends that are lost and need hope and

(28:44):
need Jesus and he's everything to us. And so getting
to start something and do something where people get to
encounter him is just it's wonderful.

Speaker 1 (28:54):
I love that. Yeah, I think that's beautiful because it's
something so indescribable and I've I feel like, no matter
how much we talk about it, people have to experience
it for themselves, you know. And that's why like I
get like seeing my friends and I'm just like I'm
finally you guys are understanding me, like I can see
what I'm feeling or you guys know like what this

(29:16):
feels like, and you could start paying a touch to
the cues like is this like God speaking to you
or is it something else? Like like it brings such
like fulfillment and it's like okay, Like then you start
feeling like, Okay, I do my job as a Christian,
like you know, like I'm I'm doing enough. Although it's
not that it's not the idea, but it's like okay,
like I don't I could I could say that like wow,

(29:39):
like I've I'm doing what God called me to do,
like I'm actually fulfilling my purpose instead of just seeing
it and not really understanding it.

Speaker 2 (29:48):
Or like you know, do you have a purpose statement yet?

Speaker 1 (29:52):
What does that mean?

Speaker 2 (29:53):
A purpose statement kind of like like a mission statement
but a purpose statement for your life where you like,
you know, this is what I'm focused on, this is
what I was created to do, this is what I'm
all about. I don't seems like you're in that spot though, right,
Like you said, you're surrendered. You have a lot of
things not lined up next year because you're like really
open to God leading away and you said you are

(30:15):
more of a control freak by nature, and so it's
very hard to trust God without planning things out. Man,
I'm excited for you.

Speaker 1 (30:21):
Thank you. No, I appreciate it, and you know why,
like I chose a surrender too, because I've also you know,
get into the next little topic. I've also been single
for a while, so I'm like, you know, what, were
you married before? No, No, I was. It's you know,
but it's just it's been a journey and I'm just
I've I was like, you know what, instead of searching
for it, I'm just going to let God handle it,

(30:43):
you know. So I kind of want to know, Like
there's been this saying or like I've heard people say
Christians specifically like you'll know when you know, like you'll
just know.

Speaker 2 (30:53):
So you know, we have a podcast. Yes, it's called
The Uncomplicated Podcast, and people ask questions and then we
talk about them and we you know, and the audience
is we try to make the audience like not Christians right,
like try to just kind of make it right Christian
and Jason, I guess you'd say whatever. And I am
telling you the number one questions that we get is
dating questions. Dating and marriage questions. We get that all

(31:15):
day long. And look, by the grace of God, we've
been married almost twenty years. I do think we have
a great marriage. I mean, clearly after what she just said.
You know, I know that I love her more than
she loves me. You know, not true. She's a little
hot and cold over here. I'm always hot. Yeah, but yeah,
I think that people who are twenty seven years old,
like yourself or maybe even whatever age, there's like this

(31:37):
sense like, Okay, as exciting as it is to have
all the different relationships are be be free. Like there's
a lot, there's like a deep kind of like I
want to be a mom. I want to have kids,
you know, I want to I want there's just something
in all I'm not in all of us, not in
all of us. But remember that story in the Bible

(31:57):
where God created this peron world. And then but Adam
was by himself. Remember, He's like, then God made this
and it was good. And he made this and it
was good, and he made this one was good. And
then the first thing that wasn't good was he goes,
it's not good for man to be alone. Remember, and
that's not just about marriage, that's about in general we
need to have people around us, right. But for him

(32:20):
it was like, all right, let's team you up with somebody.
And the truth is that God is he is a
team in a way. He's a father, he's a son,
he's the Holy Spirit. So he is a relationship. So
there's something about like becoming a reflection of God or
something about like serving and loving another person that changes you. Right.

(32:41):
So the whole marriage thing is a pretty awesome thing.
And it's like, I feel like a lot of people
they see it on the outside, They're like, I want
to be married because I don't want to be alone, right,
And sure, that's there. I'm trying to just affirm that
like anybody who's watching who's like, hey, is it weird?
I want to get married because I don't want to be alone.
That's the oldest story the whole Bible. That's not a
bad thing, right, But the other day, my my my

(33:04):
friend of mine was marrying somebody and they weren't they
weren't that into them, and I was like, I don't,
are you sure you should be doing this? And I'm like, well,
there's nothing worse than being alone, and I like grab
my heart. I was like, yeah, there is something worse
than being alone marrying the wrong person. I was like,
don't do that, you know. And so yeah, for your

(33:26):
question about like marriage and stuff like that, we have
hours and hours of these questions and we love it
because I think that's a big question everybody asks, you know,
and I don't think that you're incomplete though without.

Speaker 1 (33:38):
Something No, no, no, of course not no. And I don't
feel that way, which is which is a great place
to be. I've just learned that obviously, this is my
season of preparation and you know, God's preparing me for
that time and same vice versa, Like I'm huge on
praying for whoever my partner's going to be, my husband,
like still be in like the same way preparing him me.

(34:00):
I hope he's at church on a Sunday, you know, whatever. No,
that's what I want to know. Did you know how
did you know it was him? Because I know you
gave him a hard time.

Speaker 2 (34:11):
She tried to break up me. Yeah, like you know twice.
Get this letter on my face.

Speaker 3 (34:18):
So my story in short, was I used to be
like into guys right, like the idea of love getting carerried.
I was boy crazy and always thought like, oh, this
could be the one because I grew up in church
hearing there was the one, right and that's not a
biblical term, but the one is a thing we heard often.

(34:40):
I'm at church camp is the one up here? Like,
And so I was always into someone kind of and
I just I was in a relationship he was into
himself more than he was into me. Broke my heart.
Then I rebounded into the same thing, and I I
just remember being so just. I had no self worth.

(35:05):
My heart was broken. And then that's when the enemy
lies to you and was like you're worthless, no one
will ever love you. And then he just has to
lie to you once and then you just have to
cycle those thoughts in your head. And so here I
am just broken, feeling like dirt, and the Lord spoke
to me and it was actually through someone. I was

(35:29):
at this church event for my friend and I was
just volunteering. I was in Bible College and we had
to get volunteer hours and so I was like ushering people.
And it was a pastor from a different country and
he was praying for people and the line was over
and I was there, just okay, line's over, thank you,

(35:50):
and he was like, can I pray for you? And
I was like sure, and he put his hand on
my head and like I just instantly felt the love
of God and I don't like people touching me, so
it was I knew it was the Lord because it
wasn't like normally I'd be like, don't touch it. And
he put his hand on my head and he was
just like you've been hurt by two men. And he
started reading my mail and I was like, oh no,

(36:11):
what is he gonna say it? And I just begin
to like cry and he's like, but the Lord wants
you to know that he's preparing a man for you,
and like this man will not hurt you. And he
just went on and I was like, man, God loves
me so much that there are people that are like
going through like real trauma. Yet he loves me so

(36:31):
much that he's going to speak to my little like
broken heart. And I just walked out and made a
decision that like I wasn't going to date anymore for
a season, that like God told me he was preparing
someone for me, and I was going to trust that
and I wasn't going to like serial date anymore. And

(36:51):
so I went on a journey, and let me tell you,
that was not fun. All my friends were like engaged,
they were all like in serious relationships. So on Saturday nights,
I was like at home, I'm like, Okay, Lord, am
I supposed to like read the Bible? This is lame?
I am, you know, like I love you, but like,
please honor this time that I'm living.

Speaker 1 (37:11):
I feel lonely and.

Speaker 2 (37:13):
Lame right now, Jesus.

Speaker 3 (37:15):
And I mean that season felt long. It probably wasn't
as long as it felt. And then I think I
went on like one date. My friend was like, Hey,
this guy's great, blah blah blah. And then I just
went out once and I was like, hey, this he's great,
but this isn't it right? And so then it wasn't
like I wasn't dating, because I.

Speaker 2 (37:35):
Even you didn't even date him because he had front
row tickets to usher Kanye West. This time I had.

Speaker 3 (37:41):
I had tickets to usher Kanye.

Speaker 2 (37:45):
Tickets.

Speaker 1 (37:46):
We met like the.

Speaker 2 (37:47):
Next quesh she saw John Legend before he was even
John Legends true row.

Speaker 1 (37:51):
Anyway, we're gonna go on a quick break and we'll
be right back with Justice and Maria. Welcome back you guys.

Speaker 3 (37:58):
So then I I met him and we were friends
for almost a year. Like I was super tracted to him,
but I was just like, I actually value him so
much more as a friend that if we let it
get romantic, I was worried it would ruin it. And
so we just kind of pushed our feelings aside for
a while. And then my grandma would be like, you

(38:19):
guys are in love, and I'm like, no, Grandma, we're not,
like we're best friends.

Speaker 2 (38:23):
And I mean, well, you heard something and you're saying
the same thing about like being prepared. Yeah, I think
that's important to have that mentality. Every time God uses
somebody in the Bible, he prepares him first, think about it.
Like Adam and Eve. Adam had to name all the
animals in the garden, take care of the garden, and
take care of before he met before God could trust

(38:44):
him with a woman. Yeah, I mean that's kind of
crazy to think about. He didn't create him at the
same time. And then you go to the next one.
It's like Noah right, building that arc, you know, all that,
all that he'd prepare, all that before he was entrusted
with like a whole new world. Right. And then you
have Abraham. Right, he got this promise that he would
be the father of many nations and his wife, but

(39:07):
his wife didn't even have a baby till like one
hundred something. Crazy. He had to wait like so many years,
just keeping trusting that God, you know. So he's being prepared.
So I think when God makes us wait, it's actually preparation.

Speaker 1 (39:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:18):
And a lot of times we think you could probably
wait without being prepared, but that would be a waste
a waiting season and a preparation season or probably the
same thing.

Speaker 1 (39:28):
Yeah, And I think that that's exactly what I'm in
right now. And I kind of just want to be
that example also for others, because I feel like people
just take whatever they take love or the attention and
whatever feels good, right, whatever feels okay, uncomfortable.

Speaker 3 (39:45):
And I would say that time of preparation did help
me make decisions because there was a moment where I
was like, I'm madly in love with this guy. But
then I was like, there's some things about your life
at this moment that like, God's taken me this direction,
and I don't see you heading.

Speaker 2 (40:03):
There go to church. I was like a Christian who
didn't go to church.

Speaker 3 (40:07):
He would just barely given his life to Jesus, so
he was cycling out all of this his old life.
And I was like, look, I love you, like I'm
madly in love with you, but God's taking me this way,
and so if you're not coming this way, then this
isn't gonna work.

Speaker 2 (40:24):
Do you imagine like if you go through a preparation
or waiting season and you get so confident, like with
you and God and who He's made you to be,
that like you can actually make you can say things
like that, well, and that was the Lord because I can't.
I'm not gonna. I'm not going to satisfy this immediate
desire of loneliness or whatever it is, because I don't
need you to complete me. I'm complete in Him. I

(40:44):
don't need you to give me the affirmation or tell
me who I am he already does that, right, you don't.
My identity doesn't come from being in this relationship, Like
I'm good, right, And I think if if we could
all live like that, like I'm good without them, So
when they come into their life, they come to math.
I don't need something from you, exactly, But when two
people need something from each other, that can be challenging, right,

(41:06):
that can be very challenging. So, uh, it can it
can turn pretty bad.

Speaker 1 (41:11):
And I think that's what you discover in your season
of waiting and preparation, like discovering yourself and like being okay,
which is being alone in exactly, and then also understanding
what you're waiting for, the type of person that you're
waiting for, like if you're not meeting me here or

(41:32):
even above me, like I need you to like be
better than I need you to have more faith than
I do at this moment. You know, like I don't
want to feel like I'm the only one that's like.

Speaker 3 (41:42):
You don't want to feel like you're pulling him?

Speaker 2 (41:44):
AULD tell you so many stories.

Speaker 1 (41:47):
Yeah, which is I think that I've learned to appreciate
and be patient with myself and understand God in this
season although it is very very like it's frustrating.

Speaker 2 (42:00):
Girl. If God's got somebody great for you, he is
worth the way. Absolutely, you're worth the way.

Speaker 1 (42:05):
I thank you so just yes, thank you God going
to honor this.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
Sure, don't waste the weight. That's the name of the
new message just came up. But don't waste the way.
That's a good title.

Speaker 1 (42:16):
There, you know, there you go. No, but I've also
been prophesied of, like you know this is X. Your
husband's going to be this man.

Speaker 2 (42:23):
Six foot three? What?

Speaker 1 (42:25):
You know what? They didn't say that, but I hope
so because I'm pretty every.

Speaker 2 (42:32):
Girl has a list of all the things? Right?

Speaker 1 (42:34):
Is that?

Speaker 2 (42:35):
Is that allowed? Are you allowed to make a list
of all the things?

Speaker 3 (42:37):
I mean a lot of girls have a list.

Speaker 1 (42:38):
Look, I feel like it's the desires of our hearts.
I put it on a paper. These are the I'm
praying for this. I am believing that God will give me.
You know, it's fine if one thing's not out there,
you know, but these are the things that I want,
and I feel like God will fulfill that. Hey I do,
I do, I knew whatever I mean. If not, I'm
just then God will humble me. Then that's fine.

Speaker 2 (42:59):
Hey, you're his daughter and God loves you, and he's
going to give his best to his daughter. But he
might have to prepare the guy. Maybe the guy's not ready.
See I wasn't ready. We're here, I'm still I'm still
I'm in a deficit. God's She's still out of my league.
It's still a situation where I'm trying to catch up.
I got to be the man of God that she deserves,
you know.

Speaker 1 (43:19):
And I think everyone is worthy and deserving of that,
but obviously like understanding that it starts with God first. Yeah,
you know, And That's where I'm at right now.

Speaker 3 (43:30):
And you said, asked a question, how do you know? Like, yes,
you know, how do you know? And everyone goes, you
just know?

Speaker 2 (43:37):
Right?

Speaker 3 (43:40):
I kind of feel like that's true. I mean I knew.
I just there's this sense I'll call it maybe the
Holy Spirit, even like confirming it is life perfect no,
with everything perfect.

Speaker 1 (43:51):
No.

Speaker 3 (43:51):
But like I always tell people when they're like, how
do you know, I'm like, can you live without that secret?
And because a lot of the time people are settling, right,
they don't be lonely, they want to start their lives,
and so they feel like this is the catalyst for that.
And I always tell them like can you live without them?
And if they pause for even a second, I'm like,

(44:11):
probably not the one, because you have to remember those
moments where you're like, I cannot live without this person
because marriage is hard, it is hard work, it is
sad daily sacrifice, and you have to go back to
those moments of going like no, like I would have
been heartbroken if I had to live without this person.
And so I always when people go I'm not sure
if they're the one, I'm like, can you live without them?

(44:33):
And if they're like and they pause, I'm like, maybe
maybe they're not the person, because there was a moment
where it's like I cannot live without this person in
my life. You see, there was a moment I'm madly
in love with this.

Speaker 1 (44:49):
Okay. I usually keep the podcast a little bit like
condensed in short, so well, we're gonna end it a
little bit. But I always ask this to everybody, even
my friends. We always have like debates, if you could
ask God one question, we're getting to the like that's it,
we're already there, right, or you already have the opportunity
to ask God two questions. What are you asking him?

(45:12):
It could be whatever.

Speaker 2 (45:13):
First one is how am I doing so far?

Speaker 1 (45:15):
Okay?

Speaker 2 (45:16):
My being a good steward of what you've given me?

Speaker 1 (45:20):
Why do you struggle with feeling like you're like not
enough or like you do?

Speaker 2 (45:23):
I think in life? The other day I was at
the gym, talking to the same gym you go to.
By the way, we go to the gym together. I
never seen her there, probably because there's a guy section
and I'm over in the guy section. I'm in the
guy's section, and this guy says to me. He says,
because you know, life's a game. And I stopped him
and I was like, who told you life's a game?
He's like, well, I said, Life's not a game. Life's

(45:44):
a test. So we're going to stand before God at
the end of our life, all of us. Everybody's watching here,
all of us, and he's going to say what He's
going to say, what be with that life? I gave you?
I gave you that life? What did you know? We're
going to answer for that, And in some level we're
going to get a score. On some level, I don't
know what it's going to look like. First we have

(46:05):
to answer for what we did with Jesus. Like, if
we rejected his son, Jesus, that's a bad day, Right,
it's a bad day. You can't expect the story of
Jesus to be true like that God would love you
so much that he would give you his only son, right,
that his son would live with perfectness in this life
and then die on the cross on purpose, knowing full

(46:27):
well that this was an opportunity to exchange his perfect
life for our life full of mistakes and regrets and pain. Right,
So this is Jesus volunteered. He gave his life on
our behalf for us. Right, our faith is in what
he did. It's not in what we did. It's not
like we did good things so we got to heaven.
That's not how it works. Is Jesus gave his life
for us, and we put our faith in him, and

(46:48):
then we lived in response to that. But we didn't
earn our way to heaven. Technically, Jesus earned our way
to heaven because he did all the things we couldn't do.
So that death on the cross is huge. So if
we reject his son, even though he died for us,
that day is gonna be a bad day, we say
before God, Right, but then the Bible says there's another
part to that, So like that's like that right there

(47:10):
depends on like am I gonna be with God forever
or be away from God forever? But then after that,
it's like, now we're gonna move on to the next
thing he trust us with. And we don't know what
that's like. We don't know what heaven's like. We don't know.
We just know that God's going to restore the whole world.
But Jesus tells all these parables about things to look
forward to after this life, and he says, well done,

(47:31):
good and faithful servant. I trusted you with a little.
Now I'm gonna trust you with a lot. I want
to hear those words. I want to hear well done, son.
You did a good job with what I gave you. You
prove I tested you, you proved it. Now I'm gonna
put more in your hands. I'm gonna give you more.
And Jesus tells all these stories like that about guys

(47:51):
who had money that he left them with and they
doubled the money, or they hid the money, or they
you know what I mean that all these stories. So
that's a question I would ask if I can ask
right now, I'd be like how am I doing so far?
Because I don't want to get to the end and
then be surprised, like, boy, were you off track? Like
if I can fix the rest of you know, if
I can do it better, I want to. Man, My
heart is to put a smile on my father's face.

(48:13):
And you're well done, well done, son.

Speaker 3 (48:16):
Nice, well done son. This is a question when we
get to heaven.

Speaker 1 (48:21):
Yes, and it's okay.

Speaker 3 (48:23):
It's like you know one thing and it's probably like
a selfish question. But I've always had like a hard
time understanding healing. M So I know faith is a component,
but I have lost people to cancer and other awful
diseases in my life that had so much faith, right,
and so that's always been something I've resolved it, like

(48:44):
I know that Jesus is a healer, and we don't
get to choose on which side of heaven he heals,
Like I think we will be healed one day, but
I do want to know, like I'm an equation, girl.

Speaker 2 (48:56):
God, what is the equation? Like what was missing?

Speaker 3 (48:59):
Or but because I mean, if I could ask him
that now, I'd want to see everyone healed. Prain healing
over you know, people more and more, So I don't
know that would be mine. It would be something about
at healing, like why why why? Why are some people
healed and not others? But right, that's that's mine.

Speaker 1 (49:16):
Yeah, like what yeah, yeah, I get that. Why Like
and I've I've come across I mean, if I've I've
asked myself this question or at some point it would
it would have been like before before, like you know,
my new relationship with God, why did you take my mom?

(49:36):
Which obviously it wasn't him, but why did you take
my mom or both my parents? Like why? Like it
was so quick back to back, it couldn't just been
a little bit more time, right, you know, but that
was I feel like it's the same like why why
me and not them? So but you know, I've come

(49:56):
to realize and I've used my pain my paint purpose
and creeving and all that, But I like to ask
those questions like because you know, we get there and
we're just like okay or as a girl TMI, but
I'm like, why did Eve have to eat the.

Speaker 2 (50:12):
Like you might want to talk about how Adam just
wasn't on watch that day, like what's up? Adam.

Speaker 1 (50:18):
But it's just keeping real, Like God, why did like
why does she do it? Like you knew? Like, oh
my god, Adam, there's.

Speaker 2 (50:26):
A talking snake going after your wife. You're supposed to
be the gardener, bro, supposed to be the protector, Adam.

Speaker 1 (50:32):
But you know, as a girl, like every month, I'm
just like this, like that's her fault. But yeah, no,
But I really appreciate like you guys again making it
feel safe and comfortable, well sure, making it feel okay
not to be okay or to be like the perfect

(50:54):
Christian in order to be accepted into a church or
by God in general. And I feel like a lot
of people have missed that opportunity and this is a reach,
but would you please do the call for the laws
in general? For like you're great at it. You both
are great. That's your thing.

Speaker 2 (51:15):
Just promise me you'll stay real. You know, that's why
people watch you, because you're real. And I don't think
the world's looking for perfect Christians. I think they're looking
for real Christians for sure. I don't think people is
looking for a perfect church. If I find one, i'll
tell you where to go. But there's no perfect churches.
But there's real churches, you know, there's people who are
like i'm here to I'm here because I know I

(51:36):
don't have it all together. And I know because I'm
here because I know I'm broken and I need God
to heal me, you know. And that's the kind of
environment that where you can belong even before you believe.
You know, no perfect people allowed. Like if you're giving
off that vibe like you got it all together, I
don't trust you, you know what I mean, Like that
vibe is like I've seen that vibe before and that's

(51:56):
not what we're going for here. And so yeah, you
stay real and people will continue to be drawn to
your life because in a world of phoniness in Los
Angeles especially, Yeah, you're a light because you're so real.
So keep it up. And you're getting baptized this Thursday.

Speaker 1 (52:11):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (52:12):
Yeah, we found out today.

Speaker 1 (52:15):
I am. I am. I don't you know, it's just
I just I usually don't say it because a lot
of people have, you know, they don't have the best
intentions and I'm just but I also know that my
God is bigger and greater, so like I take the
risk and kind of just put it out there. But yeah,
I'm excited. I'm happy.

Speaker 2 (52:33):
So baptism you want me to the invitation for Christ
if you can.

Speaker 1 (52:36):
I just I like to have that opportunity. I've never
done it before. I don't do it. I'm not that
I don't do it, but I've just never done it.
But you know you're great at it. Why does it?

Speaker 2 (52:44):
You know? So baptism is what will start? Right? Why
would you get baptized on Thursday?

Speaker 1 (52:52):
I was telling Maria before we started, I just didn't
find I know that it's I felt like it was
important where I was going to get baptized, like the
church I was getting baptized at, because I feel like
we're and I know that's not the main importance. Like
like again, like I've encouraged my whole life and I've

(53:13):
never been baptized, and I didn't feel like I needed to.
But then I started reading and like, obviously it's important
and again I'm in this surrender and then this preparation
season in general that I just felt like, okay, like
why not yea? But I did feel like it was
important where I got baptized because I needed it to
be somewhere that again that I felt comfortable and safe

(53:35):
with and that I can be able to call a
home and that I'm continually faithfully tithing and where I
feel like, you know, also not making it like the church,
my god, you know, but this is a space where
I connect and that you know where this is the
most sacred part of me. This is the core of
who I am. And I also believe that starts with

(53:55):
the church for me. So luckily, like I've been able,
I was freedom is that space for me and and
continues to be that space for me, and like I
I want it to be and I again want to
be that voice and be rual and to help people
later on. And I don't know, I just I feel

(54:16):
like again like I'm dying. I'm dying to myself. I'm
choosing to die to myself. Every Oh yeah, there is
there is taking that class. Oh my god, a lot
of work.

Speaker 2 (54:27):
The seasons are kind of lining up, right, Like everything
in life is like a season, right, So it sounds
like you're kind of like I'm going into a new beginning.

Speaker 1 (54:36):
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (54:37):
So that's really what baptism is, right. Baptism is, like
the Bible says, it's like a watery grave. Or a coffin.
It's kind of crazy because baptism looks different ways in
all sorts, different places. So I think probably half of
our churches hispanic. Would you say half our churches is probably?

Speaker 1 (54:56):
Would you ever do a Spanish service?

Speaker 2 (54:58):
You know we do translation in here, but you know
the other day I said, raise your hand, if you
raise your hand, if you grew up Catholic in our
whole church, razor hand, you know what I mean? Your
if you're so Catholic, these are old raizor had. I mean,
it's like, it's like, I'm serious, because you know, our
Catholic brothers and sisters same Jesus. They believe in the
resurrection toement the whole thing. Baptism, though, can be challenging

(55:19):
for them because their parents did this for them. And
so we've walked a lot of people through this because
if you're watching this, there's a day where what your
parents did for you so special and beautiful and wonderful,
and I don't want to take away from that. We
you know, we we do a dedication thing in our
church too where we're like, we're going to raise this
child to God, and you know, and I want everybody

(55:40):
to know this commitment we're making to God, and it's
not our child, it's God's child, you know, Like it's
a very very powerful thing, right. But as we get older,
you know, I was nine, I was twenty. I think
I was nineteen, and it was like, hey, I was
raised this way, but I need to make this decision
for myself. So that's why I think even though you've
never been baptized, it's just that time for you now,

(56:01):
because you're like, wow, I'm twenty seven. I understand that
it's almost like a decision to say, God, I'm going
to live your plan for my life, not my plan
for my life. And that's an adult decision. That's an
adult decision. So my kids want to give baptized and
I'm like, not until you're at least eleven or twelve
or you know, because I'm like, you don't know what
you're doing, you know what I mean? You know. So

(56:21):
the Bible describes it as like going into a watery
grave and you identify with the death of Jesus, but
then you identify with the resurrection of Jesus. So in
other words, like sometimes you have to die before you
can live. Ye, So it's like the old person is
dying and the new person. And that's really the language
of the Bible, like we are dead in our sins.

(56:42):
Jesus says, were lost, and then we're fine found we're blind,
and then we see we're dead and then we're alive. Right,
I mean this is that that is like a Jesus
called it being reborn. He goes like, that's a complete reborn.
So if you're watching this and you've never been born again,
you know, you know if you've been born again or not.

(57:04):
And what we wind up doing is we wind up
looking at like belief systems or religion and we go like, oh,
I believe that Jesus is God, and I believe what
he did on the cross for the world bring salvation,
and I believe in all that. But you can believe
God but not trust God. Trusting God is when you

(57:24):
go I'm actually going to give you my heart. Yeah,
so I'm going to not live for myself anymore. I'm
going to live for you. And when you do that,
when you say God, I'm sorry for the things that
I've done and you put your faith in Jesus, your
next breath is an incredible sensation because you're like, Wow,

(57:45):
like it's over. That person is dead, like the old
is dead. The person who did those things and acted
that way and thought, that's over now, and you leave
that person behind. And now when you're born again, the
Bible says, not only are you forgiven of what you've done,
but you are filled with the Holy Spirit. See the
word for breath in the scripture, both in Hebrew and
in Greek, is the same word for spirit. So God

(58:08):
puts his spirit in you. So now when you're born again,
you're living by the spirit of God, and so he
give helps you all the child. Most people don't want
to get baptized because they go, oh, I'm still gonna
make these mistakes. I'm still gonna do these things, you know.
And a lot of times they come to me and
they're like, I need to get everything fixed up and perfect,
then I'll get baptized. I hear that all the time,

(58:29):
like oh, I need to, I need to I need
to get cleaned up, and then I'll get baptized. And
I look at them every time, I'm like, no, no, no,
you don't. You don't get cleaned up and then come
to God. You come to God and he cleans you up.
Right that's the whole purpose of Jesus leaving heaven and
come in to Earth. So if you're watching this and
you've never like you've never heard the gospel that way,
I would just tell you that I would. I would.

(58:52):
It would be hard hard for me to believe that
you were watching this podcast without God orchestrating this like
he knew you tune in today. Marie and I don't
do a lot of podcasts like this, but we just
love her so. And the truth is is like, even
through this system of like being watching podcasts, whatever, there's
like a trusted voice who's saying, hey, listen. I would

(59:14):
say that God's been working in your life a lot
longer than before this moment. He's been part of every
chapter of your story, right, And that's hard to swallow
because you're like, well, where was he when this happened?
He was still there. If you were today to say God,
I'm sorry for the things I've done, will you forgive me,
and you were to trust that Jesus has made that possible,

(59:36):
two things would happen. One, you could say goodbye to
all the shame and all the guilt of the things
that you did today. That would happen today, and then
two you would have the Holy Spirit who's with you
from here on out, to walk with you into a
new life. God does have a great plan for the world,
and he does have things that he wants to do,
and he created you for a purpose. But the old

(59:57):
person doesn't get to do that. It's the person who
I'm gonna I'm gonna let this person die so the
person that God intended for me to be can live.
So I would just direct you just to pray this
prayer today. You would just say Jesus, because when we
pray to God, we pray to Jesus. We don't believe
that Jesus is like half God and half man, right,
we don't believe Jesus is like a man who like

(01:00:19):
did a bunch of good things and became God. There's
a lot of there's a lot of religions believe that,
but that's actually not the truth. The truth is not
that Jesus is a man who became God. It's that
God became a man so that he could be on
earth and you could know that you could trust him
and see what God is like and see what love
is like. So so God becomes a man and he

(01:00:39):
dies a death on the cross for you and for
me that we deserve. And then he rises again. He
rises from the grave. That proves that he's God and
that everything he said about himself is true. So if
you put your faith in that that that Jesus has
done everything that you need to be in good standing
with God, and you say thank you Jesus for all
that you've done, I receive that salvation. I receive that

(01:01:00):
forgiveness of sense. Then in that next moment, you ask
God fill me with the Holy Spirit. So I would
pray that whoever's praying that prayer right now, Jesus God,
I'm sorry for what I'm done. Will you forgive me?
Will you and take a deep breath? Will you film
me with the Holy Spirit? Will you fill me with
all the help that I need to live a new life?
And then you just make them that promise God? From
here on out, I'm following you. Are you gonna make mistakes?

(01:01:22):
Of course? Did you're going to learn from though? Is
God going to love you more or less based on
those mistakes? Absolutely not. He's looking at your heart right now.
He knew you'd be tuning in, and I believe there's
people watching right now, who'd say today's the day I'm
beginning the rest of my life and you would be born.

Speaker 1 (01:01:39):
Again, Amen, Jesus name, Amen Amen, which as also one
of the best decisions I've ever made personally in my life.
And again, if you guys need a home, church or
somewhere to go, please look into Freedom Say the best
that I've you know, I've felt peace and safe there.
And they have online services too, right is every service online?

Speaker 2 (01:02:01):
Yeah, on Sunday.

Speaker 1 (01:02:02):
On Sunday I'm an in person no, but online Freedom Church.
And I want to thank you guys again so much,
thank you because you know, you guys didn't have to,
but you guys chose to. And again it is God's
purpose in God's fulfillment. And you know, I just I
just like seeing God work and actually seeing being here.

(01:02:24):
And I really appreciate you guys very very much because
I love again. You guys have been a vessel of
God for me.

Speaker 2 (01:02:31):
Can't brag about you for a second. Do you understand
how hard it is to talk about faith. It's such
a personal thing. People feel like if I talk about that,
then it's like putting myself out there. There's nothing harder
to do than talk about your faith, and you're doing
that on your platform with people that obviously you care about,
because you would not be sharing this because you're going
to get criticized for this course, you know, and I

(01:02:52):
get criticized all the time, and that's part of it.
But Jesus got criticized more than any of us. So
way to go because you didn't have to do this.

Speaker 1 (01:03:00):
And that's the thing, Like, it just I've I've already
heard everything, Like there's nothing that anybody can tell me,
and I'm just like okay, like whatever at this point,
this is the way that I've survived. A lot of
people ask me, like, how did you get through this?

Speaker 2 (01:03:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:03:15):
Yeah, I just don't have any other answer but God.
And if that's the best way, if I can simplify
it or uncomplicate it or give the examples of how
my life has been saved or what I've gone through
to be able to share that story and my testimony, ultimately,
like then it's you know what I'm called to do.
It's the purpose, you know, That's why I'm here, That's

(01:03:36):
why God made us and created us under But again,
thank you guys so so much, and please, if you
guys again, need a church or if you need some
type of hope, rewatch the podcast or please head to
the social medias.

Speaker 2 (01:03:52):
It is safe.

Speaker 1 (01:03:53):
We're in a safe space. So thank you guys so much.
Make sure you guys like, comment, subscribe, and I will
see you guys next Tuesday. Overcover podcast is a production
of Iheart's Macultura podcast Network.